How do I get more readers?

Looking around the fan-fiction board, it seems that some stories are hot, and some are not, regardless of the subject matter and writing style. It's just pretty much pot-luck on whether you manage to gain a good following (like Clarus or Amidala_Skywalker) or only have one or two people read your first post or so then forget about you (like me). So I'm wondering, how do writers go about becoming popular and gaining more readers to let more people enjoy their stories?

 

1) Be patient 2) be unafraid 3) be grateful for what you've got. I've been on these boards ten months and don't have the following that some people do. I have a relatively small group of devoted readers who are very helpful, very insightful, and tend to read my stuff consistently. I'm incredibly grateful for them. Another thing you might try is round-robins or collabs. You don't have to know the people; just get into the flow of things and word will spread.

 

"Winner of "Best Author" in the 2001 JCFFAs "

You don't have a good following, huh, Istar?

*sigh* Guess it's just random luck or a stupid popularity contest, I've never ever been good in either.

 

Maybe have catchy titles that make people want to see what it is about. I don't know...

 

The best way I've found to get readers is to read others' fics and reply consistently, and with more than just "good post" or "up". If the fics you read are within the same general genres you write, then folks will eventually check out your thread, especially if you include a link in your sig along with a little phrase or description giving folks an idea about the plot.

The next step is keeping readers, which can be just as hard. A beta or two can really help in this area by being a sounding board for plot developments, making sure you get the characterizations right, and helping to improve your writing.

Also be sure to acknowledge and thank your posters.

Then after that it is kinda luck and just being around long enough. If write on popular themes, but have a little bit of a twist to it, then you'll build up a readership faster.

Good luck, and don't get discouraged!

OH - and I forgot one. When you're starting to post a new story, be sure to have at least the first 10-15 posts ready to go so you can put them up in fairly rapid succession (a post every other day or so). That way you get your readers good & hooked right off the bat.

 

Good points, Di_Lee.

As for the "following" comment, yes, I was voted that and I am very flattered because a few people I didn't expect contributed to the effort. So it wasn't entirely a popularity contest.

 

I found the ideas Di expressed to be the best: Read and link your sig. RR's and certain types of fiction only go so far to grab one's attention, especially if you are looking for a broad readership; meaning, for example, non-JA reading a JA story you wrote.

What else helped me was being different in story telling and originality: anyone can write a story with Luke, Han, and Leia, but what about a SW fic with new characters you yourself created, or better yet your new characters be the stars of the fic. Not only will it show originality on your part, but show your readers that you are willing to challenge yourself as a writer in both plot and character developement; as always, the characters drive the plot.

This will show folks you are up to the challenge of writing fiction, and folks are impressed more with that than anything else here on the boards. If you have time, invest in your character developement, especially your central characters in the story. This will had a drama-like element to your story. Folks are dedicated to it more than fly by night story telling.

 

Eek. I've tried all of these things, and my first ever story here had quite a lot of readers, but since then no-one seems interested.

 

I've been on the boards for more then three years now and sometimes I still have issues trying to get people to read my stuff *sigh*.

Perserverance is probably the biggest thing hat will get you a following. Knowing that what you are posting is good and so you just keep posting, even if no-one else is reading it. So saying I find it hard to do that too.

Most of the suggestions that I usually give people other people have mentioned here already. There is no one right way to get readers though...mainly it is a combination of different things...

Good luck!

Kit

 

I'm personally glad whenever I get at least one reader. However, I've started up more fics than I've finished, and that's a big no-no. STICK THROUGH WITH THE STORY!

Eventually, someone might just come onto the board and say, "Hey, I've never noticed that one before..."

-Reb

 

Well, there's readers and then there's fans. There are plenty of readers out there on the boards. They read, they may offer advice or criticism if you want it, they will give you a pat on the back..........and then move on, be it to something else or just fall off the face of the boards.

Worse, you may have 50 readers, 50, reading your thread but they won't post for whatever reason they have. They are what I call uncommitted lurkers.

Now I started something back in my story Siren's Trial: I get PM's from some of my lurkers, who I call Loyal Lurkers, and I keep their identities private; for whatever reason, they don't want my story title in their Thread search index. I say fine; perhaps they are creating their own type of thread index to where only their stories are listed so folks can find them. Or they are afraid someone might take offense to what threads they post on regardless how harmless the story is; it's not a joke or a prank, that's how it is.

One of the things we used to do on Fan Fiction is Begging Threads; they were ads begging for readers to read our story; at one time or another, before the creation of Writer's Resource, some of us have done them looking for readers. Since then the rules have changed and so have procedure and unfortunately it hasn't faired well for authors who are trying to get folks to take a look because of it. It has helped that there have been threads like The Trailer Thread here, and hell sometimes the Award Show Threads help if you can get the thing linked let alone nominated.

But the best form of advertisement for our stories or just us is proliferation; the more you can put out and work on and finish, the more folks take notice.

Another way: cross thread advertising. I have, currently on the first post of my current novel 'The Fading Light' a list of alternative/recommendation stories; give the lurkers or folks not liking what I do or folks who love what I do another source of reading to catch up on between my post. It may help, it may not, but it's there to grab folk's attention nonetheless.

