How to stimulate author contributions?

M

mar123

Virgin
Hello all!

I am a new contributor to this site. I have read stories on here for a long time but recently decided to start my own (called Maria, Maria).

Firstly, I would like to ask for some feedback from people if you have the time or the inclination.

Secondly, I would really appreciate some contributions from other authors. I believe I have fleshed out the story a fair bit but would love for others to add their own ideas.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can get authors to contribute?

Thanks in advance!
 
First off you should post a link to the story in this main post and second it should also go in the story feedback section.

In more general terms there's no real formula to get other people to add to your story. Some are willing to do chapter trades, others just need to really like it and want to add to it, some have to hate it and want to improve it. Honestly, it runs the spectrum. If you keep adding to it yourself that keeps it up in the searches so that's a good way to get enough exposure that someone in those categories will see it. Best of luck to you!
 
leroy said:
keeps it up in the searches
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While doing this, I'd recommend posting a chapter every few hours or one chapter per day but not all at once. That way, your story will appear on the front page more often and readers might notice it more easily.

For feedback, you can create a thread at the Story Feedback forum. You could also ask a moderator to move this thread over there. (Easiest way should be to "report" a post of the thread and ask for it.)

There are some threads about how to get contributors on the forum.
I think that a prospective contributor likes the story, has an idea, a perfect point (chapter end) to add on, and the right mood before he decides on adding.


About the story... I'm not a native speaker and reading your story is somewhat difficult for me, so I can't tell much about the content.
 
I mean, 90+ chapters without any branches, feels like you have a story to tell and any variation would just be a new spin.

I think stories that set an interesting premise and then lend themselves to variation are the key. One story I think called the Backpack was a great example. You're at college, you find a backpack left behind and in it is... next chapter. It begs to have different takes and spins.

Setting characters on too much of a trajectory and a full plot feels less inviting to creative reinterpretation.
 
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StanS55 said:
I mean, 90+ chapters without any branches, feels like you have a story to tell and any variation would just be a new spin.

I think stories that set an interesting premise the lend themselves to variation are the key. One story I think called the Backpack was a great example. Your at college you find a backpack left behind and in it is... next chapter. It begs to have different takes and spins.

Setting characters on too much of a trajectory and plot feels less inviting to creative reinterpretation.
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Very much this.

One thing not mentioned - your lead-in question can be a source of invitation or inspiration to new branches. Especially if its set up with twists in mind, and you use possible twists or variations yourself as an example.
 
Interestingly, one thing I find less helpful than you might think is actually ASKING for contributions: that doesn't seem to work at all in my experience.

Can any of you think of a reason WHY that doesn't work?
 
Nemo of Utopia said:
Interestingly, one thing I find less helpful than you might think is actually ASKING for contributions: that doesn't seem to work at all in my experience.

Can any of you think of a reason WHY that doesn't work?
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That's a weird one, maybe people assume you'd only ask if you were stuck and therefore aren't likely to continue yourself?
 
Most of times I started contributing to stories it was because they hadn't been added to for a while, and I want to revive them. I know that's not much help.
I guess having a unique story with an interesting premise helps, but even then there are no guarantees; the site is full of amazing stories that are open to others but written entirely by one person.
Most people just want to write their own stories rather than add to another. The Rulebook has a lot of contributors but most of them (including me) started writing at chapter 2 or 3.

Nemo of Utopia said:
Interestingly, one thing I find less helpful than you might think is actually ASKING for contributions: that doesn't seem to work at all in my experience.

Can any of you think of a reason WHY that doesn't work?
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I write for fun not because someone asked me to. Also, While I do like when owners welcome and encourage my contributions, it can weird me out (for no good reason) if they are too welcoming or encouraging. I may feel like the owner wants me to the story for their story for them. Or I could be worried the owner won't enforce any quality control. Of course others feel differently.
 
I haven't fully thought this out yet, but partly the fact that I don't get gamification rewards may play into it for me. My bookmark chapter notifications, my stories with total like counts.. C'mon you know they mean something to you too.

Hell, I can hardly find the stories where I've submitted chapters. Maybe if I had a My Story Contributions page I'd be more apt to keep up.
 
I'm not sure if there's any special trick to it. Personally, I wouldn't mind having more input from others or at least more feedback in general just like many other wannabe-successful writers like myself.

Generally, if I have to look at it from the flipside? Then I think part of it is not necessarily that there is nobody who wants too, as much as it is people just not sure if it would be okay. Typically, I'd assume stories with more contributers don't find it as hard to find new ones because people are more confident in adding to something that a lot of people are and things like that.

