New Author FAQ (work in progress)

If you ask one of these questions instead of reading the FAQ someone will cough up a mouthful of blood in anger.

FAQ

>How do I get on Rising Stars
You need 20k words to be eligible. Other metrics apply but they are not publicly disclosed.
>Can only new stories reach Rising Stars?
No. Older stories are capable of reaching it as well.
>Can I write X and be successful?
Progression fantasy is the most popular among RR readers. Other genres can and do succeed but they do so at a disadvantage. What's important is that you're writing for a web novel audience. This isn't traditional fiction: be direct, avoid overly complex prose and metaphors, ensure your story is accessible. Pacing is something many readers will care about.
>My story only has X views after Y time. What do I do?
Did you follow the precepts when launching your story?
>I followed the precepts and my metrics are still shit!
Is your cover art distinct? Is your blurb concise and hooking the reader? Are you updating frequently? Are your chapters long enough (2-5k)?
>Yes, it's all fine and nobody is reading my story still.
A-anon, I...
>Are purchasing ads ($55) worth it?
Yes. They are not necessary, but a good ad can help you with snowballing onto Rising Stars which will offer a steady source of views.
>What is a good ad click rate?
Between 1.5-2% is average. 2-4% is great. 5% is amazing. If your ad performs poorly you can submit a ticket to have a new image swapped in its place.
>Are shout out swaps worth it?
Depends on the size of the one shouting you out and the crossover in reader interests, but generally they will provide much less than an ad unless you heavily swap. Keep in mind it devalues the purpose of shoutouts and is Indonesian dark triad discord cabalist type behavior.
>Should I do review swaps?
No. You'll just get an AI generated or equally low-effort review on your page by an author who doesn't give a shit and only wants a 5 star rating in return. It doesn't look good to readers and wont put you on Rising Stars. They are not worth it.

Tips
How to properly launch your story

>another anon has made a more in-depth guide for this here.
Listen up retard. I'm going to give you what a resident autist calls the precepts.
This is a spiritual initiation. I am Bodhisatva Backlog and I will be transmitting them to you directly.

For maximum chances at success you need:

  • average chapter length of 2,000 - 3,000 words minimum
  • 20,000 words minimum to be eligible for Rising Stars. This is your best source of continuous views.
  • a large backlog to start with will help (50-70k)
  • a concise blurb that doesn't read like a GPT info dump will help
  • unique cover art that is distinct will help

Things to keep in mind:

  • Your first chapter needs to provide the hook to your story. Failing this is as good as failing your launch.
  • Dump a lot of chapters on day one. 27.5k words is a good goal and puts you at 100 pages.
  • Upload daily to refresh your story on the Latest Updates page for extra visibility and to build up page count.
  • Many of those in Rising Stars have around 200 pages. You should reach this in around 2 weeks.
  • After a few weeks switch to whatever schedule you want. Two chapters a week is a reasonable amount.
  • If you plan to post on Patreon then ensure to maintain your backlog
  • If you want to buy an ad ($55) don't do so until you have 100+ pages published
Edit

Pub: 01 Aug 2025 09:40 UTC

Edit: 02 Aug 2025 19:54 UTC

Views: 143