How often to release

[Willpkirk]

Just wondering if there was a "magic" number of days between submitting stories for release to help improve figures?

 

[Bamagan]

Just wondering if there was a "magic" number of days between submitting stories for release to help improve figures?

42

(Do not listen to me.)

 

[AlinaX]

I don't think so.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

The pending story queue is not consistent enough to say. I suppose in an ideal world, being able to have a new part of a story launch every seven days would keep it more visible, but with contest submissions taking priority in the queue at times, Laurel's activities on particular days of the week and any number of other factors make precise targeting of when a story will post problematic.

 

[KeithD]

I usually submit every Sunday, with posting almost always occurring on Tuesday. That way if there are any fans out there needing their weekly fix from me, they can be pretty sure when there's a new story. When I'm running chapters, though, I usually submit the next one right after the prior one posted.

 

[Djmac1031]

42

(Do not listen to me.)

This is always the answer.

 

[MillieDynamite]

As often as possible. As they say, time and tide wait for no man (or woman)> The thing is, you have put work up for people to read it. The more you have available, here or elsewhere, the more you get noticed. But this isn't my only obligation. So, this site comes last in my must-do list. Work for pay, first, work to sell, second, here, third. Not to mention the SO, child, family, and Cat get attention at the tippy top of the list.

 

[Altissimus]

You get a peak of activity when something is 'new'. For this reason, there's little benefit (IMO) from having two new things out at the same time - better to wait a few days between submissions (you can also request a submission date when you publish, for, say, 'Thursday 17th'.) This maximises the 'new' exposure.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Why has no one picked up on the obvious smutty double entendre? Am I on the wrong site?

Em

 

[Voboy]

OP, you can't generally control how long your tale will take to post. So it's a moot point. You'll submit whenever, and then the story will post whenever, and whatever planning you did will be for naught.

BUT!

There's an exception for people who submit multiple chapters of a series all at once. They can specify via a "Note to Admin" that each new chapter should get posted every x number of days; I believe the default is one week, though don't hold me to that. Only once have I ever done something like that, and the second part I'd submitted went up on exactly the date I asked for. The key was to submit all the parts at once, and then leave them alone.

I didn't do it to "improve figures," though, so I can't comment on whether that has any effect.

 

[ElectricBlue]

There's an exception for people who submit multiple chapters of a series all at once. They can specify via a "Note to Admin" that each new chapter should get posted every x number of days; I believe the default is one week, though don't hold me to that.

The default is twenty-four hours, if you leave the timing to Laurel. She sets a clock running and each chapter goes live on the "midnight server run".

 

[Voboy]

The default is twenty-four hours, if you leave the timing to Laurel. She sets a clock running and each chapter goes live on the "midnight server run".

Ah. Makes sense.

In my case, I requested five days I think, and that's what I got.

 

[MrPixel]

Why has no one picked up on the obvious smutty double entendre? Am I on the wrong site?

I did, but I've been biting my tongue all day. Let's start over:

How often to release?

It varies. Depends on your refractory period.

That's OK, I won't let the door hit my butt on the way out.

 

[oneagainst]

From personal experience, am rolling out Only Consenting Adults now in the (wasteland known as) Novels and Novellas category with two chapters a week, either side of the weekend. Judging from daily views, the cadence seems right. Views tail off but then spike again, keeping interest high.

The mechanics of this approach is obviously having all chapters ready to go, but then requesting go live dates in the notes to admin section and submitting at least a week before the due date to give laurel time. In the end, it's all about consistency of the release schedule so the regulars know when. One commenter stated they wait every Friday for the next instalment, for example.

 

[WyreBendr0417]

69 has always worked well for me, but it has never improved my figure. Just sayin'.

WB

 

[AllenWoody]

As often as possible. As they say, time and tide wait for no man (or woman)> The thing is, you have put work up for people to read it. The more you have available, here or elsewhere, the more you get noticed. But this isn't my only obligation. So, this site comes last in my must-do list. Work for pay, first, work to sell, second, here, third. Not to mention the SO, child, family, and Cat get attention at the tippy top of the list.

Your decision to place the cat last in your queue has, no doubt, been noted.

 

[Willpkirk]

My magic number has been "When the story is done." Rushing out something half-assed to meet some arbitrary deadline is going to backfire more than having, say, a year between submissions because you're not happy with what you have to offer.

A well-polished story is always better than a deadline release in my opinion.

Obviously release schedule would depend on you having work sitting ready to release. As you said releasing (submitting it) something just cause it's a Friday, for example, it pointless, will probably get kicked back and if by some slim chance is accepted will no doubt destroy any loyal readers you had gotten.

I tend to always have about, at the moment at least 5 WIPs and as soon as I get one done, another idea pops into my head so could probably (if I actually start and focus and put effort in) start a weekly release schedule. Just don't know if it's: A required, B beneficial, C recommended

Thanks again everyone

 

[BobbyBrandt]

OP, you can't generally control how long your tale will take to post. So it's a moot point. You'll submit whenever, and then the story will post whenever, and whatever planning you did will be for naught.

BUT!

There's an exception for people who submit multiple chapters of a series all at once. They can specify via a "Note to Admin" that each new chapter should get posted every x number of days; I believe the default is one week, though don't hold me to that. Only once have I ever done something like that, and the second part I'd submitted went up on exactly the date I asked for. The key was to submit all the parts at once, and then leave them alone.

I didn't do it to "improve figures," though, so I can't comment on whether that has any effect.

When I used to post multiple chapters/parts, I would submit them one after another on the same day and they would post day after day until everything was published.

This resulted in multiple "new" posts (sometimes as man as 5 to 7) at the same time, but it also let my readers know that the story was complete and that they wouldn't have to wait weeks or months to finish it. Again, this strategy was employed for stand-alone stories being broken up and not a series of individual but related stories. Those I handle differently.

 

[JaxRhapsody]

What I was doing with my current story was I'd submit a chapter, then wait around the same time to submit the next one. It took two days after submission to go live. That was until chapter four. Why the delay, could be any reason, but I've never had to pm her about a submission, they usually go up within a week for me. I went ahead and submitted ch5 after a few days as a wink wink and four went live the other day, while 5 is still pending. I'm thinking she's holding them on purpose on account of her right assumption that the story is longer than she thought. I just submitted 6 an hour or two ago, we'll see. I didn't cross check the time between when I submitted 5 and 4 went live, but I'll assume it was a day or two.

 

[AchtungNight]

My strategy has always been “post when you think a story is ready, accept the wait and feedback levels you get.” Even the most dedicated readers will pause their review of your work to get a drink or whatever if you bombed them with a lot of stories at once rather than binge. Or pace themselves. They will also forgive you a delayed posting if your work is good enough- I do it on SA with LPers of whom I’m a fan all the time.