How the heck to market a story?

[Biggest-Kusa-Out-There]

Add Futanaris.

 

[AnneOminous]

It's not meant to be helpful
Because there is no being helpful
Your goal is to explode in popularity. But it simply won't happen with your current story. You've already shilled it out everywhere you could imagine, and it didn't catch fire--so it will never catch fire.
No one is saying this to be rude. We're just saying it because it's true

You've said it four or five times now. Your message is received. Thanks.

Add Futanaris.

Alternatively: No.

 

[John_Owl]

I have a personal connection to the character. Ranma saved my life when I was a kid.

I know I can file the serial numbers off and do better, but in my opinion I would be flushing the *soul* of why the story matters to me down the toilet. I bring little bits of canon in where it makes sense - usually no more than 1 canon character every 25-30 chapters, and when I do, they are given the background treatment as if they were a new character.

I wanted to tell a story. I've done that. And now I see that the story has *profound impacts* on people who read it - and their comments have in turn had a *profound impact* on ***me.*** And it has made me crave more. It has made me want to reach more people. It has made me think there are more people out there who *need* the impact my readers tell me it has had.

Nobody cares about the fandom on this platform. I'm hoping the new anime helps there. The three stories in my series are #1, #2, and #3 in the Ranma tag on SH, and their readership all sucks.

then it sounds to me like you have your answer. You want it a fanfic, so you're stuck with the venn diagram. your audience are the few that sit in the small common ground between "Likes ranma 1/2", "Likes fanfics", and "Likes [author]'s style". if you can't give up at least one fo those, your fandom won't really grow.

as far as people needing the impact, maybe. we all need something. that said, I doubt your story is the only one in all of existence that can provide that specific message.

I don't mean to sound rude, but you can't force people to read it. either they will or they won't regardless of what you do. if you seriously can't change anything, then you can't really grow beyond what it is now. I'd recommend posting to different platforms and finding one that suits you better. AO3 is almost entirely intended for fanfics (specifically anything "fannish". that is, fan made, inspired by, or remotely related to an existing fandom). SH, while it allows fanfics, is generally more intended for original content. each platform has it's own user base, and you're likely to find different success with the same story on different platforms. You could also try wattpad (their mobile app is fantastic for bite-sized chapters to read on the toilet or on work breaks etc). You could also try Belletristica, though their english crowd is still growing. If you don't mind a german-focused site, their pretty varied on their works and the whole site is set up to be interactive like a game. Point is, there are hundreds if not thousands of sites to use. Not finding your success here? Try another. Not saying take it down here, just post it to another and make a mention to your readers here so they can support you there as well.

As a final note, I noticed you don't have a signature. A handful of my readers are actually from here on the forum. Post your links in your signature like I have and make a little note to inform anyone that sees your posts here of the progress on each of your works. Then I'd recommend being polite and friendly in your posts and comments here so people WANT to check it out. not saying you'll get 1,000,000 readers overnight, but you might get another 5-10 or so.

 

[BLIGHT_ZERO]

You misunderstand. The people who haven't gotten that chance yet aren't people who already read. 98% of people who read online stories are already aware of MASSIVE fanfiction stories. I read Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality. I've had the option, almost everyone has. Most people don't want to, and they especially don't want to for a small fandom like Ranma.

I thought ranma was one the most sold mangas of all time?

 

[aurifex]

To be fair, there is one possibility mentioned in this thread: to write something mainstream and become an insanely popular author, then violently shill your smaller fic. But you said no to that I believe

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Honestly? I've been thinking about this a lot today:
* To be one of the most-frequently *recommended* stories in Ranma spaces, so that new people coming into fanfic (especially new folks coming from the anime reboot) continue to discover the story. So that it becomes "a classic" that routinely generates a comment or two a day across all platforms after it finishes serializing, to keep the flame alive.

* To be a supportive love letter to the trans community, and let it provide the sort of emotional hug that the trans folks who read the story (90% of my audience) routinely tell me it provides. Ideally, to hear from the people it gave good feels to.

* To be recognized as "a work that transcends what fanfiction is supposed to be," which I know is fuzzy, but like... "one of the better fanfic writers out there."

And in order for all three of those things to happen, I need critical mass. I need more people to be aware of it.

Yeah, this is unreachable as long as you don't make it your life goal. Which means, you will have to sink even more hours and money without getting anything back. You said you've already paid a lot, you gotta pay even more than that, way more. You will have to use other projects to advertise your own, you will have to buy ads from every possible sourse. You will have to work towards it during your whole life. There is absolutely no way you can achieve it by simply asking us here, authors on RR, or even succesful published authors. Good luck with it, maybe after twenty or so years you will achieve it.

 

[AnneOminous]

I thought ranma was one the most sold mangas of all time?

