Net Author was founded during the height of the electronic publishing mania of 1999. The concept was simple: to provide a forum for authors writing for the new media. Ebook publishers were springing up at a phenomenal rate. Ezines proliferated. Publications were being disseminated on diskette and CD ROM. Anyone could publish or self-publish, and everyone did--or so it seemed at the time. Many of us who were trying to adapt from the print media were overwhelmed. We felt the need for a way to understand the new paradigm. Net Author was founded as an attempt to make sense of it all.

Over the past four and one half years, Net Author has grown. We became a nonprofit corporation last year, and we published an award-winning online literary magazine. We increased our pay rates from $5 per story, or essay and $5 for three poems, to $25 per story and $10 for each poem published. We thought we could sustain publication at those rates, but we were wrong. Enthusiasm for Epublishing has waned.

If you've read this editorial page in the past, you will know of my boilerplate request for donations. Net Author, Inc. paid for everything we published, provided all services free of charge and provided a high quality staff for both our discussion group and our publications. We find we are no longer able to sustain Net Author and neither persons nor public entities have offered support, so we will cease publication. The Discussion group will continue, as will the online writer's resource. Our archives will continue to be available to our readership. We may offer new material from time to time.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all our readers, writers, staff, and volunteers. It's been a great four and one half years. I've enjoyed working with, and serving you.

July 2004

Robert Marcom
Managing Director
Net Author, Inc.