Through e-mail subscription services, readers can also participate in creative activities themselves. (image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — The subscription culture, where one can receive content such as comics and essays from favorite writers daily through e-mail, is spreading among people in their 20s and 30s.
Among writers, the new trend is welcome as it provides a new profit model and a venue for readership, allowing them to deliver their work directly to readers without the interference of publishing companies or broadcasting platforms.
A total of four writers in the daily magazine “Magam” started the new trend in May. Subscribers pay 10,000 won (US$8.44) a month and receive two pieces of writing via e-mail from Monday through Friday.
The response from the subscribers is good on social media, with noticeable tweets citing published articles or paintings.
Readers are attracted to new daily subscription services for their convenience. “Like a webtoon, it’s easy and good to see on a smartphone,” a high school student said.
Meanwhile, another attraction was the fact that for readers who cannot watch horror movies alone, there is a service that explains the plot and story of these movies.
Authors watch the horror movies themselves and write down reviews and comments.
Furthermore, through e-mail subscription services, readers can also participate in creative activities themselves.
In other words, the author receives the reader’s work and publishes it in the next series.
Artist 2da simply teaches people how to draw pictures through the daily magazine “Magam” and hosts a section where readers can upload their own creations.
Poet Moon Bo-young started “Delivering Diary” last winter. The poet sends out content in the form of a diary via email. Thanks to the “Delivering Diary,” the poet is said to lead a writer’s career on a full-time basis.
D. M. Park (dmpark@koreabizwire.com)
