# How to get your writing well known in the community?



## ricinsbluebox (Apr 20, 2014)

I'm a writer, my friends know I'm a writer, all my past teachers knew I was a writer, but however, no one else really knows.  Thus my question is this: how do writers get their writing out into the community?  On Furaffinity.net I have writing listed as a commission and all, but first off I need tips on getting my writing at least partially known because I've never been able to get my writing popular enough to get lots of people following it.  Outside of fimifiction.net where I had a couple of semi-popular (not enough to make the front page or anything) fan fics from the MLP:FIM fandom.  But that story aside, I really would like some tips on how to become quasi-well known and at least enough to heard of.

Like Jack Sparrow heard of.  ... if that makes much sense.  

Please halp?

- Ricin


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## Gnarl (Apr 20, 2014)

If you ever figure that out be sure to let me know! I have four books on Kindle and several short (sorta 40K words) stories on several sites and doubt if anyone would ever recognize my real name! I even tried putting out there on certain  FA-DA-weasyl some art works from the illustrations that would never be found anywhere else, not even in the books! I guess if you broke down and were to pay for real advertising it might help. I have no advertising or promotions or anything like that,,,,,, yet!  Can't afford it right now. I have two kids in college and there is no way in hell I will let them get the shaft like I did for student loans!


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## Conker (Apr 20, 2014)

Furries like porn. Bout all I got for advice.


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## ricinsbluebox (Apr 20, 2014)

Conker said:


> Furries like porn. Bout all I got for advice.




-.-' ...


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## Torrijos-sama (Apr 20, 2014)

Use a pseudonym and publish smut, and establish a community around that. Then, use that fame to bring attention to your serious writing. 

That's called pulling a Stephen King or an Anne Rice... Publish nothing but smut with every cliche and trope known to man, then once it has gotten popular, release a serious work that gets the critical attention it deserves, like Stephen King's Dark Tower series.

That, or serialize stories and figure out how to manage hype over releases of new parts of your canon, and don't be afraid to permit the community to make fanfics of your own work to generate hype around the original source material.


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## ricinsbluebox (Apr 20, 2014)

That sounds so incredibly awkward to do... publishing smut and getting famed for that  .  To me that just sounds really backwards but it kinda makes sense at the same time.  

So really I have two options (this is just for clarification)

A) Publishing smut to form a community, then use the fame to draw attention to serious works

And B) Release little bits of canon at a time, start drawing in attention and allow people to make fanfics of my own work?

Any tips on where to start, maybe?  Perhaps Deviantart.com and go from there?... I'm also hoping to get enough attention in the near future to start doing commissions from furaffinity.net, too.

Thanks JesusFish, though .

@Gnarl:  I think JesusFish just about answered our problems xD


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## Gnarl (Apr 20, 2014)

I would go with option B...I just take handle the idea of doing smutt!


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## ricinsbluebox (Apr 20, 2014)

I've tried writing smut before, and in the beginning it doesn't feel too awkward until you actually have to think about what exactly you're writing... /then/ stuff gets awkward.  At that point I just exit out of word cause I can't take the sheer weirdness out of it D: .  But I suppose I don't really have anything much to do outside of trying to get semi-known in the two big fandoms I'm a part of!  Best of luck to you too, Gnarl.


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## RailRide (Apr 20, 2014)

ricinsbluebox said:


> So really I have two options (this is just for clarification)
> 
> A) Publishing smut to form a community, then use the fame to draw attention to serious works
> 
> ...



(emphasis mine) Not a writer here (visual artist), but an observation in general:

Image sites, even those that have evolved into social networks, are probably the worst places to gain recognition as a writer. Furry fandom as a whole, is only slightly less so being so heavily geared toward visual works, but I'll leave that aside and concentrate on art websites geared toward visual rather than written works.

