How do I get out there?

Started by DracoLatch June 3rd, 2015 11:14 AM
  • 638 views
  • 8 replies

DracoLatch

http://www.pokecommunity.com/s

Age 22
Male
Seen December 1st, 2022
Posted October 20th, 2016
171 posts
11.3 Years
I work pretty hard on all of my fanfics, but none of them seem to get any attention. I see almost everyone else getting atleast a reply, but all I get is a bundle of guest views for a day, and then nothing else. I believe mine are very well written, and some of them are actively posted... Is there any tips, tricks, or strategies to getting noticed?

Delirious Absol

Call me Del

Age 38
Female
UK
Seen January 27th, 2019
Posted January 27th, 2019
356 posts
8 Years
I know how you feel, I'm in a similar situation to you. I just take the page views as a positive as it means some people are reading.

There is the monthly review challenge on this forum which I'm considering entering myself, I'm just not that great at leaving in-depth reviews. But it looks like a good thing to do if you want to have a look at it?
If you like, I can read your story this weekend and leave you some feedback? :) I've just had a quick look now and it does look like a good, intense story.
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Bay

She/They
Dani California
Seen 4 Hours Ago
Posted 5 Hours Ago
6,347 posts
17 Years
I work pretty hard on all of my fanfics, but none of them seem to get any attention. I see almost everyone else getting atleast a reply, but all I get is a bundle of guest views for a day, and then nothing else. I believe mine are very well written, and some of them are actively posted... Is there any tips, tricks, or strategies to getting noticed?
For Survival, I think part of the reason you haven't gotten much replies is because you put all the chapters into one post, which can be overwhelming to readers. I did suggest to have chapters in separate posts so it'll be easier for the readers to follow the story.

Back in the Random Nonesense DCC someone else was also asking for reviews and I too know how it feels to not get feedback. As Delirious Absol mentioned, you can do some reviews to get yourself out there and someone might review your story in return.

There is the monthly review challenge on this forum which I'm considering entering myself, I'm just not that great at leaving in-depth reviews. But it looks like a good thing to do if you want to have a look at it?
If you like, I can read your story this weekend and leave you some feedback? :) I've just had a quick look now and it does look like a good, intense story.
You don't have to do in-depth reviews for the review challenge. You can just do a few sentences of what you think of the story and it'll suffice!
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Negrek

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Lurking
Seen January 13th, 2017
Posted December 5th, 2016
339 posts
17.8 Years
Generally the best way to get out there is... to get out there. Reviewing other people is generally the best way to attract reviews to your own thread, both because people may reciprocate your review and because other people who see the review may become curious about your own writing and go to look at your stories. Usually you want to use an advertising link or banner in your signature (as you've done) so it's easy for someone to find your stuff if they're so inclined.

Also take advantage of established programs that can earn you reviews, such as the monthly review challenge. Like I said, not everyone you review will review you back, so it's wise to look for opportunities where you're guaranteed to receive some feedback.

Finally, don't be afraid to just ask someone to review your story. If you see someone out reviewing other 'fics and you like their style, there's no harm in sending them a message to see if they'll take a look at your story. Not everyone will, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

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Psychic

Really and truly

Female
Seen April 10th, 2018
Posted March 11th, 2018
387 posts
15.5 Years
It's completely normal not to receive feedback for fics, whether you're a new or established writer. If you want to change that, the place to start is by engaging with the community. Participate in discussions, read other people's fan fiction, and get to know your fellow writers. People may be more inclined to read your work if they see you around and get to know more about you. If you review someone's fic, they may return the favour, but you can also approach other writers and offer to do a review trade.

I know how you feel, I'm in a similar situation to you. I just take the page views as a positive as it means some people are reading.
I don't want to disappoint, but I should point out that this isn't necessarily true. Many people will open a thread, glance at the beginning or skim the fic, and decide whether or not they want to read it. There are many reasons people may choose not to read a fic from the get-go, such as poor grammar or hard-to-read formatting, the length of the fic, whether the story interests them, and so on. That's why having a well-written, gripping opening is so important!

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DracoLatch

http://www.pokecommunity.com/s

Age 22
Male
Seen December 1st, 2022
Posted October 20th, 2016
171 posts
11.3 Years
For Survival, I think part of the reason you haven't gotten much replies is because you put all the chapters into one post, which can be overwhelming to readers. I did suggest to have chapters in separate posts so it'll be easier for the readers to follow the story.

