u/SolomonHZAbraham

TLDR: Think twice before submitting to Moonquill and look at their publicly available Amazon results for the books they’ve released. And also a list of pubs I think you should consider (the creating a book kind, not the drinking kind)

Hello, hello, hello,

There is a distinct lack of public advice around what publisher to consider, and the reasons for that are obvious. No-one wants a defamation lawsuit. And we also don’t want to burn bridges with publishers we may want to work with. But, I also want to help others who might be in the position I was in a couple of months ago, considering what to do with their work.

The below are my opinions and mine alone.

Now, bear with me, because I’m really pissed off at this moment, and I’m not even one of their authors. No. I’m self-published - I published my fiction Overpowered Murderhobo last week on May 26th. Stay with me - I promise this isn’t self-promo, but the point is pertinent. My book currently sits in the top 11,500 on Amazon rankings. It’s a modest ‘success’ for a self-published book in its first week, but I am nonetheless super pissy about how ‘badly’ it’s performing. Because I know how much effort and money I’ve put into ensuring the best launch possible. Getting the cover, editing the book, checking and re-checking, the fb promos, the reddit promos, the ads. Currently, I’m breaking even, spending roughly the same in ads as I’m making daily ($60ish, if you wanted to know).

But, and here’s the important point. This is my very first foray into self-publishing. I’m learning as I go about what is working, what isn’t, what needs to be tweaked etc etc. That’s why my costs are high - I’m trying to figure the amazon ecosystem out to give myself a better chance with the next release, and the one after that…

Which brings me to Moonquill. PLEASE CONSIDER CAREFULLY BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR WORK TO MOONQUILL. Because of its association with Royal Road, it’s seen as a legitimate option for all those authors who have a dream to see their book published. Now, it’s a perfectly legitimate publisher. IT’S JUST NOT VERY GOOD. AT ALL.

The publisher has far too much credibility (mainly due to its association with Royal Road). What makes me say that, I hear you ask? Well, let me tell you. On the same day that I released, Moonquill decided to release not 1, not 2, but 3 (THREE!) books on the same day. Now, I don’t know much about publishing but I feel like it’s probably not the thing to do to cannibalise your own releases. I don’t think I’ve seen another publisher do this but Moonquill do it often. Today (June 2nd), they’ve released 2 books by 2 different authors.

But maybe that’s not such a big deal. Let’s see how their recent releases are performing.

BSR = Amazon Best Sellers Rank (this is the rank of the fiction across all fictions, not just genre)

Slumdog Hero (May 19th) - 71.5k BSR

Quiet Rebirth (May 26th) - 15k BSR

Indomitable Prey (May 26th) - 16.5k BSR

Hero Chimera (May 26th) - 17.6k BSR

Void Sovereign (Jun 2nd) - 23k BSR

After the Tower (Jun 2nd) - 99k BSR

To put BSR into context, everyone wants to be in the top 5k at a minimum, and you want to get as close to that as poss on day one (with a pub - you can start a bit lower self-pubbed). You want to eventually get to top 1-2k and a lucky few will get into the top 500 and try and maintain that for a month or more. To give you some idea of earnings, top 5k is around $125 a day, top 1k is closer to $400. Above that and you'll eat very well. But if you’re with a pub, you’re only seeing half of that money.

Now, it’s hard to compare Moonquill to an Aethon - who released Rise of the Reaper on 19th May and that’s been bouncing around 400-600 BSR. Or today’s release of Arcane Chef, which is currently 8.5k BSR. I don’t expect Moonquill to compete with Aethon.

I do however, expect them to comfortably do better than a newly self-published author. The above are their 6 most recent releases (that I saw). And all 6 are doing worse than mine. And you might think the two released today might pick up but launch day should be the strongest day, and then you hope you maintain momentum or gain more, but it’s not unusual to see some drop off in the days after, but relatively steady. I was 19k BSR at the end of my first day, 10k at the end of the 2nd, hit a high of 8.5k and haven’t fallen below 13k. I haven’t seen any of the 4 MQ releases prior to today even touch the top 10k.