Think of the amount of time it takes to read far enough into a story to know if it's any good (to you) or not. Then look at the number of people the typical FA/DA'er is watching (I looked at the OP's FA page, and note that the join date was a day ago, 4/19). You'll find a whole lot of folks are watching hundreds, if not thousands of other users. Imagine how many art submissions are appearing in their Inboxes even if only a fraction of those watched post work in any given day. Even for pictures, it takes a few seconds at most to make that determination, and lots of people here admit to discarding piles of notifications because there simply isn't time to devote a few seconds each to hundreds of pictures.

This is a nightmarish scenario for writers looking to get noticed. It makes you wish there was an alternate community where writers get the kind of recognition and followings that artists can garner here on FA and DA. Until you think about that time investment thing and multiply that by the number of potentially worthwhile writers likely to gather in such a hypothetical community. I'm no great consumer of amateur (or even professional) writing, but I've read a number of FiM fanfics linked from EqD that I found myself reading to their conclusion. But of the ones what weren't complete, I couldn't keep track of the ones that already proved promising, and didn't have the time to devote to following more than a couple at a time even if there was a +watch system to keep track of them. 

Didn't mean to be a wet blanket on top of credible suggestions, it's just what I observed being on sites like this going a decade or so.

---PCJ


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## Conker (Apr 20, 2014)

JesusFish said:


> Use a pseudonym and publish smut, and establish a community around that. Then, use that fame to bring attention to your serious writing.
> 
> That's called pulling a Stephen King or an Anne Rice... Publish nothing but smut with every cliche and trope known to man, then once it has gotten popular, release a serious work that gets the critical attention it deserves, like Stephen King's Dark Tower series.
> 
> That, or serialize stories and figure out how to manage hype over releases of new parts of your canon, and don't be afraid to permit the community to make fanfics of your own work to generate hype around the original source material.


Never read any smut by Stephen King, though I bet he treats the genre better than the crazy person who put out Fifty Shades of Grey.


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## Tica (Apr 20, 2014)

Well, you could start by actually posting writing samples to your Furaffinity account. Right now all I see is an empty gallery.

I think it's more important to practice and become *very, very good* at writing than it is to become well known. If you're very good, and you share your work with your friends, the work will start to spread. If it's mediocre or simply okay, it won't go anywhere.


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## Wither (Apr 21, 2014)

start by writing.
followed by posting said writing.
engage in the community.
continue all this.
if you're writing is good enough to warrant a large amount acknowledgement, it will become well known.

It's like I solved string theory there.


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## Auramaru (Apr 21, 2014)

When I got into writing community websites I would review a lot of other people's material almost excessively.  Naturally when I'm posting top-notch critiques/reviews on many people's stuff, they tend to check out my page and review my stuff in return.  

Doesn't always work.  I can name a few websites that it definitely DOESN'T work.  But once you find a nice circle-jerk of writers reviewing each other's material, you're pretty much set.

(Or like everyone else said: Smut.  Loads of smut. Or a slow-burner-yiff-story)


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## ricinsbluebox (Apr 21, 2014)

Just a side note to you all: I've pretty much been writing since the day I was born.  I don't wanna brag too much, but I'd say I'm a pretty good writer.

From what people have said here thus far, I like some of the suggestions.  I do understand that DA and sites that are like DA are devoted mostly to visual arts and writers don't get the attention they may deserve and that they go generally unnoticed.  However, I /think/ I might try posting some small samples on FA and keep up with the community.

Also, whether on doing smut or not I've no idea, but I guess I'll sort out what I'll try to do and see where it goes.

Aurmaru, I like your idea!  I like your idea too, Tica, I think I'll try to post some stuff up today if I can.


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## Conker (Apr 21, 2014)

ricinsbluebox said:


> Just a side note to you all: I've pretty much been writing since the day I was born.  I don't wanna brag too much, but I'd say I'm a pretty good writer.


Skip the community shite then and simply send your stuff to magazines and the like who will pay you to publish your works.


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## Wither (Apr 21, 2014)

Sofurry is a good furfag site for writing. 

