#bc I think these are the same size as the banners on my fic blog lol

[what-the-fuck-khr]

january first

[sipsteainanxiety]

Hello, friend! Apologies for bothering you but I had a quick fanfic question and you seem like a friendly person to go to!

So, I just got into writing, but I'm a longtime reader. *However* most of the fics I've read come from AO3, not tumblr. So I'm not "knowledgeable" on how to post work on here, so to speak.

That being said, what are the appropriate tags I should make for a fic? Also, how in the fuck do I make a banner?! I've tried making one for a previous work but I just think it's the wrong size?!?

If you have any answers, I would happily appreciate it 🙏

Thank you in advance!

hello hello!!! i'm honored u decided to come ask me aww 🥺🥺 i will do my best to respond!! (keep in mind tht there rly arent any set technicalities to this, it's just what i do!!)

so of course tag the relationship first i would say. im gna use bkg as an example lmaooo so like 'bakugou x reader'. use both his first name and full name in separate tags (bkg katsuki x reader, katsuki x reader) bc you never know how people will look up certain tags. and since people spell his last name differently also tag that. i think there's a thing where ur post appears in only the first 5 tags u use??? but im not sure if thats legit. id still be wary.

i personally wouldnt tag an x reader fic as simply 'bnha' or anything bc like... the x reader niche is pretty mmm small n unique and i dont think ppl who arent into it wanna see y/n fics in the mha tag LOL but thats just me. keep it to the x reader tags or whatever fic youre writing, be it ship fic or whatevr, it's the same process.

u could also tag it as like 'bakugou imagine' or 'bakugou fluff' or smthn. and you can also create a unique tag for specifically your writing so that people can easily look it up instead of hunting for a masterlist! like you can do, idk '__ writings'. makes it easier when theyre on your blog since they can search for its content

in the case of x reader fics, i'd also use 'bkg x y/n' or 'bkg x you' bc again, never know how people will search for smthn.

and make sure you tag any TWs too! for instance, 'tw blood' or 'cw blood'. its good to use both for people who have the tags blocked!! i also find its nice to insert warnings/mentions at the top of your post! like if the reader is fem or gn, if its an AU, any TWs, if its fluff/angst/hurt, the pairing, anything you can think of that you blv readers will want to know abt! maybe add a short summary or a lil snippet.

so. banners. i personally use canva bc its free<3 my banners are 3000 x 1055 px! ive found tht it works p well. you could probably increase the height more, up to u. just fiddle around with the sizing! the lil dividers are typically 3000 x 40 px for me, but only bc i think 40 is the smallest canva can go lol

aannddd yeah! i thinkkk that's all? let me know if you have any other questions!! i'm happy to respond<3

[yamagucji]

some tips for writing blogs, especially those who are just starting out. these are some things that works for me and may or may not work for others.

how to add a read more link on mobile

type :readmore: on a free space, then hit the enter or return button

personally i think they’re very helpful because it lessens the space you take up in your dash, and might encourage more people to rb

+ you can also add this on a spot where it gives a sort of cliffhanger, essentially making people want to ‘read more’

headers, banners, and dividers

though not necessary, it’s good to have a title for your work. make sure it’s bold and doesn’t blend in with your notes (aka pairing, warnings, etc.). this also helps when someone wants to look up one of your works in your search bar

i don’t really make banners or covers for my works. but some good apps that i know of would be picsart and canva. if you’re looking for ideas, i definitely recommend going into canva

wondering how to make those really small, thin dividers? you can make them using picsart! to make a divider hit tools > free crop > brush > size (adjust it to your preference > then draw a line along the edge of your photo > save

using the divider you just saved, go back to picsart and edit it again > draw option > hit rainbow square at the bottom left corner > hit suction/droplet symbol right below the check mark > color in the white spots bc for some reason picsart glitches and makes dividers look white-ish

new blog? just opened an account?

