Paid email subscription for serialized or random (ish) content

defyalllogic · Dec 4, 2011

I just heard of this service called letter.ly

Others sign up for your letter at http://letter.ly/yourLetterName. Payments through amazon.
Publish letters as often as you want by emailing your secret email address [email protected]
Subscribers can reply to your letters to privately comment back to you
If you want to give away subscriptions to friends/supporters, simply enter the email addresses that should get free copies in your dashboard
You can add your Facebook or Twitter accounts; we will publish the subject of your emails with a link to subscribe.
When you want to get paid, simply click cash out.
You have total control over your subscribers... So you can unsubscribe people if you want

Has anyone every been on either end of one of these?

I'm trying to understand how it would compare to just releasing periodically on smashwords or a similar service. Though on those self pub sites it's expected that stores will be certain lengths and compete with e-pubs. Also, it might be harder to develop a fan base...

merrihiatt · Dec 4, 2011

People have to sign-up? I think a blog would serve you better and no one needs to sign-up for anything, they have 24/7 access to your blog. It's working for you constantly.

thothguard51 · Dec 4, 2011

I can see where a service like this would be great for sharing anarchist views, pedophile stories, terrorist plots, drug dealings and other such things you would not want to post in public, but only to a select following...

defyalllogic · Dec 4, 2011

hahah.

It's not only that it's secret or exclusive but it should also be profitable.

It would be like having a serial fiction blog but people pay a monthly subscription...

Old Hack · Dec 5, 2011

If I remember rightly, Stephen King launched a project like this several years ago but cancelled before he finished: not enough people signed up to make it work.

If Mr King couldn't make it work, with all his many fans, how well do you think an unestablished writer is going to do?

Paid email subscription for serialized or random (ish) content

defyalllogic

i'm a girl. (i have tendonitis)

merrihiatt

Writing! Writing! Writing!

thothguard51

A Gentleman of a refined age...

defyalllogic

i'm a girl. (i have tendonitis)

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman