12 tips to grow your earnings || A letter from Pratilipi

Dear author,

In March, Pratilipi wrote its first letter to you (read here). Seeing the love our authors poured back, we felt we should write again. This letter has 3 parts: 1) Something about Pratilipi’s past 2) 12 most important tips from our team to make you successful in Pratilipi and 3) One surprise! 

Lets go:

So something about Pratilipi first:

In 2014, Pratilipi was born in a rented house (photo below) that served as home and office at once. We were just 5 people, and today we are a team of 300+. It's because authors trusted us. For almost 8 to 9 years, authors did not earn, and still they trusted Pratilipi, and just last month alone, 10,381 authors collectively earned ₹3.12 crores. 

For this letter, we asked 12 of our team members to share one helpful tip each to help you succeed on Pratilipi.

1. In case you are not earning from Pratilipi, here is the way: Once you get 200 followers and publish 5 stories/parts in a month, you automatically get the Golden Badge, and after that you can put your series into subscription and start earning. 

2. Pratilipi's readers love long series! Write each chapter with more than 600-800 words. Try to end each chapter with a hook that makes the reader curious. Introduce meaningful conflicts early, and end chapters with curiosity, tension, or cliffhangers. Readers are more likely to keep unlocking chapters when they feel invested in what happens next.

3. Just start the story directly. Avoid writing random notes or preface/introduction or avoid addressing your readers. 

4. The first chapter should create a strong curiosity so readers naturally want to continue to the next episodes. Also end your third chapter with a very strong cliffhanger. If the reader is hooked till the third chapter, they will unlock the rest of the story for sure. 

5. Consistency is one of the most important factors in building readership. Readers appreciate knowing when to expect new chapters, and regular publishing keeps your stories visible on the platform. Whether you publish daily or several times a week, a reliable schedule helps readers develop the habit of returning to your stories.

6. Always finish your series. Readers will trust you and start reading each new series if they know you see them through. That way your series reaches more readers and your earnings rise too.

7. Use AI to create eye-catching cover images. Avoid celebrity photos or images taken directly from Google. 

8. Avoid AI. Your authentic voice is what readers come for. Fully AI-generated stories rarely connect the same way. If you're stuck on a plot, AI can help you brainstorm ideas. Smart authors use AI as an assistant, not a ghostwriter. 

9. Try different genres other than romance. Readers like horror, supernatural, thriller, suspense, science fiction, mythology, and family drama. 

10. Use social media effectively. Make reels on your Pratilipi profile and collaborate with our Instagram Profile. Feel free to showcase your followers, earnings, and read count growth in your reels. Sometimes, ask your readers to help promote the story they love. You can also participate in this program: Pratilipi Influencer Program

11. Embrace feedback and reviews. Learn from them, but avoid fighting with reviewers. The best authors focus on creation, not criticism. Pratilipi's recommendation system is rating-agnostic. It follows actual reading behavior, not ratings.

12. If you want to build discipline in writing, try participating in writing competitions. We just launched one here: Pratilipi events

One Surprise!

If you use an iPhone, you'll receive an update in the coming weeks introducing a new Writing option in iPhones. :)