The whole point of going with a publisher and giving 50% of your ebook royalties away is that they will give you a better platform to succeed, but there are countless self-published authors who trounce Moonquill. The fact that I’m performing better with my first ever release than multiple releases of theirs—and MQ must be well over a hundred now—should tell you something. Again, I am not suggesting they’re not legitimate. They are. They just also seem to be not be very good at what they do. I mean, one of those titles above was released with bad formatting (before it was later corrected). How can a publishing company get formatting wrong?

Yes, MQ got lucky with Dual Class - their only bona fide smash. Of their recent (<90 day) releases, there’s one (Wizard with a Greatsword) sitting around the 2k mark out of the 10-12 books they released (all the rest are languishing in the depths of hell). For both, they would have done equally well or better self-pubbed. Those books did well in spite of the publisher, in my opinion.

Now, I’m making this rant, because right now, I feel crushed at my own fiction’s performance. Because, like I mentioned, I put my heart and soul into it and I’m doing my best to make it work and make it successful. But as bad as I’m feeling right now, I feel worse for the MQ authors, who have the same dream as me and wanted to see their book published and doing well and they went with a company they believed would give them that platform to succeed. And that company rarely provides that platform. I do not want to see other hopeful authors on the Royal Road platform submitting to this company due to its association with RR, without doing their due diligence and frankly, being shown with publicly available information how badly MQ titles perform.

I don’t think I’ve said anything here that isn’t easily verified via Amazon. For instance, you can go and check ratings on books. As a rule of thumb, if you multiply an ebook’s ratings by 25-30, you get a rough estimate (very rough) of their minimum to-date royalties. So, if you take the 20 ratings I have (my book’s a 4.8 on both Amazon and Goodreads—honestly, it’s good—go read it), and multiply by 25, it’s roughly $500 and I can confirm that’s not too far off what I’ve made so far. And that’s at rank 10k-13k. Below that, you’re making less (not by much, but you are)…and you’re only seeing half of it because you’re with a publisher.

You can easily go and check MQ titles, their ratings and their date of release and draw your own conclusions on the success of the title. Yes, of course, they take care of cover costs ($500-$1000) but I’m not sure how much advertising they’re doing, especially if they’re releasing multiple books at the same time. Generally, self-pubbed, you can get away with $20-$25 a day. So, you’re not saving a ton by going with a publisher, and contrary to popular belief, they’re not going to work harder than you will for your success. And yes, I know - $1000 up-front costs can be beyond many authors. But your IP is the most valuable thing you have, and if you are going to give it to a publisher, then try to find one that will give you that platform to truly reach your potential.

So, to end the rant, before I give you a list of publishers you should consider (if you don’t want to self-publish), I wrote this because it feels cathartic and I have a lot of negative energy at the moment that needed an outlet. And I’ve been wanting to let authors know for a long time to not let your hopes and dreams drive you to a bad decision and give your IP away to a publisher that doesn’t have a consistent track record of success. Especially, in light of what happened last year with the they who shall not be named. Again, I must reiterate that MQ is a legitimate publisher and they will put your title out there. I just think you'll do a lot better self-publishing (if no other pub wants your book).

There are many better options than MQ out there - consider them first, or consider self-publishing, but as an RR author, consider very carefully before submitting to Moonquill.

Who should you consider?

Here’s my thoughts on the publishers that I know of or have heard about. All of these should be offering editing, artwork and marketing to various degrees. Some of these publishers also offer advances against royalties. Very important that you push for what you want (reasonably) and work with the publisher. Also, remember - just because you’ve signed with a publisher, no matter how reputable, they want to get your book out alongside dozens of other authors. If you don’t show you care about putting the best version of your work out and having the best platform to succeed, then why would you expect the publisher to? It’s easy to think - oh, it’s with the publisher, I trust them. NO. Take ownership. No publisher is going to want your success as much as you should want your success.

