# How would you advertise your Story Hour?



## Tumakhunter (Jun 14, 2003)

So, how do people advertise their Stories?  I've been writing Norannar for a little while, here, and no one seems too interested in it.  I'd like to see more people reading it, and possibly commenting, so I can get some feedback.  Any thoughts?


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## pogre (Jun 14, 2003)

Howdy,

First, I think you should change the title to reflect the uniqueness of your world - I had no idea it was a steam technology world until the second post. The world has a lot of unusual twists - try to think up a couple word description to describe it and put it in the title.

Second, put it in your signature and read other peoples' story hours and comment on their work. People who read story hours are the most likely persons to read yours - aside from the folks in the campaign. It looks like your only posts have been to your own SH so far - nothing wrong with that, but see below.

Finally, assess why you are writing a story hour. Mine serves a few purposes for me:

1. It's a DM Log of our adventures;

2. It's inspires me to write complete adventures and paint figures and scenery to match.

3. If people I don't know enjoy reading it or getting ideas for miniature scenes that is truly gratifying, but it cannot be my main goal or I would run out of gas.

If your goal is to have tons of people read your story hour you may be quite frustrated. Even orthe well written story hours like yours only have about 25 people who check them. There are exceptions: PC and Sep - but they are the exceptions.

Your story hour definitely has things to offer - an unique world with alternate tech. Just keep at it - you audience will find you.

Take care,
pogre


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## megamania (Jun 14, 2003)

As Pogre said.  I wish I had better feedback but that is the way it goes.  To make matters worse for me, I was unable to update for about a month which may have driven away the few readers I had.  It's frustrating at the least.

However-  are you doing this for yourself, to entertain others or get feedback?

I wanted to do this as an outlet for my creative juices involving a game world few keep up on.  I do it for myself first, then to entertain second.  I want feedback but have learned not to expect it.

I'll have to check out your Storyhour.  Pogre brought up another  good point.  Read and comment on other Story Hours to get known.  People recognize user names and associate things to them.

Keep smilin'


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## pogre (Jun 14, 2003)

Check out the titles to Megamania's Story Hours - exactly what I was talking about.


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## Enkhidu (Jun 14, 2003)

Short answer - what they said.

Long answer - I co-write the Small Beginnings story hour, and have been since last summer. Here's a few tricks I've learned:

*Read other people's story hours and comment in them from time to time. This has been said a number of times before, and I can't tell you how many readers have been brought to the SH because of it. 

*Change you title to show that you've updated - this is a new trend in the forum, and one that I really like.

*Interact with the readers you do get, and publicize their story hours too. For example, Small Beginnings is going through a bit of a dry spell as I deal with my 7 week old newborn right now, so I would point you to Rel's Faded Glory II. Rel's one of our regular readers who writes a bit himself, and I recommend his when you can't get your new update fix from us. It doesn't get as much traffic as some other SHs, but its solid. Plus, his SH is set in Old One's campaign world - and he has a SH of his own.

*Make sure you link to your SH when you mention it by name. Lots of people tell you to put links in your sig, and you should, but try doing it in your posts too - not everyone keeps sigs turned on.

*Most importantly, stick with it! A loyal readership attracts new readers!

And remember to have fun!


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## spyscribe (Jun 15, 2003)

Seconding the above, especially: 

1. Post in the story hours you read written by other people.  Feedback breeds.

2. Pimp your story hour in your sig.

3. Blatantly exploit your tenuous connections to well-known figures in the community.  

4.  Take comfort in your page view count.  They can't all be you... right?


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## Xiryc (Jun 15, 2003)

I would have to agree with everyone else who repsonded. The first one of these I read was PirateCat's, mainly because of his username.  I found Sagiro's through there, and then I found (contact)'s through Sagiro's.

Also, post some stuff you made for your world in the House Rules forum. I found a couple good story hours from there.


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## megamania (Jun 15, 2003)

I wouldn't worry about it much.  Half way through the first message I stopped and put on The Rockoteer soundtrack and finished reading.

Keep it up.
As far as reading others...I don't read Piratecats simpily since I would be reading it for weeks and weeks before getting caught up.


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## Nifft (Jun 15, 2003)

Mass unsolicited email with the subject "HOT U~N~D~E~R~A~G~E CO-ED CHEERLEADER SORRORITY CAUGHT ON BANNED CD!!!!!1! CLICK HERE FOR *FREE* V~I~A~G~R~A SAMPLE!!!!!1!"

... and the link leads to your story hour.

