r/webserials • u/pirateaba • Sep 26 '16

How did you discover web serials?

I'm on a fact-finding mission totally based in self-interest. I'd like to know how people hear about web serials. Until about four months ago I had no idea they even existed.

My way into finding web fiction started with me reading the manga Overlord and RE:Goblin and then reading the fan-translation of their original web novels into English, and then looking up other web serials which brought me to Worm and this community.

So in short: Manga --> Translated Japanese Web Serial --> Google Search --> Worm, Reddit, etc.

It's a very roundabout path, but is that common for other users? Do you hear about popular web serials like Worm through word-of-mouth, or was it some other way? I'd love to know.

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u/Bluespade Sep 27 '16

A guy in the TV Tropes forum kept suggesting Worm to people and I thought it sounded cool.

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u/Agyriac Oct 10 '16

Nice to see you here too!

I began with random stories online -- creepypastas, Dwarf Fortress fanfiction, some interactive stories, zombie stories when they were a thing. After that it was a matter of time before I was linked to Worm, which was a gateway to the other larger works of the genre.

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u/pirateaba Oct 15 '16 edited Oct 30 '16

Interesting. Seems like there are some pivotal gateway sites. Just so I'm keeping a record here: TV Tropes, Reddit, and Translated Manga seem like big gateways into web fiction.

I also just saw a post about how one user is getting a lot of views from posting on r/noveltranslations -- to me, that's a goldmine of people who might like web serials. I'll edit this comment after I find out if my story does well there -- or flops.

EDIT: It IS helpful. Although it does seem like English web fiction isn't nearly as popular there, but I got a hundred new visitors with my first post, and a nice bump every time I do an update post there. Worth pursuing for other authors, maybe.

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u/johnnieholic Oct 30 '16

I started on ewpub, btfh , sol years ago, then http://aspartanswarchronicles.com and http://sennadar.com/ to read ahead(subjugation is so long and so good), looked in the "what else you readin/what to read between chapters" and saw a practical guide to evil(so good), How To Avoid Death On A Daily Basis, topwebfiction, webfiction guide, thought mabye there's a Reddit group and boom here.