My first interactive, everyone is welcome to make it better. Thanks to you all who like headswap stories and i hope you to like this mine too. And a special thanks to an anonymous user that gave me the upgrade to make it happen.
Hey! Congratulations on posting your first interactive! Though if anyone sees this and wants to participate, you'll do better if you post a link. People are lazy and not super likely to search your portfolio for the right link.
To create a link, you need the item ID (the 7-digit number located between the title and description--it's also in the web address, though you can't copy it from there, and in the link people see in your port, but if this is one of the last 8 things you've created, edited, or added to, it should appear automatically after you type the colon). You also need the curly braces on your keyboard, located just above the square brackets.
I'll use my challenge as an example since the item ID appears automatically for me. There are 2 main types of links people use--item and bitem. You'll probably want to use the bitem in Newsfeed ads like this because they're more eye-catching. But in regular conversation, you'll want to use the item link.
But I noticed you have no fans--people who have double clicked your plus sign. Maybe some people have clicked once, but we can't tell. If a person has clicked once or twice, in both cases, your note will appear on their Newsfeed when you post something like this. However, if no one has clicked your plus, almost no one will see your note. And since your interactive is pretty niche, you need a lot of people (preferably in that niche) to see your notes. The only way a person will see your notes right now, assuming they haven't clicked your plus, is if they get on the Community Newsfeed like I did. But most folks don't. I know. I'm constantly trying to get folks on here.
To get to the Community Newsfeed, click Newsfeed on the left side. This will take you to your Personal Newsfeed by default. Then, along the top, you'll see View the Community Newsfeed. Click that to see what everyone else is doing, not just your tiny part of WdC. Scroll, Like, comment, and start making friends. Though for folks to actually participate in your interactive, you'll want to start making friends with your specific interests. For that, I recommend using the Search in the upper left corner. Be sure to search for things in All of WdC, not just your port. I've done that plenty of times.
Okay, so when you find all the swapping things you can (try searching with different terms and not just for interactives), you need to start reaching out to folks and participating in their things to get them interested in you and your interactive. People who just send emails saying for folks to participate in their interactive without any sort of relationship don't usually do well. People are greedy and self-centered and want to know what's in it for them. Thus, you need to create a relationship and show that you can be reciprocal.
Thus, when you find a story, review it. Then in the (good and thorough) review, you can add a little item link like I showed you and say you have an interactive, if they are interested in reading or adding to it. If you are paying, include that info as well. I think 1000 GPs (gift points--the WdC version of money) is pretty common.
If you find an interactive, add several (good and long-ish) chapters. You can also add a review for that with a link. Though if you opt not to review it, I wouldn't tell them about your interactive until they reach out to thank you for adding to theirs. (BTW, you should reach out and thank folks for their additions, if that wasn't in your plan. ) And if you mention yours in your reviews, make it just a sentence or two among the 10-20 sentences about their story/interactive. The review is supposed to be about them and their item, not your interactive.
If you don't review much and are insecure about what to say, you can discuss things like the title and description, things you liked, things you think could be improved, your favorite part, how it made you feel, etc. Another thing that's pretty commonly not done (or not done fully) that you can comment on is for them to fill out all 3 genres...and things like "contest entry" and "other" or even "activity" or "contest" aren't the best options (unless it really is a contest or an activity). People search for things using the genres, so they need to use them. Also, Moderators who write Newsletters are obligated to include links to stories from around the site. They can't possibly find every great story, so they search by genre. If someone's item has no genres listed, they won't be found. Finally, if their interactive is really active or their story is new, it could be nominated for "The Quills" , an annual WdC award.
If they are nominated for Best Interactive, for example, they can only win Best Interactive if they have no other genres listed. But if they list 3 genres, they are also automatically entered into those as well. You can't nominate for a genre, so if someone wants to win Best Fantasy, they'd better have Fantasy listed in their genres. And I encourage you to make suggestions for what you think works for them. It makes them appreciate your review more, makes your review longer, and will make it less obvious that you're trying to also get them to participate in your interactive.
