I think the decline in readers is coming from a different issue, though one uncontrollable for most of us. You know how many treat Isekai suspiciously now that the style is over-saturated? I think we can agree that the same applies on a more larger and general scale, regardless of the story/type and tag. More authors join but pump out content when they aren't fully ready to. Others try to use AI to write and pass it off as original. As for readers, some of us get hung up on the smaller details sometimes.
The barrier to enter as an author has been mostly eliminated, yet the bar we set for it is all the more higher. And thus, finding something good to read becomes a little harder each day, discouraging both readers and writers. I see this as a global issue, not a SH issue.
Hmm interesting and really insightful.
Nudges the places where I find myself questioning.
I always end up doubting if I did my work justice. To seek second opinion or a reader's POV, I look for editors but they are hella expensive...beta readers are also charging high. So, I publish my work without following the proper rituals an author follows before publishing their work.
Hence, it might come off as immature.
But here's where my brain gets stuck.
Online platforms welcome both the professional and amateur writers. That's fine. What messes with my head is watching where the reader base actually goes.
From what I've seen, especially on Wattpad, readers seem to gravitate toward the most unorganized, disheveled, unhinged stories. Not the well-curated ones with actual plot and character growth. literal smut with zero plot and no character development? Sitting on at least a million reads
That leaves me wondering whether it's only sex that sells. And even with bad writing, I can escape the mature readers' judgement as long as it's spicy.
If that's true, then boy am I doing things wrong. I'm failing on both fronts. My writing is bad and there's no smut to save it.
As a previous fan writer, I can honestly say that being a fanfic writer is a lot easier when people can base their knowledge on media that has been seen before.
As an example, I have been finding it harder to describe how characters look, how they talk, or even react, because I'm used to having people know the source material, so when they read my story, they can picture that character acting or doing what I said just based on their knowledge.
And that's where a good fan writer can be great at. If they know the world, the characters, as well as the lore, they can write some great fanfic. But going from that to a new writer explaining their world, that they created in their mind... yeah, that's a problem, alright.
Yeah. Being a fanfic writer is relatively easier in regards to the characters and actions. But also, you have to be careful because if you deviate from the already established mannerisms of the well known characters, the readers' trance breaks. They disconnect themselves from the story.
So, yeah, both pros and cons are there.
Overrated? Not really depending on what fandom you're on. The fandom I was once dwelled for 6-7 years is effectively "dead" and the authors I've known for years is retiring or mostly dealing with life or even pursuing their dreams.
But if we're talking about fanfiction in general... somewhat, especially when the shipping culture is expanding for the better or worse.
Out of curiosity, which fandom did you dwell in for 6-7 years? And do you still write for it, or have you moved on?
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