Dear Sniplits Members,
Is there ever anything
harder to say than “good-bye” to someone or something or some dream that you
have loved?
Seven years ago,
Sniplits was just a dream to create audio short stories for what was then still
a relatively new MP3 player market. And, perhaps most important to me, to
create a market that would pay short story authors for their work.
I know that there are
those who believe everything on the Internet should be free. And those who
believe that an author’s only reward should be the pleasure of writing.
Nonsense I say. Writing is work, and a writer whose work is appreciated by the
market should be able to make a living at their writing. No one asks doctors,
actors, engineers, teachers or professional athletes to do their work for free
just because they enjoy aspects of their job. That is not to say that everyone
who wants to write or thinks that they have a story to tell has the ability to
turn out a product worth paying for. Not everyone who loves basketball will
make it beyond league play and pick-up games. Not everyone who loves biology
can be a good doctor.
At Sniplits, I tried to
publish authors I thought were worth betting on. And I am incredibly proud to
have been the first to buy some of their work. I will continue to faithfully
follow and read their stories, and I hope you will too.
I still believe that
there will be a market for professionally narrated audio short stories, and
particularly for eShorts enhanced with audio. Unfortunately, Sniplits does not
have the financial wherewithal to survive until that market develops. Sniplits
will be closing on December 15, 2012. If there are stories you have been
meaning to download or gift certificates or coupons to use, please do so before
then.
The publishing industry
is at one of those messy turning points that all industries periodically go
through as technologies, business models and market desires change. That is not
a bad thing, just messy. The market—i.e. all of us—will help sort out which
publishers and authors will thrive and which will fail. I hope we choose
thoughtfully and well, and reward those authors and publishers by buying and
introducing our friends to their work.
I have given up trying
to find the right words to thank Sniplits authors, listeners, narrators, and
friends for all of your support over the years. You will be forever in my
heart.
Anne S.
founder/publisher
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