How do you structure an episodic series?

[CalBishForNow]

I'm not literally asking how, I've got that tool figured out, but I'm looking for guidance on how to make it clear to readers. I've got a series in progress with 10 installments and #11 is almost ready, but I'm thinking of changing some things up.

Readership has dropped with each part, not quite linearly but there's a pattern. Fine, I get it, it happens with any series here and in other media. I suspect that having more evocative titles would help. So far they've all been named "Hall Pass - Part 1", "Hall Pass - Part 2", and so on. I'm thinking of changing future installments to, for example, "Hall Pass: the Date and the Roommates," or "Hall Pass: Husband, Wife, Friend."

If it matters, the series is mostly but not entirely episodic. I think you don't need to read Part 8 to understand Part 9, in general, and I've tried to clarify exceptions with a Foreword or in the text. So arguably I should have been doing this new system all along. Would changing to it partway through cause any confusion? I don't want to go back and revise existing entries; I gather that's a mess.

Just to make it a bit more complicated, Part 11 has an in media res opening. Thanks for the suggestion, @StillStunned . So I hesitate to say the series is linear when the upcoming one isn't internally. Should I change it and just get it over with? Or maybe publish "Part 11" as such and change it to the Title: Subtitle system with the next one? Or something else, or am I overthinking it entirely?

 

[cw5523729]

I'm not literally asking how, I've got that tool figured out, but I'm looking for guidance on how to make it clear to readers. I've got a series in progress with 10 installments and #11 is almost ready, but I'm thinking of changing some things up.

Readership has dropped with each part, not quite linearly but there's a pattern. Fine, I get it, it happens with any series here and in other media. I suspect that having more evocative titles would help. So far they've all been named "Hall Pass - Part 1", "Hall Pass - Part 2", and so on. I'm thinking of changing future installments to, for example, "Hall Pass: the Date and the Roommates," or "Hall Pass: Husband, Wife, Friend."

If it matters, the series is mostly but not entirely episodic. I think you don't need to read Part 8 to understand Part 9, in general, and I've tried to clarify exceptions with a Foreword or in the text. So arguably I should have been doing this new system all along. Would changing to it partway through cause any confusion? I don't want to go back and revise existing entries; I gather that's a mess.

Just to make it a bit more complicated, Part 11 has an in media res opening. Thanks for the suggestion, @StillStunned . So I hesitate to say the series is linear when the upcoming one isn't internally. Should I change it and just get it over with? Or maybe publish "Part 11" as such and change it to the Title: Subtitle system with the next one? Or something else, or am I overthinking it entirely?

Just my opinion but I'd be more turned off by a series with names that didn't make clear the order I was expected to read them in. Even if it's not important the order they are read in, the reader likely won't realize that and find it confusing.

 

[TheLobster]

Just my opinion but I'd be more turned off by a series with names that didn't make clear the order I was expected to read them in. Even if it's not important the order they are read in, the reader likely won't realize that and find it confusing.

Series are inherently ordered, even if the individual episodes aren't numbered. Once you finish reading an installment, you can simply click a link in the sidebar that takes you to the next part.

 

[Bamagan]

I doubt changing the title system will have much impact. I believe the attrition of readers in series can be attributed to three main factors.
1) Writing style. Some people like very spare styles, while others prefer things to be dense or even florid. Many readers seem to be willing to read short stories done in a style they don't care much for, assuming the content interests them, but eventually lose patience. If the story isn't looking like it will wrap up soon by Chapter (N), they abandon it.
2) Content and kinks expectations. Based on tags, blurb, and/or title, some readers are expecting specific erotic content, and it if isn't being delivered expeditiously they may bail. Or, if said content isn't scratching their itch, the same thing happens. Maybe it isn't as kinky as they hoped, or in the other direction, maybe it's not romantic enough, or the 'slow burn' was actually too fast for them. There is no universal 'calibration' for 'good' erotica, so don't worry that something doesn't work for everyone, and that some people give it a taste and make a face before leaving.
3) Aversion to long and/or unfinished stories. A lot of stories on Lit get abandoned for one reason or another, which means that some readers don't want to even start a part one until the last part is published. They may bookmark the first chapter if it seems promising, and thereby give an extra view that may not be an actual read, and contribute to an inflated count for the early chapter(s). Some readers get invested in the characters and actually lose interest in sex scenes that don't advance the story meaningfully, so they can give up if the chapters are just remixing partners and positions ad nauseum.

Those are just some anecdotal observations on my part, not gospel. I like writing serialized stuff, when I have the time and patience, because I think the later chapters give me a more honest appraisal of reader interest than the first few or the finale.