One very important bit of advice: If a publisher does offer you a contract (even the big ones), then please make sure to get legal advice from a contract lawyer who specialises in this field. If you cannot afford it or don’t want to spend the money, then at a minimum, speak privately with bigger authors who have experience in it. This is why networking is important. And all contracts can be negotiated. Reputable publishers will work with you on the contract, and they might even absorb the cost (of a lawyer) as part of the contract. You don’t ask, you don’t get.

Aethon - my personal opinion is that they’re the best in the business overall. Super successful, some of the biggest names, and you’re almost guaranteed a strong start with their backing. They are very good at what they do. No book is a guaranteed success, but Aethon offers a very good chance at it. Not to mention, they’re straddling the line between indie and trad, moving into hardcovers and physical bookstore presence. A leader in this genre.

Mango Media - started by Selkie of BTDEM fame as a way to help other authors. Selkie would be the first to tell you to self-publish if you can. Very open and transparent company, and very approachable via their discord. Haven’t heard anything bad about them, and they publish some of the biggest names in the business, including Ravensdagger, Lunadea, and Void Herald. Far more hits than misses, and known to take the odd chance on less ‘meta’ stories (especially for LGBT+). Contrary to popular belief, a lifetime’s supply of mangoes is not included in the contract.

Timeless Wind - I didn’t look into them as much, because at the time I checked their website, I don’t recall them looking for OP MC’s and straight power fantasy, but it seems they are! From what I’ve heard, they are very selective in what they pick up, but you have an excellent chance of success with them. Still growing, have a lot of hits.

Mountaindale Press - Founded by Dakota Krout. Again, from my understanding, very selective in what they pick up, but very, very good at what they do. If you manage to get MDP interested in you, you have a high chance of your book being a success.

Shadow Alley Press - I’ve put them here because I know of them (they are the publishers of Bog Standard Isekai), but I personally have not looked into them. They are a good option to look at. (And please do not confuse them with the publisher that shall not be named)

Portal - another that’s selective about what they take, but from what I hear, very hands on with editing and working with the author to produce the best manuscript they can. My personal feeling is that they might be the best option if you want to grow as a writer.

Podium - Good for audio, not the best for ebook. Very big in the industry as they do a lot of the audio production for the publishers. Still a consideration, but personally, I would try for one of the above on ebook/print. Or I would self-publish, then approach for audio production.

Royal Guard - I can’t comment too much on their ebooks, as I never looked at them for it, but they are the only publisher I’ve seen openly looking for Harem. If that’s your thing, RG is the place to go. For self-publishing audio, RG is very attractive due to the royalty split.

Tantor - I know almost nothing about them, except they’re a big audio company and worth a look.

Soundbooth Theaters - some of the biggest narrators and they publish DCC, so definitely a top audio producer! I’d love to get an audio deal with these guys, but not sure if they do it for an already published ebook.

And again, as a disclaimer—everything written above was my opinion and mine alone. None of the companies mentioned, nor the books/authors were aware of this post. I just needed a rant about something I'm passionate about (and to keep me from writing my next chapter).

Anyway, hopefully, I haven’t burnt any bridges - I’m not trying to but sometimes a company needs calling out publicly. MQ needs to do better by its roster of authors.

(PS. if any pubs are reading this, my print and audio rights are up for grabs. Call me…maybe?)

TLDR: Think twice before submitting to Moonquill and look at their publicly available Amazon results for the books they’ve released. And also a list of pubs I think you should consider (the creating a book kind, not the drinking kind)

Hello, hello, hello,

There is a distinct lack of public advice around what publisher to consider, and the reasons for that are obvious. No-one wants a defamation lawsuit. And we also don’t want to burn bridges with publishers we may want to work with. But, I also want to help others who might be in the position I was in a couple of months ago, considering what to do with their work.

The below are my opinions and mine alone.