this is gonna sound really frustrating. but... tumblr needs to check if you’re a bot or not. what does this mean? it’s likely that your first few posts won’t show up on the search bar. you may not even get to edit your header/pfp yet ://

this happened to me and there was no visibility on my account at ALL. what helped me get ‘verified’ is that i followed a LOT of accounts, liked a bunch of posts, made some posts here and there. now that lets tumblr know you’re not a bot

visibility

the tumblr tagging system usually only allows the first 5 tags in your post to show up. so, what can do you about this? only use FIVE or less tags in your post. wait about 15 minutes or more until you can add some more tags in your post, and they usually all show up like that

another important thing about using tags is not to generalize! especially if you’re using a popular tag. but also don’t specify it too much where barely anyone looks it up. for example, if you’re writing a gn piece about oikawa, i recommend you use the tags such as: oikawa x reader, haikyuu x reader, oikawa x gn!reader, haikyuu headcanons, etc

a good rule of thumb is to use character x reader tags first, then leave the full name or fandom tag last

FOR NSFW: tumblr doesn’t let any tags with nsfw show up. so, give your nsfw works another tag. maybe #namegetspicy idk, you figure it out

FOR WARNINGS: especially if you’re a dark content creator, i highly encourage you to add tw:xyz tags. if you already have a warning note at the top then that’s great. but even better for readers who prefer to actually block these tags that way they never get to see it

another important thing to note is that people have different timezones. it helps if you rb your work at a different time of the day, in case people missed it! (icymi) i’ve noticed that reblogging helps to make your post show up in the tags

interaction + feedback

first and foremost, you are not obligated to write for your followers, and neither are your followers obligated to interact with you. remember that everyone has their own individual lives, and they have their own things to do— so do you, too.

make friends! become mutuals with other writers, visit their ask box. i know it can be daunting having to initiate these things, but you might just turn out to have fun! you can’t expect people to interact with you if you’re not interacting (back). it’s... kind of a two way thing yk? no need to be afraid to interact with other writers. oh, and rb other writers works!

pspsps join tag games or do ask games. it’s fun and very interactive

it never hurts to ask for feedback. i usually do this in a more subtle way because i don’t really expect a full on analysis on my works. maybe a little, is this okay? or feedback appreciated. sometimes it takes a little bit of coaxing for the silent readers

formatting your posts and blog

i generally put in the title at the top in big, bold letters

then comes the header/divider. helps to make the post more... visually appealing ig?

it’s important to add warnings (if any) and the pairing. the audience is not all female, and it might be a little frustrating for male readers having to find out its an x fem reader piece like halfway through your fic

if you have multiple works posted, it’s really really helpful to have a navigation page!

you can organize the posts you make with tags! for example, if you’re shitposting, you can use a specific tag for that. if you have a nsfw related post (ESPECIALLY when your blog is open to the general audience) please make a tag for it

themes + colors

if you have a color in mind but don’t know which direction to go from there, i recommend looking up color + aesthetic

looking to use the same color? download a name color app that’ll give you a hex code for any color you want to use. then, you can type in that hex code for when you’re choosing a color for your tumblr bio

wondering how to make your header image small like mine? just choose a photo for your header and turn off the stretch image option

want to use a different text color that tumblr doesn’t offer? it’s not as complicated as you think. you’ll have to go on a desktop to do this and do some html (but trust me, it’s not very difficult). look up “HTML noob but trying my best - how to use colored text on desktop”

^^ i don’t have the link for the color text tutorial so you can try looking it up

how to make an aesthetic navi and masterlist

step 1: decide a theme! if you’re stuck, think about a character + color/season/mood or look up “[insert] aesthetic” to find some inspiration. or you can try looking at other blogs too

step 2: find a color scheme! it’s easier if you choose fewer colors. if you want to use the same color for both divider and text, download a color name app in order to get the hex code of that color.

step 3: add categories to your navi! most navigation pages include a link to masterlist, about/byi, and rules. your navi should have a title that indicates that it’s... a navigation page. you can add thin colored dividers with the same color to make it easier for followers to navigate

step 4: you can choose to create a ‘cover’ or a picture for your navigation and masterlist! again, i recommend you use the canva app as a starting point

extra: search up emoticon symbols to spice up your titles!

reminder for you as a writer

you’re not obligated to do any of these things. i’ve noticed that we tend to build pressure on ourselves when it comes to content and interaction. remember, this !! is !! for !! fun !! when you realize that it’s no longer fun, then know that it’s time to take a break. and there’s nothing wrong with a bit of self care.

^^ c/p from this post lol

at the end of the day, follower count and interaction doesn’t define you. again for the love of beings, you’re here on your own accord.

will be adding more if needed/asked.