Although self-publishing platforms such as Wattpad and Medium have been around for over a decade, they’re only becoming increasingly popular among writers, especially since the pandemic began in 2020. According to Claire Squires from The Conversation, the demand for books and reading skyrocketed in the height of pandemic due to lockdowns and social restrictions. Being forced to stay home encouraged people across the globe to curl up with a good book (or a Kindle, if you’re into that), and with working from home came writing from home. Luckily, these writing platforms have served as a community for avid readers and self-published writers alike.
However, one of the main concerns with most mainstream writing platforms is the lack of author compensation. Often, writers will pour their time, their craft and even their money into these online communities without even a dime to show for it — as if writers aren’t underpaid enough as it is.
Luckily, a new online writing platform called Simily is striving to solve this issue. Co-founders Allegra O’Neill, Shannon O’Neill and Katie Wilson felt strongly that it should be easier for writers to connect with readers and find success online. Additionally, these writers should be paid for their work in the process.
“We came up with the idea for Simily about a year ago,” says Allegra. “Shannon was working on another website at the time when she called me and floated the idea of a fiction story platform. We both wanted a way to discover great fiction online and find a replacement for the time spent endlessly scrolling social media.”
Allegra says that from there, the Simily team came together easily. “Katie, who was working as an English teacher, joined the team a few months later.”
“I met Allegra at Penn State, where I studied English, Secondary Education, and Media Studies,” says Katie. Although she never expected to work on a writing startup like Simily, Katie was looking for a way to help her students find recognition for their creative writing. “Simily’s goal aligns so closely with the work I do in my life — it feels like a perfect fit,” she says.
Allegra never expected to work on a writing startup either. “I actually didn’t really know what I wanted to do after [graduating from Penn State],” she says. “My career has been focused on education and education publishing, but I have always been an avid writer. Ever since I was young, I have wanted to publish a novel.”
Shannon, however, is the one that got the ball rolling. “I’ve always loved startups and have been working in startup environments pretty much my whole career,” she says. “When Allegra and I discussed the idea of Simily last year, we decided to go for it without much hesitation.”
“When Shannon brought the idea of Simily to me, I knew it was something that I was passionate about and wanted to work on,” Allegra added.
Allegra’s passion for a self-publishing platform for writers stemmed from her own struggles with the corporate publishing industry. “It was important to me that the early concept of Simily was shaped from the writer’s perspective,” she says. “After my first novel was rejected by over fifty literary agents, I became determined to democratize the writing world and remove the gatekeeping of traditional publishing houses.”
Within the writing world, there’s often a divide between authors that have used a traditional corporate publishing route and self-published authors. “I think, in part, that divide exists because traditionally published work is viewed as the higher standard because it was chosen by the publishers, it was edited, polished, marketed and it maybe even ended up on a best-sellers list as a result,” says Allegra. “Self-publishing does not require that kind of ‘vetting’ process because writers can publish their work on a site like Simily with the click of a button.”
“In the age of digital media, I don’t think that divide should exist,” she continues. “There is so much talented writing in the world — it seems foolish to limit ‘credible’ work by the standards of traditional publishing, where a finite number of people decide which books get published each year. Self-publishing offers an opportunity for all writing to be presented to the public, allowing readers to decide what pieces will find success.”
And in turn, giving readers more control over what succeeds on these writing platforms will also allow writers to receive more productive feedback. Since corporate publishers tend to only guide writers in directions that are generating the most profit, Simily can be a useful tool in gauging public opinion before a book is actually printed.
However, Allegra believes that there are still plenty of opportunities for self-publishing and traditional publishing to work together. “Traditional publishers should view self-publishing as a great opportunity to discover their next writer or story, while self-published authors can benefit from building an audience online without a strict approval process,” she says.
Simily was developed in an effort to close this divide, according to its co-founders. “We recognize the value of traditional publishing, but we also see the challenge for some writers to get their (often excellent) work read,” says Allegra. “In some instances, it is the lack of audience that prevents them from getting discovered, which is why our goal is for Simily to be a place where writers can establish a reader base.”
“We want the traction writers receive on Simily to elevate their discoverability and help them get noticed by publishers, if that is the avenue they wish to pursue,” Allegra continues. “But most importantly, we are building a platform where writers can make enough money to write full-time.”
Simily is a platform that prides itself on author compensation, and its co-founders are deeply committed to paying writers fairly. “One of the things I personally struggled with as a writer was knowing I had a novel that I was proud of, but it was just sitting on my computer,” says Allegra. “I tried for years to get it published, but I wasn’t making any progress.”
“When we started Simily, we made author compensation central to our mission,” she says. “It’s important to us that writers get paid for their work and our goal is to make Simily a place where writers earn a meaningful living. As we grow, we are constantly evaluating the platform to make sure we are keeping the writer’s needs at the center.”
Although Simily is often compared to longer-standing writing platforms like Wattpad, author compensation is just one of its key differences. “On Wattpad, only a select few writers are eligible for paid stories,” says Allegra. “We believe it is our job to elevate great writing without being gatekeepers. We’re focused on elevating creative writing to help writers get discovered, build an audience and get paid.”
Another key difference between the platform and its competitors is Simily’s commitment to ensuring that writers are keeping the full rights to their work. “You have full control over your story, your editorial process, when it goes live on the site and what you can do with that work after hitting ‘publish.’ If you decide to publish elsewhere or revert your story to a draft to continue working, you are welcome to do so,” says Allegra. “We believe creators should always own the rights to their work.”
But more importantly, Simily is great for creating an intimate community between writers and their readers. “We are designing the platform to make it seamless for writers to publish their work and connect with a base of readers,” says Allegra. “To do this, we address multiple aspects of the writing process with resources aimed at helping writers hone their craft.”
“We encourage writers to get involved in the community aspect of Simily, where you will find support on writing structure, editing, coming up with new ideas and getting feedback from readers,” she continues. “The Simily workshops, writing hours and writing groups offer a unique experience for freelancers to sharpen their skills and get real time feedback from a community of like-minded writers.”
No matter your skillset, Simily is here to help you become the best writer that you can be. “We welcome any creative writing, both fiction and nonfiction,” says Allegra. “Poetry and fiction do well on our platform, but the best way to find out is to post your first story!”
If you’re looking for an uplifting online writing community that will pay you for your work, Simily may just be the platform for you. Sign up today at simily.co, and don’t hesitate to reach out to Allegra and the Simily team at hello@simily.co with any questions.