 -- Nifft


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## megamania (Jun 15, 2003)

that would work better than a sword+5


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## Paka (Jun 16, 2003)

I freely admit that when I post these stories up there, as much as I love the act of writing and it is its own reward, I love sharing the stories of my games and the actions of my players with as many people as I can.

I love hearing that people look forward to a post and want to know more and are reading what I write.

That said, the only real thing to do is to just keep plugging away every week, keep writing and writing well and hope that it is someone's cup of tea.

It is also gratifying to have a log of your game, a way to keep track of it all, look back on good gaming days and smile.

P.S. Read my Story Hour...PLEASE.


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## Celtavian (Jun 16, 2003)

*Re*

Pogre,

You forgot to mention Doc Midnight's Story Hour. His is very popular as well. 

Tumakhunter,

1. I think updating and interacting with the reader's is real important. If you update consistently, you will eventually get readers if your story is at all interesting. If you fail to update, then your story never grows and readers will stay away from your story hour in the future because they know you don't update. UPDATE consistently and keep plugging away, and eventually people will start reading.

2. I read Doc Midnight's Story hour religiously when he updates just because its a good fun story hour. Doc interacts with his readers as do some of the players, which helps the popularity of his story hour as well. Make sure to look in on your story hour fairly often and answer any reader questions that will help them understand what is going on in your story.

3. Patience. I don't think you will gain alot of readers until you have alot of posts in a well-developing interesting story. Once people see you are investing a large amount of time in your campaign and story hour, they will become attracted to it. I think alot of the story hour readers like to follow long-term ongoing campaigns with relatively frequent updates unless your story is as good as Sepulchrave's. He updates infrequently, but still his readers return like crack fiends awaiting another hit from the pipe. hehe.


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## arwink (Jun 16, 2003)

Get the other people in your group to read them.  I write my storyhour with the knowledge that the majority of the vocal readers are players in my games, and that's more or less it's own reward.  If nothing else, they help boost the view-count


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## Angcuru (Jun 16, 2003)

*Just go with it*

I can't really offer any advice, since I'm new to story hour writing myself.  But consider that perhaps you have a lot of readers that just don't feel compelled to post.  A lot of good story hours start out that way, and eventually you get a lot of regulars checking in for "When's the next update?!!" or "Man, that was awesome!" etc.  

With my story hour only being up for a few weeks, now being updated almost weekly, I don't expect to get a lot of replies, if any.  Once I get in-depth into the plot, characters, personalities, relationships, etc, THEN I expect a reply now and then.  But then my story hour thread is a bit unorthodox since it's more of a STORY story than a campaign-based story.  And even then it is at heart a story of love, pain, sacrifice, etc. but that's in the future updates.  Right now I'm finishing up the Prologue, which is sort of an aftermath wherein the central characters remenisce about their past 'adventures'.  I.E.  Aftermath=near complete, the meat of the story=on it's way.


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## Tumakhunter (Jun 16, 2003)

*Thanx*

Thank you all for the advice!  I've already changed the title, and will continue to update whenever I can.  I really appreciate all of your help, and look forward to reading your respective stories.  (Right now, I'm hooked on the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen one.)


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## Nifft (Jun 16, 2003)

For serious advice, pimp it in your .sig. I tend to read the story hours of people who seem to write well and have interesting ideas / questions / personalities on the other forums. Discussions with Argent in the House Rules forum lead to my addiction to WizarDru's story hour, for example.

 -- Nifft


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## (contact) (Jun 16, 2003)

I would consider buying banner impressions from Morrus, then I would secure financing, and move to an integrated advertising/public relations campaign targeting the industry trades.

OR,

I would follow Pogre's advice and write my logs for my own purposes and amusement, and treat the thread as a place to share what I would have done anyway with a small community of the like-minded.

I've made a couple of pen-pals from my Story Hours, and that's pretty much as good as it gets, IMHO.

Remember, Piratecat uses a macro to bump his page views, and Sagrio is the screen name for a very well-known Professional Athelete (whose name I am sworn not to reveal), so we shouldn't compare our view count with theirs.

After all, if one loyal person views your thread thirty times it is better than thirty viewing it once, so I think you should disregard the "views" column altogether as an innacurate and ego-driven measurement of nothing.

(contact)

p.s.:  My story hours have d-ck jokes and lesbians.


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## ForceUser (Jun 16, 2003)

(contact) said:
			
		

> *Remember, Piratecat uses a macro to bump his page views, and Sagrio is the screen name for a very well-known Professional Athelete (whose name I am sworn not to reveal), so we shouldn't compare our view count with theirs.*



ROFL!



