Promotions tips

[SailusGebel]

Personally, I think yes, it has to be popular. You can't just write genericly in those categories though without participating in a lottery. For every BL Smut novel at 100k views there are hundreds with 10 chapters and a few thousand views. If you don't have actual draw, you'll fizzle fast.

Its not hard to have a low tagged draw either. But when people just say write the popular tags, all you're saying is participate in the lottery. Have something unique that also makes your story easy to find. For many stories, its just proper tagging, not changing anything.

The niche tags get you from the level of small up to medium readership, then to go to large from medium you need to be in the big three, isekai, smut, litrpg.

Before I authored, I never would read stories with less than 100k views, and only in popular categories, except for a single niche category I'd rather not share. Just the nature of how I was as a reader, and I suspect most other readers are, is you want to read "popular mainstream stories", but you need to get there somehow.

I think I misunderstood you. I thought you meant authors should avoid writing and using popular genres and tags. What you meant is, write popular stuff, but don't forget to add some unique tags and\or genres, right? I agree with it.

As for not reading anything with less than 100k views, I don't know. Some readers look at the amount of chapters, some look at ratings, some at reviews, some only look for cetain genres and tags and don't care about anything else. What are the actual percentages for every type? We don't know.

 

[CarburetorThompson]

Buy a billboard

 

[Five6212]

I'm pretty sure I know a good chunk of how the algorithm works now, personally.
It lets me hit trending with a once a week updated series, pretty consistently.

If you have an already popular series, you can be lax with your uploads. Posting every day is more important when you're starting out and have less options. Just saying this bit so that it's acknowledged that popularity gives you more freedom, as it does in real life.

For you, the biggest thing would be having a more interest-inducing cover. In other words, you need a scribblehub-competitve cover. What's scribblehub-competitive? Go study trending and observe what's the most common feature of the top 50 trending novels.
Your summary... you could probably take out the first paragraph, but I personally don't think blurbs make big differences in niche genres.

A note on your responses to having daily chapters. And I know it's going to read brutal, but imagine that my tone is relaxed. I'm rooting for you to succeed.

I personally dont think you need to go daily. Three days a week is fine. That said, you were pretty quick to shoot it down with your excuses. You want to succeed and get some eyeballs? Your excuses aren't going to work. None of us need to know why you can't do the daily upload, and the faceless readers don't care. This isn't a receive advice-and-justify-why-i-cant-follow-the-advice thread.

If you want to win, your best chances come with playing the metagame that's developed around these sites.
So here's the advice that most of the big guys would suggest: build a backlog. Write out your whole novel if you have to and then upload it in such a way that you play to scribblehub's algorithim or royalroad's. Even a slow writer can win with preparation, strategy, restraint, and patience.

If you dont want the backlog, then you need a more eye-catching cover to maximize the chance of click-through when your weekly release pops up on latest.

What about twice a week? Would that work? If I really push myself, I can do that.

Buy a billboard

I didn’t think scribble hub did that

 

[Tyranomaster]

I think I misunderstood you. I thought you meant authors should avoid writing and using popular genres and tags. What you meant is, write popular stuff, but don't forget to add some unique tags and\or genres, right? I agree with it.

As for not reading anything with less than 100k views, I don't know. Some readers look at the amount of chapters, some look at ratings, some at reviews, some only look for cetain genres and tags and don't care about anything else. What are the actual percentages for every type? We don't know.

For sure, I think we agree.

I think a lot of casual readers, as I used to be, have their own limits for what they feel is a "well vetted" story. But, when you are a casual reader, reading is competing with video games, youtube, etc etc. I think most readers fall into that category.

The people who dig through the new stuff right as it comes out are few and far between. They do gods work though. Without them its all first come first served. They sift through all the rocks looking for diamonds for the rest of us, and help all us starting authors build a following. I'm truly grateful to them.

What about twice a week? Would that work? If I really push myself, I can do that.

I think of it as a tradeoff. More chapters, and the quality can be lower. I'm at twice a week, and hit trending twice, so I don't think its impossible if you publish once a week. However, you do need a strong start. Save up and do a big push. Then you can slow down to your own pace.

Edit: Ecdysis trends all the time, and it is once a week publishing.

 

[APieceOfRock]

I don't think that is true. @APieceOfRock got trending without updating for like 3-4 days.

You wanna expose me for bribery or what?
Take good care of your vampire girls. I'd be bad if something were to happen to them

 

[Xiellion]

If u want a realistic take on what it's like to post weekly for 4 months straight, you can check out my novel

https://www.scribblehub.com/series/656150/blades-of-gray-a-morality-progression-fantasy/

No need to read it, just check the stats

My conclusion is that you'd have a slow growth, so it's gonna be a slow grind.

 

[SailusGebel]

If u want a realistic take on what it's like to post weekly for 4 months straight, you can check out my novel

https://www.scribblehub.com/series/656150/blades-of-gray-a-morality-progression-fantasy/

No need to read it, just check the stats

My conclusion is that you'd have a slow growth, so it's gonna be a slow grind.

Did you post the first six chappies of your novel in one day? Or was it reupload\edit?

 

[georgelee5786]

post chapters frequently, consistently

 

[Five6212]

For sure, I think we agree.

I think a lot of casual readers, as I used to be, have their own limits for what they feel is a "well vetted" story. But, when you are a casual reader, reading is competing with video games, youtube, etc etc. I think most readers fall into that category.

The people who dig through the new stuff right as it comes out are few and far between. They do gods work though. Without them its all first come first served. They sift through all the rocks looking for diamonds for the rest of us, and help all us starting authors build a following. I'm truly grateful to them.


