Compelling Science Fiction is going to a paid subscription model

I'm proud that over the last three years we've released 63 phenomenal stories and paid professional rates to 57 wonderful authors. However, over the last three years I've also spent a significant amount of money keeping the magazine afloat. Year one I spent a lot, and years two and three leveled out to almost break-even (but revenue stopped growing). Based on these numbers, I've decided that I need to go to a paid subscription model to keep the magazine strong and growing.

Two things motivated this decision:

1. Without a budget for marketing, I've reached the limit of my ability to grow the readership of the magazine in my discretionary time. It's always been a goal of Compelling Science Fiction to expand readership of great, plausible science fiction, but I am not a great marketer.
2. I've always wanted the magazine to continue publishing even if something happens to me. That could be as gruesome as a car crash or as pedestrian as a rearrangement of priorities. Either way, no business should have to rely on the availability, resources, and goodwill of just one person (or even a handful of people). If Compelling Science Fiction is going to outlast me, it's going to need a solid foundation of support from the people who enjoy it the most.

Thus, the next issue of Compelling Science Fiction will not be posted for free on the website -- you can go here to purchase a subscription. If you've been supporting the magazine on Patreon or buying individual issues through Amazon already, nothing will change for you (other than the stories not being posted on the open internet). All the stories that are already readable for free on the site will continue to be readable for free on the site.

This was a tough decision, but I think that stabilizing the business will result in better outcomes for both readers and authors.

Take care,

Joe