So far i've been posting on DeviantArt and it seems tricky to get stories read. I also worry alot about moderation for more explicit stories because devart isn't very permissive. There's some disparity on what day you post, what tags you use, etc. Stories i've posted at 10:00 AM GMT have seemed to do the best, especially with the right tags and "SSBBW" in there. One I posted got 12000 views over the next few days Other things i've posted with different times/combinations have done way worse.

I don't bring in huge numbers, so take it for what it's worth. Then again my stuff is plot-heavy, I tend to write long-form, and my MCs are MILF- and GILF-aged so I'm not doing myself many favors in that way lol. Deviantart.com seems to be the only relevant place these days. I've looked around for other options and Dims, FF, and Curvage are crickets. Unfortunately DA's search function isn't great so relevant Hashtags are important, in the body of the story as well as in the "tags" field when you're posting. Take a look at the most "successful" writers' tags for ideas of what grabs people. I think interaction helps, watching other writers and faving and commenting on their stuff. Besides playing DA's algorithm game tThere's a bit of logrolling involved, where if you pay attention to them they'll maybe pay attention to you, and you'll wind up in their Recommended Literature sidebar. That said, if attention is what you seek the biggest boost by far comes from paying for a Core membership and "hyping" your stuff with the "boosts" they give you. Note the lowest level of Core doesn't give you boosts. You have to go to the + level, which gives you one boost per month, while pro gives you two, and so on. + is $6.50 a month and Max tops out at $16.75/mo (5 boosts). You'll need a core+ level or higher if you want to sell subs or individual stories anyway. >>11356 >I also worry alot about moderation for more explicit stories because devart isn't very permissive. All the sites freaked out a couple years ago and wrote up really restrictive policies. This is because the credit card companies, were worried about being sued for enabling CP, human trafficking and such. In practice it's very rare for any literature being taken down or accounts canceled, and I know of plenty of stories that violate their rules, including my own. Keep a backup of course, and try to stay on everyone's good side because it seems DA really only cares if someone complains. I always use the Mature rating even when my stuff is PG-13. The only problem is that will automatically cut out the majority of users who are looking at DA through phone app (bc you can't access Mature stuff through it). I also add a content warning if I think something might actually offend though I don't go overboard.

>>11364 Yeah DeviantArt's search system is really bad. It doesn't have the advanced search that sites like AO3 or Furaffinity have. >my MCs are MILF- and GILF-aged I'm interested. What's your page?

>>11364 Interacting with other writers is a good idea. What do you mean by hashtags in the body of the story? just using those words a lot? >the biggest boost by far comes from the "boosts" they give you. I haven't had much luck with boosts. A story I really liked and boosted, did a lot of time editing, researching tags etc. did okay, but a random one I posted got like 3x the numbers without any real thought put into any of it

>>11365 >What's your page? Thanks for asking! https://www.deviantart.com/mrwrong1 >>11368 >What do you mean by hashtags in the body of the story? I notice a lot of (popular) writers will have them at the top of the story in the text, almost like a preview/warning. Like the first few lines will be "contains SSBBW, WG, etc". I'm not actually sure if this helps or not but I assume this catches the attention of DA's wonky search engine.

>>11375 >Like the first few lines will be "contains SSBBW, WG, etc". As a reader, I greatly prefer this because it shows up in the preview so I can see what the story is about without having to click on it.

>>11376 >I can see what the story is about Makes a lot of sense. Mind sharing some examples that drag you in most?

>>11377 Well for one, I always prefer SSBBW over BBW. "Mobility issues" or "immobility" always catches my attention, although these are broad genres. And I'll definitely click on anything that says "dark themes" or "health issues", but it's a gamble on whether or not the story is actually good or just misery slop. It's rare to see a story tagged with "angst" but it's usually good when it is, especially when combined with the other tags.

>>11379 If a series was eventually going to have SSBBW, Immobility etc. would you be okay with it in the tag, or would you be annoyed that it wasn't present yet?

>>11380 Personally I don't mind. Sometimes I see stories tagged like "BBW, SSBBW (later)" so I guess you could do it like that if you want to provide more information.

I've been really struggling to get my stories seen. I usually get a good ratio of favourites to views, but I just don't get many views. I try copying tags from stories that do well, trying different content, and just struggle to get found. I have seen accounts with less posts have way more views and watchers, too, so I'm not sure it's a matter of posting more. Any advice would be appreciated

>>11410 I automatically assume any long or plot-heavy story is gonna tank. I do it for myself anyway, so Oh Well. But my short, stroke-friendly stuff usually gets 5-10k views and 50-300 faves, depending. (Mind you, my numbers are skewed because I used to draw comics and I think a lot of those watchers automatically click on anything I post.) However I have one story I wrote last year that has nearly 800 faves and I have no idea why. It's more "to the point" than most of my stuff, but you'd have to read it to know that. I have no idea why it went "viral" (by my modest standards) but there we are.

>>11415 This is pretty good advice. I've found the same - anything that is made to be short seems to take off, and anything long tanks. You're right, you've got to do it for your own enjoyment Still bewilders me though that sometimes the algorithm just makes some things take off and others vanish with no explanation

Hey there, I think I can answer this one. From my experience, it feels like there are two paths to getting a decent number of reads (at least on DeviantArt). Path 1: You write what other people are looking for. If you hang around in fat fetish community for long enough, you tend to pick up what clicks with the masses. Writing stories about girls getting fat in college, or writing stories about popular IPs/the flavor of the month waifu, are good ways to get attention. On that note, fanfic readers will definitely stick around for a deeper plot if you keep fatness relevant. Path 2: You stand out from the crowd. This is much harder, because it usually involves being a good writer while also having a few extra skills under your belt. However, going down this path means you have a lot more freedom to do what you want and get read. Typically, ‘standing out’ means that you know how to write and draw well. People are far more likely to take a chance on a writer who can draw, and if your story quality is good, they’ll stick around for future stories and pics. ~~~ Overall, it’s tough out there, but there are definitely readers looking for stories. Along with the other stuff I mentioned, be sure to follow the other basics. 1. Finish stories that you start. 2. For multi-chapter stories, post your chapters on a schedule (Ex. Every Mon/Wed/Fri until done) 3. Respond nicely to comments you get. 4. Try and boost your work on the weekends. 5. Try your best not to compare yourself to others. 6. Keep posting for a long time. 7. Have at least one long-running series if possible if you’re doing original work. ~~~ And that’s everything I’ve got. My handle on DeviantArt is Zero-CZ by the way. Good luck everyone!

>>11429 1) did u take down your father/daughter story 2) can you reshare it here

>>11457 I regretfully have to say that DeviantArt deleted "Perfection" due to the content. I'm so sorry. I wasn't given a warning or anything. I never delete any of my stories because you never know who wants to reread content. About 6 years ago, my USB drive corrupted, and that's where I kept a chunk of my very old stories as backups. Perfection was among the files lost so I don't have a copy. Again, I'm super sorry for the inconvenience.