So I love doing the holiday fics/posts every year, and I'm opening up the requests post again. Pick a date, whether fic or essay, a fandom or storyworld, and a prompt, and I will write at least 300 words for you and post it on that day.
For examples, previous year's:
You can request more than one. If no fandom or storyworld is stated, I'll try to pick one I know you like.
December 1.
December 2.
December 3.
December 4.
December 5.
December 6.
December 7.
December 8.
December 9.
December 10.
December 11.
December 12.
December 13.
December 14.
December 15.
December 16.
December 17.
December 18.
December 19.
December 20.
December 21.
December 22.
December 23.
December 24.
December 25.
December 26.
December 27.
December 28.
December 29.
December 30.
December 31.
I loved what you said on TPG about opening your writing up to readers. I think the beta reading is a great step; I've teamed up with an author named Wendy Rathbone to beta read with.
But what I'm thinking is, how are you able to be so open between fandom and indie authoring? I guess for so long I've kept the two worlds separate, so it's only just occurring to me that my fandom readers could be my "real world" readers.
Also, I've not ever taken prompts or requests, because it would feel like too much of an assignment for me. And also, I'd be afraid that if I put it out there, I'd hear crickets. ("Who wants to see the main character do something charitable for no reason? Put a request in my "Ask" and I'll write a scene!" :::crickets:::)
So have you found that putting out prompts helps your sales? Or is the main focus to build exposure and readership?
I actually did announce on one of my fannish names what my real name is. There was no backlash, no sound and fury, as I'd been expecting. But that fannish part of me, that version, is fairly tame. My other fannish name writes much more...vividly. It's easier hidden behind the mask, you know?
P.S. I couldn't find your direct email, so I left a comment; hope to hear from you. : D
Sorry it took me so long to read this! I've been having a spam problem (and health challenges), so I don't wade into my moderation queue as often as I should.
And I haven't even updated this with the takers from LJ, so if you do want to ask for a nonfic topic (I don't think you know my fic so well), I'd check off this post: http://scribble-myname.livejournal.com/285901.html.
That said, I didn't share any original fiction with my fandom communities until I ended up writing something that I actually thought they'd like, which ended up under the Liana Mir pen name. I have several other pen names which sell better, came earlier, and are tied to my real identity. I keep Liana and my fanfic as far, far away as possible.
Don't meme unless you have regular readers. It'll freak you out to hear crickets. If you're doing a meme/prompt post which allows fandom, mention it in your author's note on fanfic. It's relevant promotion. If you have difficulty with assignment pressure, don't do prompt posts.
I pretty much thrive on giftfic, prompt posts, and memes. I wrote a ridiculous amount of fanfic to memes in 2011 and 2012, ran my 365-day challenge in 2013 where I called for mostly original prompts and grew so much original fic it's not even funny (which I'm trying to bookify this year), and still use prompt posts this year to get myself out of writing block ruts. I also write well in gift exchanges and challenges and joined too many of them this year but you wouldn't believe the amount of writing I got out of it.
I know where a call for prompts will get answered. I spent too long not feeling well and not investing in this site as much as my LiveJournal (where I'm a little more casual), and so if I want to get prompts, I'll crosspost but expect them to appear on LJ. I have readers for particular storyworlds and if those readers are out of pocket, I probably won't get bites.
I don't do prompts for sales or readership, though in the long run it gives me more readership. I do them to produce more fiction. In this respect, the backlog and the investment those prompting/reading get is a huge asset and keeps me motivated as well.
It is easier to hide. For me though, fandom was always safe space where I could write without apology. With this particular pen name, I made my own original fiction safe space where I would not apologize for what I wrote. When I write gifts, I'll write around parts of my own canon, but when I want to write those parts, I just warn off the particular party and write it anyway.