Is Simily Making a Comeback?

Will the latest changes revive the creative writing platform?

Photo by Daria Shatova on Unsplash

How many lives does a writing platform have?

I had basically forgotten about Simily until last night when I got an email noting I’m “approved” to be a writer in their new system.

Here’s the last Medium piece I wrote about a platform I thought was on the verge of death:

On the Sad State of Simily

Here’s a summary of where things stood as of late January:

The content available includes stories about how to solve “puzzles” on video games.

The “romance” section is just really, really bad porn writing. No, not erotica — just, well, bad writing about bad sex.

The social channels have long been dead.

It appears they may collect subscription fees until those run out — and keep putting up articles and paying out peanuts.

I was initially drawn to Simily because it promised to be a site like Medium but with a clear focus on creative writing.

I published some fiction there (much of which I republished here).

Prayer Warrior — A Macon County Supper Club Story

Then, I watched as the site began to die. Not as a direct result of my fiction (probably).

So, I was surprised to get an email from Simily.

The short update is:

You now have to apply to be a writer, social features of the platform will only be available to paid users, and it appears stories will be reviewed before they are published.

Here’s more from the email they sent:

Simily’s mission has always been to build a place where creative writers and readers can thrive online. As the platform has grown, we…