BRN Six Date:Jul 8, 2013 8:37 AMTitle:Increasing Visibility?
Hi folks;
I'm rather new to the AGN.PH community. I'm wondering what you guys think are useful tips to helping more people find your stories?
Is there some way to use the Descriptions and Summary boxes I'm missing out on? What sort of viewer numbers should someone expect on a story here; what sort of story length do people seem to like?
The most effective way to get a new reader is for an old reader to recommend your work. Obviously the only way to effect this is to write quite well, since you need to impress the first strongly before that reader will tell trusting acquaintances how they shoud spend their free time.
If you are looking to (ab)use descriptions and summaries to draw any attention you can gather, start applying huge fonts and color codes and gifs like The Human Species author has. If you mean how to write a good blurb in general; I'm sure from my stats that I do not write an attractive blurb so I'll just say that what will drive me away from a story is a blurb that spoils the ending, self-deprecates, or sounds like just another lemon.
Length is tricky. The correct length is whatever number of words best expresses the content of your story. My personal guideline is to estimate 4k to 12k words for a chapter depending on complexity of the plot, and three to five chapters for each arc in a story.
Or you can do what some have in the past and spam the everloving piss out of your work. It may annoy a lot of people, but you'll get attention for better or worse.
Writing lemons is like auto-fellatio: for some it comes naturally, for others it takes years of practice. But once you can do it, it's one of the best guilty pleasures in the world.
Zana An Date:Jul 9, 2013 1:37 PMTitle:Re: Increasing Visibility?
1- The fics section has a tagging system, I leave it at that. Having the correct tags can also help your fiction to be found.
2- People fall into a trap after writing a half descent story then do really short non-interesting summaries which only harms in the grand scheme of things. To hardly give a hint of what is inside as I've seen in some cases will cause others to overlook the fiction. If you recommended a story to me, the first thing I do is read the summary. If it's not written to a grammatical level or no time or thought has been allocated, aka a single line- then I think, if the author can't be bothered, neither can I.
3- Promoting your fic, like Shiguya said. It's not something I favor posting on forums saying, please read my fic pleaseeeeeeee. I ask a select few more for constructive criticism.
4- A general trend of people on here will read other friends fictions apposed to new authors. For example people within the rp forums, when they were going, tend to read them. You could become more active in the community and therefore be know a little more. If people recognize you, you're more likely to be read. I don't rp, and getting noticed isn't about to make my skills take a jump, so I see no point.
5- Participation in contests and such is also a good way, provided you win, your fiction will be featured, that way it'll stay in the light a little longer. So go ahead, when contests are up, get stuck in.
As per your question on how many people will read your stories, this purely depends on how well this story is written. You may not get many to start of with, but if you've written it well enough, like with anywhere, you will see an increase with retention of the last few who read a submission. Readership greatly varies.
One that I found woefully wanting in the past, although it did add mienshao in time for Diaphanous Perception. Has it been, or will it be, somewhat improved with the recent site alterations?
Participation in contests
Assuming we get another one. I am too far removed from this place to be aware of any relevant details, but now that the last contest is a few months historical, and Proteus's post indicated troubled times in his then-near-future, I'm left to wonder if that contest is cancelled or merely indefinitely suspended, and what the future of contests here might be. I recall that there has been at least one "dud" prompt; perhaps contest themes should be put to vote?
Contests have been hit and miss from the very beginning, and with the head fic admin going through some rough times it's doubtful the section is going to see much new activity for a while.
Writing lemons is like auto-fellatio: for some it comes naturally, for others it takes years of practice. But once you can do it, it's one of the best guilty pleasures in the world.
Another means (see also: shameless tactic) of gaining more readers and reviews would be to read and review stories of other currently active writers. Providing constructive and thoughtful reviews of course. Do it enough and someone is bound to hit you back with a review, and if you're a decent writer, you may have a reader watching for your work.
Date:Jul 8, 2013 8:37 AM Title:Increasing Visibility?
I'm rather new to the AGN.PH community. I'm wondering what you guys think are useful tips to helping more people find your stories?
Is there some way to use the Descriptions and Summary boxes I'm missing out on? What sort of viewer numbers should someone expect on a story here; what sort of story length do people seem to like?
Cheers.
Date:Jul 8, 2013 10:34 AM Title:Re: Increasing Visibility?
If you are looking to (ab)use descriptions and summaries to draw any attention you can gather, start applying huge fonts and color codes and gifs like The Human Species author has. If you mean how to write a good blurb in general; I'm sure from my stats that I do not write an attractive blurb so I'll just say that what will drive me away from a story is a blurb that spoils the ending, self-deprecates, or sounds like just another lemon.
Length is tricky. The correct length is whatever number of words best expresses the content of your story. My personal guideline is to estimate 4k to 12k words for a chapter depending on complexity of the plot, and three to five chapters for each arc in a story.
Date:Jul 8, 2013 7:53 PM Title:Re: Increasing Visibility?
Writing lemons is like auto-fellatio: for some it comes naturally, for others it takes years of practice. But once you can do it, it's one of the best guilty pleasures in the world.
Date:Jul 9, 2013 1:37 PM Title:Re: Increasing Visibility?
2- People fall into a trap after writing a half descent story then do really short non-interesting summaries which only harms in the grand scheme of things. To hardly give a hint of what is inside as I've seen in some cases will cause others to overlook the fiction. If you recommended a story to me, the first thing I do is read the summary. If it's not written to a grammatical level or no time or thought has been allocated, aka a single line- then I think, if the author can't be bothered, neither can I.
3- Promoting your fic, like Shiguya said. It's not something I favor posting on forums saying, please read my fic pleaseeeeeeee. I ask a select few more for constructive criticism.
4- A general trend of people on here will read other friends fictions apposed to new authors. For example people within the rp forums, when they were going, tend to read them. You could become more active in the community and therefore be know a little more. If people recognize you, you're more likely to be read. I don't rp, and getting noticed isn't about to make my skills take a jump, so I see no point.
5- Participation in contests and such is also a good way, provided you win, your fiction will be featured, that way it'll stay in the light a little longer. So go ahead, when contests are up, get stuck in.
As per your question on how many people will read your stories, this purely depends on how well this story is written. You may not get many to start of with, but if you've written it well enough, like with anywhere, you will see an increase with retention of the last few who read a submission. Readership greatly varies.
Date:Jul 9, 2013 1:46 PM(Edited:Jul 9, 2013 1:48 PM) Title:Re: Increasing Visibility?
Assuming we get another one. I am too far removed from this place to be aware of any relevant details, but now that the last contest is a few months historical, and Proteus's post indicated troubled times in his then-near-future, I'm left to wonder if that contest is cancelled or merely indefinitely suspended, and what the future of contests here might be. I recall that there has been at least one "dud" prompt; perhaps contest themes should be put to vote?
Date:Jul 9, 2013 3:00 PM Title:Re: Increasing Visibility?
Writing lemons is like auto-fellatio: for some it comes naturally, for others it takes years of practice. But once you can do it, it's one of the best guilty pleasures in the world.
Date:Jul 9, 2013 8:34 PM Title:Re: Increasing Visibility?
Go read my stories!!
My stories
Date:Jul 25, 2013 10:52 AM Title:Re: Increasing Visibility?