There is a new social media site called Simily. Its goal is to create a community of readers and writers. Their tagline is, “Experience great stories.” As a lover of great stories, that had me curious. I signed up and I like what I’ve seen so far. It turns out they are different than anything I’ve run into before.
There are a few things that set it apart. First, Simily doesn’t have the usual gatekeepers. It seems like every platform out there has its niche. On top of that, they often have themed issues. Submissions are limited in time. And they have a definite style that they like and don’t publish much else. That’s fine for some people, but those of us who don’t like being confined by genre and style find it frustrating. Second, they actually pay their authors. It’s amazing how much of the online content you consume is done for “exposure.” Even a lot of what you find on the big sites. Many authors feel trapped. Simily might not make anyone rich, but they value the storytellers which is a move in the right direction. Basically, the more unique visitors a story gets, the more that author gets paid. Third, the community aspect is front and center. Users can comment on stories, join groups, share, make recommendations, or just leave a “snap” if they like something. You can follow other users. There’s a lot of potential to discover great things that we wouldn’t have found before.
I have put two stories on Simily so far (here and here). (It’s just a coincidence that they both feature live music. I don’t want to be known as the guy who only writes about music.) This is where the support comes in. The more people who look at my stories, the better it will be for me. And you don’t need to pay anything to view the stories. Hopefully you’ll like what you read, but even if you don’t it still helps, so you can feel good about that.
The other thing to keep in mind is that Simily is new. They are open to feedback. (They really are. I’ve talked to the founders.) They want to get better, and they want our help. If you’re anything like me and get frustrated by the online options, check out Simily and you can help make it the kind of place you like to hang out.
p.s. This isn’t written as well as I’d like. I hate self-promotion. It feels icky. So, I can’t spend as long on it as I should.