Now, bear with me, because I’m really pissed off at this moment, and I’m not even one of their authors. No. I’m self-published - I published my fiction Overpowered Murderhobo last week on May 26th. Stay with me - I promise this isn’t self-promo, but the point is pertinent. My book currently sits in the top 11,500 on Amazon rankings. It’s a modest ‘success’ for a self-published book in its first week, but I am nonetheless super pissy about how ‘badly’ it’s performing. Because I know how much effort and money I’ve put into ensuring the best launch possible. Getting the cover, editing the book, checking and re-checking, the fb promos, the reddit promos, the ads. Currently, I’m breaking even, spending roughly the same in ads as I’m making daily ($60ish, if you wanted to know).

But, and here’s the important point. This is my very first foray into self-publishing. I’m learning as I go about what is working, what isn’t, what needs to be tweaked etc etc. That’s why my costs are high - I’m trying to figure the amazon ecosystem out to give myself a better chance with the next release, and the one after that…

Which brings me to Moonquill. PLEASE CONSIDER CAREFULLY BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR WORK TO MOONQUILL. Because of its association with Royal Road, it’s seen as a legitimate option for all those authors who have a dream to see their book published. Now, it’s a perfectly legitimate publisher. IT’S JUST NOT VERY GOOD. AT ALL.

The publisher has far too much credibility (mainly due to its association with Royal Road). What makes me say that, I hear you ask? Well, let me tell you. On the same day that I released, Moonquill decided to release not 1, not 2, but 3 (THREE!) books on the same day. Now, I don’t know much about publishing but I feel like it’s probably not the thing to do to cannibalise your own releases. I don’t think I’ve seen another publisher do this but Moonquill do it often. Today (June 2nd), they’ve released 2 books by 2 different authors.

But maybe that’s not such a big deal. Let’s see how their recent releases are performing.

BSR = Amazon Best Sellers Rank (this is the rank of the fiction across all fictions, not just genre)

Slumdog Hero (May 19th) - 71.5k BSR

Quiet Rebirth (May 26th) - 15k BSR

Indomitable Prey (May 26th) - 16.5k BSR

Hero Chimera (May 26th) - 17.6k BSR

Void Sovereign (Jun 2nd) - 23k BSR

After the Tower (Jun 2nd) - 99k BSR

To put BSR into context, everyone wants to be in the top 5k at a minimum, and you want to get as close to that as poss on day one (with a pub - you can start a bit lower self-pubbed). You want to eventually get to top 1-2k and a lucky few will get into the top 500 and try and maintain that for a month or more. To give you some idea of earnings, top 5k is around $125 a day, top 1k is closer to $400. Above that and you'll eat very well. But if you’re with a pub, you’re only seeing half of that money.

Now, it’s hard to compare Moonquill to an Aethon - who released Rise of the Reaper on 19th May and that’s been bouncing around 400-600 BSR. Or today’s release of Arcane Chef, which is currently 8.5k BSR. I don’t expect Moonquill to compete with Aethon.

I do however, expect them to comfortably do better than a newly self-published author. The above are their 6 most recent releases (that I saw). And all 6 are doing worse than mine. And you might think the two released today might pick up but launch day should be the strongest day, and then you hope you maintain momentum or gain more, but it’s not unusual to see some drop off in the days after, but relatively steady. I was 19k BSR at the end of my first day, 10k at the end of the 2nd, hit a high of 8.5k and haven’t fallen below 13k. I haven’t seen any of the 4 MQ releases prior to today even touch the top 10k.

The whole point of going with a publisher and giving 50% of your ebook royalties away is that they will give you a better platform to succeed, but there are countless self-published authors who trounce Moonquill. The fact that I’m performing better with my first ever release than multiple releases of theirs—and MQ must be well over a hundred now—should tell you something. Again, I am not suggesting they’re not legitimate. They are. They just also seem to be not be very good at what they do. I mean, one of those titles above was released with bad formatting (before it was later corrected). How can a publishing company get formatting wrong?