It is. In 1987. Part of why I am trying to do this reboot NOW is because they're rebooting the anime starting this week.

 

[Deleted member 84247]

Honestly? I've been thinking about this a lot today:
* To be one of the most-frequently *recommended* stories in Ranma spaces, so that new people coming into fanfic (especially new folks coming from the anime reboot) continue to discover the story. So that it becomes "a classic" that routinely generates a comment or two a day across all platforms after it finishes serializing, to keep the flame alive.

* To be a supportive love letter to the trans community, and let it provide the sort of emotional hug that the trans folks who read the story (90% of my audience) routinely tell me it provides. Ideally, to hear from the people it gave good feels to.

* To be recognized as "a work that transcends what fanfiction is supposed to be," which I know is fuzzy, but like... "one of the better fanfic writers out there."

And in order for all three of those things to happen, I need critical mass. I need more people to be aware of it.

Yeah, that's not really plausible. You would need to reach like Salvos levels of popularity to get a comment a day after the story finishes, and that story will not get a comment a day either. A Ranma fic is never going to get Salvos levels of popularity. Your goal is pretty much impossible, unless you are Brandon Sanderson and writing a fanfic.

 

[AnneOminous]

To be fair, there is one possibility mentioned in this thread: to write something mainstream and become an insanely popular author, then violently shill your smaller fic. But you said no to that I believe

I work two full time jobs and put 35k words a week into this. There is no time for something else. Besides - as you may have noticed from my username - writing something else mainstream won't easily link up with what I do fannishly.

Yeah, that's not really plausible. You would need to reach like Salvos levels of popularity to get a comment a day after the story finishes, and that story will not get a comment a day either. A Ranma fic is never going to get Salvos levels of popularity. Your goal is pretty much impossible, unless you are Brandon Sanderson and writing a fanfic.

I've seen it happen with SEVERAL other Ranma fanfictions.

Yeah, this is unreachable as long as you don't make it your life goal. Which means, you will have to sink even more hours and money without getting anything back. You said you've already paid a lot, you gotta pay even more than that, way more. You will have to use other projects to advertise your own, you will have to buy ads from every possible sourse. You will have to work towards it during your whole life. There is absolutely no way you can achieve it by simply asking us here, authors on RR, or even succesful published authors. Good luck with it, maybe after twenty or so years you will achieve it.

Thanks for putting it so gently.

 

[Keene]

* To be a supportive love letter to the trans community, and let it provide the sort of emotional hug that the trans folks who read the story (90% of my audience) routinely tell me it provides. Ideally, to hear from the people it gave good feels to.

It's unfortunate that, although it seems you're doing most things right, you have ended up having a passion for something that is akin to playing on hard mode in the writing world.

Your audience appears to be a cross-section of these groups.

1) Fan fiction (smaller than non-fan fiction significantly)
2) The particular universe your fan fiction is in (much smaller compared to HP or Naruto which often makes trending)
3) Seemingly focused for transfolk, a statistically tiny amount of readers

It may well be that the critical mass you seek is not possible under these conditions, regardless of effort or luck.

 

[AnneOminous]

then it sounds to me like you have your answer. You want it a fanfic, so you're stuck with the venn diagram. your audience are the few that sit in the small common ground between "Likes ranma 1/2", "Likes fanfics", and "Likes [author]'s style". if you can't give up at least one fo those, your fandom won't really grow.

as far as people needing the impact, maybe. we all need something. that said, I doubt your story is the only one in all of existence that can provide that specific message.

I don't mean to sound rude, but you can't force people to read it. either they will or they won't regardless of what you do. if you seriously can't change anything, then you can't really grow beyond what it is now. I'd recommend posting to different platforms and finding one that suits you better. AO3 is almost entirely intended for fanfics (specifically anything "fannish". that is, fan made, inspired by, or remotely related to an existing fandom). SH, while it allows fanfics, is generally more intended for original content. each platform has it's own user base, and you're likely to find different success with the same story on different platforms. You could also try wattpad (their mobile app is fantastic for bite-sized chapters to read on the toilet or on work breaks etc). You could also try Belletristica, though their english crowd is still growing. If you don't mind a german-focused site, their pretty varied on their works and the whole site is set up to be interactive like a game. Point is, there are hundreds if not thousands of sites to use. Not finding your success here? Try another. Not saying take it down here, just post it to another and make a mention to your readers here so they can support you there as well.

As a final note, I noticed you don't have a signature. A handful of my readers are actually from here on the forum. Post your links in your signature like I have and make a little note to inform anyone that sees your posts here of the progress on each of your works. Then I'd recommend being polite and friendly in your posts and comments here so people WANT to check it out. not saying you'll get 1,000,000 readers overnight, but you might get another 5-10 or so.

