Does anyone use the formatting options provided by Tapas?

[Ahmed2000]

So there's some formatting options Tapas gives us such as bold, italicized, and a larger font and I was wondering if anyone uses them and incorporates them into the story? Here's an example of me using it, but I'm not sure if I end up using it, I wont be able to get featured and what not. I think writing a novel out like this would be more engaging with the average demographic here.

[Drewbie]

I use it for a specific characters voice but only them.

[LostSpirit]

I tend to italicize inner thoughts. Bold? Well, I do use them very rarely.

You seem to have taken a different approach to the concept of expression though. It's interesting. There's a visible emphasis on certain things.

I don't think it'll stop you from being featured. The formatting options and the versatility it provides exist for a reason. When the time comes, and if it is a problem, the Tapas team might just ask you to edit them out!

[mrtoontastic]

I use the formatting options Tapas provides quite alot. Though, I really wish they would update it to include MORE at this point, like proper paragraph formatting or an option to create volumes for ongoing sagas. I get that some people write differently, and sometimes are more accustomed to the style Tapas provides. But... it-it just kinda feels a bit clunky and outdated. Especially when other novel-based sites have a much more diverse and streamlined way of formatting your work.

[Leverance]

I agree, I've barely used Tapas for a while and both Inkitt and Wattpad have more updated writing versions. I also wish we had a more professional way to show a jump in chapter instead of using aestericts (it seems very unprofessional to me).

[thedude3445]

It doesn't even allow text centering

[DasIstWunderblyat]

LOL nope because it only works well on desktop (I don't think many people use the mobile site though, since you can't add/edit episode on app which is another topic).

Also agreeing with previous posters, the editor lacks features and is outdated... For example it is unable to add image or format text alignment which should be a very basic thing for text editors.

[doriantorres112]

i don't use the formatting or editing options on tapas since they are limited and some things I put in my chapters on the app I used can't be translated well on tapas was a disappointment to discover.

But i'm a little bit discouraged that fact the character count is limited to 15,000 character which is basically 3,000 words per chapter. I would have lesser chapters if the character count isn't so small in terms of words, and I'm a little bit confused as to why chapters are referred to as episodes, so I'd write my episodes as chapters like Episode 1 Chapter 1 kind of thing. I'm kinda new to tapas so that's why.

[DasIstWunderblyat]

AFAIK, the word count restriction is based on Tapas' tagline and brand of "Bite-sized episodes."

I am copy pasting from this help page about how to get your novel featured

Second: the length of your episodes matters, especially when it comes to getting featured. Tapas has a 15,000 character limit on novel episodes because we are a platform for bite-sized stories that people can read within a few minutes. If you have a novel with very long chapters, it is unlikely to be featured in the Daily Snack simply because it’s too long for most people to get through in one sitting.

A good rule of thumb is to keep all of your episodes between 500 to 1,500 words. A good example of a novel that makes good use of shorter episodes is The Selkie’s Skin, with most of the episodes clocking in between 500 to 700 words. Those That Came After tends to have longer episodes, but the very first episode is a comfortable 1,600 words, which makes it much easier for readers to sink their teeth into.

[doriantorres112]

ah, well, now I know. As someone who enjoys reading long shet, this is something I was forced to realize when the stories I have read so far here are short in each episodes. Still, that wouldn't stop me from writing almost to the limit of the character count since I am so ingrained and used to have my chapters long.

[thedude3445]

I actually write pretty short chapters but I even found many times when I scheduled out my novel where I had to cut chapters into several parts. I do like their philosophy for short chapters, but I worry it'll make the story feel even slower paced than it already is when single chapters are split into 3-4 parts... I guess we'll see about that.

[doriantorres112]

yeah... see through the end of your novel and notice the difference or the likes with your writing style.

[thedude3445]

Yep, so we can find out the truth in like 75 more days. It will be very useful data for authors writing romance novels on the site, I think.

[doriantorres112]

you're writing romance? that's interesting. idk, i always get curious to people writing genres i haven't touched on which is basically majority of the genres known out there.

[thedude3445]

Yeah, I like to write pretty much every genre but my first story on Tapas is romance. I know romance COMICS do very well on the site, and BL does well in novels too, but will a romance story that isn't BL do well? That is a question to be answered soon, especially when a lot of the chapters have to be split into multiple parts.

[doriantorres112]

even if your novel isn't exactly well received as you hope for, continue on writing. if that's what you love then I don't think it matters if whether it gain a large amount of popularity or not. in the age of globalization and internet, there's always people that's willing to read your work. I hope for the best with your story!

[IsobelLynx]

I use italics for the rare emphasis, internal thought, or quote.

I used the blockquote a couple of times to show a literal quote or to show author's note. In short, to make it stand out.
For example, here:
https://tapas.io/episode/1758171
It's an excerpt from a book in this fantasy universe.

Be careful with bold. It's not very professional in fiction. Maybe if you have scene markers it could come in handy, although that's not really needed on Tapas since readers like short chapters anyway.

I used the headings and bold in my trivia episode since it's no longer the narrative, more like an article. I expect some readers to skim the content to see what's in it. Headings help organize. You only need that in non-ficiton.