If I edit my chapter titles after posting, will my series still group together?

I recently posted Ch. 01 of what will eventually be a four-part series. I did not include a chapter number in the title, because it will probably be a while before I get around to writing Ch. 02, and I didn't want to create any expectations.

I plan also to give the next three chapters individual story titles at first (as each is intended to work as a standalone episode, and honestly I don't want the reader dropoff that would almost certainly come with posting a chaptered series with months-long gaps between installments). And then once all four chapters are posted, I plan to edit the individual story titles to the umbrella title for the series, plus chapter numbers 1–4.

My questions are a) If I do this, will the chapters still group neatly together in my author profile as a series, or will I have screwed up the process? And b) Is this something readers would likely find annoying?

WoolyWorm said:

I recently posted Ch. 01 of what will eventually be a four-part series. I did not include a chapter number in the title, because it will probably be a while before I get around to writing Ch. 02, and I didn't want to create any expectations.

I plan also to give the next three chapters individual story titles at first (as each is intended to work as a standalone episode, and honestly I don't want the reader dropoff that would almost certainly come with posting a chaptered series with months-long gaps between installments). And then once all four chapters are posted, I plan to edit the individual story titles to the umbrella title for the series, plus chapter numbers 1–4.

My questions are a) If I do this, will the chapters still group neatly together in my author profile as a series, or will I have screwed up the process? And b) Is this something readers would likely find annoying?

Click to expand...

Don't do anything at this stage. When you submit the second chapter, use exactly the same story title as the first, add Chap.02 to the title. For certainty, add a note to the site editor that it's a second chapter. Laurel will do the rest - join the stories together, put Chap.01 to the first.

You must use the same story title, though, for all chapters. If you use different titles, they cannot be linked together.

If you futz around as you propose, when all parts are written, be aware that your peak readership will have come and gone with the first submission - all that changes is the metadata. The new title won't get a re-run on the category front page, and it's a bit of a waste of the site editor's time, really.

If you have long gaps between instalments, yes, you will get reader drop off, of course you will. If it's obviously a multi-chapter thing, readers expect regular instalments. If you can't commit to regular instalments, don't start, would be my advice. There are too many "great unfinished Lit stories" already, we don't need another one.

If each story is in fact self-contained, you could do what I do, and call them Parts instead of Chapters (same title numbering system). Your readers will see the thematic link but the stand-alone quality when you publish the second part, and figure it out.

WoolyWorm said:

My questions are a) If I do this, will the chapters still group neatly together in my author profile as a series, or will I have screwed up the process? And b) Is this something readers would likely find annoying?

Click to expand...

a) The ultimate solution for anything that might risk screwing things up is -- when you make the edits -- tell Laurel in the notes section what you want to do. Alternatively you might PM her with the problem. If you do, then you need to include a link to the stories you're talking about so she can find them.

b) This might be annoying to people who had previously favorited or otherwise bookmarked your stories under their original titles. It may look like you removed the stories.

I have two stories that are the start of an anthology. When I wrote the second story I let Laurel know (in the notes section) that I'd like to have the stories associated somehow, even though they weren't chapters. The first story was "The Third Ring," and the original title of the second story was "Tamsin of Sky Village." She retitled the second story as "The Third Ring -- Tamsin of Sky Village." It worked.

You might want to think about doing something like that.

No need to edit chapter 1 to say Ch. 01, when you post chapter 2 just be sure to and the Ch. 02 designation it will automatically group with the first chapter.

NotWise said:

a) The ultimate solution for anything that might risk screwing things up is -- when you make the edits -- tell Laurel in the notes section what you want to do. Alternatively you might PM her with the problem. If you do, then you need to include a link to the stories you're talking about so she can find them.

Click to expand...

I think I didn't ask my question clearly enough, but this is what I will do. Thanks.

Well, I have no idea how that would work here as I don't recall seeing such approach here, but if it is independent but linked stories, you might try to do just that: include link to the previous in the starting note and edit previous to include link to the next in an end note.

All that chapters does is to provide neat links in the sidebar, if you can include working links in notes like that (about what I'm not really sure) it may be a valid workaround, retaining unique titles for each.