We’ve only written a letter like this once before. It was back in 1999, and our brand-new membership site was in trouble. Our credit card processing company had abruptly gone out of business – taking all of our revenue, and cancelling all of the memberships.
We were grateful that people had joined our brand new site – but we had to ask everyone to come back and join all over again.
The community responded. Smoke Signals Online was saved. And we’ve never forgotten it.
Today, we’re writing this letter because a different sort of problem has caused another crisis for Smoke Signals.
As you know, two years ago the world was hit with the worst recession since the 1930s.
Everyone suffered. Many people are still suffering.
We understand – and we sympathize. Because we’ve been suffering as well.
Over the last two years, memberships and revenues at Smoke Signals Online have been declining rapidly. They still are.
We know that in tough financial times, many people just couldn’t afford the membership anymore. We understood then – and we still understand – completely.
But while the recession persists for many, things have started to get better for many others.
It’s that second group we’re writing to today.
With our declining membership and revenue, it’s getting harder and harder to acquire the content that keeps Smoke Signals Online going.
In fact, we had some exciting new content upgrades planned for Smoke Signals Online this year, but we’ve had to postpone them, just trying to keep the ship afloat.
We also had a brand new and very different kind of site to launch this year, plus necessary changes to the Smoke Signals Community.
But those have all been postponed for the moment, so that we can devote whatever resources we have to Smoke Signals Online.
That’s what we’re facing. The site that we’ve liked to consider the “flagship” membership site for our community, is in trouble.
Be assured that we’re not going to let it die. But in order for it to live on as a thriving, constantly improving site – something has to happen.
So we’re asking for your help – particularly those of you who’ve let your membership lapse in the last couple of years.
And if you ARE able to help, we also have some “goodies” to offer, as an extra way to say thank you.
We’re asking everyone who can (and who isn’t currently a member, of course) – to join Smoke Signals Online.
And if there’s any way possible, we’re asking you to join for one full year.
The one-year price means that your Smoke Signals Online membership costs less than $10.00 a month – for 60-70 minutes of exclusive video and more than 2000 exclusive photos every month.
AND, if you are able to help by signing up for a one-year membership…
To say thank you, you can also choose from:
- two FREE downloads of any Smoke Signals, In Real Life, IRL Exposed or Second Hand Smoke video at Smoking Flicks. (value: $50.00-$70.00)
- OR two FREE DVDs from In Real Life or Second Hand Smoke. (value: $50.00)
- OR one FREE DVD from IRL Exposed (value: $40.00-45.00)
- OR a FREE three-month membership at IRL Archive (value: $49.95)
- OR a FREE three-month membership at IRL Exposed (value: $49.95)
Of course, if you’re not able to sign up for a year, but can help by signing up just for a month, that would also be truly appreciated.
Since we launched Smoke Signals in 1994,
We have been instrumental in bringing awareness of the smoking fetish to the world, through Smoke Signals Magazine and our publicity campaign through such publications as the Wall Street Journal, Playboy, and the Times of London.
We have helped many thousands of people realize that their smoking fetish was shared by many others, and that they “weren’t the only one.” And we were able to provide them with a place where they could feel comfortable with themselves – at our Smoke Signals website.
We opened the first smoking fetish membership website in the world, now in its 11th year…bringing the smoking fetish into the online “mainstream”.
When the community’s primary link site, run by Ron Andrews, was about to disappear because no one would offer hosting, we hosted the site at a cost of nearly $1000 per month – to make sure that a valuable community resource didn’t vanish.
We have brought smoking fetishists and smoking fetish video producers together through reviews and other cooperative efforts, changing smoking video from a hard-to-discover secret, into an easily available product.
Whenever there was a problem that needed to be addressed in our community, we were at the forefront. We still are.
And for 16 years, we been here for anyone in the smoking community needing information, advice, or help.
Now, for the second time in those 16 years, we’re sincerely asking for YOUR help.
We know that those of you in our community who are able to help – will.
We will deeply appreciate it – and will never forget it.
(We’re also deeply appreciative to Adam at In Real Life, for helping us with the gifts.)
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Briefly, to address the details:
If you are able to join for a one-year membership, you may do it here.
Then, to claim your thank-you gift, please forward a copy of the CCBill or Epoch receipt to smokesigs@aol.com.
In that email, please let us know which of the gifts you would like.
If you want the Smoking Flicks downloads (remember, please choose from the Smoke Signals, In Real Life, IRL Exposed or Second Hand Smoke categories only), tell us your Smoking Flicks user name and the titles that you would like to receive.
If you want the IRL Archive or IRL Exposed membership, please tell us the user name and password you would like.
If you want the DVDs, please tell us the titles along with your mailing address.
You may choose the titles from the catalogs here:
In Real Life DVDs
IRL Exposed and Second Hand Smoke DVDs
Thanks again for your patience, support, understanding and generosity.