Yes, MQ got lucky with Dual Class - their only bona fide smash. Of their recent (<90 day) releases, there’s one (Wizard with a Greatsword) sitting around the 2k mark out of the 10-12 books they released (all the rest are languishing in the depths of hell). For both, they would have done equally well or better self-pubbed. Those books did well in spite of the publisher, in my opinion.

Now, I’m making this rant, because right now, I feel crushed at my own fiction’s performance. Because, like I mentioned, I put my heart and soul into it and I’m doing my best to make it work and make it successful. But as bad as I’m feeling right now, I feel worse for the MQ authors, who have the same dream as me and wanted to see their book published and doing well and they went with a company they believed would give them that platform to succeed. And that company rarely provides that platform. I do not want to see other hopeful authors on the Royal Road platform submitting to this company due to its association with RR, without doing their due diligence and frankly, being shown with publicly available information how badly MQ titles perform.

I don’t think I’ve said anything here that isn’t easily verified via Amazon. For instance, you can go and check ratings on books. As a rule of thumb, if you multiply an ebook’s ratings by 25-30, you get a rough estimate (very rough) of their minimum to-date royalties. So, if you take the 20 ratings I have (my book’s a 4.8 on both Amazon and Goodreads—honestly, it’s good—go read it), and multiply by 25, it’s roughly $500 and I can confirm that’s not too far off what I’ve made so far. And that’s at rank 10k-13k. Below that, you’re making less (not by much, but you are)…and you’re only seeing half of it because you’re with a publisher.

You can easily go and check MQ titles, their ratings and their date of release and draw your own conclusions on the success of the title. Yes, of course, they take care of cover costs ($500-$1000) but I’m not sure how much advertising they’re doing, especially if they’re releasing multiple books at the same time. Generally, self-pubbed, you can get away with $20-$25 a day. So, you’re not saving a ton by going with a publisher, and contrary to popular belief, they’re not going to work harder than you will for your success. And yes, I know - $1000 up-front costs can be beyond many authors. But your IP is the most valuable thing you have, and if you are going to give it to a publisher, then try to find one that will give you that platform to truly reach your potential.

So, to end the rant, before I give you a list of publishers you should consider (if you don’t want to self-publish), I wrote this because it feels cathartic and I have a lot of negative energy at the moment that needed an outlet. And I’ve been wanting to let authors know for a long time to not let your hopes and dreams drive you to a bad decision and give your IP away to a publisher that doesn’t have a consistent track record of success. Especially, in light of what happened last year with the they who shall not be named. Again, I must reiterate that MQ is a legitimate publisher and they will put your title out there. I just think you'll do a lot better self-publishing (if no other pub wants your book).

There are many better options than MQ out there - consider them first, or consider self-publishing, but as an RR author, consider very carefully before submitting to Moonquill.

Who should you consider?

Here’s my thoughts on the publishers that I know of or have heard about. All of these should be offering editing, artwork and marketing to various degrees. Some of these publishers also offer advances against royalties. Very important that you push for what you want (reasonably) and work with the publisher. Also, remember - just because you’ve signed with a publisher, no matter how reputable, they want to get your book out alongside dozens of other authors. If you don’t show you care about putting the best version of your work out and having the best platform to succeed, then why would you expect the publisher to? It’s easy to think - oh, it’s with the publisher, I trust them. NO. Take ownership. No publisher is going to want your success as much as you should want your success.

One very important bit of advice: If a publisher does offer you a contract (even the big ones), then please make sure to get legal advice from a contract lawyer who specialises in this field. If you cannot afford it or don’t want to spend the money, then at a minimum, speak privately with bigger authors who have experience in it. This is why networking is important. And all contracts can be negotiated. Reputable publishers will work with you on the contract, and they might even absorb the cost (of a lawyer) as part of the contract. You don’t ask, you don’t get.

Aethon - my personal opinion is that they’re the best in the business overall. Super successful, some of the biggest names, and you’re almost guaranteed a strong start with their backing. They are very good at what they do. No book is a guaranteed success, but Aethon offers a very good chance at it. Not to mention, they’re straddling the line between indie and trad, moving into hardcovers and physical bookstore presence. A leader in this genre.

