Hello,
We’re reaching out to provide an important update on Re:Library’s current situation and our proactive strategies moving forward. We’re facing some financial challenges, and we believe it’s important to be open with our dedicated readers like you.
Let’s talk numbers for a moment. Our average annual views have been on a downward slide since 2021. Back then, we were proudly hitting around 1.2 million monthly views. Fast forward to 2022, and that number dropped to 850,000. Now, in 2023, we’re looking at an even lower average of 700,000.
If this trend keeps up, we’re looking at potentially hitting just 500,000 monthly views by 2024. And the grim reality is that if things don’t turn around, Re:Library might have to close its doors by 2026.
So, what’s causing this dip? Here are some possible reasons for this decline:
Rise of Machine Translations: The allure of machine-translated content is growing as the tech gets better. Some of our readers who are hungry for new chapters are turning to these translations while waiting for our releases, which is impacting our readership.
Aggregators in the Mix: Aggregator sites are a double-edged sword. Some readers, unknowingly, are sharing links to these sites. These sites copy content from original sources without permission, and readers are drawn to them for their convenience. Unfortunately, this is hurting our earnings, and it’s a battle we can’t easily win.
Niche Genre Constraints: Our specialty in Gender Bender is both our strength and our limitation. We’ve been focusing on what our current readers love, like male-to-female transformations and girl’s love stories. But we’re hitting a ceiling; there’s only so much interest in this specific genre.
So, what’s our game plan to fight back against these falling numbers? Here’s the scoop:
Exploring Machine Translated Teasers: In response to the growing interest in machine translations, Re:Library is taking a nuanced approach. We’re introducing machine translated teasers, carefully curated to acquaint readers with unexplored novels. These teasers have a dedicated section on our site, ensuring they won’t clutter the front page. While not immediately visible, we hope they’ll contribute to increased views. Furthermore, these teasers might even become candidates for human translation through a future popularity vote.
Opening Up to New Publishers: We’re toying with the idea of letting other writers and translators host their novels on Re:Library. We know our posting process isn’t the friendliest, and we’re aiming to fix that to make it easier for newcomers.
Merchandise: You might have noticed the “Merchandise” menu hanging around on our site. We’re planning to open up a shop with cool stuff like t-shirts, mousepads, and pillows featuring the original characters we’ve designed over the past few months. We’re just running one final shipping test before the grand opening. The idea behind this merchandise venture is to not only offer awesome goodies but also to spread the word about our platform.
Genre Expansion: To draw in new audiences, we need to broaden our horizons. That entails moving beyond our current repertoire. While we’ve catered to male-to-female transformation and girl’s love, it’s time to venture into traps, female-to-male transformation, and boy’s love. Our aim is to diversify our offerings and capture a wider audience. We value your feedback, especially since our main focus has been male-to-female Genderswap. If there’s strong interest, we might even form a new team for these genres.
Thank you for being part of our community and your continued support. We’re dedicated to overcoming these challenges and ensuring a vibrant future for Re:Library. If you have any suggestions or feedback on how to improve our views/readership, feel free to leave your comments below.