I currently post daily on Royal Road, Scribble Hub, AO3, Fanfiction.net, Wattpad, Webnovel, Inkitt, Neobook, QuoteV, Spacebattles and Sufficient Velocity. With chapter links daily on multiple discords, Twitter, BlueSky, and Tumblr.

This is my first post on this forum, so I hadn't set up my profile. Judging by the tone of most responses, it'll probably be my last.

 

[Deleted member 84247]

I've seen it happen with SEVERAL other Ranma fanfictions.

Do you have a link?

 

[BLIGHT_ZERO]

I work two full time jobs and put 35k words a week into this. There is no time for something else. Besides - as you may have noticed from my username - writing something else mainstream won't easily link up with what I do fannishly.

I've seen it happen with SEVERAL other Ranma fanfictions.

idk dude, I've had more popular stories before (deleted accs) and the only idea I can come up with is involving other authors. Shoutout swaps and the like. Or if you start incorporating patron and the like inside of your content creation, you can pay for ads. Other than that, I have no advice to give that everyone else hasn't.

 

[Tyranomaster]

I've seen it happen with SEVERAL other Ranma fanfictions.

Care to link them for analysis purposes?

 

[AnneOminous]

It's unfortunate that, although it seems you're doing most things right, you have ended up having a passion for something that is akin to playing on hard mode in the writing world.

Your audience appears to be a cross-section of these groups.

1) Fan fiction (smaller than non-fan fiction significantly)
2) The particular universe your fan fiction is in (much smaller compared to HP or Naruto which often makes trending)
3) Seemingly focused for transfolk, a statistically tiny amount of readers

It may well be that the critical mass you seek is not possible under these conditions, regardless of effort or luck.

Yeah. But it may well be that it is - and if so, before I resign myself to impossibility, I want to pull every lever and flip every switch I can so I can know I left no stone unturned trying.

 

[aurifex]

I work two full time jobs and put 35k words a week into this. There is no time for something else. Besides - as you may have noticed from my username - writing something else mainstream won't easily link up with what I do fannishly.

I've seen it happen with SEVERAL other Ranma fanfictions.

Thanks for putting it so gently.

Okay, so your choices are:
1. write less of the Ranma fic, and write something else with the gained time and become popular and promote your smaller fics
2. don't, and keep facing the impossible wall you face now.

I realize you want to only write this fic. But you said it yourself: more of the same won't work. So do something different or don't progress

Judging by the tone of most responses

You have been far ruder than any of the other posters, btw

And people are frustrated with you because you don't see the obvious / refuse to

I doubt anyone will miss you either

 

[AnneOminous]

Care to link them for analysis purposes?

Not really interested in your analysis considering you've been trolling me all day.

 

[BLIGHT_ZERO]

I currently post daily on Royal Road, Scribble Hub, AO3, Fanfiction.net, Wattpad, Webnovel, Inkitt, Neobook, QuoteV, Spacebattles and Sufficient Velocity. With chapter links daily on multiple discords, Twitter, BlueSky, and Tumblr.

This is my first post on this forum, so I hadn't set up my profile. Judging by the tone of most responses, it'll probably be my last.

i think you saying that minmizing the amount of essyas people are making JUST to help you even though you are hella argumentive. Just bc your frustrated doesn't give you the right to take it out on us.

 

[Tyranomaster]

Not really interested in your analysis considering you've been trolling me all day.

I'll commit, right now, to admitting I'm wrong about your market share, and give it an honest look, if you can link Ranma fanfictions to me to look at to see if they're actually that big. If they are that big, then I'm wrong about potential market.

 

[AnneOminous]

Okay, so your choices are:
1. write less of the Ranma fic, and write something else with the gained time and become popular and promote your smaller fics
2. don't, and keep facing the impossible wall you face now.

I realize you want to only write this fic. But you said it yourself: more of the same won't work. So do something different or don't progress


You have been far ruder than any of the other posters, btw

And people are frustrated with you because you don't see the obvious / refuse to

I doubt anyone will miss you either

I see that it's a near impossibility. I know that. I'm not an idiot. But I have to ***try.*** I'm not willing to resign myself to giving up until I know I have done *absolutely everything I can.* So I am asking for suggestions of literally anything within my power to do, and yeah, I'm getting a little prickly when basically everybody is saying "don't try, also you probably suck."

I'll commit, right now, to admitting I'm wrong about your market share, and give it an honest look, if you can link Ranma fanfictions to me to look at to see if they're actually that big. If they are that big, then I'm wrong about potential market.

It's not about being big. It's about being *consistent.* It's about the fact that a year or two or ten after the story is posted, the stats and the popularity it did *once* are such that it still gets a residual trickle. I know it'll trail off. I'm trying to keep the trail off from reaching zero.