Member-only story
Four Weeks on Simily
What it’s like writing on a new platform
I’ve been on Simily for a full month now. The platform has positioned itself as fiction-forward and I like that.
Here’s a sample of one of the fiction pieces I’ve posted there:
I’ve also been chronicling my Simily journey — telling the story of what it’s like to be a writer on a new, small platform. Yes, Medium has been around awhile and has some great features. Simily, on the other hand, is a new kid and still has some bugs to work out. Plus, it’s a small community, so engagement can be a bit of a struggle.
My First Week on Simily. Tales from a Fiction First Platform | by Andy Spears | Jan, 2022 | Medium
Engagement
The platform has been growing over the past month and so engagement is picking up. There’s lots of great fiction to read. In fact, that’s what attracted me to the platform. I write about serious, newsy topics a lot. But I also write some fiction. Medium is not really a fiction-friendly outlet, so Simily could fill that gap. Sure, there are a few people who are simply copying and pasting their Medium nonfiction pieces there, but there’s also a good amount of fiction. Plus, the fiction that is there is actually pretty solid writing. I’m enjoying it. Oh, and there are groups where writers can exchange pieces and ideas and get some feedback. All positive.
Is Simily perfect? Certainly not. But it is growing and I’m noticing more engagement with each week.
Earnings
Simily pays $20 per 1000 reads. That’s a pretty decent payout in the content creation world. Plus, at least for now, Simily is paying for both internal and external reads. So, if you share your piece and lots of people who aren’t Simily readers read it, you still get paid. That’s not true of Medium, of course.
As for me, over four weeks with four stories published, I’ve earned $1.56. That number continues to grow as new members join and more people discover the platform.
Limitations
The platform is new. It is still small. You have to work for engagement, but you can get it. The site has an old-style feel to it and there have been reports of glitches. All of that can be frustrating. It’s also to be expected from a new site. In time, I’m hopeful these issues will be resolved.
Here’s another Simily piece so you can get an idea of what’s available there:
Bourbon-Flavored Baptist — Simily
Have you published on Simily? What’s your favorite platform for reading and publishing fiction?
