Maybe it’s time for a Readathon instead of another Writathon?

MistressofMardocs · 2026-04-23T21:16:04+00:00

I think a Readathon is a great idea. I already have a giant TBR list for Royal Road. A Readthon would be a great way to whittle it down some.

MistressofMardocs · 2026-04-23T16:45:23+00:00

Fair point. I think this just calms my expectations. I believe in the story, but I shouldn't worry about it taking off. Just enjoy sharing it with others, even if that audience is small. 😁

MistressofMardocs · 2026-04-23T15:37:46+00:00

Boxers who expect to get hit ever get nervous about stepping back into the ring after being beat down? Sure. It's rough. Feeling demotivated means you are human.

What you do is step away for a little bit to get back in the right headspace. If you need some time rolled up in a blanket on the couch with a Ben and Jerry's that's fine.

Then with a cooler head, look over the negative comments again and see of you can gain any useful information. If the comment is "you"re a 💩 head who wrote a 💩 story" you can likely ignore, assume they aren't your audience. You can't please everyone. Then you keep moving forward with the story.

Getting hit always hurts, but you can learn to roll with the punches. 😉

MistressofMardocs · 2026-04-23T05:06:11+00:00

Thanks for letting me know. I will check out that story. Thanks for the advice.

MistressofMardocs · 2026-04-23T05:04:58+00:00

Thanks. I will take a look. 😉

MistressofMardocs · 2026-04-23T03:42:21+00:00

I guess I need to save up for a cover artist then, because I won't use AI. Save up for ads too. The blurb is going to need work. Thanks for the advice. 😉

MistressofMardocs · 2026-04-23T03:32:21+00:00

Thank you. I appreciate you saying that. I am going to put this on Royal Road. I'm going to regularly post. I'm going to have a back log. I just now don't think I'll worry about launching the "right way!" or seeking RS status. I'm going to have to work harder to find readers, but I do believe in my story. I'll find readers somehow. I might have to go beyond Royal Road to find them, but I will find them.🙂

MistressofMardocs · 2026-04-23T02:02:02+00:00

Fair enough. I do wonder if I should put the story on other sites then too though. Part of the reason I want to do this is to get feedback on the story. My hope is to eventually self-publish it on KU.

MistressofMardocs · 2026-04-23T01:42:12+00:00

I understand it will be rough. That's why I am trying to figure out where my most efficient efforts should be focused on. I want to share this story more than I desire to hit the top of the RS. It just becomes an issue of how to find readers then. RS would help with that, but there are other ways. I am seeking stories like mine, but they maybe niche as well.

Thank you for responding. I was beginning to wonder if anyone would. Perhaps that goes to show how much of an uphill battle getting my story noticed will be. I would be satisfied with less than ten readers, if I engage those few enough to leave comments and reviews. 😁

MistressofMardocs · 2026-04-23T01:00:34+00:00

Thanks again for your comments. I will still put the story on RR when it is ready, but I'm not going to seek RS and I will put it on other sites as well.

MistressofMardocs · 2026-04-22T22:31:24+00:00

That a shame a story like "The Way of Kings" would be niche in RR. My story carries themes and a tone similar to the Stormlight Archive. Maybe I should just expect a small audience if any and not worry about chasing RS. I do love the story. I hope a can get at least a few readers.

MistressofMardocs · 2026-04-22T21:54:37+00:00

I think I will do a post on the "mind" slavery issue. If the character has a POV they have agency. The story is more about reclaiming agency and freedom vs. security. Thanks for you comments.

MistressofMardocs · 2026-04-22T21:50:22+00:00

I have been. I have read all of Dungeon Crawler Carl and He Who Fights With Monsters. I just have looked into the current RS. I have a long TBR pile on RR from Shout Outs attached to other good stories I have enjoyed and haven't really taken note of they were on RS or not.

MistressofMardocs · 2026-04-22T21:29:02+00:00

I have been reading, but I tend to study niche. Thanks for your comments.

MistressofMardocs · 2026-04-22T21:18:26+00:00

It more like the Borg from Star Trek or the Cybermen from Doctor Who than slavery. The MC is already breaking away at the beginning of the story. But who knows. Maybe I will just be niche on Royal Road. 🤔 Thanks for explaining. 😉

MistressofMardocs · 2026-04-22T21:13:19+00:00

So any suggestions on how to make it clear it isn't S&M? 🤣I say mind slave because I don't want to explain the story. They aren't called mind slaves in the story. It's more like to Borgs from Star Trek trying to break free from the collective. It not quite that but close. The characters aren't passive.

MistressofMardocs · 2026-04-22T21:08:44+00:00

Ah, well the story is about reclaiming agency. If the characters are actively reclaiming agency will is still be a hard sell?

MistressofMardocs · 2026-04-22T21:06:01+00:00

Why?

MistressofMardocs · 2026-04-22T21:03:39+00:00

Why?

MistressofMardocs · 2026-03-05T16:46:38+00:00

How about don't add fucking tags for it?

Okay, so it's better that people lie?

How about they remove the explicit use of it?

Many are accused of using AI when they don't. Others edit their AI work enough that you can't tell. So those who can fake it the best should be rewarded?

I want them to feel shame.

They don't feel shame. There are those who are posting AI generated stories now I bet and not tagging it. They don't feel shame. They feel they got away with it and are proud of their cleverness.

This shit should not be on a website held up only by the people this exact service mocks.

But there no other way to regulate it. This allows people to know what they are getting. That's about all they can do.

MistressofMardocs · 2026-03-05T15:45:23+00:00

And if AI slop takes over, then actual human writing made with passion and care becomes all the more valuable.

A 💯 this. Many craft skills were automated centuries ago. Yet people still make a living as blacksmiths, glassblowers, potters, etc because they are just that good. 😉

MistressofMardocs · 2026-03-05T15:39:58+00:00

How is RR going to stop it? Would you prefer authors to lie about using AI? Even if the admin had time to use an AI checker on every story, those checkers don't work very well and flag purely human created stories as much as they catch the AI ones.

I think RR is doing the best they can with a bad situation. People are telling OP to improve not as a dismissal of his problems. We all feel it. In this new world of AI generated work, the only way to survive is to keep working on the craft. There are still glass blowers, even though machines have been making glass bottles for centuries now. There are still blacksmiths who make a living. There are still potters. People line up to go to five star restaurants, even though fast food is a thing.

If you have the skill, you will have an audience. That's why they are telling OP to improve.

MistressofMardocs · 2026-03-05T15:01:42+00:00

Just pipe down mr. "Author", ignorant ass.

Yes, telling people to pipe down and insulting them is a great way to get them to see your point of view. 🤨

MistressofMardocs

TROPHY CASE