No coding required
How FICTBASE works
FICTBASE is a WordPress plugin that gives you everything Wattpad and Royal Road offer — but on your own site, under your own domain, with your readers in your database. Here is exactly what that looks like in practice.
From zero to published in minutes
Everything happens inside your WordPress admin. No external accounts, no dashboards on someone else's server.
Install the plugin
Download FICTBASE and install it like any WordPress plugin. Activate it, and a new "FICTBASE" menu appears in your WordPress admin. No configuration required to start publishing.
Create your first story
Give your story a title, write a description, upload a cover image, pick a genre, and set its status. FICTBASE creates a clean public page at /story/your-story-slug/ automatically.
Write and publish chapters
Use the built-in rich-text editor to write each chapter. Publish immediately or save as a draft. FICTBASE automatically numbers chapters, tracks word count, and wires up previous/next navigation.
Readers find your work
Your stories live on your own domain, indexed by Google under your SEO-friendly URLs. Readers browse, click into a story, and read chapters in a clean distraction-free interface — no ads, no platform noise.
Grow your audience
With Pro, readers can subscribe to email notifications, bookmark their place, and come back for scheduled releases. You see who is reading, which chapters land best, and where readers drop off.
Everything you need to publish
The free version is a complete publishing tool. No trial period. No credit card.
Unlimited stories and chapters
No caps, no limits. Publish one story or one hundred. Each story can have as many chapters as you need.
Rich-text chapter editor
Full TinyMCE editor with formatting, images, and paste-from-Word support. Write directly in WordPress admin — no external tools needed.
Clean reader URLs
Stories live at /story/title/ and chapters at /story/title/chapter/1/. Real permalink structure that looks professional and helps search engines understand your content.
Distraction-free reader experience
Readers get a focused reading interface with a progress bar, previous/next chapter navigation, and adjustable font size. Light, dark, and auto themes included.
Automatic word count and read time
Every chapter displays word count and estimated read time, calculated automatically. Readers know what they are getting into before they start.
Shortcodes for any page
Embed your story list, a single story card, or a chapter list anywhere on your site using simple shortcodes. Works with any WordPress theme.
Tools to grow your readership
Pro adds the features that turn casual visitors into loyal readers.
Drip Scheduling
Release chapters on a consistent schedule, automatically.
Write ahead in batches, then schedule each chapter to publish at a specific date and time. When the moment comes, FICTBASE publishes the chapter and notifies your subscribers — without you lifting a finger. Readers know when to expect updates, which keeps them coming back.
What you get
- ✓Set a publish date and time per chapter
- ✓Chapters publish automatically — no manual action needed
- ✓Email notifications fire the moment a chapter goes live
- ✓Change or cancel the schedule at any time
Reader Bookmarks
Readers never lose their place.
For logged-in readers, FICTBASE automatically saves their reading position every 30 seconds and when they leave the page. A "Continue Reading" button appears on the story page, taking them straight back to where they left off. No registration wall — this works with standard WordPress accounts.
What you get
- ✓Auto-saves scroll position while reading
- ✓Works across devices for logged-in users
- ✓"Continue Reading" button on every story page
- ✓"Save My Place" manual button in the reader
Analytics Dashboard
Understand your audience without third-party trackers.
Your WordPress admin gets a dedicated Analytics page showing total views, unique story counts, total word count, and a 30-day engagement bar chart. A per-chapter leaderboard shows which chapters get the most reads so you know what your audience loves.
What you get
- ✓Total views, stories, chapters, and wordcount at a glance
- ✓30-day daily view chart
- ✓Top-10 chapters by read count
- ✓Per-story view breakdown
- ✓Privacy-respecting — no cookies, no third parties
Email Notifications
Build a direct line to your readers.
A "Follow this story" form appears on every story page. Readers enter their email, confirm once, and get notified every time a new chapter publishes. Emails go out through your WordPress mail setup — no Mailchimp, no monthly fee, no subscriber limit.
What you get
- ✓Follow form on every story page
- ✓Double opt-in confirmation email
- ✓Automatic notification on chapter publish
- ✓One-click unsubscribe link in every email
- ✓Subscriber list visible in your WordPress admin
30-day money-back guarantee. No questions asked.
A reading experience your audience will love
FICTBASE builds the reader interface automatically. Your readers get a clean, fast, mobile-friendly reading experience — no setup required.
Distraction-free reading
No ads, no sidebar clutter, no platform noise. Just the story. Readers can focus on your words.
Light, dark, and auto themes
Readers choose their preferred reading theme. Auto mode matches their system preference.
Reading progress bar
A progress indicator at the top of every chapter shows how far through the chapter a reader is.
Prev / Next navigation
One click moves between chapters. Readers never have to go back to find the next chapter.
Mobile optimised
The reader layout is built for phones and tablets. Font size and reading width adapt to the screen.
Author bio on every chapter
Your author bio and profile image appear at the bottom of every chapter — keeping your identity front and centre.
You own everything
When you publish on Wattpad, Royal Road, or any other platform, your stories live in their database. They can change their algorithm, shut down, or take a cut of your earnings. With FICTBASE, your stories are in your WordPress database, on your server, under your domain. Export anytime. Move anywhere. No permission needed.
Your data
Stories, chapters, subscribers, and analytics live in your own MySQL database. No third party holds your content.
Your domain
Readers bookmark your URL, not a platform URL. Your brand, your SEO authority, your Google ranking.
Your readers
Email subscribers belong to you. Export the list anytime. No platform between you and your audience.
Ready to start?
Install the free plugin in 2 minutes. No account needed. Upgrade to Pro whenever you are ready.