Mango Media - started by Selkie of BTDEM fame as a way to help other authors. Selkie would be the first to tell you to self-publish if you can. Very open and transparent company, and very approachable via their discord. Haven’t heard anything bad about them, and they publish some of the biggest names in the business, including Ravensdagger, Lunadea, and Void Herald. Far more hits than misses, and known to take the odd chance on less ‘meta’ stories (especially for LGBT+). Contrary to popular belief, a lifetime’s supply of mangoes is not included in the contract.

Timeless Wind - I didn’t look into them as much, because at the time I checked their website, I don’t recall them looking for OP MC’s and straight power fantasy, but it seems they are! From what I’ve heard, they are very selective in what they pick up, but you have an excellent chance of success with them. Still growing, have a lot of hits.

Mountaindale Press - Founded by Dakota Krout. Again, from my understanding, very selective in what they pick up, but very, very good at what they do. If you manage to get MDP interested in you, you have a high chance of your book being a success.

Shadow Alley Press - I’ve put them here because I know of them (they are the publishers of Bog Standard Isekai), but I personally have not looked into them. They are a good option to look at. (And please do not confuse them with the publisher that shall not be named)

Portal - another that’s selective about what they take, but from what I hear, very hands on with editing and working with the author to produce the best manuscript they can. My personal feeling is that they might be the best option if you want to grow as a writer.

Podium - Good for audio, not the best for ebook. Very big in the industry as they do a lot of the audio production for the publishers. Still a consideration, but personally, I would try for one of the above on ebook/print. Or I would self-publish, then approach for audio production.

Royal Guard - I can’t comment too much on their ebooks, as I never looked at them for it, but they are the only publisher I’ve seen openly looking for Harem. If that’s your thing, RG is the place to go. For self-publishing audio, RG is very attractive due to the royalty split.

Tantor - I know almost nothing about them, except they’re a big audio company and worth a look.

Soundbooth Theaters - some of the biggest narrators and they publish DCC, so definitely a top audio producer! I’d love to get an audio deal with these guys, but not sure if they do it for an already published ebook.

And again, as a disclaimer—everything written above was my opinion and mine alone. None of the companies mentioned, nor the books/authors were aware of this post. I just needed a rant about something I'm passionate about (and to keep me from writing my next chapter).

Anyway, hopefully, I haven’t burnt any bridges - I’m not trying to but sometimes a company needs calling out publicly. MQ needs to do better by its roster of authors.

(PS. if any pubs are reading this, my print and audio rights are up for grabs. Call me…maybe?)

I constantly watch new authors make various mistakes when trying to market their fiction and grow their audience. I’ve been on the Royal Road platform for fifteen months, and I’m self-publishing my first book next week. I’m by no means one of the big authors but all four of my fictions have hit RS (2 were deleted later), and the latest 2 fictions made top 20 and top 10 with 1k+ followers (both now at ~1600+).

What I see is a lot of new authors seem to have no clue how to bring attention to their story (and I did the same thing at the beginning), or are using the wrong places to market. So I want to detail some things that I believe will damage your fiction/not bring you any discernible following and then I’ll detail some things you should be doing.

THE DON’Ts

1. r/royalroad is more-or-less useless for your marketing efforts. It has 18k weekly visitors, the vast majority of whom will be other RR authors and the vast majority of those will be in the same boat as you. They are not interested in reading your tiny new fiction. They might encourage you, help you, point out issues with blurbs and covers. A couple might even give you a pity follow, favourite, rating. They will not form any kind of foundation for your audience growth.

2. The “I found this story by someone and wanted to recommend it” or other such self-promo posts disguised as ‘discussion’ or ‘recommendations’. You will immediately mark your story out as something people will put into the ‘Not Interested’ bucket on RR. Please do not insult the intelligence of the audience of the subreddit/forum you are posting in.