Then there's always the question of where would it be okay to add? Like most people don't generally want to hijack someone else's storyline or branch. Especially if they like it. They don't want to risk ruining it or want to see where the writer was going to go with it. Stuff like that.

But that being said...it's not really a bad thing to have less contributers. Looking at it another way, you can safely say that all the chapters people did like, was all work that you did yourself. Hope that makes sense.
 
Auraicide said:
Generally, if I have to look at it from the flipside? Then I think part of it is not necessarily that there is nobody who wants too, as much as it is people just not sure if it would be okay. Typically, I'd assume stories with more contributers don't find it as hard to find new ones because people are more confident in adding to something that a lot of people are and things like that.

Then there's always the question of where would it be okay to add? Like most people don't generally want to hijack someone else's storyline or branch. Especially if they like it. They don't want to risk ruining it or want to see where the writer was going to go with it. Stuff like that.

But that being said...it's not really a bad thing to have less contributers. Looking at it another way, you can safely say that all the chapters people did like, was all work that you did yourself. Hope that makes sense.
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Or you are just too good of a writer. I have wanted to add to College Housepet and Unconventional but I highly doubt I could match the writing quality or do the characters justice.
 
RejectTed said:
Or you are just too good of a writer. I have wanted to add to College Housepet and Unconventional but I highly doubt I could match the writing quality or do the characters justice.
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I think this is a major reason why many people don't add to stories they like. If someone is unsure about his\her writing skills, he\she won't add to not reduce the overall quality of the story.
 
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RejectTed said:
Or you are just too good of a writer. I have wanted to add to College Housepet and Unconventional but I highly doubt I could match the writing quality or do the characters justice.
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Well... if you really think you couldn't do the original writer justice, you could contact them... tell them about your idea for the chapter and ask in advance if they would edit it to meet the quality of the rest of the story.
 
gene.sis said:
Well... if you really think you couldn't do the original writer justice, you could contact them... tell them about your idea for the chapter and ask in advance if they would edit it to meet the quality of the rest of the story.
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This is true. All story owners I have messaged have been very supportive of my contributions.
 
RejectTed said:
This is true. All story owners I have messaged have been very supportive of my contributions.
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gene.sis said:
Well... if you really think you couldn't do the original writer justice, you could contact them... tell them about your idea for the chapter and ask in advance if they would edit it to meet the quality of the rest of the story.
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Hi there, just thought I'd trawl through the forum for once and spotted this thread. I'm the writer of College Housepet. To be quite honest with you I've gotten quite stuck with that one, having started two other stories since. I have loads of ideas for where it can go next, but lost the enthusiasm to flesh them out, so to speak. So if you really wanted I could even set you up with a direction to explore with my characters and support you along the way. Please don't be intimidated by the uh... over exuberance of my writing style. You don't need to waste as many words as me to be a good writer. To be quite honest it gets a little lonely plodding through all my ideas alone, there's always little offshoots I think could be done better by someone with a different outlook. Feel free to message me on the main site if you still fancy having a go.
 
I'd be happy to see people add to either of my stories. I was just asked to add to someone else's story by the writer. Don't know why the writer picked me but I gave it a chance.
 
Wanderingfalcon said:
Hi there, just thought I'd trawl through the forum for once and spotted this thread. I'm the writer of College Housepet. To be quite honest with you I've gotten quite stuck with that one, having started two other stories since. I have loads of ideas for where it can go next, but lost the enthusiasm to flesh them out, so to speak. So if you really wanted I could even set you up with a direction to explore with my characters and support you along the way. Please don't be intimidated by the uh... over exuberance of my writing style. You don't need to waste as many words as me to be a good writer. To be quite honest it gets a little lonely plodding through all my ideas alone, there's always little offshoots I think could be done better by someone with a different outlook. Feel free to message me on the main site if you still fancy having a go.
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That is a great offer, but I am a little too busy right now to commit to anything. I'll message you when I can make time.
 
StanS55 said:
I haven't fully thought this out yet, but partly the fact that I don't get gamification rewards may play into it for me. My bookmark chapter notifications, my stories with total like counts.. C'mon you know they mean something to you too.

Hell, I can hardly find the stories where I've submitted chapters. Maybe if I had a My Story Contributions page I'd be more apt to keep up.
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Chyoo2 had views that let you page through all your chapters and all stories you had contributed to. I really miss those parts, because they made it easier on a writer with many widely spread contributions.
 
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