I've been monitoring the ups and downs of rebuilding subscriptions post-Amazon for the magazines that have been impacted. Unsurprisingly, it turns out that survival depends on us being more shameless. So...
Asking for support comes more easily for some than others, but all the magazines need it. Our community is accustomed to free, but that comes at a cost to the people behind the scenes. All of us deserve better and it costs so little to subscribe.
Short fiction has become a majority non-paying audience of readers. It wasn't always like that. The culture changed and there have been benefits. The pendulum, however, is too far to one side and needs to move a bit more towards the middle if we expect things to improve... or be maintained.
@clarkesworld I'm going to be going into college this year, I don't know what my financial position is going to be at the moment, but eventually, I will subscribe.
In the meantime, I'm trying to do everything I can to shine a bit of a spotlight on short fiction. In a way, my fledgling YouTube channel is built around highlighting 5 short stories I loved each month. (So far clarkesworld has consistently been in each video)
@clarkesworld I wish I could. You and Kate have given me many hours of company on my drives. I'm out of work at the moment, but I'll subscribe when I'm employed again
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