The (New) Cost of Longform Journalism at Esquire

Would you pay $1.99 just to read one story?

That’s the question Esquire magazine is posing to readers as of late, testing out a “micropayment” model for writer Luke Dittrich’s 10,000-word piece “The Prophet,” based on Dr. Eben Alexander, a neurosurgeon who claims to have visited heaven.

Esquire editor-in-chief David Granger penned the following note for prospective buyers on the magazine’s site:

“This is the first time we’ve asked online readers to pay for a story, but for good reason: Because stories like Dittrich’s matter and they don’t come along often.

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