Number 1 on Treading

Racosharko

Fanatically Whimsical
Joined
Jan 1, 2019
Messages
937
Points
133
I'll call @Racosharko to assess it. I'm pretty sure your comment is still polite.
 

Ge.Dune

New member
Joined
Jan 29, 2026
Messages
6
Points
3
The formulas for successful publications have long been clear. Each one is designed for a specific type of reader (viewer).Not everyone can keep up with trends, and not everyone wants to. But if you really want popularity, why not?I'm just curious—who is the main audience for this site, and does the formula in the headline work?
 

TinaMigarlo

the jury is back. I'm almost too hot for smuthub.
Joined
Jan 9, 2026
Messages
513
Points
93
Good work!
(hope I look good in green, lol...)
 

L1aei

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 19, 2025
Messages
1,048
Points
113
I'm just curious—who is the main audience for this site, and does the formula in the headline work?

SH is the little sister to Novel Updates. If you don't know why I'm bringing that up, it's because before SH even existed, the target audience were greedy, hungry little fellas who consumed a bunch of translated WNs. We're talking LNs, Xianxia, Wuxia, and whatever else.

That's the start of the general audience. Want me to go into the specifics? It'll give you an idea that the formula here is more like it's a status as a sanctuary. Weird, right?

Biggest hitters here are the isekai and LitRPG stuff. Of course. We got plenty of shared interests coming from NU or NUF (the "F" is just the forum there) eager to read original novels rather than the translated content. Novel Updates was a big influence for the audience we have today.

Lot's of anime aesthetics carried over from that.

The other big influencer? Okay, that takes a little more knowledge into the timing of SH being formed. There were several other novel platforms with writers who were not satisfied with their conditions. When they saw an invitation to new, fertile soil, they took root.

We got authors from Royal Road who were just done skirting around the strict PC-policing, hard-logic biased, and political drama-centric rules designed to kick anyone not writing their niche. They could come over here and express their darker side by finally venting into their content everything they had pent up back in RRL; that pretty much created a sort of high-tolerance for us all when it came to whatever is published here.

We got a flood of gender bender, transgender, and more from another platform I'll leave unnamed that really dropped the ball when it came to them securing ethical guidelines (it's bad); plus, a lot of authors there were tired of GB/TG/GL/BL/etc. stuff always being a kink over story.

We also had people who simply saw this as a new place where they could relax, lay on some fluff, and point out where the scaffolding should go for their comfort to be undisturbed; a real slice-of-life moment for novelists in the making.

Basically, Scribblehub was a refugee camp for specific subcultures that felt stifled elsewhere.
 

Worthy39

The protagonist's third cousin, twice removed
Joined
Aug 6, 2025
Messages
637
Points
93
Man, you're number one on treading? That's impressive. Too bad it's not number one on trending.
 

L1aei

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 19, 2025
Messages
1,048
Points
113
I think you are reading too deeply into his post... he made the same joke I did. "TREADING" not "TRENDING".
However, yes. He is no longer at the top now.

Nah, just my eyes. I didn't catch that until you pointed it out.
 

Ge.Dune

New member
Joined
Jan 29, 2026
Messages
6
Points
3
SH is the little sister to Novel Updates. If you don't know why I'm bringing that up, it's because before SH even existed, the target audience were greedy, hungry little fellas who consumed a bunch of translated WNs. We're talking LNs, Xianxia, Wuxia, and whatever else.

That's the start of the general audience. Want me to go into the specifics? It'll give you an idea that the formula here is more like it's a status as a sanctuary. Weird, right?

Biggest hitters here are the isekai and LitRPG stuff. Of course. We got plenty of shared interests coming from NU or NUF (the "F" is just the forum there) eager to read original novels rather than the translated content. Novel Updates was a big influence for the audience we have today.

Lot's of anime aesthetics carried over from that.

The other big influencer? Okay, that takes a little more knowledge into the timing of SH being formed. There were several other novel platforms with writers who were not satisfied with their conditions. When they saw an invitation to new, fertile soil, they took root.

We got authors from Royal Road who were just done skirting around the strict PC-policing, hard-logic biased, and political drama-centric rules designed to kick anyone not writing their niche. They could come over here and express their darker side by finally venting into their content everything they had pent up back in RRL; that pretty much created a sort of high-tolerance for us all when it came to whatever is published here.

We got a flood of gender bender, transgender, and more from another platform I'll leave unnamed that really dropped the ball when it came to them securing ethical guidelines (it's bad); plus, a lot of authors there were tired of GB/TG/GL/BL/etc. stuff always being a kink over story.

We also had people who simply saw this as a new place where they could relax, lay on some fluff, and point out where the scaffolding should go for their comfort to be undisturbed; a real slice-of-life moment for novelists in the making.

Basically, Scribblehub was a refugee camp for specific subcultures that felt stifled elsewhere.
Thank you for such a detailed answer!) It’s wonderful when people have a place where they feel good!
 

LeilaniOtter

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 29, 2025
Messages
1,185
Points
113
You really don't offer a very good case for your writing skills when you mistake "treading" and "trending". Or was that just autocorrect being a bitch to you? ?
 

seavmun88

New member
Joined
Feb 2, 2026
Messages
19
Points
3
MtF GB is more popular just because a lot of male readers have that fantasy whether they want to admit it or not lmao. Just think of all those bro talks that inevitably have a "If you could be a girl for a day would you?" pop up and youll get a whole room of Hell Yeah I Would. A lot of them just for perverted reasons which ties right into your third point haha
 

CharlesEBrown

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 23, 2024
Messages
4,569
Points
158
You really don't offer a very good case for your writing skills when you mistake "treading" and "trending". Or was that just autocorrect being a bitch to you? ?
.Could be worse. Could have been threading... Then the OP would be subject to endless needling and ... oh, right.
 

LeilaniOtter

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 29, 2025
Messages
1,185
Points
113
That would have us crying in our beer batter....
Personally I think one must be born and bread to become a baker.
Not me,
I dread making bread.
I never spread out my ingredients correctly,
I don't use enough of my head, no matter what they said, and feel miss-led.
After all the proofing, kneading, and baking, I just don;t have enough cred.
And I;m left with nothing but being fed the dreaded dead bread.
 

CharlesEBrown

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 23, 2024
Messages
4,569
Points
158
Personally I think one must be born and bread to become a baker.
Not me,
I dread making bread.
I never spread out my ingredients correctly,
I don't use enough of my head, no matter what they said, and feel miss-led.
After all the proofing, kneading, and baking, I just don;t have enough cred.
And I;m left with nothing but being fed the dreaded dead bread.
Now it's sounding like the crew list for "The Hunting of the Snark" (at least the musical version - don't remember if the characters introduced themselves in the original "Agony in Eight Fits" or if that was added by Mike Batt "I came as a baker on this escapade. I only kneaded the bread...")
 
Top