Howdy!
Here at Maplopo we write a lot. And, we wanted a way to get as much of that written material into the hands of readers without having to charge for it. So, at the tail end of 2019, we started offering what we call the Maplopo Reading Circle. At the time, we ran a small book club here in Kobe, and thought… why not extend it online? So, that’s what we did. The response has been quick and positive, so you’ll be in good company. Our little “book club” has been growing… we’re being read in 104 different countries so far. Thank you!
By signing up below, we’ll send you an update each time we release a new story here on the website. So! If you don’t want to miss out on our updates, sign up below. At most you’ll probably see about seven to ten emails a year. Here’s the full campaign archive since 2019, if you’re curious! 😉
Peace!
Team Maplopo
Nervous about giving us your email? Don't be. We're cool. Here's the full scoop. What you'll get and what you won't get.
What you’ll get.
By signing up for the Reading Circle, this is what you’ll get: a heads up abut our translated shorts each year for life (there’s that whole writing a lot part). And, that’s it. No junk. No filler. Just a free story every time we release one (about one each quarter) because, well… translating takes well takes quite a bit of time, and we want to keep the messaging to a minimum. Want to see all the emails we’ve sent so far? Check out our campaign archive.
If you find that’s not enough, and you’d like to use our stories to learn Japanese, or English, then, cool… we’re developing resources to help you do just that. Check out our parallel text gallery for more on that goodness.
What else?
About a week after you get the story, we’ll usually send out a “how did you like it?” email because if we’re working with a new writer, they often look forward to any sort of feedback. And, even if we’ve translated Sakaguchi, Nakajima, or Dazai, we’d like to know ourselves what you thought. Fair, right?
Within each email, we’ll likely have a tiny blurb about whatever project we’ve just completed, or are currently producing. Lastly, we sometimes run autographed book promotions in exchange for a review on Amazon. We’ll notify you of the contest, then send a single reminder just before it closes. At most, we have four of those a year. So, all said and done… maybe 12-15 emails max a year. Not a bad deal, eh? No spam. Nothing even close. We’re not in love with email ourselves, as books and paper are our preferred medium. But, alas… its 2020, and Maplopo readers are from all around the world, so it works. We hope you understand.
Sound good?
If that works for you, the signup form is just below. Entering your name is required, because… well, we think calling one another by name is important. Right? Also, you’ve gotta’ check that super-duper scary little “marketing permissions” box because we like to stay on the right side of email rules, and the EU wants us to be sure you want these stories.
That’s it! Thanks for reading, and enjoy your short stories. The first one you’ll get from us right now is “Wind, Light, and the Twenty-Year-Old Me from Sakaguchi Ango. Next up is our English translation of Chapter Six from Botchan, by Natsume Soseki.
Have fun!
Doc and Reiko
Team Maplopo
Kobe, JAPAN
