Promotion on Novel Updates

[Jemini]

So, I found this site through Novel Updates initially, their site primarily deals in the translation of foreign language web novels. However, for western written web novels like those on this site there is a small section that seems to promote Scribble Hub's latest 3 releases. However, it does not promote all of them that come out.

I am bringing this up because I am trying to figure out the mechanism that determines whether or not a story is promoted on Novel Updates. I just compared my story, Second Life as the Sister of a Goddess, to the most recent 3 that ARE on Novel Updated. I had assumed at the time it was a matter of it not promoting stories that haven't hit a certain rank in Scribble Hub's ranking mechanics, but it turns out my story actually outranks all three of them in every single category except that it doesn't have #1 rank in any super niche and rarely used categories. Of those categories my story outranks the 3 posted before it today, this includes the weekly rankings.

I'm just trying to understand the mechanics here so I can get more exposure for my story. I'm already trying to work hard to keep it visible while keeping up the level of writing that got it that high ranked in the first place, but it seems like I'm locked out of one of the tools for that and would like to know how that works.

 

[Tony]

So, I found this site through Novel Updates initially, their site primarily deals in the translation of foreign language web novels. However, for western written web novels like those on this site there is a small section that seems to promote Scribble Hub's latest 3 releases. However, it does not promote all of them that come out.

I am bringing this up because I am trying to figure out the mechanism that determines whether or not a story is promoted on Novel Updates. I just compared my story, Second Life as the Sister of a Goddess, to the most recent 3 that ARE on Novel Updated. I had assumed at the time it was a matter of it not promoting stories that haven't hit a certain rank in Scribble Hub's ranking mechanics, but it turns out my story actually outranks all three of them in every single category except that it doesn't have #1 rank in any super niche and rarely used categories. Of those categories my story outranks the 3 posted before it today, this includes the weekly rankings.

I'm just trying to understand the mechanics here so I can get more exposure for my story. I'm already trying to work hard to keep it visible while keeping up the level of writing that got it that high ranked in the first place, but it seems like I'm locked out of one of the tools for that and would like to know how that works.

You just need a cover for your story and Novel Updates should promote your story. I would definitely recommend getting a cover for your story as the help from Novel Updates helps a lot.

 

[Jemini]

Well, unfortunately my art skills are a bit on the poor side, which is why I don't have a cover. Thanks for the info though, I will try to look into what I can do.

 

[Tony]

Well, unfortunately my art skills are a bit on the poor side, which is why I don't have a cover. Thanks for the info though, I will try to look into what I can do.

You can just use a temporary one for now. Not all covers on Scribble Hub are professional looking. That's extra traffic you're passing up. Anyways, it's up to you though.

Good luck and thanks for joining the site!

 

[Lukha]

Well, unfortunately my art skills are a bit on the poor side, which is why I don't have a cover. Thanks for the info though, I will try to look into what I can do.

From what I've seen, quite a few people have temporary covers for their novels as of right now. A tool that I think you'll find helpful in cover-creation is called Canva! They make designing covers really easy, so you should definitely check it out!

 

[Jemini]

From what I've seen, quite a few people have temporary covers for their novels as of right now. A tool that I think you'll find helpful in cover-creation is called Canva! They make designing covers really easy, so you should definitely check it out!

Thank you very much for this.

Although, I'm having a ridiculous amount of difficulty trying to get it to put in text. It absolutely refuses to put in any text box that covers the entire image for me.

 

[Lukha]

Thank you very much for this.

Although, I'm having a ridiculous amount of difficulty trying to get it to put in text. It absolutely refuses to put in any text box that covers the entire image for me.

It does take a bit of finagling. If you're trying to fit the tile of the novel in a specific format, maybe utilizing multiple text boxes might work! Just a thought though.

Glad I was able to help you! I had a bit of issue making covers myself. Just remember that ScribbleHub has specific dimensions for their cover images. I think it's like 250x350.

 

[Hopetoread]

Also consider @Justderpin service " I've got you covered " advertised here at Scribble Hub as an alternative https://forum.scribblehub.com/threads/ive-got-you-covered.134/

 

[taesijr123]

and here i am using a meme picture as a cover.

 

[Jemini]

It does take a bit of finagling. If you're trying to fit the tile of the novel in a specific format, maybe utilizing multiple text boxes might work! Just a thought though.

Glad I was able to help you! I had a bit of issue making covers myself. Just remember that ScribbleHub has specific dimensions for their cover images. I think it's like 250x350.

Ok, so, I definitely have no idea what I'm doing. I finally got the look I wanted, downloaded it, tried to re-size it, then when I tried to upload it I was told it was still too bit. When I went back to check, I saw that the image I had cropped and then reduced in size before saving (was definitely saved) all of a sudden expanded to take up the entire space the original image took. It basically undid my re-size when I saved it for some reason.