Question though. These 'small samples to post on FA'. The fuck are those? Where do you post your actual works then?


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## ACraZ (Apr 21, 2014)

Meh... it's not gonna be amazing famous one millions views per day for any writer and gonna be pretty, not in my life...

Posting smut, or just hammering away at fetishes (fat, feet? Diapers, ponies? Fat ponies in diapers with moist feet? Even better!) will get you views, if you want to be watched by a crowd like that. 

Posting constant reviews and comments on other writing will get attention from writers who might interest you, which is cool, but this takes lots of time and effort and, although good views, the numbers probably won't be 'that' high. Still good if you have time for it.

Posting constantly will increase your chances of people seeing, viewing, and watching your stories. This idea is just patience and logic. It will work, sorta.

Get super engaged in the community with gift writing, fanfics of other people's characters (all with permission, of course), and get talking with other writers. Similar to possibility number two in that getting interested in other people will get other people interested in you! Might be fun to get a little community going.

Finally, search out and join writer's groups. They do exist and can be fun to be a part of, and you might just get a lot more recognition than you would have running solo.

Most reliable though is just porn. Honestly, just porn :I


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## ricinsbluebox (Apr 21, 2014)

Wither said:


> Sofurry is a good furfag site for writing.
> 
> Question though. These 'small samples to post on FA'. The fuck are those? Where do you post your actual works then?



"Small samples" being works of mine /other/ than my actual works, just so people can get their feet wet with my writing.  But at the same time I'd go to Sofurry probably and post up more of my actual works for people to read.


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## ricinsbluebox (Apr 21, 2014)

Conker said:


> Skip the community shite then and simply send your stuff to magazines and the like who will pay you to publish your works.



Though to be honest, though I'm a good writer, my writing genre is pretty limited to fiction.  I mean yeah, I can write articles about stuff or whatever, but it's far from my favorite thing to write.  That most likely means if I really /do/ wanna get started by doing writing as a side-career I better get started with that.


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## ricinsbluebox (Apr 22, 2014)

ACraZ said:


> Meh... it's not gonna be amazing famous one millions views per day for any writer and gonna be pretty, not in my life...
> 
> Posting smut, or just hammering away at fetishes (fat, feet? Diapers, ponies? Fat ponies in diapers with moist feet? Even better!) will get you views, if you want to be watched by a crowd like that.
> 
> ...



Yeahh... I'm not expecting to someday arrive at the red carpet famous or anything.

Honestly, if I get bored enough to write smut, I'll write smut.  I'm aware people drool for stuff like that.

I've also heard that, and I'll hopefully be up to poke around the community for writers and view their stuff and get noticed back.  

Gifts would be a good idea!  That's something I haven't yet tried to do, so I'll maybe be up to doing that.

Then again, in a *very* strange way, some people's smut just... just isn't that great.  Not that I've spared time to read a bunch, but the few I have are just not good.  So if I really had to put my talents somewhere, smut would be a very dark corner of my life in the fandom.


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## Tica (Apr 22, 2014)

ricinsbluebox said:


> Though to be honest, though I'm a good writer, my writing genre is pretty limited to fiction.  I mean yeah, I can write articles about stuff or whatever, but it's far from my favorite thing to write.  That most likely means if I really /do/ wanna get started by doing writing as a side-career I better get started with that.



There's a such thing as fiction magazines, yo.


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## ricinsbluebox (Apr 22, 2014)

The thought of fiction magazines went /completely/ over my head D: ... are there a few you know of that you could name off here and stuff?  If so, that would help a bunch!


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## Tica (Apr 22, 2014)

ricinsbluebox said:


> The thought of fiction magazines went /completely/ over my head D: ... are there a few you know of that you could name off here and stuff?  If so, that would help a bunch!



I've never had the disposable income to subscribe to magazines, but you can use the resource https://duotrope.com/ to search magazines to submit to.


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## ricinsbluebox (Apr 22, 2014)

Samee.  Thank you so much, though!  I'll look into em!