3. Linking your fiction (with or without a blurb), but nothing else, like the audience owes it to you to go and check it out. If you can’t be bothered to sell the story, or your journey as a writer, or why the audience should read your story over the thousands of others. Guess what? The audience will care about it exactly as much as you do.

4. Displaying no confidence in your writing and almost pleading for the audience to read it. I am guilty of this one. Here’s some advice I got on my very promo post in the litrpg subreddit 15 months ago.

>Sell us on it, that post title makes you seem unsure about its quality IMO. Not to be overly harsh but it comes off like "Look I wrote things, they aren't shit, right?!"

And then I left the commenter a wall of text, like a jilted lover trying to get back with their ex and further enforcing their view. I was unconfident in my writing then. I was scared about posting. I was unsure if anyone wanted to read it. And I still suffer with imposter syndrome every day, but if you display no confidence in your writing, and provide no reason for the audience to read it other than “Please make me happy.” - guess what? They’re not going to make you happy.

THE DO’s

1. Author’s are a lonely bunch. We spend copious amounts of time in front of a screen, with little images in our heads, trying to figure out how to translate the image into words that people will not only understand, but will enjoy reading. The only people who are going to understand that peculiar motivation are other authors. Those authors will also be the ones who will encourage you, help you, motivate you and provide you with all the advice that they have learned.

Join discord servers, do due diligence on other authors, especially those who ‘could’ provide you a lot of benefit, both from the knowledge and advice they can give, and some with the bigger audiences they have to help market your story. And all this takes is to join some discord servers and not be a dick. Nobody is going to sell your fiction for you - the writing is the easy part. The time spent on the marketing, and becoming part of the community is the hard part.

Also, when on spaces like reddit and facebook, do not be a dick. Every second statement of yours does not need to be controversial, or a rant, or a moan. Nobody likes these sorts in real life. We do not like them online either. Unless you want to be known as a troll, try to keep all of that to a minimum, no matter how much the vein in your forehead wants to pop because somebody accused you of AI. (This is also advice I need to take more of!)

2. The biggest places to post to try and gain an audience for your RR fiction is r/litrpg (135k weekly visitors) and r/progressionfantasy (115k weekly visitors). Both are ten times bigger than the royal road sub and the majority of those subs are readers, not authors. But in order to promo to those places, it requires effort on your part. Be engaged with the community, including the readers. Get involved in discussions. Make interesting posts. Maybe you put something out there that makes you memorable and maybe it doesn’t translate immediately, but some of the people who saw it remember you, and will go check out your work just because of that. But if you only use those subs for promo, people will see that and ignore you.

3. SHOUT-OUTS. Shoutouts are by far going to be your biggest FREE tool, unless you hit Rising Stars, but in 98% of cases, hitting RS requires shout-outs. I guarantee 100% of getting onto RS requires ads, or some in-built large audience already. ArcaneCadence could release a story tomorrow and is guaranteed to hit RS. You are not. Engage and interact in the discord servers, and look for people to shoutswap with. Most authors display their stories in their discord bios. Do some research on them and find the ones who will give you the biggest boost.

ALSO, VERY IMPORTANT: Stop trying to only find identical/similar stories. Yes, overlap in stories leads to better referrals, but any referral is better than none. If you swap with 100, 100 follower stories that have overlap with yours and results in 20% referral (very high - doubt you’d get this kind of referral rate). Then you will get 2,000 followers check you out, and it cost you 100 chapters. You could do 10, 2,000 follower stories with little overlap, and 1% referral and it’s exactly the same amount of followers on a per chapter shout basis. Be smart. Wanting to swap only with similar stories is just some weird fetish in my opinion. Fiction is fiction. I write litrpg, I read thrillers, and I love rom-com movies. Everybody is like this.

4. Finally - BE CONFIDENT IN WHAT YOU’RE SELLING. If you’re giving the vibe that your story’s not very good, or you’re not a good writer, or you feel unworthy of other people’s time/efforts…then guess what…those people aren’t going to give you their time or effort.

I think that about covers what I wanted to say! If anyone else wants to chime in, do so in the comments!