How to gain popularity? Answer/discussion

Discussion in 'Author Discussions' started by JYLewis, Feb 5, 2021.

  1. JYLewis

    JYLewis Member

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    I think a lot of people here will say very similar things and frankly. They aren't wrong.

    What is the number 1 advise everyone gives here?

    Post frequently.
    Promote your novel.

    Those two are the most common thing I see on here and they are 100% correct. However, let me push something that a lot of people leave out. What you do post... SHOULD NEVER be posted without at least going over it twice, for spell check and grammar checks.

    Just a basic one, nothing professional needed. This is MINIMUM you should do. I cannot tell you how fast I will drop a story if I feel like I am reading something from a middle school student. This is not a bash my writing is hot trash (might still be) until I go over it several times prior to posting.

    Even if it means you post maybe a couple hours later it will give you a ton of good PR from readers.

    Final note. If anyone here is not an english speaker and struggles with doing some basic grammar checks on their english. I recommend you look for someone offering their services.

    Shameless plug: My story > https://ringdomstory.com/novel/T4UWmew0OLk9AggBKD/mLg==-Dance-between-Mortals-and-Immortals.html

    A dance of Mortals and Immortals. Factions war and a eternal conflict as old as the world brews.
    Rize a girl hated for her eyes and is rejected for them is accepted by the most unlikely of beings.
    Events will follow that will shake the earth and heavens to their core.
     
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  2. MangoGuy

    MangoGuy Rambling Mango

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    I suggest grammarly for basic grammar checkup. If you are a student, use the educational version which is free. If you want to write an original series in English, then the eyes will be much harsher than when someone reads a TL, simply because of the chance of lost in TL.
     
  3. JYLewis

    JYLewis Member

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    100%, but grammarly as great as it is will never replace a good second pair of eyes who speaks/reads fluent english. I always recommend making a friend or throwing couple bucks (like 2 or 3 depending on length) to a good english editor who can do a good solid scan. Doesn't need to be professional as I said. Only needs to eliminate glowing mistakes.
     
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  4. Adastria Lillith

    Adastria Lillith [Inquisitor of the Ordo Hereticus]

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    Create a drama. It's the fastest way... Make it big enough, so that even big shots in the forum take a notice...
     
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  5. Lynx

    Lynx Professional...on lewd matter

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    Kill someone and then write a novel about it....just so you know, there is a real case i've read about somewhere...
     
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  6. Birdy

    Birdy Active Member

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    Yeah, but one murder only took up ten or twenty chapters at most. It's hard to look for a victim nowadays.
     
  7. cherryblossomsinsummer

    cherryblossomsinsummer The Midnight Sun

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    Idk if this is the answer you're hoping for, but it really depends on which platform you're uploading your works in my opinion. I know a few creators on webnovel who create like tons of accounts to hype up their own stories. Once your novel is popular enough to get to the front page then you're already quite the popular author. Readers are going to flood in by themselves.
     
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  8. Saileri

    Saileri Well-Known Member

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    Naturally, regular posting, healthy number of words per chapters, having some of them ahead, decent editing, are things that are important, but the most crucial thing for you to get popular on a certain platform is to get familiarized with the community there. Even if various sites share some of the readerbase since that's obvious, the majorities will be different.

    You can look at RoyalRoad and ScribbleHub for example. If you are aiming to make it big on RR, you have to consider a fantasy lit-rpg story, non-harem, and preferably with evolution or crafting, with quite a realistic/darker tone. That's the sweet spot for the community there. On the other hand, if you want to go big on SH, you need a story that's actually more "chill", slightly more "eastern" style but with MC being westernized (means not a typical Japenese clueless protag) and preferably with strong characters, including harem. Fantasy and LitRPG are also quite the thing there, but if you really want to gather attention, you can weave some explicit content into your work and you are guaranteed more than decent following.

    Now, if you were to crosspost the stories between them (the ones I described), it would most of the time gather minimal attention due to not being the main thing ppl look for there. And I'm speaking from experience, analysis and research as I'm working on many sites for around 7 months right now.
     
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  9. OhNoItsRory

    OhNoItsRory New Member

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    I have seen a lot of authors use youtube to promote novels now. I don't remember this being done years ago, however I believe the same would go for other apps like TikToc