When do you start to get readers

[abu_nur]

I know it's different from a person to a person and from a story to a story. But i wanna know if i missed something.

 

[CarburetorThompson]

Depends on a lot things.

Typically as long as you continue to post updates readers will grow, but if you’re writing in an unpopular genre like early 20th century aerial combat dramas (me), then you’ll never really get any readers on SH

 

[abu_nur]

Depends on a lot things.

Typically as long as you continue to post updates readers will grow, but if you’re writing in an unpopular genre like early 20th century aerial combat dramas (me), then you’ll never really get any readers on SH

I mean i am writing a romcom. It's just i vaguely remember getting readers was so easy when i was writing fantasy back in like 2022-2023. Thanks for answering tho, i appreciate it. (I totally didn't have to google early 20th century aerial combat dramas)

 

[Bartun]

You guys are getting readers?

 

[abu_nur]

You guys are getting readers?

View attachment 34644

I have seen better days, believe me

 

[ArchlordZero]

 

[Hans.Trondheim]

I have seen better days, believe me

2022-2023 were the years when peeps were slowly returning to normal after CoViD, so there are still those who have a lot of time in their hands.

2024? Many are busy with their real lives now, and got a few minutes to spare to read novels. Not to mention, we also got competition from things like Netflix.

I've been here since 2020, and the time from 2020 to 2022 would have readers of all kinds flocking and reading your novel.

 

[DiabolicalQuill]

I think word count also plays into it. I read somewhere not many stories survive past 25k, and most readers won't jump into something under 10k minimum (possibly more than that), so depending on where you are with word count, that might affect your growth. Focus on word count goals, such as reaching 10k, 25k, 50k, 100k, etc. I think the readers will join in passively as long as the story content engages them.

(Disclaimer. I'm new to Scribblehub myself, but that's how it tends to work on other sites like RR.)

 

[PBJ_Time]

I get 2-3 readers every week despite my stats paling in comparison to those on trending. It's probably because I'm still writing on the isekai genre, which isn't as popular as gender bender or GL here, but still popular enough for anyone to find interesting. It's also probably because I don't do a lot of promoting besides crossposting on Royal Road (but without an ad campaign). So, really, I'm not raking in 20-30 readers every day, so you don't have to worry about your stats that much.

I also realized that people are more likely to read your work if the average word count is 1.5k-2k. Unlike traditional novels, no one's gonna sit through chapters longer than 2.7k words.

 

[Hans.Trondheim]

I think word count also plays into it. I read somewhere not many stories survive past 25k, and most readers won't jump into something under 10k minimum (possibly more than that), so depending on where you are with word count, that might affect your growth. Focus on word count goals, such as reaching 10k, 25k, 50k, 100k, etc. I think the readers will join in passively as long as the story content engages them.

(Disclaimer. I'm new to Scribblehub myself, but that's how it tends to work on other sites like RR.)

I can confirm this, but this is like a double-edge sword. Too little, and readers won't pick it up because they will think it's not worth their time. Too much, and readers would be intimidated to reading it coz it is too long. This goes both in chapter word count and total word count.

Take mine for example. 300+ chapters available (with an average of 4.5k per chapter), and I'm still struggling to attract readers.

 

[DiabolicalQuill]

Take mine for example. 300+ chapters available (with an average of 4.5k per chapter), and I'm still struggling to attract readers.

In my experience (off this site), the sweet spot, on average, is 1.5k to 2.5k WC per chapter. Anything over 3k tends to strain web novel readers, so I can see why you might be struggling. Adding page breaks for transitions in the chapter might help allow the reader to take a figurative pause and come back to keep reading later. That or double your chapter count by splitting them up. Depends on how much it matters to you.

*Edited to Add* Something to keep in mind. Smaller size chapters mean more opportunities to update, more visibility in recently updated list, etc. It has many benefits, but some writers prefer to stick to what they're comfortable with.

 

[Hans.Trondheim]

In my experience (off this site), the sweet spot, on average, is 1.5k to 2.5k WC per chapter. Anything over 3k tends to strain web novel readers, so I can see why you might be struggling. Adding page breaks for transitions in the chapter might help allow the reader to take a figurative pause and come back to keep reading later. That or double your chapter count by splitting them up. Depends on how much it matters to you.

My format is on the light novel side, and so I wrote accordingly. Not that I'm complaining, just saying that I struggle to attract readers.

*Edited to Add* Something to keep in mind. Smaller size chapters mean more opportunities to update, more visibility in recently updated list, etc. It has many benefits, but some writers prefer to stick to what they're comfortable with.

I'm not comfortable writing in tidbits. Too little information and too many chapters to upload.

Plus, my style is dialogue heavy. If I follow the 1k-2k route, one dialogue would take up several chapters just explaining a background setting.

 

[TreasureHouse]

All you guys are tooo freakin' chiken to say the real reason: There's no smut. TNA is the DNA!

Let's be real here, a lot of the stories that are posted here are here, because they would be instanuked on more popular sites. Not having any degenerate tags is detrimental to being noticed on this site.