I think of it as a tradeoff. More chapters, and the quality can be lower. I'm at twice a week, and hit trending twice, so I don't think its impossible if you publish once a week. However, you do need a strong start. Save up and do a big push. Then you can slow down to your own pace.

Edit: Ecdysis trends all the time, and it is once a week publishing.

So is it possible to delete some chapters and schedule them to upload on some days?

If u want a realistic take on what it's like to post weekly for 4 months straight, you can check out my novel

https://www.scribblehub.com/series/656150/blades-of-gray-a-morality-progression-fantasy/

No need to read it, just check the stats

My conclusion is that you'd have a slow growth, so it's gonna be a slow grind.

I’ve experienced this firsthand on tapas, it is indeed a slow grind. I guess I'll build a backlog and when I’m done, I’ll be posting twice a week

post chapters frequently, consistently

I already made a big mistake by dumping ten of my chaps in one day. Is it possible to delete and schedule them to upload on some specific days?

 

[Tyranomaster]

So is it possible to delete some chapters and schedule them to upload on some days?

I’ve experienced this firsthand on tapas, it is indeed a slow grind. I guess I'll build a backlog and when I’m done, I’ll be posting twice a week

I already made a big mistake by dumping ten of my chaps in one day. Is it possible to delete and schedule them to upload on some specific days?

I don't think you need to.

My advice, since you're already in, pause posting, and start saving up chapters, the readership isn't high enough yet to worry about people concerned with dropping it. Once you get to 14 saved up, schedule them for the same time every day for 2 weeks.

I'd also encourage you to consider using a chapter naming convention. Instead of 2 chapters with the same name, either use Ch1 Jon Part 1 and Ch1 Jon Part 2, or use Ch1 Jon (part 1), and Ch2 Jon (part 2).

Readers will often not add a story to their list right away, and if they can't remember where they were, they give up. Be thankful you are at this point for this, I was 23 chapters in my backlog on 3 websites that I had to go backwards and fix on all of them.

 

[RepresentingEnvy]

So is it possible to delete some chapters and schedule them to upload on some days?

I’ve experienced this firsthand on tapas, it is indeed a slow grind. I guess I'll build a backlog and when I’m done, I’ll be posting twice a week

I already made a big mistake by dumping ten of my chaps in one day. Is it possible to delete and schedule them to upload on some specific days?

Also anime waifu cover!

 

[Cipiteca396]

Is it possible to delete and schedule them to upload on some specific days?

That is exactly the sort of thing the filter was designed to stop. Don't reupload old chapters. Keep what you've got, upload once a (however long you can keep up) and do it consistently.

This isn't something worth getting too concerned about. Do your best, and you'll get results.

 

[Five6212]

I don't think you need to.

My advice, since you're already in, pause posting, and start saving up chapters, the readership isn't high enough yet to worry about people concerned with dropping it. Once you get to 14 saved up, schedule them for the same time every day for 2 weeks.

I'd also encourage you to consider using a chapter naming convention. Instead of 2 chapters with the same name, either use Ch1 Jon Part 1 and Ch1 Jon Part 2, or use Ch1 Jon (part 1), and Ch2 Jon (part 2).

Readers will often not add a story to their list right away, and if they can't remember where they were, they give up. Be thankful you are at this point for this, I was 23 chapters in my backlog on 3 websites that I had to go backwards and fix on all of them.

Thank you. I’ve decided to do just that. I’ve also reworked on the name of the chapters, and put a note up for hiatus. Thanks for your reply

That is exactly the sort of thing the filter was designed to stop. Don't reupload old chapters. Keep what you've got, upload once a (however long you can keep up) and do it consistently.

This isn't something worth getting too concerned about. Do your best, and you'll get results.

Thank you for your reply. Will be taking a break to build up chapters then. In over a month, I should have enough

 

[Sebas_Guzman]

What about twice a week? Would that work? If I really push myself, I can do that.

I didn’t think scribble hub did that

So, I think you've decided on a plan, given what I've seen in your replies.

To answer the question, since once a week can be forced to work, twice a week can too.
I do think it's a good idea to have a backlog. Maybe twelve chapters? That gives you six weeks of leeway to get your start.

When you release will be important if you want to do some weird shenanigans to cheat your way onto trending.

Here's two tricks:
Trick 1: Two chapters on the same day, but you can only do this after a few weeks of regular releases.

Trick 2: Chapters with four days in between them. (The four days is arbitrary, but important for creating a habit and establishing a patern.)


Of course, a better cover will multiply your results. I can't stress this enough. The current cover doesnt pop in the sea of covers.

 

[M.G.Driver]

Do shout-out swaps.

 

[Xiellion]

Did you post the first six chappies of your novel in one day? Or was it reupload\edit?

yep, i tried to provide enough chapters for launch day to make use of latest updates and latest series, then settled with one chapter a week

So is it possible to delete some chapters and schedule them to upload on some days?

I’ve experienced this firsthand on tapas, it is indeed a slow grind. I guess I'll build a backlog and when I’m done, I’ll be posting twice a week

I already made a big mistake by dumping ten of my chaps in one day. Is it possible to delete and schedule them to upload on some specific days?

wait deleting chapters and reposting is a thing?

 

[RepresentingEnvy]

yep, i tried to provide enough chapters for launch day to make use of latest updates and latest series, then settled with one chapter a week

In that case you shoulda did like 3 on day one, and then spread the other three out over a 3 days

wait deleting chapters and reposting is a thing?

Yes you can do that.

 

[Xiellion]

In that case you shoulda did like 3 on day one, and then spread the other three out over a 3 days

Yes you can do that.

i didn't know any better back then

 

[RepresentingEnvy]

i didn't know any better back then

That's okay. Your stories can grow pretty fast if they have reach/appeal. I was able to grow one pretty big before.