(Told you I have poor computer art skills. Even my very base level work that was supposed to be a temporary cover is refusing to function correctly.)

 

[Ai-chan]

You just need a cover for your story and Novel Updates should promote your story. I would definitely recommend getting a cover for your story as the help from Novel Updates helps a lot.

Wait, so it's not completely random, Tony?

Thank you very much for this.

Although, I'm having a ridiculous amount of difficulty trying to get it to put in text. It absolutely refuses to put in any text box that covers the entire image for me.

Ok, so, I definitely have no idea what I'm doing. I finally got the look I wanted, downloaded it, tried to re-size it, then when I tried to upload it I was told it was still too bit. When I went back to check, I saw that the image I had cropped and then reduced in size before saving (was definitely saved) all of a sudden expanded to take up the entire space the original image took. It basically undid my re-size when I saved it for some reason.

(Told you I have poor computer art skills. Even my very base level work that was supposed to be a temporary cover is refusing to function correctly.)

That's strange, Ai-chan never had any problem with putting up covers made in Canva. Did you use templates or did you make it all from scratch? You should search for "book cover" templates on canva which will give you the standard book cover size commonly used in wattpad and other similar places, then simply replace the cover image with your own by dragging it from your computer's folder onto the canva window. It will replace the default background image. Then you just click on the texts and replace the texts with your own. 3 of the covers in Ai-chan's signature were made in canva.

 

[Ddraig]

Wait, so it's not completely random, Tony?



That's strange, Ai-chan never had any problem with putting up covers made in Canva. Did you use templates or did you make it all from scratch? You should search for "book cover" templates on canva which will give you the standard book cover size commonly used in wattpad and other similar places, then simply replace the cover image with your own by dragging it from your computer's folder onto the canva window. It will replace the default background image. Then you just click on the texts and replace the texts with your own. 3 of the covers in Ai-chan's signature were made in canva.

Or you can be lazy and just open ms paint, Fill a random colour in a 350x250 size, put text and call it done xd.

 

[yansusustories]

Wait, so it's not completely random, Tony?

I'm not Tony but as far as I've seen the ones displayed on NU are always the last two or three updated novels that have covers. (Two on mobile for me and three on the desktop version of NU). That is to say, how long your novel will be seen on NU seems to depend on how fast people upload after you updated your novel. It sometimes takes several minutes for the changes (as in: a new update) to appear on NU though.

 

[Lukha]

Ok, so, I definitely have no idea what I'm doing. I finally got the look I wanted, downloaded it, tried to re-size it, then when I tried to upload it I was told it was still too bit. When I went back to check, I saw that the image I had cropped and then reduced in size before saving (was definitely saved) all of a sudden expanded to take up the entire space the original image took. It basically undid my re-size when I saved it for some reason.

(Told you I have poor computer art skills. Even my very base level work that was supposed to be a temporary cover is refusing to function correctly.)

How I did it was I made a custom design so I didn't utilize any of their templates. Click "Create A Design" and then after clicking, on the top right, click custom dimensions (white button). Then it's 250x350 px and click the create new design button that becomes colored after you put in the dimensions. And then that should create a custom image template for you to be able to add in images and text.

If that's too difficult, if you don't mind, you can send the images to me and I can try to fix them for you. Otherwise, you could also look into getting a custom cover from a fellow author who's making them for people at this thread: https://forum.scribblehub.com/threads/ive-got-you-covered.134/

 

[Jemini]

How I did it was I made a custom design so I didn't utilize any of their templates. Click "Create A Design" and then after clicking, on the top right, click custom dimensions (white button). Then it's 250x350 px and click the create new design button that becomes colored after you put in the dimensions. And then that should create a custom image template for you to be able to add in images and text.

If that's too difficult, if you don't mind, you can send the images to me and I can try to fix them for you. Otherwise, you could also look into getting a custom cover from a fellow author who's making them for people at this thread: https://forum.scribblehub.com/threads/ive-got-you-covered.134/

Thank you very much, that finally worked.

Due to my limited skills, it just turned out being a simple picture from the free backgrounds offered with text on top of it. However, since it seems to have been doing well even without the Novel Updates promotion, I might have to start really thinking about commissioning a more professional cover. Well, I'll just see what happens I suppose.

 

[FriendlyDragon]

It doesn't take too much effort for a decent cover. Just finding the right pictures and blending them with some quick edits could do the trick. Add some text and you should be good. At least, that's what I did. >w<

 

[Jemini]

It doesn't take too much effort for a decent cover. Just finding the right pictures and blending them with some quick edits could do the trick. Add some text and you should be good. At least, that's what I did. >w<

I don't want to risk a copy-right violation, so not going to do that. At any rate, I have a temporary cover now. I have also commissioned an artist I know personally to make the permanent cover which should be up once she finishes it.