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How to promote a webnovel?

Posted by JoyChaser • 4/02/08 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: promotion, serialized fiction, web fiction, webnovel

I may be asking the wrong audience, but I recently began a webnovel, and I've been finding it a bit difficult to find ways to promote it. I think I might be running into problems with the scope of the site being so narrow it's difficult to find anyone interested: for one, it's serialized fiction published on the web. Kinda like a webcomic, but with words instead of pictures: each post is the equivalent of some 3-5 printed pages.

Second, the genre this particular story falls into is a sort of steampunk fantasy genre, which I understand is fairly narrow on its own. When people think of fantasy, they tend to think more of orcs and wizards than Victorian society and steam engines.

Does anyone have suggestions for some other ways I can promote the site? I've had some success posting on DeviantArt; I look for pieces that fit a steampunk theme, and comment on those pieces of work. A link in my signature leads viewers of those comments to my site.

User Comments

4/02/08

voodooKobra

You're at a good website for starting out. I would recommend you continue to write it and just submit it to StumbleUpon under "books" if you're looking for an audience.

Also, drop links in some of your posts here (don't overdo this) and search engines will find it.

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4/02/08

gosmelltheflowers

You should start a blog and market the blog. Then just release bits of the novel at a time in it.

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4/02/08

wehireu

Find various sites and submit your blog to things related to books. There is the bookaholics blogring, join some blogcatalog groups on reading and writing...

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1. 4/03/08
  
  Theblogladies
  
  Another thing you can do is write a couple of articles and submit them to the ezine/article directories. One could be an explanation of your genre. These are permanent signposts...which have the possibility of bringing you readers as well as links both from the directory and other internet publishers.
  
  Blog Lady Dee
  Blog Lady Elle
4/03/08

kellybax

This might sound weird but bear with me. Open a profile on flugpo.com and put some info. about your book in your profile with a link to it of course. Then place a classified ad for it on flugpo for each new entry that you make. Enough people will see it and catch their attention and all of a sudden you have a new audience. This could be done with a blog too. If you want more blog traffic, place an ad for each new blog post. A classified ad does not have to be just for selling an old couch. It can be for anything that you would like for people to see.

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4/03/08

cooper

Make a nice attractive but somewhat provocative "cover".

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4/03/08

MadameX

JC, you're a member of my writing group, aren't you? You should post a link to this thread over there, or repost the question. It seems like there are a number of experienced writer participants over there who don't regularly visit the main forums.

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4/03/08

JoyChaser

Thanks for the tips everyone. MadameX, I'll do that, I think. cooper, the idea of a cover is good too: something I plan on doing, as soon as I find an artist to draw one up for me. I've got a few friends that are art majors; I'll see if I can con one of them into helping me out.

I like the idea of using a separate blog to market the webnovel; I've been thinking of starting a blog about my experiences as an entirely web-based self-published author, so that might work. Tips and tricks I've learned from my experiences.

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4/03/08

metroknow

I definitely agree with MadameX (in fact, I'm going to check the group out myself) -- joining groups, forums, etc. dedicated to writing is the way to go, and then try to contribute something meaningful. Do a search on your genre and see what writing groups or fangroups there are, and participate; Also if you don't do it yet, get involved with NaNoWriMo -- there are literally 10's of thousands of writers in the exact same position as you, helping each other over there.

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6/28/08

codevalley

I think you are a good writer but not a that good marketing guy. already u missed a few audience by not posting your novel link in this post. Now you got 10 responses, if even 6 of them had clicked the link and 3 had become your readers, u wud hav got some more subscribers to ur novel. that is the way u shld think. But as u said, it is hard to market a novel. I am also writing one. It is something on which i put 4 years of effort b4 i actually started writing. I am also putting ads in facebook and google.
I get hardly 50 visitors a day. It has been one week since i started posting.
you can check it here thelasttheory.com

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11/12/08

AlexMcGaughan

Definitely submit to webfictionguide.com , and join the forums over there for more help. It's been a huge help as I've been writing my webnovel and designing the site, ChildrenoftheFirst.com (see what I did there? ) Also, check out Novelr.com for some pretty good guides about writing, publishing, and promoting webnovels. (Eli of Novelr calls them "blooks," but ugh)

Good luck with your webnovel!

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