If you want, and this goes to anyone, PM me your story's name, the address to it, and more importantly the names credited to the story and I will put it on the first post of my TFL thread. Normally I would ask you to do the same for me, but I won't hold it against you guys and gals to do it. There is no obligation.

Who knows: you may find my name in one of the story's post. When I can, I read.

 

Well, I've got about 6 faithful readers who show up for every story, a few others who sometimes stick their heads in the door. Maybe lurkers I don't know about. I'm thrilled to see the usual crew, always happy to see others... but if only the Magnificent Six show up, I post anyway and have a great time with them and enjoy reading their comments. All are my friends I've never yet met.

It's not about whether you have 550 readers; it's not a popularity contest. It's about whether you are having fun telling a story. Just write it. Post it. Have fun with whoever shows up. Then write another one and post that. Even if no one reads it, post it anyway.

Do comment on other people's stories. And play in Round Robins, so that other people there can check out your writing style, see if it's something they want to see more of.

Mostly, don't worry about it. It's a hobby, not a popularity contest. If you're not having fun, you're taking it too seriously.

 

I sold my soul to get the readers I have.


Sure the end payoff isn't something I look forward to, but I stand by my decision. I get to enjoy the results until then.


But if you're not into ransoming your soul, then just do what Di-Lee says.

 

I used to have readers. I'm sure of it. I seem to have lost most of them though

 

How do you get more readers?

Bribery, blackmail, and--if those don't work--feather torture .

 

It's not easy. I wrote stories and was ignored, like everyone beginning here. Then I put up a continuation to a story that was archived at TF.N, and people go interested and read it. When I started another story, I told everyone there about it, and a bunch of them went! I was so happy! Now I have a small group of people who love my work, and are very faithful about reading it and commenting. I also have a bunch of lurkers who mentioned on other friends' threads that they were reading one of my stories (it's very different, so it sometimes comes up in coversation) but have never made themselves known to me.

But the bottom line is, it really doesn't matter. I know that sounds ludicrous, but I realized that I just love writing fan fiction. If people love it, then great! If tehy don't, then that's okay too. Maybe ask for some comments, get it beta-read, and try again. I had to do that with "Namesake" and it was very successful the second time around.

Also, write in some very popular genre to get some readers who like your work, like Anain/Tahiri, or Luke/Mara, or something.

Hope that helped.

Mcily

 

We read your work because we love it, Mcily!

 

Not that I'm any sort of expert, being relatively new to these boards, but maybe it's just perseverence, and willingness to try new things...?

My first tale on the boards, <shameless plug>A Boonta Eve Tale/ Rogue Droid Squadron</shameless plug> has a readership of...hang on, let me tally up the numbers...one. But a suggestion from that reader sparked an idea for something else--and those "Vader Monologues" seem to be pretty popular.

So who can say? Just keep plugging away and you'll find the golden ticket.

(And, by golly, I'm gonna keep spitting out those "Rogue Droid Squadron" segments whether or not anyone else reads 'em!)

Blind Man

 

Don't worry, there are a lot of people who don't have many readers (myself included)

 

Yeah, I can never get readers for my stories, but I think that the way you do that is:

a: first follow along for a while with fanfics that you like

b: then write your own fanfic with those same characters as the fanfic you've been following (providing that they're actual SW characters and not original characters, unless the author gives you permission to use his/her characters)

Chances are, and I'm only theorizing, that the readers of the previous post are looking for new stories with those characters in them. If they also see your name on the story, then they'll be even more motivated to read it if they know and like you. Of course, this is just my crazy theory. I haven't tested it yet

Although it also works with fan art, as I've found out. If you read a fanfic a lot and then you decide to make a fan art page with those characters on it, the fans of the story will want to check out your work and comment, provided that you're not afraid to do some shameless advertising for it in the story thread. It's ok though, because plenty of people advertise for both themselves and each other.

Jae Angel

 

Well I don't know if it's been mentoined, but I can tell you I won't even go into a thread that doesn't have a title. I figure if the author isn't creative enough to come up with one... or can't think of one... then is it worth my time? (One of my favorite things to do with my stories is title them... that's why I am so particular)

 

It's hard to get a good following of readers, especially if your story is off the beaten path of what's expected around here. But don't let that stop you from writing something unique or continuing with a unique idea. I was lucky when I first started a fanfic because the topics (Empire, NJO, in continuity) were in demand. I'm even more lucky that some of those readers continue to follow my progress in my other stories, but I don't have a huge following because of:

A) erratic posting schedule; above all else, have a regular schedule, maybe bi or tri weekly and write a lot in advance so you have backup for a dry week of writing.

B) more experimental genres in storytelling; this may be tooting my own horn, but there isn't much demand right now for original character crime dramas that completely leave out movie characters (I just don't like to write them; they're too stale to me). NJO stories also seem to be more sporadic than they were even over the summer.

C) competition. There's a lot of solid storytelling on these boards and it's hard for people to weed through them all. That's what has kept me of late from delving into more authors' stories.

Does that help any?