> *p.s.:  My story hours have d-ck jokes and lesbians. *



Sigh, how could I have missed this? I'm going to have to start reading them again.


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## megamania (Jun 17, 2003)

Don't confuce my PbP of Planar Retrieval Agency with that one!  D-jokes!  Women!  
I only have cannibilistic bear druid looking to nibble on a cursed regenerating Kenny whom is in a backback of a Cosmos P-Boy model.   Too weird.


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## Capellan (Jun 17, 2003)

arwink said:
			
		

> *If nothing else, they help boost the view-count  *




Yay us!


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## Piratecat (Jun 17, 2003)

Really good advice here.

This forum started after I had a really good game, posted a description of the battle, and people wanted to hear more. Sagiro had been writing up his game notes all along for his campaign; I decided to do the same and post them on Eric's site. Then Ranger Wickett began posting his wonderful Savannah Nights game (predating d20 Modern by years) and the forum was born.  Back then there was no "views" counter. You could have 50 people reading your SH, but if one person commented, then you'd think that only one person read it. A little intimidating. 

A few other thoughts:

- Change the title to stand out from the crowd; JonRog1's "Drunk Southern Girls With Guns" certainly catches your eye, for instance.

- Put a link in your sig, stressing what makes it fun to read. Steam tech is a good hook, for example, so you'll want to mention it.

- Try to avoid any typos. Check spelling, and leave blank lines between paragraphs. This makes a huge difference in whether or not people stay.

- If you have to pick a spot to start the campaign, consider starting the writing in media res, right in the middle of action. The first post really has to grab people, since it's the first one they'll see. Try not to make it a character or world summary; that stuff can come later.

- Consider asking any readers for constructive criticism. It's helped me quite a bit.

- ultimately, write it for yourself and your players. I try not to let my ego get wrapped up in mine; I write what I like to read, and consider myself lucky if anyone else likes it too.


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## diaglo (Jun 17, 2003)

(contact) said:
			
		

> *Remember, Piratecat uses a macro to bump his page views,...*




i thought he used pics. and then linked them to other websites. so when someone opened the other website and viewed the pic, it counted as a view over here, too. 



> *p.s.:  My story hours have d-ck jokes and lesbians. *




so does the one i write. but it's d-ck jokes and gaymers. it doesn't seem to help.


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## Destan (Jun 17, 2003)

I recently started writing a story hour after being a long-time lurker.  I have few points I'd like to make.

First, I have _read_ many, many story hour posts without once commenting on them.  That may be because I'm lazy, or because I'm generally quiet when it comes to posting.  If I do post, I usually ask questions instead of leaving comments.  

Since I started _writing_ a story hour, however, I'm now more fully aware of how damned nice it feels to have someone comment on it.  With that new-found knowledge in hand, I'm trying to drop notes like benevolent bird droppings on the story hours I most frequent.  I tend to favor the less-heralded story hours because the Biggies (TM) don't necessarily need my bumps. 

The bottom line is that the majority of story hour readers, I think, do only that: Read.  They don't post.  Don't let a lack of feedback hinder your enjoyment with writing.  As Piratecat said, the page views alone should help give you a warm fuzzy.

Second, and this is probably too self-serving for many folks, I actually sent emails to a few authors of those story hours I most enjoyed.  I asked them, should they have a moment, to check mine out.  

One of them was Piratecat.  His simple praise did more to pimp my story hour than any banners could have done.  Continuing in the vein of abject groveling, I attached one of his comments to my sig.  Not all of those you email will have the time to read your story, nor will all of those who visit enjoy your writing, but that's coolio and should be understood.

Third, try emailing those readers of other story hours that seem addicted, loyal, and/or vocal in their critiques.  I  have chosen to subscribe to story hours based on readers whose opinions I generally agreed with.

Lastly, everyone who writes knows it can be difficult to do so within a vacuum.  I think the majority of us would rather be subject to negative criticism than none at all.  You gotta just keep plodding along, sacrificing what could-have-been quality family time to pound away at the keys like a man possessed.

Best wishes,
Destan


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## (contact) (Jun 17, 2003)

> Diaglo wrote:
> i thought he used pics. and then linked them to other websites. so when someone opened the other website and viewed the pic, it counted as a view over here, too.




No, that's me-- but no one looks at my website either.  



