Exclusive, non-exclusive or relying on readers for support via Patreon etc.?

Lolth

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Hi, hi. What do you think is the best path for web novelists? Which websites would you recommend for non-exclusive or just to upload without any pledge?

In my case, I published my first novel on Webnovel and contracted. My contract offer was a part of a contest reward, but I think it was just luck. I don't have many collections and the features didn't help either. There were very few readers and because of the exclusive thing I couldn't try my chance on other websites. I thought I can improve my writing with another novel and maybe return to this one in the future.

So I'm writing another story and I have a Patreon page (with just two patrons there's nothing on the page I offered for patrons, for now, I don't know why they are supporting me, thanks a lot, love you) and I am looking for non-exclusive contracts from different websites.

Novelcat offered one, but conditions... weren't what I look for. Still, there are Goodnovel and others. Royal Road rejected the second story I'm writing because of the mature content though. If non-exclusive doesn't work, I think I'll focus on Patreon.
 

Lolth

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Isn't webnovel like, that website with the super cutthroat and writer abusing business practices? Or am I mixing it up with another
It isn't any worse or better than any other website an author can sell the copyrights among what I've seen
 

ChronicleCrawler

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I hate to break it down to you, but there's no best path. There are established paths like doing Patreon, but that requires consistency, good quality, TIME, and well-done themes or troupes. Oh, don't forget luck. And even with that, a lot of authors still struggle. Anyway, determine your goal first. Is it to simply write? Earn? etc. What works for you might not work for others. Try searching what's the works that are earning well, and see what are they doing right. :blob_cookie:
 

Draecath

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I've seen so many good stories die because of exclusive contract paywalls like webnovel strangling their reader base. I think patreon or similar with advanced chapters is the better option or post on your own website a day so so before it's posted on scribblehub or the like to attract readers to your site and gain ad revenue. Either path or a combo of both is much better for the readers as they don't have paywalls. Causal readers will continue to read and you may gain some paying readers along the way. No matter your decision it takes a ton of luck and decent execution to be successful. I've seen quite a few messy stories become successful so luck is more important tbh.
 

Legi0n

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Qidian International is, using an acceptable word, bad.
My advice is never lose the copyright propriety. Using the bad platform as an example, I know of a novel which had its original author replaced with a ghost.
Imho, living as an author is incredibly difficult, but if you want to eran something then go with Patreon and likes, while using RR, WN and SH to gain as much exposure as you can. Exposure is best way to get it going.

EDIT: @Saileri might have something helpful to say in regards as he's working on it these weeks.
 
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Mynamejeff

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Hi, hi. What do you think is the best path for web novelists? Which websites would you recommend for non-exclusive or just to upload without any pledge?

In my case, I published my first novel on Webnovel and contracted. My contract offer was a part of a contest reward, but I think it was just luck. I don't have many collections and the features didn't help either. There were very few readers and because of the exclusive thing I couldn't try my chance on other websites. I thought I can improve my writing with another novel and maybe return to this one in the future.

So I'm writing another story and I have a Patreon page (with just two patrons there's nothing on the page I offered for patrons, for now, I don't know why they are supporting me, thanks a lot, love you) and I am looking for non-exclusive contracts from different websites.

Novelcat offered one, but conditions... weren't what I look for. Still, there are Goodnovel and others. Royal Road rejected the second story I'm writing because of the mature content though. If non-exclusive doesn't work, I think I'll focus on Patreon.
Exclusitivity to one site tend to limit your audience. Especially any sites that have paywall (*cough* Webnovel). A Patreon would take more time and a bit of luck but as a reader I see it as the better option for an author to earn money. Post on multiple sites to attract a wider audience and offer advanced chapters so there's an extra reason for readers to subscribe. Trust me a lot of readers are more than willing to spend money if they get to read advanced chapters. If you make mature content that Patreon won't allow you to post on their site (not sure what the specific rules are but a lot of mature content creators complain that Patreon kind of limits what they can post), you can use subscribestar adult. It has the same monthly pledge system that Patreon uses. Or you can make your own website that requires a monthly password that's only posted in Patreon. Although that option seems more complicated and harder because of the you have to make your own website.
 

Mynamejeff

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Hi, hi. What do you think is the best path for web novelists? Which websites would you recommend for non-exclusive or just to upload without any pledge?

In my case, I published my first novel on Webnovel and contracted. My contract offer was a part of a contest reward, but I think it was just luck. I don't have many collections and the features didn't help either. There were very few readers and because of the exclusive thing I couldn't try my chance on other websites. I thought I can improve my writing with another novel and maybe return to this one in the future.

