Getting One's Writing "Out There" on the Net Amidst a Sea of Illustrators

[TikTikKobold]

Hey there.
I write a rather niche topic. That is to say, I am a writer of erotic fiction, mostly centered around a small pink kobold girl learning about magic, love, and sex. I love writing my stories, but I can't help but feel that the genre in which I write is much more suited to something like comics. I tried to get into illustration back in my childhood, but I never could get to the point in which I was happy, so instead, I decided to work on my writing craft. Now I have a nice gallery of commissions, and a small, but faithful following of patrons on patreon. I just feel like I could be doing something more. Comics and illustrations, to me, are much more popular. I know I hardly ever read stuff myself, but I take the time to appreciate comic pages and single images that people post. That being said, I wonder what I could do, as a writer, to get myself out there more. To get more people reading and enjoying my work, and, most importantly, to find people out there who want stories written, but can't find a place to get those things written by people Does this make sense to anyone else? Anyone know good places to find people who want stories written, as much as places like here or Deviantart want pictures drawn?

 

[DaWaffleWolf]

I wish I could help, but I’m struggling with the same thing, minus the little support you have. I haven’t even been noticed yet

 

[K9Lupus]

TikTik,

I understand your concerns as they are ones I believe most writers experience, myself included. I've used the phrase "writing in a sea of art" before, and although that feeling of presenting material against what is commonplace (in comparison to artwork/comic-based projects) can be a little defeating if you see that you aren't raking in the views that others are getting, the most important part of the process is coming to realize that your writing has inherent value because it comes from you, and no one else in the world can replicate that. When we play this comparison game with others, whether it's writers looking to artists or artists looking to other artists we only end up short-changing our potential because in our minds it creates this feeling of never reaching where we want to be. If we always look to tomorrow, we can never enjoy today.

Having said that, I do look towards others who I feel are inspiring to me or who I feel are performing successfully and try and take an analytical approach to what they are doing to hopefully make it my own. It doesn't even have to be limited to writers or artists, but all manner of content creators can help inform our process.

Some common threads I've seen among individuals who are finding success with their crafts:

1. They post consistently or on as consistent schedule as they can.

When content creators post consistently or create an upload schedule they are utilizing the fact that as humans we are creatures of habit and expectation. When we know we can expect a new episode of our favorite show to be waiting for us at 8PM on Saturday we get excited for it, we tell our friends about it, we build anticipation towards that future event because we know its a certainty. That same feeling can be used to build up hype for your own projects. And when people know something they enjoy comes out regularly they fold it into their regular routines. I know that with writing it is challenging at best to say, "I'm going to post a new chapter every day!" because frankly life gets in the way sometimes, but starting out with a tentative goal and building from there can provide a huge benefit to not only yourself in developing more of your skill, but in opening up more communication with your followers.

2. They interact with their followers.

People love to know that they are valued, especially by those who they admire or whose work they enjoy. When you take the time to comment, fave, read through, or otherwise support others in your journey that makes a huge difference not only in their day, but how they perceive you as a content creator. I think we should all strive to bolster each other up to do our best.

3. They constantly strive to adjust what's not working and experiment.

Life is a constant state of change and as content creators we need to be willing and open to experimenting to see what works for us and what doesn't. Some people grow complacent when they see one method is working out pretty well and coast like that for a while without changing anything else. This often removes the chance for future growth by limiting the ability to discover something unknown to us that might otherwise increase the efficiency at which we make our content, or in how effective our delivery is in reaching our followers. Don't be afraid to try something different if you're not sure what's working. It may not work out as you thought, but you'll gain critical insight when you try the next thing.

******
I feel writing is in an interesting place in the modern age because our sense of time has become so compacted. We click away from videos that are 2-3 minutes long to watch 6 second vines compilations. We are willing to share a cute picture of a cat, but may not necessarily share the associated story that goes with that picture because that may take up our time from other obligations. Art is exciting because it is often instant and provides that immediate sense of satisfaction so many of us crave. I like to think of writing as a stew, that you sit with and digest over time until you feel comfortable with it, and quite often the words or scenes can last for quite a while in your mind afterward.

In terms of methods to get yourself out there, I'm still searching for that place too that can provide a strong network of other writers and those seeking stories. I have a few places on my list to try, but I'll expanding my base and see where it takes me.

I hope that some of these words are able to help you and that you know that you are valued in what you do. Keep creating what you love because that comes from your heart. That's the you that only you can be shining through.

~Lupus

 

[TikTikKobold]

I wish FA had an automatic upload feature. I'd upload my stories as 1000-ish word chunks on a daily basis instead of my longer giant chapters/novellas at the beginning of the month.