How to keep writing when no one reads your novel

[Admirably_]

Been writing for a while now, posting my novel across platforms, but yeah... no one seems to be reading it... just some clicks, then leave...

I tried to overlook my feelings, encouraging myself: that the first step is always the hardest, that success doesnt come overnight, that it needs time to grow, etc.

But when I see other novels with the same chapter counts--yet they have massive readers, favs and ratings, it feels like a massive boulder crashing on me... and negative thoughts surface, like... am I just a horrible writer then? why cant i be like them? am I not good enough? should I stop writing?

I dont want to stop writing, I want to tell my story to the world, but the world seems cold :')

Atp, idk what should i do...

 

[Madkins]

Link your book.
Might be the book not you.
Might be lost in a sea of the same thing.
You may not be good at advertising.
Too little info to help you.

 

[Lysander_Works]

There really is an element of luck to it.

 

[XineFury]

An awful lot of the time, it's not about quality, it's about marketing. Some truly bad novels have been super popular.

Now if they're reading the first chapter and then dropping it, it could just mean it wasn't the genre they expected. Or it could mean you need to start with a more exciting scene.

But if you really like writing, then it doesn't matter who reads it. Write for yourself. If your audience isn't out there right now, that doesn't mean they won't be there someday. You could just be ahead of your time.

 

[thegingernut]

I set out with a specific plan in mind with the intention to carry it through to its end. This was about proving I could write a longer form story. I definitely have made small course corrections due to reader reaction. (For example, Charlie was just someone they bumped into and I had no wider plan for xir but readers seemed to like xir and the chapter of xir return was the most likes I've got on a chapter outside of the first arc of the story)

I don't know if I'd have managed to stick with the story if I wasn't getting so much engagement (read: not much but enough). But I think it helps to set smart goals. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timebound.

Specific: "I want to finish one long form story to prove to myself that I can"
Measurable: "I had an outline from the beginning, I just need to hit all the plot beats I planned in the first place"
Achievable: "Well longer stories have been written"
Relevant: "I want to improve as a writer"
Timebound: "I have a particular day in mind whereby I'll have called it a failure. I'm on schedule. I'm on what should be the final act of the story and a little over two months remain

 

[Kurayami]

It's likely not that you are a bad writer. Most likely, you are not adapting to reader preferences. If your goal is readers, you will need to adapt to the preferences of the sites you write on.

 

[Admirably_]

Link your book.
Might be the book not you.
Might be lost in a sea of the same thing.
You may not be good at advertising.
Too little info to help you.

Ah, im sorry, i didnt realize i logged in using my other account.

here is the link: https://www.scribblehub.com/series/2228408/how-to-survive-as-a-doomed-prince/

i'd appreciate any feedback. thanks!

 

[Admirably_]

There really is an element of luck to it.

then i must be an unlucky person :')))))))

 

[LastMinami]

Been writing for a while now, posting my novel across platforms, but yeah... no one seems to be reading it... just some clicks, then leave...

I tried to overlook my feelings, encouraging myself: that the first step is always the hardest, that success doesnt come overnight, that it needs time to grow, etc.

But when I see other novels with the same chapter counts--yet they have massive readers, favs and ratings, it feels like a massive boulder crashing on me... and negative thoughts surface, like... am I just a horrible writer then? why cant i be like them? am I not good enough? should I stop writing?

I dont want to stop writing, I want to tell my story to the world, but the world seems cold :')

Atp, idk what should i do...

Yes... that happened to me on Wattpad, Inking, and Royal Road. That's why, and because a friend shared the link with me, I entered this paradise and a Japanese page (although now they're enemies of my compatriots...). Well, don't get discouraged, change your tags, and keep writing what you like, and sooner or later someone who likes the same things as you will come along, and more and more will come, whether in small or large numbers.

 

[Admirably_]

An awful lot of the time, it's not about quality, it's about marketing. Some truly bad novels have been super popular.

youre right, i just published my novel, and left it there. Im sorry idk how to promote my book

Now if they're reading the first chapter and then dropping it, it could just mean it wasn't the genre they expected. Or it could mean you need to start with a more exciting scene.

here is my novel, id appreciate any feedback.

How to Survive as a Doomed Prince

But if you really like writing, then it doesn't matter who reads it. Write for yourself. If your audience isn't out there right now, that doesn't mean they won't be there someday. You could just be ahead of your time.

Yes, in fact, ive been crafting this novel for about three years or so--dont quite remember. And my goal is to finish the book so i can move on. :')

i dont want to abandon my child.

 

[Lysander_Works]

then i must be an unlucky person :')))))))

You and me both

 

[Admirably_]

Anyhoo, post some links. I'll read your stuff. Or at least try.

Im sorry, i didnt realize i logged in with my other account. here is the link, id appreciate your feedback

How to Survive as a Doomed Prince

 

[melchi]

Just speaking for myself but having a time loop tag is a big turn off.

 

[Admirably_]

It's likely not that you are a bad writer. Most likely, you are not adapting to reader preferences. If your goal is readers, you will need to adapt to the preferences of the sites you write on.

I write psychological political isekai
But its isekai, so i thought i might gain some readers... but alas... :')))))))

 

[Rosica]

I write psychological political isekai
But its isekai, so i thought i might gain some readers... but alas... :')))))))

13 chapters, 9 readers, 0 dropped?

That's a good stat. No readers? What are you talking about? You actually have a good engagement.

Your story only have 15K words. Most users in SH only add a story to their reading list after it have 100 chapters or 100K words. The views will spike after that threshold.

 

[Admirably_]

13 chapters, 9 readers, 0 dropped?

That's a good stat. No readers? What are you talking about? You actually have a good engagement.

Your story only have 15K words. Most users in SH only add a story to their reading list after it have 100 chapters or 100K words. The views will spike after that threshold.

Ah, I see. Thank you for the reality check.

But it's just hard not to compare. I see other novels with the same chapter count that already have massive readers, favs, and ratings. It makes me wonder what I'm doing wrong :(

Ill write more chapters then

 

[Rosica]

Ah, I see. Thank you for the reality check.

But it's just hard not to compare. I see other novels with the same chapter count that already have massive readers, favs, and ratings. It makes me wonder what I'm doing wrong :(

Ill write more chapters then

Chapter counts are not a good metric comparison. Use words count. Some novels are also written by established authors who already have their audience.

The novels you see with massive readers, favs, are ratings, are usually not the author's first novels. If the author don't have other novels here, that usually mean they migrated from another site bringing their audience with them.

Some established authors even create alts to post stories they can't post in their main profile for a stupid reason like it don't suit their aesthetics or something.

You just get started. Don't compare yourselves with veterans.

And if you think your readers count are not increasing, it's actually increasing but you can't see that because people get banned and deleted their accounts all the time.

You get a new reader, but your old reader is gone because they don't read the sites rules. This make it look like your follower counts stay the same.

 

[Lysander_Works]

Just speaking for myself but having a time loop tag is a big turn off.

Is it? I didnt realize it bugged anyone…?

 

[melchi]

Is it? I didnt realize it bugged anyone…?

The majority of them tend to be almost episodic. And when I'm looking for a web serial to enjoy . . .

 

[Lysander_Works]

The majority of them tend to be almost episodic. And when I'm looking for a web serial to enjoy . . .

I have plans for one, but Im also wanting to find a way to make it less chronological and more like a spider web navigation, kind of.