 

[LetsMisBehave]

If there is a serious change in how your characters are interacting, then maybe at the end of chapter 2 of the new story, refer back to the original series, at least if you think your readers will get more out of the back story.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Or something else, or am I overthinking it entirely?

Yes.

Just write the story, keep the chapter titles coherent (if you change anything now, you will confuse readers), and don't worry about this stuff.

In two months, when presumably you will have written the whole thing, none of this release strategy stuff matters, because the whole thing will be out there. At that point the readers will stick because of the quality of the story, the quality of the writing, not what you name each chapter.

Write your story and it will get read, by those readers who find it worth reading.

 

[CalBishForNow]

Just write the story, keep the chapter titles coherent (if you change anything now, you will confuse readers), and don't worry about this stuff.

Fair enough. It's likely to take a lot longer than two months, based on my current speed and the number of ideas in my outline/brainstorm file, but you and others make good points, thanks.

 

[SamanthaBehgs]

Is this one of those times where maybe an author created list would be better than a series? I read about both in the FAQ but didn't find the use case for a list over a series intuitively (all of my lists are, I think, private).

 

[Whanmore]

I doubt changing the title system will have much impact. I believe the attrition of readers in series can be attributed to three main factors.
1) Writing style. Some people like very spare styles, while others prefer things to be dense or even florid. Many readers seem to be willing to read short stories done in a style they don't care much for, assuming the content interests them, but eventually lose patience. If the story isn't looking like it will wrap up soon by Chapter (N), they abandon it.
2) Content and kinks expectations. Based on tags, blurb, and/or title, some readers are expecting specific erotic content, and it if isn't being delivered expeditiously they may bail. Or, if said content isn't scratching their itch, the same thing happens. Maybe it isn't as kinky as they hoped, or in the other direction, maybe it's not romantic enough, or the 'slow burn' was actually too fast for them. There is no universal 'calibration' for 'good' erotica, so don't worry that something doesn't work for everyone, and that some people give it a taste and make a face before leaving.
3) Aversion to long and/or unfinished stories. A lot of stories on Lit get abandoned for one reason or another, which means that some readers don't want to even start a part one until the last part is published. They may bookmark the first chapter if it seems promising, and thereby give an extra view that may not be an actual read, and contribute to an inflated count for the early chapter(s). Some readers get invested in the characters and actually lose interest in sex scenes that don't advance the story meaningfully, so they can give up if the chapters are just remixing partners and positions ad nauseum.

Those are just some anecdotal observations on my part, not gospel. I like writing serialized stuff, when I have the time and patience, because I think the later chapters give me a more honest appraisal of reader interest than the first few or the finale.

This was very enlightening

 

[StillStunned]

Just to make it a bit more complicated, Part 11 has an in media res opening. Thanks for the suggestion, @StillStunned .

It always makes me nervous when people credit me for advice. One day they're going to realise I'm just making it up as I go along.

 

[CalBishForNow]

It always makes me nervous when people credit me for advice. One day they're going to realise I'm just making it up as I go along.

Heh, don't worry about it. Like I said in that thread, it was my idea to begin with ("kinda close all along"). That thread just led me to exaggerate it more, to cut some of the intro and try to make the "action" a little more abrupt.

 

[Writer61]

I'm not literally asking how, I've got that tool figured out, but I'm looking for guidance on how to make it clear to readers. I've got a series in progress with 10 installments and #11 is almost ready, but I'm thinking of changing some things up.

I put in a little preamble, italicised, that indicates the series is episodic. Two examples from my 'Adam in Public' series:

This is the first story in a series describing Adam’s first sexual experiences, a lot of which involve public nudity..

This is the sixth story in a series describing a young man’s first sexual experiences, a lot of which involve public nudity. I recommend reading them in order.

Readership has dropped with each part, not quite linearly but there's a pattern. Fine, I get it, it happens with any series here and in other media. I suspect that having more evocative titles would help. So far they've all been named "Hall Pass - Part 1", "Hall Pass - Part 2", and so on. I'm thinking of changing future installments to, for example, "Hall Pass: the Date and the Roommates," or "Hall Pass: Husband, Wife, Friend."

Although I tend to prefer them, I don't know that evocative titles make much difference. Two of my series have them (average rating 4.71 and 4.58), and one doesn't (4.57). Of course, other factors could account for the different ratings.

I have wondered about putting a number at the start of an evocative title, e.g. 3) Exciting Episode, to alert potential readers to seek the first episode, or you could do the same using the short description field, Episode 3 of Fantastic Series.

If you do follow the series-name/story-name model, remember there is a 35-character limit.

 

[DEFCOM5]

My trick is as I publish more chapters/parts, I link the previously published stories in the preamble, doing all I can for the reader to have access to all the parts.