@Enkiari Can we get this pinned here? Whenever we get new authors, this question inevitably comes up. Also, I am open to discussion about the points with our current authors.
JD's Quick and Dirty Guide to Attracting Readers on SH
1 - Make an Attractive Cover.
Appearance is everything for the initial draw of your readers. Depending on what you are writing about, an attractive woman (or man, or small furry creature from Alpha Centauri, no judgment) on the cover tends to draw more eyes than something plain or abstract, but that will also depend on your target audience... I am weird in that my main work has an old dude in a bathrobe on the cover, yet it still gets a ton of views.
2 - Synopsis
This part cannot be overstated. You need a brief, well-written synopsis about what you are writing. People probably won't even open it up if they don't like what you're 'selling' them, no matter how good your writing is.
3 - Proper Tags for your Novel.
This will be how people even search for what you are writing. Whatever content is in your novel, make sure you add it.
Cool, now you have the basics of getting your readers' foot in the door. Next, let's talk numbers.
4 - Number of Chapters
The vast majority of readers on SH won't even look at a novel with fewer than 100 chapters. Many writers stop writing before that point, leaving their readers hanging high and dry. There seem to be several thresholds readers need to have met before they actually commit to a novel, that I have noticed, anyway. 20, 50, 100, and +150 chapters seem to be rough estimates, with 100 showing the largest boost in views. When my work hit a hundred chapters, I went from 30k views to nearly 90k in less than three weeks. Results may vary.
Also, for your chapter titles, make sure they are properly labelled with a chapter number; ie
Summertime Fun In Breezyville
No clue what chapter that is.
Chapter 32 - Summertime Fun In Breezyville
Ch 32 - Summertime Fun In Breezyville
32 - Summertime Fun In Breezyville
B1C32 - Summertime Fun In Breezyville
You get the idea. Your readers will appreciate it.
4A - Release Schedule
Now, let's say you already have a wonderful webnovel written, or say ten chapters. Whatever you do, don't just drop them all at once. ScribbleHub's algorithm will flag it as spam. Set up a release schedule to drop a chapter every day or every twelve hours. Also, dropping chapters too fast may cause readers to think your masterpiece is actually another AI slop piece, and they won't give it a second look.
Be seen by the reader base as a person, not a bot.
5 - Word Count
1500-2500 words per chapter seems to be the ideal length people agree on. Any less, and your readers can't really dig into the chapter, any more, and readers might not be able to finish it in one sitting and turn them away. There is more nuance here, but that is the generally accepted amount. I tend to lean towards the 2000-3000 mark myself.
6 - Writing Style
This one is way more subjective, but if you are trying to draw in a broad audience, writing in weird formats will turn your viewers away. Standard novel formats are difficult to read, IMO, since most people read on mobile devices. So, IMO, you should break some of your longer paragraphs up to around 3, maybe 4 sentences at most, to provide some eye relief for your readers. There are other forms of writing that several authors use here and succeed with, such as the onamonapia style, but I don't recommend it myself. That is just my opinion; write however you want.
Finally, we come to my last point;
7 - Actual Content
Is your story any good? Serious question. You may like it, but if it is some niche content, full of grammatical errors, or you have gaping plot holes you could drive a truck through in the first ten chapters, you will find your readers will just drop off like flies. A fall off is normal for numbers of views, as people try out your story and decide it isn't for them, or that they will read it later once you have more chapters.
If you are worried about your content, you can ask in the authors' forum if anyone is willing to read a few chapters and give you their opinions. Most people who are willing to do that are great and will give you honest opinions on your style. Take what they give you and learn from it.
Bonus
8 - Engage with your Readers
If you have people in your comments, congrats! You are lucky, as the vast majority of people on SH are silent readers. Engage with their comments, even if it's just a thank you. If you appear accessible to your readers, you may end up with valuable insights into your writing from their comments.
9 - Updates
To gain and maintain readers, you should update your work consistently. Make a schedule and follow it. Your readers will appreciate knowing when the next chapter will be published.
10 - Completed Works
Wait! JD, what do you mean I need to have +100 Chapters to get views? I only have 50 chapters, and it is already done!
Fret not, dear Author, you have now unlocked EasyMode for attracting readers! Completed works will let your readers know that what they are about to read is indeed finished, and they won't be left high and dry if they start your story. The above guidelines still apply, but once your final chapter is on SH, make sure you label the work as Complete.
There ya go, a quick guide for writing here on SH. Good luck!
