Feedback Bounties: Your Source For Quality Reader Feedback
Beta readers? Flaky after they get a free book.
Writing groups? More about support and encouragement than feedback on your writing.
Editors? They cost hundreds at a minimum.
You can get uncertainty, indecision, and vague responses all you want. But peace of mind and actual answers? Those come from a Feedback Bounty on StoryForge and for less than the price of a cup of coffee.
Feedback bounties are direct and targeted requests for user feedback on a specific chapter of your work, only on StoryForge. You make an ask, and StoryForge readers come with answers. Our community comprises over 10,000 readers and writers, so someone is going to have the answers you seek.
This isn’t “What did you think of my book?” because getting a “It was pretty good” is only kind of helpful. You’re a serious author, and you deserve serious feedback. Instead of a vague overarching question, our authors have asked their readers things like:
“Did the momentum in this chapter stall out?”
“Does the romance that’s starting here feel natural or forced?”
“I’m trying to introduce a character that’s a different race/gender/sexuality than me. Is this done in a respectful and realistic way?”
What are Feedback Bounties?
How Do We Know You’ll Get Good Feedback?
When you create a Bounty, you’ll be charged 2 credits. Credits are available for purchase in our store, or you can earn them by winning bounties yourself. As the feedback rolls in, you get to choose the best piece of feedback at any time. Your bounty lives for 4 days for people to give you their very best responses.
How do you know they’ll be the best? Because the person you chose with the best feedback gets 1 credit. Every credit is worth $1. Readers know this, so if they want to win and make that sweet, sweet money, they’re going to get it their absolute all.
Plus, while your story has an active Bounty, it could get as many as 10x more readers daily! Not only are they great for crushing writer’s block, but they also help grow your audience.
What Are Credits?
Credits are a currency in the StoryForge app, which are used to create bounties. You can buy Credits from the shop, or reply to other authors’ bounties to earn some for free. You only need two Credits to create a Bounty and get more readers!
If you’re not interested in creating your own Bounties, you could instead…
• Exchange Credits for Quills: Quill coins let you change your avatar, customize your library, decorate your writing page, and do more with StoryForge!
• Exchange Credits for Money: Earn some extra cash by exchanging your hard-earned Credits for real money! Each Credit is worth $1.00 USD (processing fees apply).
How to Get Credits
Credits can be purchased from the in-app store, or earned for free by providing authors with great feedback on their bounties! Authors will award the responses that resonate with them most, so make sure to give them kind and constructive feedback.
Bounty FAQ
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You’ll need a free StoryForge account to access the app, where you can browse stories or create your own bounties. This also helps us keep authors’ work safe from automated bots and AI.
Creating an account with StoryForge does not require a credit card or any other payment information. However, if you purchase Credits from our shop, you will need to enter your payment information.
Additionally, if you buy Credits, or exchange them for money (USD or another currency), we’ll ask for your bank information so we can send your money to the right place! If you run into any issues with this process, contact Stripe support.
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No, you can use feedback bounties at any point in your process, whether you’re working on your first draft of your poem or polishing the fifteenth draft of your epic fantasy manuscript.
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Yes, you can still share your stories privately, but Feedback Bounties and the chapter you’re posting them on must be publicly shared.
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No, Feedback Bounties are completely optional. Readers can still discuss a story in chapter and in-line comments!
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You choose the reply that you want to receive the reward. Even if they get a few unhelpful replies, that incentive helps encourage people to put in the work to provide useful feedback.
Secondly, StoryForge has a firm anti-AI policy, so all of your responses will come from real people!
There are some things you can do to encourage reader feedback as well, such as asking a clear question in your bounty, or putting your bounty on a chapter where new readers won’t be too confused. Read our free guide on how to ask for and receive constructive criticism for more.
If you are unhappy with the feedback you receive, you can request a review from a member of our moderation team.
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This gives you time to read any last-minute replies before selecting a winner. To avoid a last-minute rush, authors can always pre-select a winner at any point during the initial four-day period if they find a comment they love. You can change your selection until the Bounty ends.
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If your reply is chosen as the winner, you’ll get a notification letting you know after the Bounty ends, and Credits will be added to your account.
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Yes! Stripe will automatically convert any money earned through Credits into your bank account’s currency when you cash out.
Any other questions that aren’t answered here, you can contact us at help@storyforge.com.