How do you guys promote your novels?

[InBetweenRealms]

Hey everyone! I'm curious—how do you guys promote your novels? I've been searching for places to share mine and checked out Facebook and Reddit, but I couldn't find any groups or forums that actually allow posting about novels. Any tips or recommendations for good platforms to get more visibility?

 

[beast_regards]

You could promote your novels on Facebook, X-Twitter or Reddit. It is just counterproductive, as it is bound to spark net more negative reactions than the positive ones (and you are in a way fueled by the positive ratings, both here and ten times more on that other site)

There aren't any advertisements here on the SH, so you are kinda restricted to update frequently and be noticed on the last updates.

Of course, you could make the posts as this thread, but it won't help that much. Keep in mind, the forums have more writers than readers

 

[PancakesWitch]

Four or five years ago new novels used to get more attention but now its too overly saturated, its all just luck or money (to buy ads), so there isnt anything you can do really. Advertising your novel in other platforms is likely to bring no attention at all.
Not trying to be mean or anything though, sorry if it comes out that way but its just the harsh truth.
Uploading a chapter everyday could help, maybe.
Another way to get free advertisement is taking a Webnovel Contract.

 

[TheEldritchGod]

Promote?

 

[CharlesEBrown]

There is a self-publishing group on Facebook - I joined it a few months back but have never really looked at it so not sure how useful it is. It did show me Substack, though, which seems a good place for promotion. For the most part though... not sure. Unless you want to spend money on it, the best promotion is word of mouth - get people to read and discuss your work somewhere (several authors use Discord for this).

 

[Anonjohn20]

If I ever finish one, I'll post it on an obscure site, hoping that as few people as possible read it (unless it's somehow good, unlikely).

 

[beast_regards]

There is a self-publishing group on Facebook - I joined it a few months back but have never really looked at it so not sure how useful it is. It did show me Substack, though, which seems a good place for promotion. For the most part though... not sure. Unless you want to spend money on it, the best promotion is word of mouth - get people to read and discuss your work somewhere (several authors use Discord for this).

I tried to post on the Reddit. There are several subreddits that would theoretically allow for self-promotion...

... there are subreddits for progression fantasy or Lit-RPG you could promote your novel on if applicable, but since the most of those promotions are Amazon owned / published, a story posted on some forgotten site would either be completely ignored or bound to receive a lot of flak...

... same applies for harem fantasy novel. There is a sub-Reddit for them, but it is once again Amazon published books. They do allow posting the promotion of your work there even if you aren't Amazon contracted, it's allowed and I checked, but it would be promptly ignored.

I am certain there are Sub-Reddits for traditional fantasy or sci-fi, but I didn't check them outside of fantasywriters and scifiwriters one.

 

[LesserCodex]

I go into everyone's house and scream at them in the dark to read my novel. You know something small and subliminal.

Honest answer is I don't if someone likes your novel enough they'll recommend it. That and I don't know how to begin.

 

[Deleted member 84247]

I don't other than having it in my signature.

 

[Puji-Maki]

Just post your novels in other platforms. That's the best way to promote them.

 

[rKlehm]

I’ve tried various strategies but got minimal results. It made me realize that either this kind of "free" promotion just doesn’t work, or maybe people aren’t interested in what I’m writing lol

At this point, I think the only viable options are to invest in ads or to keep posting consistently until readers eventually pick up interest

 

[ThisAdamGuy]

By using subtle subliminal messaging.

 

[NumberZer0]

I.. don't promote my own novel.. but I think what you could do is frequent updates. This is done so that your story if coupled with interesting enough stories and synopsis and cover, will drag in more readers. But try to space out the updates on multiple times so that it encompasses different time across the user in SH or other sites you use.

 

[2wordsperminute]

I never really got all that many views in the first place (probably a large part of that was my terrible self-drawn cover), but the most views I got on my story were when I was uploading daily.