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dulcesiabits · 8 months

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genuine question what did you do in order to get so much attn and stuff on fics? like writing skills aside cause obvs you're really talented but is it like the way you tag stuff or did you join networks or smth?? cause no matter how hard i try my stuff doesn't really get notes🥲

Hi!!! I'm going to be honest and say that getting attention to your writing is a combination of a lot of different factors, but a majority of it boils down to luck. Success, too, looks differently for each person, so what does it look like to you? What does engagement mean? 50 likes? 100 likes? A heartfelt anon ask?

But don't feel bad if you don't think you're getting any notes! It's not a reflection on your writing skills at all. When I was just starting out, it took me a while to gain attention. However, I can give you a breakdown of how I, at least, think gaining traction works! I have been writing for a long time now. Under the cut for length.

1). Time. This may not be the most immediately helpful advice to you, but I've had this blog for four years. I've had time to establish myself as a writer and gain followers. That means people "know" or "recognize" me, and though I wouldn't say I'm popular (that is hard to gauge, after all), that does mean I have had time to establish myself. If you're a newer writer, then you've had less time to build that sort of credibility or rapport than an older blog has. Also, sometimes it takes a while for a piece to kick off! A lot of my posts have accumulated notes over the years, not just all at once.

2). Networks/mutuals. I'm not in any networks (though I have considered joining some), and I'm a bit of a private person, but it does help to talk to other writers. I can't verify for networks and how helpful they are, but I can verify making friends with other writers and interacting with them. If nothing else, having the support and being able to support people with similar interests as you is really sweet! It means you don't feel like you're writing alone in a void, and I personally treasure my writing friends dearly. Bouncing ideas off of other people is super fun!

3). Tagging. I don't think I tag my fics in a particular way, but it is nice to have consistent tags, so readers know what to look for, and can easily filter out the writing they do or don't want to see. So, I have a general writing tag ("liya writes"), but I also tag things like "character x reader" and "character name." I would recommend that you only tag things that are relevant to your fic, if only for courtesy. Trying to boost your fic by adding unrelated tags might see like a good idea, but it will be inconvenient for other people who, for example, didn't want to see a Childe fic in the Diluc tag, and turn people off from your writing.

4). Formatting. This may seem like a small thing, but I think the appearance of your writing is important. Do you have a consistent theme or organization? Do you have summary, word count, warnings, and the name of the characters who appear in the fic? Most importantly, if it's a long fic, do you have it under a read more? How is the writing itself separated? Bullet points? Paragraphs? Is it easy to read, or is it one long block with no differentiation? A pop of color never hurts, either! I personally keep my posts simple, with blue and pink dividers for a bit of color, and all the necessary information at the very top of the fic. Consistency and ease of reading are important to consider! Is this something that attracts a reader's eye?

5). Promoting. How do you promote your fics? This falls under a similar vein as "tagging" and "networks/mutuals," too. Sometimes it's good to reblog your own fic at different points of time, so followers who are new or don't dig around in your masterlist can see it! And sometimes, having other people (especially writers) reblog your work can give it the exposure it needs! I would warn against asking writers to reblog your work, though, especially if you don't know them, just out of courtesy. I might ask my friend to reblog a piece if I don't feel confident it'll do well, but I would never ask a complete stranger who I don't know.

6). Posting time. When do you post your fics? Weekend? Weekday? Afternoon, or night? I think there is a particular time when people are on tumblr the most, so it might be helpful to look those statistics up to maximize the coverage your writing receives. Time zones are something to keep in mind, too. Additionally, are you posting when the fandom is at peak popularity, or are you posting after hype has died off? The engagement you receive also depends on how much people are into the current fandom you're in.

7). Content. What sort of fandoms do you write for? Are they older fandoms, newer ones, smaller ones, or bigger ones? Who do you write for? Popular characters? Less-known ones? You might find less engagement with a smaller fandom, or a less popular character. Additionally, what do you write? Longer fics? Headcanons? Drabbles? I think, in general, that longer pieces might take off a bit more slowly, but tend to linger more, but short pieces will explode immediately, but might not be something people come back to as much. This is only because of the length of time it takes to read, and different readers are attracted to different formats.

8). Luck. And no matter how well you follow all the rest of my advice, there's still a chance your writing might not take off. Again, that's nothing on you, but more so to do with the fact that engagement is ultimately unpredictable. There's no set way to predict what sort of writing your potential audience will resonate with you. I'm sure plenty of writers can tell you about fics that they laboriously poured over, only to receive no comments on it at all. On the other hand, sometimes posts blow up when you didn't expect them to!

I'm not going to tell you that notes don't matter; after all, it's not wrong to want engagement or acknowledgement over your craft. We post things online for a reason. But it is important to ask yourself what you ultimately want out of sharing your writing: do you want a community? To connect with others? For clout? To hone a skill? Or just for fun? Maybe there's a variety of reasons you post. I can't say tell you how to feel, and there is no "wrong" reason to want to write. But notes also aren't everything, and I hope you have enjoy what you're doing at the end of the day!

#liya answers #i think its helpful to solidify your own goals around writing! what do you want out of it? what is success? what are your goals?#and my controversial opinion is that idgaf if people write for clout #just like its fine to want notes. nothing wrong with wanting attention #like i take writing 100% seriously but not everyone does and thats ok #its still valuable that are people are trying to learn a new skill and practice a very fun craft #do i have some writing pet peeves? yes...#but i mind my business at the end of the day #maybe with minor complaining to my friends. LOL

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