So I'm writing another story and I have a Patreon page (with just two patrons there's nothing on the page I offered for patrons, for now, I don't know why they are supporting me, thanks a lot, love you) and I am looking for non-exclusive contracts from different websites.

Novelcat offered one, but conditions... weren't what I look for. Still, there are Goodnovel and others. Royal Road rejected the second story I'm writing because of the mature content though. If non-exclusive doesn't work, I think I'll focus on Patreon.
I haven't heard of non-exclusive contracts before. What are the usual terms and conditions of those?
 

Discere

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I've seen so many good stories die because of exclusive contract paywalls like webnovel strangling their reader base. I think patreon or similar with advanced chapters is the better option or post on your own website a day so so before it's posted on scribblehub or the like to attract readers to your site and gain ad revenue. Either path or a combo of both is much better for the readers as they don't have paywalls. Causal readers will continue to read and you may gain some paying readers along the way. No matter your decision it takes a ton of luck and decent execution to be successful. I've seen quite a few messy stories become successful so luck is more important tbh.
Do you guys know how to do the advance chapters thing on Patreon? I made a Patreon account and I do have advance chapters, but I wanna be able to (when I get em) reward my supporters on Patreon. But as of now, I am kinda flying blind with it.
 

Sabruness

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As others have said, Patreon as well as posting in multiple places tends to be the generally most successful. You just gotta make sure to keep an even pace in releases between patreon and free releases.

Exclusivity deals are (almost) always novel suicide. exclusivity deals with paywalls are always novel suicide.
 

DarkGodEM

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I disagree with most here. I know many successful authors in exclusive contracts and with paywalls (but only after managing to become very large) who have managed to get a consistent 10 - 15K/month on Webnovel. That, however, requires posting 2 1K chapters daily + mass releases every now and then. It really depends on how much you can write without burning out.
 

Mynamejeff

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Do you guys know how to do the advance chapters thing on Patreon? I made a Patreon account and I do have advance chapters, but I wanna be able to (when I get em) reward my supporters on Patreon. But as of now, I am kinda flying blind with it.
Don't know specifically how Patreon works for creators. From what I understand, you just make posts on Patreon and then lock them so they can only be seen by your subscribers and also what tier can see them. You might wanna try making a new thread asking how, so authors who do know how can answer you. Or you can try Patreon's customer support or something.
 

Lolth

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I haven't heard of non-exclusive contracts before. What are the usual terms and conditions of those?
One can retain more of the rights compared to exclusive contracts, like eighty percent, and can post the story on other platforms. The downside is that the website in question gives the author a lower percentage of the revenue generated on the work compared to the exclusive contract. I gave up the only exclusive contract I'm offered because of the conditions like, you can't post your chapters anywhere before you upload them on our website. This means I can't use Patreon. I don't know if this condition applies to other websites. If not, I can consider non-exclusive again.
 

Lolth

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Do you guys know how to do the advance chapters thing on Patreon? I made a Patreon account and I do have advance chapters, but I wanna be able to (when I get em) reward my supporters on Patreon. But as of now, I am kinda flying blind with it.
Firstly, I think you make sure that your Patreon account is a creator account. Then, you organize your tiers and stuff, launch your account and wait for the verification. The verification took 20 mins for me. Lastly, click ''new post'' and choose which tiers can access the content. I'll attach screenshots.
 

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Localforeigner

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The problem I am having with Patreon is figuring out how to switch things so that once a new post is out, the permissions change for the lower level subscriber. Like if you have X gets 3 chapters and Y gets 6, is there anyway to set it so that on a certain day, one of those chapters blocked to Y gets switched over so that X can see it. Or do you have to do that manually?
 

Volatis

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The problem I am having with Patreon is figuring out how to switch things so that once a new post is out, the permissions change for the lower level subscriber. Like if you have X gets 3 chapters and Y gets 6, is there anyway to set it so that on a certain day, one of those chapters blocked to Y gets switched over so that X can see it. Or do you have to do that manually?
I believe, manually. If someone else knows a way please let me know lol.
 

DarkGodEM

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The problem I am having with Patreon is figuring out how to switch things so that once a new post is out, the permissions change for the lower level subscriber. Like if you have X gets 3 chapters and Y gets 6, is there anyway to set it so that on a certain day, one of those chapters blocked to Y gets switched over so that X can see it. Or do you have to do that manually?
Only manual, which is a PITA when you have too many tiers.
 
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