BTW, you aren't allowed to nominate yourself or to tell someone that you nominated them, but if you see something you want to nominate, here's the form. "Quill Nomination Form 2025" Niche things like you are interested in don't get nominated much, so if you find something really outstanding, nominate it. But if it's a story or poem, it needs to be written in 2023. You can nominate things from 2023 through January 15 of 2024, then you can only nominate things written in 2024. For an interactive or other ongoing things like contests and activities/fundraisers/etc., they have to have been active in the current year. I believe interactives have a minimum number of chapter additions, but I don't do interactives, so I'm not familiar with those rules, but you can check the links I posted and see for yourself.
Okay, now that I've traumatized you with so much information, GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR NEW INTERACTIVE! Go out there and start making friends, especially in your niche. When someone responds to a review you give, see if you can start up a conversation. Build a relationship. That's how you'll most likely get most of the people who are interested in what you are. And most of all, try to get people to double click your plus sign so they'll see future Newsfeed notes you post.
To easily give someone the chance to double click your plus, I recommend posting a link like I did. (BTW, I pay 10,000 GPs to new fans. ) To do that, you need your username, not your handle, which can easily be changed. You see your (or anyone's) username when you mouse over their handle. Your username is anbee so to create a link for a person to click your plus, you'd type...
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To create a link, you need the item ID (the 7-digit number located between the title and description--it's also in the web address, though you can't copy it from there, and in the link people see in your port, but if this is one of the last 8 things you've created, edited, or added to, it should appear automatically after you type the colon). You also need the curly braces on your keyboard, located just above the square brackets.
I'll use my challenge as an example since the item ID appears automatically for me.
{item:2109126} = "The Contest Challenge"
{bitem:2109126}
Join by entering a contest a month for 12 months--Win Badges! Catching up is allowed!
#2109126 by Schnujo's Giving Away GPs
But I noticed you have no fans--people who have double clicked your plus sign.
To get to the Community Newsfeed, click Newsfeed on the left side. This will take you to your Personal Newsfeed by default. Then, along the top, you'll see View the Community Newsfeed. Click that to see what everyone else is doing, not just your tiny part of WdC.
Okay, so when you find all the swapping things you can (try searching with different terms and not just for interactives), you need to start reaching out to folks and participating in their things to get them interested in you and your interactive. People who just send emails saying for folks to participate in their interactive without any sort of relationship don't usually do well.
Thus, when you find a story, review it. Then in the (good and thorough) review, you can add a little item link like I showed you and say you have an interactive, if they are interested in reading or adding to it. If you are paying, include that info as well. I think 1000 GPs (gift points--the WdC version of money) is pretty common.
If you find an interactive, add several (good and long-ish) chapters. You can also add a review for that with a link.
If you don't review much and are insecure about what to say, you can discuss things like the title and description, things you liked, things you think could be improved, your favorite part, how it made you feel, etc. Another thing that's pretty commonly not done (or not done fully) that you can comment on is for them to fill out all 3 genres...and things like "contest entry" and "other" or even "activity" or "contest" aren't the best options (unless it really is a contest or an activity). People search for things using the genres, so they need to use them. Also, Moderators who write Newsletters are obligated to include links to stories from around the site. They can't possibly find every great story, so they search by genre. If someone's item has no genres listed, they won't be found. Finally, if their interactive is really active or their story is new, it could be nominated for "The Quills"
I'm running out of characters again...
BTW, you aren't allowed to nominate yourself or to tell someone that you nominated them, but if you see something you want to nominate, here's the form. "Quill Nomination Form 2025"
Okay, now that I've traumatized you with so much information, GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR NEW INTERACTIVE! Go out there and start making friends, especially in your niche.
Schnujo's Giving Away GPs
To easily give someone the chance to double click your plus, I recommend posting a link like I did. (BTW, I pay 10,000 GPs to new fans.
{user:anbee} = n-b
Good luck! I hope this info helps!