How Dalla Works
Stories told chapter-by-chapter, shaped in real time by a community of readers, characters, and artists.
Entertainment with purpose
Free to read. Pay to shape. Give to teach.
01
Seed Author sets the world
Every story starts with a Seed Author — the creative director who establishes the premise, the world, the characters, and the first chapter. The Seed Author writes the final chapter based on each winning direction and decides when voting rounds open.
The Seed Author holds a fixed 10% weight in all platform decisions — including Character Representative elections and story direction votes. The remaining 90% is decided by public vote. This ensures the story's vision is protected while the community remains in control.
02
Character Reps are elected by the community
Each major character has a Character Representative — a real person who gives voice to that character in every voting round. Reps submit story directions from their character's perspective, shaping what happens next from inside the narrative.
Character Reps are elected by public vote (90% community weight + 10% Seed Author weight). They are subject to replacement if they miss participation deadlines. Active Reps are compensated proportionally from the revenue share pool.
03
Reading
Always free. Forever. In any language.
- ✓No login required to read any story or chapter.
- ✓Login is optional but recommended — logged-in readers receive notifications about new chapters, open voting rounds, and story updates.
- ✓We use anonymized reading data to understand which stories and chapters resonate most — so authors know what's working.
04
Voting
$1 minimum per vote. One vote per person per round.
- ✓Voting always requires a payment. The minimum is $1 USD, universal — the same for everyone, everywhere.
- ✓Every person gets exactly one vote per round. The $1 minimum is not a price for influence — it is the democratic floor that keeps every voice equal.
- ✓If you want to further support the platform, the authors, and the Literacy Endowment Fund, you are free to donate more than $1 for the same single vote.
- ✓Any amount above $1 goes directly into the story's revenue pool — benefiting all participants and the Literacy Endowment Fund proportionally.
05
Revenue shared with everyone who contributes
Every dollar paid flows directly back to the people who made the story worth reading — and to the world beyond it. Dalla distributes revenue automatically after each confirmed payment.
Seed Author
The story's creative director
Character Representatives
Split proportionally among active reps
Community Artists
Illustrators approved by the author
Platform
Operations & technology
Literacy Endowment Fundnon-negotiable
Fighting illiteracy worldwide
The Literacy Endowment Fund
15% of every dollar paid on Dalla goes directly to specialized education endowments focused on fighting illiteracy and expanding access to reading worldwide. This is not a marketing initiative — it is built into the platform's structure and is non-negotiable.
We live in an era of AI and smartphones, yet hundreds of millions of people worldwide still cannot read. Dalla exists, in part, to help change that. Every story you engage with contributes to this mission.
Dalla is also a deliberate alternative to passive social media scrolling. Instead of consuming endless, empty content, our community actively participates in the creation of meaningful stories. We replace screen time with story time.
Dalla is a conscious capitalism company.
We believe entertainment and social impact are not opposites. When you vote, donate, or simply read — you are part of something larger than the story.
Common questions
Do I need an account to read?
No. All chapters are publicly accessible with no login required. Creating a free account lets you vote and receive notifications for new chapters and voting rounds.
How does voting work exactly?
Every registered user gets exactly one vote per voting round. Voting requires a minimum payment of $1 USD — universal and the same for everyone. You may optionally pay more than $1 to support the story's participants and the Literacy Endowment Fund, but your vote counts the same as anyone else's.
Can money buy more influence?
No. Paying more than $1 is an act of generosity, not an advantage. Every registered voter has exactly one vote per round, regardless of how much they contribute.
Why does voting cost money at all?
The $1 minimum is a democratic floor — it ensures voters are engaged and prevents spam while funding the authors, artists, and the Literacy Endowment Fund. It is not a paywall for reading, which remains free forever.
How are Character Reps chosen?
Character Reps are elected by public vote. The community holds 90% of the voting weight and the Seed Author holds 10%. Reps who miss participation deadlines can be replaced through a new election.
What happens to the Literacy Endowment Fund money?
It goes to vetted literacy and education endowments focused on fighting illiteracy worldwide. Recipients and disbursements will be published transparently on our impact page.
How do authors and reps get paid?
Earnings accumulate in your dashboard. Payouts are processed monthly via Stripe to your connected bank account.
Entertainment with purpose
Ready to be part of the story?
Start reading — no account needed. Cast your first vote when you find a story worth shaping.