Ask HN: Where do you write?

#1

Post by rntc » Tue, Apr 28, 2020, 11:39 AM UTC

I would like to write some short stories but I don't know where to publish them. Should I go for Medium, or a personal blog ...

Whatever you are writing, fictional or not, which platform do you use to publish ? And what are the pros and cons ?

Re: Ask HN: Where do you write?

#2

Post by alexmingoia » Thu, Apr 30, 2020, 8:30 AM UTC

I recommend a blog with your own URL (WordPress or Ghost). Then you can syndicate to Medium and Twitter with plugins. That way your content stays yours and you remain in control, while also getting the exposure from other platforms.

Re: Ask HN: Where do you write?

#3

Post by brenden2 » Thu, Apr 30, 2020, 2:35 PM UTC

I've got a blog nobody reads that I host with Netlify. It's just a simple Hugo-based static site.

Re: Ask HN: Where do you write?

#4

Post by mooreds » Thu, Apr 30, 2020, 2:35 PM UTC

I wrote a blog post about that: https://letterstoanewdeveloper.com/2019/10/14/how-to-start-b...

But the short answer is: wherever is easiest. I find setting up a wordpress.com blog (free) easiest, but medium or dev.to are good as well.

Don't let your desire to find the perfect platform inhibit your writing. The hard part about writing is the writing, not the platform. As a developer, I find it easy to get tangled up in tech choices, package upgrades and deployment pipelines, which lets me avoid or defer actually writing.

Re: Ask HN: Where do you write?

#5

Post by steveklabnik » Thu, Apr 30, 2020, 2:36 PM UTC

I have used svbtle.com for years, and generally like it.

I am all-in on Notion these days, though, and wish I could use it for my blog. I could but I want nicer URLs and to have it be on my domain.

Re: Ask HN: Where do you write?

#6

Post by rayrrr » Thu, Apr 30, 2020, 2:37 PM UTC

I was mainly using Literature & Latte's paid app Scrivener for years, but recently the free open source app Joplin has become my primary drafting environment. I still recommended both -- I use Scrivener for capturing research, organizing projects, and producing publisher-ready files.

Re: Ask HN: Where do you write?

#7

Post by kamphey » Thu, Apr 30, 2020, 2:41 PM UTC

Write Everywhere.

Write on Medium and Your Blog

Write on Substack. Write on Amazon Publishing

Re: Ask HN: Where do you write?

#8

Post by throwaway123x2 » Thu, Apr 30, 2020, 2:42 PM UTC

fanfiction.net :D

Re: Ask HN: Where do you write?

#9

Post by pier25 » Thu, Apr 30, 2020, 2:42 PM UTC

alexmingoia wrote: post #2

I recommend a blog with your own URL (WordPress or Ghost). Then you can syndicate to Medium and Twitter with plugins. That way your content stays yours and you remain in control, while also getting the exposure from other platforms.

Does it really work to syndicate content to Medium?

I don't remember the exact number, but the vast majority of my Medium readers (something like 80% IIRC) came from HN, Reddit, Twitter, etc. My most read article had about 170k reads before I removed my content from Medium.

Re: Ask HN: Where do you write?

#10

Post by ilamont » Thu, Apr 30, 2020, 2:43 PM UTC

I think the key is finding a community, if feedback and potentially an audience is what you are trying to build.

Wattpad has been popular for those who can keep up with the social requirements (frequent updates, networking, etc.)