Now, all you have to do is dip your toe into the dark side. Just a touch of Ecchi here and there, then throw in some groping. Wade a little deeper, a little sexy time here and there. Then before ya know it, half a chapter is spent describing a gruesome scene where a zombie skeleton's mutant schlong is erecting itself by stealing dying party member's schmeat for its own, and leaving you to wonder what happened to the innocent little story you were writing.
That's it. It will not corrupt you or your writing, in fact some may see it as a necessary evolution fun little bonus.
So cum to the darkside! There is no downside***!

*That is a lie
**There are downsides
***not responsible for increased frequency of impure thoughts, goon sessions, and/or inappropriate DMs from readers trying to ERP.

 

[Anonjohn20]

I know it's different from a person to a person and from a story to a story. But i wanna know if i missed something.

1. How often do you post chapters?
2. How long has the story been out?
3. Is the synopsis good?
4. Have you placed every genre and tag that the story will have? (make sure not to lie; only put tags that are in the story.)
5. Is the story on the right site? SmutHub (oops, I meant ScribbleHub) doesn't like fanfics that much; other sites do. Make sure your story is in a site that appreciates those stories.

All you guys are tooo freakin' chiken to say the real reason: There's no smut.

Correct! lol jk

 

[Tsuru]

I know it's different from a person to a person and from a story to a story. But i wanna know if i missed something.

At 50+ chapters.


Coincidentally, its similar to Chinese webnovel industry.

Bc people (humans no matter the country) hate axed series (just like investing in a relationship that will flop) so this 50ish threshold is kinda a psychological hint the author will not give it up.

If you ask any (addicted to webnovels) random veteran reader (like me or elijah or notanuffian), 98% of them will likely have a bunch of series they love but for some reason the author stopped writing very early on (like barely 25+ chaps or even less).

Edit : Oh....
.....
and bc THERE IS NO SMUT

SH is kinda now mostly smut focused reader base.
So like CarburThompson said about unpopular genre, there is also a question of "website".
Big example, for jp smut writing, there is nocturne syosetu (male readers focus) and MOONLIGHT syosetu (female focus).
So its quite easy to flop, if you write yuri plot in a website for yaoi/fujoshi focus. Though its still possible to post and not-rule-breaking at all (and even no rules explicitly saying the website is for yaoi/fujoshis = a "open secret" is the term i think, just like SH's smut).

 

[CharlesEBrown]

One of my stories slowly, steadily increased until the holidays hit and I got a part time job, cutting into my writing time. One keeps getting small leaps but never a lot even after I slowed down. The other two are crawling along.

 

[Deleted member 84247]

You can get a feel for what is popular on this platform. For the most part, readers like Fantasy here. Gender bender is also pretty popular. GL is more popular than BL. If you write a Fantasy story with consistent updates, it will get popular. You don't even have to tell an amazing story.

My witch story is another serving of the isekai slop. Originally, it didn't have GL as a tag, but even then, it still had over 1k of readers.

 

[Anonjohn20]

GL is more popular than BL

As it should be. lol jk

 

[JayMark]

Want readers?

First, make sure your writing is decent or above in structural proficiency.

You're a capable writer, great, that doesn't mean anything. Now you have to write what people want. What, you want to write what you want? Go for it. I'm sure you'll love being ignored. Writers are nonessential and disposable, you'd do well to remember that.

You've written what people want, great, that doen't mean anything either.

Does it have even one element they don't want? One of your characters shows a hint of personality that reader group X doesn't identify with? DROPPED! TRASH! All your characters should be cardboard cutout Mary Sues and Gary Stus. But don't make this obvious, that is a fatal flaw! Add enough window dressing to inflict deniability on he reader. It's a tightrope walk, but you can do it with enough coffee and cigarettes on hand.

Make sure you follow the most common plot formulas to the letter. With one huge exception, apply one innovation so you can claim a degree of originality. Advertise that one innovation like it's the coming of fusion power. Beyond your tagline innovation, DO NOT APPLY ANY OTHER IDEAS OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF THE ESTABLISHED POPULAR GENRE FORMULA.

Doing that, good. Now you better write on a strict schedule and get lucky. Get in the cagie wagie, except you're not getting a wagie, only a wedgie. You get spit on and the occasional headpat. You are the clown in the dunk tank and the few paying attention are throwing steel balls at your face. Most everyone else is ignoring the side show. You have a typo, prose a bit clunky because you were tired from editing for three hours straight, get dunked on. And they don't have to care because you put yourself there voluntarily. YOU LOVE WRITING! right? You do it for free.

But what is poopular?

Here? Write a good GL, it is adored here. A good BL is meh her. A good het romance is reviled, avoid at all cost unless harem smut. Never write anything thought provoking, not one sentence! Only the legends get that privilege and they dare not use it liberally. Apply liberal doses of smut for anything that isn't GL. Apply a hint of Isekai. Give characters the illusion of depth but never use real depth, unless its smut brand depth.

If all else fails, piggyback on something that has already infiltrated the cultural zeitgeist and write fanny faction. Still desperate, write smut fanny fiction. That fails? Write cross over smut fanny fiction and beg for people horny fanbois to throw coins at your face instead of steel balls.

You got this.

Spoiler: Disclaimer

I would write smut, but the power levels would be too high. The denizens of earth would goon themselves to death in a mass extinction event. Thus I don't write smut. You're welcome.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

My kid is almost 4, and he can sound out 3-letter words now. I don't think I would call him a "reader" just yet, though.