How to retain reader interest?

[Absolution]

Copulation, of course!

Powerful message
And guess what, its on the menu for the current project precisely because stuff like that is popular on Scribblehub

 

[RepresentingSilence]

We're hobbyists. I'm not writing to make a living.

That's not the point I was trying to make I was saying that in order to even have any kind of audience at all you had to go through all of those steps

So stop worrying about the audience the feedback or the reviews just write YOUR story and finish it

 

[Deleted member 113259]

I created a reason as to why MC can't do the thing he wants for a while.

 

[ForestDweller]

That's not the point I was trying to make I was saying that in order to even have any kind of audience at all you had to go through all of those steps

So stop worrying about the audience the feedback or the reviews just write YOUR story and finish it

I've written more than 1 million words and the ending is still nowhere near in sight...

At this rate it's gonna be another two years or more before I finish.

 

[Akaichi]

Two words!
1. Cliff
2. Hanger
You have to make it worth the wait after that though...

 

[RepresentingSilence]

I've written more than 1 million words and the ending is still nowhere near in sight...

At this rate it's gonna be another two years or more before I finish.

Good at least you have a end in sight just keep writing editing and posting and you'll be there before you know it

 

[Kuropon]

Two words!
1. Cliff
2. Hanger
You have to make it worth the wait after that though...

This is probably the main 'trick' if you want to retain readers. You don't need to end every chapter on a cliffhanger, but you have to leave a trail of breadcrumbs for the readers to wait for. Like for instance a plot point that is happening in the background and waiting to unravel later.

Like in a LitRPG, this could be something as simple as the MC getting a new class in 15 chapters, then another one in 30 chapters. It gives theLitRPG loving readers something to wait for.

Though to be frank, it's hard to identify the issue without reading your stories, they might just be too niche for people to care about them as much.

 

[Missivist]

Stories that I drop within five chapters are generally ones where I just don't like the the writing. That could be characters that don't have much depth, writing that gets a bit too eccentric or irritating, or plain lack of readability. Or just call it a lack of due appreciation for the author's style; that could be fair.

Thirty chapters is enough to see whether the development of the story really fits the genre tags and synopsis. Some authors seem to pick tags that they think will draw in readers, but they don't really want to write that kind of story. Unmet expectations make me look for something else to read, unless the story is top-notch, with literate writing, interesting characters and engaging plot elements. It's like asking for mango ice cream but getting lemon sherbet, which I would find annoying. Unless it's the best sherbet ever, I'm gone.

 

[Deleted member 68927]

Reader retention? Finish the book first, and then upload it. The readers want to binge, Sir! Give them something to binge, and start the next book!