Textnovel.com!! discussion

So, I'm loving TextNovel.com . It's easy to use, free to read whatever you want and vote and leave reviews--And it has TONS of potential (oh yeah, and that $1,000 prize for one lucky writer is nice, too ;-).

BUT...I want to see the work of even MORE writers (I LOVE to read!). What might you forum members suggest doing to get even more aspiring (and already published) authors to contribute? What's the quickest way YOU would suggest spreading the word?

The contest entry (entry's free, btw) deadline is looming and TextNovel's founder, Stan Soper, has made sure there are genre slots for everybody. Whether you write (or read) Sci-Fi, Fantasy, YA, Romance, Mystery, Thriller or Supernatural... It's there as a category (and more). The contract the winner winds up with is really good--the author's rights are VERY well respected.

So, short of spending bunches of bucks to advertise through "traditional" means, how do we make even more people aware of the cool stuff going on at TextNovel.com?

I look forward to your thoughts...
Shannon Reinbold-Gee

Great comments Shannon. Currently about one to two new authors a day are adding stories to Textnovel.com. I am hoping that when the new version comes out it will be even more compelling.

I have realized that for a site like this it is all about the content, and the technology is merely a platform. As the concept of the cell phone novel eventually takes off in the U.S., there will be a few fortunate writers who "get it" early on. These writers will attract a devoted number of fans and when that happens, they will end up getting chased by publishers, rather than the other way around. I hope that some of those writers use textnovel.com as a springboard for this type of success.

Stan

I've got several works on TextNovel, some finished and others in progress. Titles Wandering Souls, Forms Unlooked For, A Hero of the Republic. I would certainly appreciate any feedback I can get.

Fun to see what's going on at http://www.textnovel.com. Good luck with your stories Shannon and "K."
~Karey

You mentioned a new version that will be coming out. When is that?

Yes, I'd like to know when the new version of http://www.textnovel comes out, too. Please let us know.

It already came out! The enhancements were made during the month of August and polished off in early September.

Enhancements included:

1) new genres: literary and autobiography

2) make foreword optional

3) more search functions, including by story name or pen name

4) Voting/popularity enhancements

5) more author tools, like ability to create and manage a detailed profile

6) invite enhancements (making it easier to invite your friends to your story and letting you edit the message)

7) site registration enhancements (making cellphone number optional)

8) ability to see whether stories are in progress or are finished (so you know whether to subscribe)

Shannon wrote: "So, I'm loving TextNovel.com . It's easy to use, free to read whatever you want and vote and leave reviews--And it has TONS of potential (oh yeah, and that $1,000 prize for one lucky writer is nice..."

Shannon and other Textnovel-ers,

It's easy to get the word out about Textnovel. Just blog about it. If we all share what we know on our personal blogs, multi-author blogs, Amazon blogs, MySpace blogs and bulletins, etc, we'll start seeing more authors join us. I suggest these places because that's where the marketing savy authors are, plus places like Ning, AuthorsDen, AuthorNation and more.

Also, for those that have newsworthy events or exciting news, send out a press release via 24-7pressrelease.com (or another) and mention Textnovel.com. Releases have the advantage of spreading like wildfire as other distribution services pick them up.

And don't forget to contact your writers organizations and groups, and even your local schools. Teachers could use Textnovel in some creative ways with their students.

All the best!

Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
bestselling author of Whale Song: A Novel
http://www.cherylktardif.com
My blog: http://www.cherylktardif.blogspot.com

Cheryl,

Great advice :-). My blogs have always reflected my experience and opinion as have the press releases I've done for newspapers and the articles I've done for magazines. A grassroots approach is definitely a powerful way to go or grow... ;-)

~Shannon