> so does the one i write. but it's d-ck jokes and gaymers. it doesn't seem to help.




Mine has _really deadly_ lesbians.  Maybe that's the trick.



> From the Liberation of Tenh:
> 
> Over the course of several days, Elijah watches the Stonefisters engage in a cruel ritual:  they release one of the food-bearing slaves, and chase her on foot.  They catch her close to the edge of camp, and lame her.  Gloating over her struggles, the Stonefisters watch her die.  Elijah stoically awaits her opening.
> 
> ...


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## (contact) (Jun 17, 2003)

Destan said:
			
		

> _Ed's Note: Yes, yes, it's true - I'm naming my next kid after Piratecat._




You think that's messed up-- my mom just changed *my* name to Kevin.


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## Cinerarium (Jun 18, 2003)

Destan said:
			
		

> *Second, and this is probably too self-serving for many folks, I actually sent emails to a few authors of those story hours I most enjoyed.  I asked them, should they have a moment, to check mine out.
> 
> One of them was Piratecat.  *




I heard PirateCat's ISP is no longer accepting email for him... I wonder why that is?


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## CrazyGothBard (Jun 27, 2003)

Wow, this thread answers questions I hadn't thought to ask yet.  I'm going to be starting a Story Hour thread sometime soon for reasons partly logistical, partly creative, and partly amusement.

Thanks folks!


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## Snoweel (Jun 27, 2003)

You never told me where in Sydney you're from.

So... tell me.


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## CrazyGothBard (Jun 29, 2003)

Snoweel said:
			
		

> *You never told me where in Sydney you're from.
> 
> So... tell me.  *




Did too!

But since the other 12,000 odd people (er, OK maybe some of you are normal!  ) probably don't care, I sent it to your E-mail.

"Nothing to see here, move along!"


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## Snoweel (Jun 30, 2003)

Umm... Can you send it again?

And this time don't include references to bosting my cellphone reception/prolonging erections/nasty college girls/FREE debt reduction/etc. 

I have to sift through the spam to find anything in my junkmail folder.

snoweel@hotmail.com


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## CrazyGothBard (Jul 2, 2003)

*Done as requested*

No worries, I've forwarded it to you, after trying the private message function on the boards - I don't seem to have access to use that (otherwise this would be a private message).  I guess I must post more to get that access...anyway, you should be able to spot the message amidst the SPAM, as every second word (or so) of the subject is "SPAM".


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## DispelAkimbo (Jul 2, 2003)

Incidentally, is it possible to see how many users, or who is subscribed to your story-hour thread?

I'm sure the initial value will be depressing, but it would be some nice encouragement to see that number rise over time 

Is this something that can be added by our current moderators, or would we have to petition the "vBulletin" website programmers to include this functionallity?


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## megamania (Jul 2, 2003)

Much depends on the players involved, but think about the mood of the stories also.  I feel I lose readers since the main character (if there really is one) is very self-involved.  He is weighing the question of Nature vs Nuture heavily.  I generally bring it up once every few segments (up dates).  I relize this proberly pushes some people away but it is the core of the character and I won't just turn it off.  Perhaps over time he will change just as we (the real people) have outlooks and opinions of ourselves that change in time).

So...looking for humor?   reality?  serious?

"Under a Darksun" tends to be humorous but the subjects dealt with are extremely serious.  Thus far I have dealt with:

slavery
sex as a tool
sex as an expression of love
how these two get confused 
rich vs poor
boy growing into a man

All this done with the Darksun adventures of:

Gith raids while looking for a possible ancient Gith artifact
Nibenese Templars destroying many Veiled Alliance members
Mania learning he is a child of a Sorcerer-King
There is a book that tells the future
Mania will be either a great force of evil or of good and has been manipulated by good thus far.  Evil dosen't know he exists (yet)
A small but effective invasion by the Abyss.

And I'm up to only Segment 086.  

Something I use is Segments.  I type up anywhere from 1/2 to 2 pages.  This section of story, I then refer to as a segment.  Each segment has a title.  I do this for ease of readers to know where they left off and for references.  I plan on taking these characters I introduce from 3rd level to epic levels.  In that time a lot of history will be made.  If I suggest a secret villian was introduced I can refer readers to a specific segment.  If the reader then wishes, they can go back to that and go..."wow...he's right!"

I catalogue every key character by segment and actions.  This way, Whenever I return to Nibenay, I can mention previous characters (like Keg and Zeg the 1/2 Giant   body guards).

This allows for (in my mind anyway) a more realistic setting.


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