The Yours2Read story
Started in 2019, Yours2Read has a simple goal: to provide a means by which aspiring as well as established authors can reach out to readers without the hassle, cost, delay, and all-too-often the disappointment of dealing with intermediaries. The internet has democratised many aspects of life; music, art, literature, invention, creative genius, can now be brought directly by those who produce it to those who can enjoy without the permission or approval of gatekeepers. In the short time we have been in existence, we have built a dynamic and international community of authors and readers who interact with each other through our platform, trusted for its transparency of terms and guiding principle of free at the point of access.
Our mission
Creativity has been the driving force behind human development for millennia. Everyone- yes, everyone- has a story to tell, founded upon perceptions of life, personal experiences, dreams, or real or fictional worlds populated by characters taken from imagination or direct experience. We provide the means by which these can be converted from ideas floating like kites in clear blue or stormy skies into electronic pages accessible to the world at any time, and anywhere. We aim to make use of the openness, dynamism, and infinite possibilities of the internet for the benefit of authors and readers alike.
Transparency
The fruits of imagination belong to those who cultivate them: we never take rights in any works posted on our platform- not legal, moral, or in any other form- and copyright always belongs to the author. We do not take copies and we do not keep copies should an author exercise his or her right to withdraw from the platform, without needing to give a second’s notice to us to do so. We do not provide users’ information to third parties. We do not charge authors to post work to the platform, and we do not charge readers to access it.
An ethical mission
Sharing stories between authors and readers across nations promotes understanding, empathy, and awareness of the human condition. We are committed to raising standards of literacy by encouraging authors to do their very best to produce work of the highest standard and of which they can be proud. We have run competitions across many countries and provided the prize-winnings; in this way we make writing fun whilst at the same time raising authors’ expectations of themselves.
Giving a voice to authors
Stories posted to our platform may be word-perfect and of bookstore quality: an experienced author will know that when grammar and presentation are flawless, readers will not notice these and will instead focus on content. By contrast, if an author falls short regarding these and yes, in simple spelling, this can be a distraction. But does this mean that the perfect should be the enemy of the good? That work should be excluded simply because it does not comply with traditional grammatical rules? We endeavour to give everyone a voice: if a story is ’rough and ready’ but gripping, fun to read, highly original, or includes insights or creativity which can intrigue, challenge, or emotionally move readers, then it will find a place here.