Back in the Random Nonesense DCC someone else was also asking for reviews and I too know how it feels to not get feedback. As Delirious Absol mentioned, you can do some reviews to get yourself out there and someone might review your story in return.



You don't have to do in-depth reviews for the review challenge. You can just do a few sentences of what you think of the story and it'll suffice!
Survival is so freaking long I would explode the page if I cramped it into individual posts...

bobandbill

one more time

Male
A cape
Seen 5 Hours Ago
Posted 21 Hours Ago
16,786 posts
15.2 Years
I'd still find it easier to read chapters in separate posts than one big long one, to be honest. For one, navigation is easier. If I want to look up a certain chapter (which happens when it's a chaptered fic which I often read in multiple sittings), I look for a different post, rather than scrolling between pages and pages of one post. Even better when combined with a chapter list linking to said posts, which you cannot do if it's all in one post.

And the length on the page itself would be the same, no...? It's either all in one post, or in different posts on the same page. Then there's the issue of character limits per post.


As for the topic - definitely take advantage of the review challenge (it's what it is there for!) and review other fics anyway. Not only do you become more visible and attract attention for reasons already mentioned, but you can also learn a fair bit about writing when reflecting on what you liked/disliked about a story, what could have been better in your opinion, what really worked, etc.

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starseed galaxy auticorn

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Age 34
she/he/they
the land of magical unicorns
Seen 1 Week Ago
Posted 1 Week Ago
6,648 posts
18.9 Years
I would suggest looking for other places where you can post. For example, I know of two places that MIGHT be able to get you some positive recognition. Places such as Mibba or Wattpad are a good starting point. There aren't very many popular places out there where you will get noticed. Odds are, you'll end up the same there as you are here. I have a hard time with it myself. I know exactly where you are coming from. It's one of the reasons why I don't usually post what I'm writing on PC because nobody seems to care what I write. :/ I'm not saying you should give up or anything. I think a lot of it is because people have picky interests. Not only that, and this happens on Mibba a lot, is that you get a lot of people who read, yet they don't seem to have the notion to tell you that you're doing on amazing job or how you should improve.

I think you'll find that like Mibba, the fanfiction/other works section is pretty meager compared to what it should be. Not many people are active there. Some of them post stories there and expect feedback overnight. Some people actually do get it while others are left stranded. So, as I said, it's not really your fault. It's just the lack of popularity the writing forums have. That's why Nofalus and others have down all they can to boost it and make it more popular. I've heard them talking about how hard it is to get the writing forums noticed.

I do agree with Bay Alexison. I know it's easier to put each chapter into one post, but you also have to think of your readers. Most readers aren't going to read an entire post made with all your chapters either. Readers like things that they can wrap their short attention spans around. So, I think it would be worth a try to post each chapter in a new post. Try it, and see if you get more readers. It never hurts to try, you know? :3

DracoLatch

http://www.pokecommunity.com/s

Age 22
Male
Seen December 1st, 2022
Posted October 20th, 2016
171 posts
11.3 Years
I would suggest looking for other places where you can post. For example, I know of two places that MIGHT be able to get you some positive recognition. Places such as Mibba or Wattpad are a good starting point. There aren't very many popular places out there where you will get noticed. Odds are, you'll end up the same there as you are here. I have a hard time with it myself. I know exactly where you are coming from. It's one of the reasons why I don't usually post what I'm writing on PC because nobody seems to care what I write. :/ I'm not saying you should give up or anything. I think a lot of it is because people have picky interests. Not only that, and this happens on Mibba a lot, is that you get a lot of people who read, yet they don't seem to have the notion to tell you that you're doing on amazing job or how you should improve.

I think you'll find that like Mibba, the fanfiction/other works section is pretty meager compared to what it should be. Not many people are active there. Some of them post stories there and expect feedback overnight. Some people actually do get it while others are left stranded. So, as I said, it's not really your fault. It's just the lack of popularity the writing forums have. That's why Nofalus and others have down all they can to boost it and make it more popular. I've heard them talking about how hard it is to get the writing forums noticed.

I do agree with Bay Alexison. I know it's easier to put each chapter into one post, but you also have to think of your readers. Most readers aren't going to read an entire post made with all your chapters either. Readers like things that they can wrap their short attention spans around. So, I think it would be worth a try to post each chapter in a new post. Try it, and see if you get more readers. It never hurts to try, you know? :3

Alright. I finally organized the chapters, now I just pray I can get some more readers interested...