When is it good to start an ad campaign in RR?

[PBJ_Time]

I have 21 chapters already, but I've seen authors there who've only begun using ads after 4 months of writing or even 9 months. Those who use ads as soon as they publish anything turn out to be established authors who already have a following. Is my content still lacking for anyone to care about? I write 1.5k-1.8k words per chapter, so how many more should I publish before deciding to promote my story further?

 

[winterwhereof]

If you want to run ads, presumably you want some level of popular success. With that in mind, the primary goal for a new author on RR is to hit rising stars, and ads are used to get you there. So you should start running ads probably around 20 to 40 days after release, and around 20 chapters released, since Rising Stars accounts for the age of the fiction for placement rank.
More established authors run ads because they're a decent way to get trickle new readers and they usually have budgets from other successes. But a new author's goal is to hit Rising Stars. Running ads on a "dead" fiction won't do much.

 

[PBJ_Time]

Running ads on a "dead" fiction won't do much.

Eh, perhaps only half the time because the other authors I've seen with only one book under their belt would only decide to run ads after many months, as I've said. And the change in their follower count is very drastic as soon as they do it. I guess it all depends if I have enough chapters to show to people. Since I've been writing for a month or so, do you think my story will still catch on if I use an ad campaign after two months or so?

 

[winterwhereof]

one book under their belt would only decide to run ads after many months, as I've said. And the change in their follower count is very drastic

You've seen authors run ads on a fiction that didn't hit rising stars and they saw a "drastic increase" in followers after starting a campaign months in? I've never heard of something like that. This might be a difference in perception: a big increase in followers to me is 1000s of followers, which is the starting requirement to "making it" in any real way on RR. I don't really know what your goal is. What are you hoping for or aiming for?

 

[CharlesEBrown]

I would say the best time to start an ad on RR is when you can afford to do so - you may make money from it, or you may just be feeding their coffers while impoverishing your own.

 

[PBJ_Time]

You've seen authors run ads on a fiction that didn't hit rising stars and they saw a "drastic increase" in followers after starting a campaign months in? I've never heard of something like that. This might be a difference in perception: a big increase in followers to me is 1000s of followers, which is the starting requirement to "making it" in any real way on RR. I don't really know what your goal is. What are you hoping for or aiming for?

My goal is pretty simple, really: a long-running series that can become at least a little source of income but not my main one (I have a stable job as a local housekeeper and chef). I just want my story to have a better reach in the future.

 

[winterwhereof]

My goal is pretty simple, really: a long-running series that can become at least a little source of income but not my main one (I have a stable job as a local housekeeper and chef). I just want my story to have a better reach in the future.

you can expect around 5% of followers to support you on patreon if you have a good, engaging story. that means 1000 followers = 50 patreons = ~$400/month. So 3,000 for around $1,200. Obviously these are extreme simplifications

Will ads get you to 3,000 followers? Probably not even if you run them for a year straight and spend as much money as you make off patreon

The real way you blow up in popularity is the Rising Stars list. That's why the default strategy is to run ads shortly after launching to help get you there. Hence why I said ads for a "dead fiction" won't do much. It really depends what you mean by "much" though. You're being too vague about everything. Hope this helps give a general framework for you

 

[Tsike]

I am sorry to tell you, but your story is deader than dead.

Nobody reads more than one chapter, and barely anyone adds it to their reading list. I wouldn't dream about "income" with these stats, if you can't even get 1 real reader. I noticed a lot of fake Reviews that are obviously all rigged. Sorry, it may be harsh, but seriously, wake up. You are deceiving yourself. Start from scratch this isn't working. The 27 people who still "read" this are probably mostly made up of those fake Reviewers. Looking at these stats, you essentially have a total of 0 real readers. The stats may show 50 but they are all dead or faked. Whatever you are doing, I can promise you, you can keep it up for decades, and you won't earn a single dollar.