How to Get Good Reviews for a Fanfiction
Review your summary., Change the title to a quote from the text, or a clever play on the plot., Shorten your Author's Notes., The opening paragraph means everything!, Proof-read., Post the new improved story on the Fanfiction site of your choice...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Review your summary.
This is the first thing people see when they become aware of your story, even before the title.
A good summary has been spell-checked and contains no question marks or any reason for them.
Make sure to include the following information: warnings the time in canon whether it is AU or not. relevant timescales
- is it set after or before a major event in the series? This is important as some readers are only interested in certain eras or timelines.
You only want to attract those who will review.
Not those who as soon as they realize that this isn't what they want, they click back. -
Step 2: Change the title to a quote from the text
A little used route is to include quotes from famous speeches or prose, such as Shakespeare or the "I Have a Dream" speech.
And the more distinctive the better.
Search for your new title in the site archive before officially adding it to your story.
If there are more than two stories with this title, or several that are close enough that they could be confused, pick a new name.
The more original the name, the more likely people are to notice it and therefore read it and thus...you guessed it...review it. , There really shouldn't be a need for an author's note, but if you want to add one, do so at the end of the chapter.
The only things at the top of the page should be a brief set of warnings and the title.
Any major things people should be aware of should be made briefly aware, with the direction to go to the end of the chapter if they need more explanation.
It shouldn't need it though, because your chapter should do it for you. , Get right into the story, with no backtracking to the canon.
Anyone reading your story already knows the basic original plot, and has most likely been sifting through hundreds of other stories that day looking for a gem.
If you need to add back-story, do it gradually, while introducing your new material at the same time. , Carefully proof-read your whole story.
Read your entire whole story to ensure that it sounds like something you would say, and that it fits with the personalities of the characters you are using. ,, If after the first chapter is posted a reader offers to beta-read the story for errors, accept.
Betas can find new ways to make your story more interesting and pick out errors you might not see after proof-reading. -
Step 3: or a clever play on the plot.
-
Step 4: Shorten your Author's Notes.
-
Step 5: The opening paragraph means everything!
-
Step 6: Proof-read.
-
Step 7: Post the new improved story on the Fanfiction site of your choice.
-
Step 8: Accept Help.
Detailed Guide
This is the first thing people see when they become aware of your story, even before the title.
A good summary has been spell-checked and contains no question marks or any reason for them.
Make sure to include the following information: warnings the time in canon whether it is AU or not. relevant timescales
- is it set after or before a major event in the series? This is important as some readers are only interested in certain eras or timelines.
You only want to attract those who will review.
Not those who as soon as they realize that this isn't what they want, they click back.
A little used route is to include quotes from famous speeches or prose, such as Shakespeare or the "I Have a Dream" speech.
And the more distinctive the better.
Search for your new title in the site archive before officially adding it to your story.
If there are more than two stories with this title, or several that are close enough that they could be confused, pick a new name.
The more original the name, the more likely people are to notice it and therefore read it and thus...you guessed it...review it. , There really shouldn't be a need for an author's note, but if you want to add one, do so at the end of the chapter.
The only things at the top of the page should be a brief set of warnings and the title.
Any major things people should be aware of should be made briefly aware, with the direction to go to the end of the chapter if they need more explanation.
It shouldn't need it though, because your chapter should do it for you. , Get right into the story, with no backtracking to the canon.
Anyone reading your story already knows the basic original plot, and has most likely been sifting through hundreds of other stories that day looking for a gem.
If you need to add back-story, do it gradually, while introducing your new material at the same time. , Carefully proof-read your whole story.
Read your entire whole story to ensure that it sounds like something you would say, and that it fits with the personalities of the characters you are using. ,, If after the first chapter is posted a reader offers to beta-read the story for errors, accept.
Betas can find new ways to make your story more interesting and pick out errors you might not see after proof-reading.
About the Author
Deborah Nelson
Specializes in breaking down complex lifestyle topics into simple steps.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: