**How it began**
A few months ago, I started working on a platform with friends from college. The platform enables writers to make the most out of any single piece of written content—a marketplace for erotic writers to sell their stories directly to readers. I had the idea after trading stories on Reddit via PM; here I was investing hours of my day writing stories that only one person would read. I wanted more. (this will be a theme in this post) I asked myself; surely someone else would enjoy and appreciate my stories; maybe they’d even pay for it. So I decided to put my theory to the test. I attempted to sell my story for a commission. The first time I was taken advantage of, the reader promised me $100 for an 8-page personalized story; once I delivered the story, I never heard from him again. I learned an important lesson that day: always protect yourself. The second time I was more successful, the reader paid me $15 for a 5-page personalized story. What a rush! Most writers do not make that much money from a single-story, let alone a book. But I wanted more. (I told you there was a theme here.) So I marketed my skills, hoping that readers would commission me. This worked for a while but proved inefficient over time. I was continuously advertising to the point where I got banned from subreddits. Reflecting on this point, I thought to myself, what if there was a place where the reader might find me organically? Then I wouldn’t have to be as aggressive in my advertising.