Exposure

So you've got something written and want to share it with the world.

How?

Specifically this is about ways that amateur writers have found to get their work known on a larger scale.

Bumping this thread because it needs responses.

Sorry for a very late response. I considered leaving one earlier, but it passed up my mind.

I'm not an expert, but here's some quick suggestion.

First, identify your general audience. Do you want to write for other writers? Teenagers? Twentysomethings? Mothers? A quick, general idea is a good start.

Second of all, decide where you want your story to be up. There's Fanfiction.net, Fictionpress, Wattpad, Figment, Deviant ART, among others. You can also post the stories on your own blog.

Third of all, decide how you want to promote your story. There're also a ton of places for this. Twitter, Facebook, Google+, forums like this...

And then figure out your plans for promoting. Just self-promoting your story again and again won't work. Interact with other people, help them, and create connections for potential readers.

Once you get an audience, focus on writing stories, and ask them to share your stuff.

Oh, and don't forget to aim for a sellable product for the long term, whatever it's a novel or a short story collection, traditional or self-publishing. You can then use your audience as a way to get your stories published.

edited 9th Sep '12 4:48:31 PM by chihuahua0

I disagree with about 40% of the above post.

Feel free to disagree, but please say how you think someone should get exposure.

edited 9th Sep '12 6:41:47 PM by chihuahua0

To clarify that comment, I think these parts

are unnecessary to what the OP is looking for at best and - especially in the case of the first - actively harmful to your writing at worst.

I agree with the paragraphs that are actually about getting exposure.

edited 9th Sep '12 6:47:03 PM by nrjxll

I also have a problem with the assumption that the average writer has to concern themselves with marketability, sellability, publishability or writing to an audience. Not all writers have publishing as their primary goal; if they don't care about being published, they shouldn't think about it.

Everything else? It's great. Nrj and I are seeing eye-to-eye here.

I heard this in a video that Vi Hart made about creative decisions and exposure on You Tube, and I consider it and the video brilliant advice for all artists, not just Youtubers- 'Artists create audiences.'

edited 9th Sep '12 7:00:59 PM by CrystalGlacia

Actually, I don't think a writer should need to care about writing to an audience (etc.) regardless of whether they plan on publishing.

edited 9th Sep '12 7:06:30 PM by nrjxll

I think I share these sentiments, to an extent.

Agreed. It's one thing to modify a story to keep your audience in mind (keeping a story simple for three year olds is fine), but trying to modify a story to meet a specific audience is a bad idea. Now, once you write the story, trying to figure out what your audience is fine. But it shouldn't be done preemptively.

Audience is still an important consideration, though. It might not be as clear cut as pre-teen girls or middle-aged women or whatever, but knowing what the people who like your stuff also like, or what they like in general, will make it a lot easier for them to find you in the first place. Outside of word-of-mouth, that's going to be one of the main ways people find you in the first place.

On other ways of getting it out there, podcasting it is an option if you're willing to spend the time recording it.

edited 26th Sep '12 4:44:36 AM by Dec