Writing is not easy, so as getting contracts from reading platforms. Let me share with you my story about the following topics:
√Helpful Writing Apps for Beginners
√The platform where I share my stories
√Where and How did I get my first contract?
Helpful Writing Apps for Beginners
- Fabula App
In my case, as an aspiring novelist and poet, I am using two writing apps. The first one is the Fabula app and the second one is JotterPad.
Let me talk first about the Fabula app. It is easy to use. It has nine easy steps that will help you create an outline of your story. The outline of the story is an essential part when you are aiming to get a contract on some popular reading platforms. Though, the outline that reading platforms require writers to submit varies. Still, Fabula is of great help.
Every writer wishes to publish their works. Choosing a writing app that is comfortable for you is important, whatever you are writing. It is significant to choose an app or platform that helps you organize the content of your stories or writings.
Is there an disadvantage using this app?
From my own experience, yes, there is. It has no bold and italic text. As a writer, you should understand that these two are very important. The italicized words help us to imply that certain parts of our writings happen in the future or past. On the other hand, the bold text is used for the titles and other words you want to emphasize.
- JotterPad
After typing my scenes/chapters in the Fabula app, I copy and paste it here in JotterPad.
Why? Because some part of our writings need to be italicized and this app offers that.
Being a new writer/author, I used to write my stories directly to the reading platform where I intend my stories to be signed. I observed that those that I have written directly to the reading/writing platform, can’t be downloaded directly to my phone storage. In other words, I can’t have a soft copy in my device local storage.
But I really wanted to have a soft copy of my work. So what I did is copy-paste every chapter of my story here in JotterPad because documents here are downloadable right into my phone storage. As a free user, I can download or save it to my Google Drive.
The Platform Where I share or upload my stories
I share my stories on these two online book reading platforms.
1. Good Novel
2. NovelCat
You can check my stories there if you want to. Here are the titles and links:
1. The Last Immortal – Fantasy
Moboreader
2. Love Me Simply – Romance
Where and how did I get my first contract?
We don’t always get what we want. That’s a fact.
January of this year, I decided to write my first novel entitled ‘Love Me Simply’ in the Tagalog language. I uploaded it on Dreame online reading platform and applied for a contract as soon as I got 5k words. It required me to submit an outline. I don’t have any idea on what format does Dreame requires. So, I just made a format of my own. You can guess what happened then.
I kept on writing until May of this same year. I didn’t get a contract. Nobody did respond to my queries. Until one day, sometime in September, I happen to see a sponsored page on my Facebook news feed. It says that they are looking for new writers. I commented ‘how’ on the post and someone sent me a message on my messenger. That’s when I get to know an AE or Acquisition Editor from another reading app.
I had one on one coaching with the AE. She also gave me an outline which is required in the platform. Guess what platform is this? You are right, the Good Novel reading platform.
My AE told me that English stories have more chances of getting a contract compared to Tagalog or Filipino. Thankfully, that time I was writing a fantasy story in the English language. So, on the 15th day of September, I uploaded my first 5k words and applied for a contract for my story ‘The Last Immortal’. I’ve waited for eight days until I received an email from my editor. Let me make this clear, the AE will not be your editor.
My editor emailed me an offer for a nonexclusive contract. Honestly, I don’t know what to feel. I was aiming for an exclusive contract in the first place. However, when I told my AE about it she said I must be happy. Among her three writers, I was the only one who was able to get a contract. This made me grateful.
I immediately confirmed the offer and soon got the contract sent to my Gmail. I signed the document through Hello Sign. Soon after completing the contract, my editor informed me that I could already lock my chapters to earn revenue.
In my next writings, I will share with you some of my experiences on having non-exclusive contracts on multiple platforms with only one story.
Thanks for reading!
Joanis Mercenes 