Becoming A Writer

Getting Traction

Before we start, I just want to point out that I think it is important to not write the book for 'fame.' If you go into book writing in the hopes a bunch of people will love you and your works, or you want to do it to be popular — personally, I don't think your work will come out with much soul. Write for yourself, it'll make you unique.

I have only ever published on wattpad. So I only know how to market on wattpad. Next year I will be publishing a book, hard copy, off of wattpad. Until then, I can only advise on how to get traction on this app.

Updating:

If your book is not complete, you have some great opportunities. First off, people like books that are REGULARLY updated. Not once a month or a week, we're talking every few days.

In How To Punch Soren Mckinin, I updated every single day for around 4-6 months. I was in school. So I would stay up from 10pm on my phone, write a chapter and publish at 12am. Everyday. Of course, my grammar was not the best but I didn't mind, I was young and never thought the book would get big.

I formed a routine. Plus, there was something so exciting about going to sleep and waking up to a bunch of comments and votes. When I mean a bunch, I mean probably 10 people.

If you're a small author, you should update everyday. Find a way. Either pre-write chapters before you publish your book so you have a few under your belt, or write each day. You don't  want people forgetting the story or having to reread because its been so long since you posted.

Read for Read:

When I had just under 2k followers, I used to message other authors who read/wrote in the same genre as me and with the same amount of followers and ask them to read my book, in return I would read theirs or make them a book cover. I think I asked maybe 400 people to read my short story; 2am talks. Doing this only got me around 2k followers, but the wattpad algorithm will detect people reading the story and promote it to others - you need everyday traction.

Do not waste time asking massive authors to read your book. They wont. You need people who understand what its like to want reads but also want views themselves.

Ask others to read your book. Be kind. Hold your promises to read their book, comment, promote others. In return, they should help you out.

Make yourself unique:

Something I did and I believe I was the first to do.... ( could be wrong but I only ever saw me doing it ) was, at the start of each chapter I would insert a gif. The gif would either hold a secret about the chapter or was eye catching. It made people want to comment on the image — more comments = more traction and the algorithm will help you out a lot. It was something my readers got used to and soon recognised as 'me' — it made them remember me and it also made them want to be the first to comment on the chapter.

Although the gif was small and seemingly useless — it helped create a community that I still so dearly love today. Find something that makes you unique.

Cover:

For the love of everything that is good in this world, get yourself a good cover. There are people who will make you one if you read their books. If you dont want to that, learn to do it yourself. Search up some apps and get on Pinterest. Your cover will become the identity of the book. People do judge a book by its cover. Make it clear. Make sure no big author is using the image and make sure the title is super easy to read.

Do not keep changing the cover if you're a little author. Your readers wont remember your book if it keeps changing. Big authors can get away with it. Ive never changed the cover of 'How to Punch Soren Mckinin' since the day it was published.

Title choice:

A good title is a easy way to get people to click on your book. Try get something not too cliche, reveals a little bit of the story but leaves mystery, therefore drawing the reader in. After you've picked your oh so perfect title, search up who is using that title. If it is someone who has a lot of readers is using that title, I would ditch the title. You cannot compete with that.

If someone who has the same amount of readers or less, take the risk and hope you become the most popular user of the title.

Something like 'saving the bad boy' or 'saving Peter' is very overused. Try be creative.

'The day he cried, the rain stopped' — that is a little clucky and too long, but its something to work with and unique.

Hope this helps! I would love feedback :) See you in the next update!! <3