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## Tica (Apr 22, 2014)

Tica said:


> I've never had the disposable income to subscribe to magazines, but you can use the resource https://duotrope.com/ to search magazines to submit to.



so, I posted this, but back in the day Duotrope was free: now it's a subscription service. I'm not sure about alternatves, but if you google "duotrope but free" or "duotrope alternatives" you might come up with something.


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## Zan'theros (Apr 22, 2014)

As much as I hate admitting it, fiercely NSFW works are what get people recognized in this day and age. Hell, I've already got four stories like that under my belt that have made it to the internet, and on my home forum site, I've become famous as an author of crotch-stimulating tales.
I've even left a link on the 'Looking for Writers' thread in this category in case anyone here 18 or older was curious.


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## Hewge (Apr 22, 2014)

I'm not a writer but I'm going to assume it's like artwork and say that providing good, unique, refined, and personable quality works is what will get you noticed. 
You also need to actually be active in communities, and try to provide regular content.

Porn obviously sells, but the above is what will actually get you some respect and fans. Of course, it also applies to adult content if that's what you're interested in making.


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## Zan'theros (Apr 22, 2014)

Your analysis is quite correct, Hewge. Writing is no different from any other type of art, save that its medium is words. Regular doling out of quality content is essential.

One can mix this and the selling point of pornographic works: if the NSFW stories are written well and show great depth and effort, readers will beg for more from the author.


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## ricinsbluebox (Apr 22, 2014)

Thanks again, Tica!


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## Poetigress (Apr 22, 2014)

Tica said:


> so, I posted this, but back in the day Duotrope was free: now it's a subscription service. I'm not sure about alternatves, but if you google "duotrope but free" or "duotrope alternatives" you might come up with something.



The Submission Grinder:
http://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/


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## Cooper (May 2, 2014)

Hey there! New to the forums, nice to meet everyfur! 
Would going to furry cons be a good way to get your work noticed? Or maybe through specific facebook groups?
Surely there are some who appreciate non-crotch-stimulating stories.


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## PicoPicaza (May 5, 2014)

I suggest picking up a copy or just looking at a copy of the Writer's Market.  Some libraries have copies available though you usually cannot check them out in my experience.

It's a good resource for picking out specific niche magazines for all things business, writing, and journalism related.  I don't know if your writing is intended to be entirely niche oriented around the furry audience but I'm sure you could still make it work for some of the fiction sections.


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## Toni_Daring (Jun 19, 2014)

Don't limit yourself to one site. Search around - the internet is a big space. Find communities where your work can find an audience. 

If you aren't into writing smut, then I don't recommend that as a strategy. Yes, it gets readers, but not readers of what you like to write.

I do write smut, but I write v...e...r...y s...l...o...w...l...y. It can take me a couple _years _to get a new chapter out. That has probably hurt my following, even on sites where I have one. Now, I could just hash out an update and slap it up if I didn't care about quality, but I do. I'd rather be less well known for writing I can feel proud of than better known for something I know I could do better.

So, write what you write, as well as you can write it. Write what you want to read. Write what you love. Then make sure to put it out there for as large an audience as possible. Folks will find it.

But don't worry about chasing fame. It's a chimera - an illusion. You'll get known by those who like what you do. Far better than getting known by doing what others want to read if that's not where your muse is.

Best of luck.


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## Gnarl (Jun 19, 2014)

PicoPicaza said:


> I suggest picking up a copy or just looking at a copy of the Writer's Market.  Some libraries have copies available though you usually cannot check them out in my experience.
> 
> It's a good resource for picking out specific niche magazines for all things business, writing, and journalism related.  I don't know if your writing is intended to be entirely niche oriented around the furry audience but I'm sure you could still make it work for some of the fiction sections.


I have a couple of copies of the writers market, it is updated once in a while as the markets change. good resource.
Oh and I heard the Weasyl publications is open to stuff now, and the online version I think it is called Weasyl after dark, or something like that.


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