How long is too long?

[favoritesgoddess]

For a story, I mean.

I know there's a 750 word minimum, but is there a max? Is there a word count that will get your story kicked back, or cut up into chapters on you?

Is there a length that makes it unsuitable as a short story, and if it is too long to be a short story, do I have to break it into separate chapters to post it?

 

[PacoFear]

I know there's a 750 word minimum, but is there a max? Is there a word count that will get your story kicked back, or cut up into chapters on you?

No. And no.

Is there a length that makes it unsuitable as a short story, and if it is too long to be a short story, do I have to break it into separate chapters to post it?

No. And no again.

The chaptering that you see is entirely voluntary on the author's part. There are any number of reasons for breaking up a story into separate chapters: easier categorization according to Lit's genres; a perceived preference from readers for quick stories; a relatively easy way to inflate the voting score of the later chapters; or for the very simple reason that you want to post something before writing out the whole damn thing.

 

[_Lynn_]

No. And no.



No. And no again.

The chaptering that you see is entirely voluntary on the author's part. There are any number of reasons for breaking up a story into separate chapters: easier categorization according to Lit's genres; a perceived preference from readers for quick stories; a relatively easy way to inflate the voting score of the later chapters; or for the very simple reason that you want to post something before writing out the whole damn thing.

Which is something I don't recommend doing. Readers become impatient if there's a lengthy time gap between chapters.

 

[PacoFear]

Which is something I don't recommend doing. Readers become impatient if there's a lengthy time gap between chapters.

Yeppers, I too have experienced how some readers get downright hostile. In fact, I'm good for about one hatemail per week on a two-part story that I had the audacity to set aside about six months ago. Not intentionally, I just let myself get sucked into some more interesting projects for now.

I've been wondering if the ones who complain [about an incomplete series] are the same folks who would otherwise leave normal feedback or if they're a separate group who are only sufficiently motivated to communicate with me to register their demands for further entertainment.

*Clarification

 

[_Lynn_]

Yeppers, I too have experienced how some readers get downright hostile. In fact, I'm good for about one hatemail per week on a two-part story that I had the audacity to set aside about six months ago. Not intentionally, I just let myself get sucked into some more interesting projects for now.

I've been wondering if the ones who complain are the same folks who would otherwise leave normal feedback or if they're a separate group who are only sufficiently motivated to communicate with me to register their demands for further entertainment.

I don't often do chaptered pieces, except maybe for NaNo. So when I post something, that's it.

The feedback I get is always good. Complaints are compliments in disguise. So I'm not familiar with the demanding group.

 

[snoopercharmbrights]

... The chaptering that you see is entirely voluntary on the author's part ...

What Lit will do is split your story into pages of about 3750 words each, at a paragraph end if possible.

... There are any number of reasons for breaking up a story into separate chapters: ...

The automated page split leads to long stories having a lot of pages if they are submitted as one piece (off-hand the most I remember seeing is 19 pages) and that is thought by some to put readers off and is another reason for splitting into chapters.

 

[favoritesgoddess]

Thanks for your answers! I guess I have to figure out which way is best for this particular tale. I think I'll actually finish writing it first and then ruminate some more.

 

[rwsteward]

Ooh,

Guess it pays to read old threads.

The story I've just finished will push 18 lit pages.


Does splitting the story into chapters
make a big difference as far as views
and votes?

 

[HandcuffGirl]

Not really, but. . .

For a story, I mean.

I know there's a 750 word minimum, but is there a max? Is there a word count that will get your story kicked back, or cut up into chapters on you?

Is there a length that makes it unsuitable as a short story, and if it is too long to be a short story, do I have to break it into separate chapters to post it?

A single page on Literotica is 3,583 words. I would probably keep a single story less than three of these pages. (10,749) Any more than that, most readers wouldn't read all the way through it. Also if/when you split a story into chapters, less than two lit pages is usually best.

Bethany

 

[Darkniciad]

Ooh,

Guess it pays to read old threads.

The story I've just finished will push 18 lit pages.


Does splitting the story into chapters
make a big difference as far as views
and votes?

My observation is that you will have more people stick with the story if it's broken down into chapters. The long list of page numbers at the bottom seems to intimidate readers.

(Note: Recent updates to Lit mean that only 4 page #s are visible at first until the drop-down is clicked, so that could change things going forward )

I would advise not posting the story until it is complete, AND saying that the story is complete in a note at the beginning of the first chapter. You might even add a posting schedule, which will encourage more readers, since they know that the story won't just stop and never get finished, plus they'll know when to look for new chapters.

I've observed quite a bump in views and votes when I've noted that a chaptered story is already complete and will post on a certain schedule.

Chapters also have the advantage of putting your name in front of readers more often on the New story list. That can be a major advantage for building a reader base.

There are some very successful and very long stories on Lit as single submissions, though. The #11 top Sci-Fi & Fantasy story of all time is 46 Lit pages, has a score of 4.90, 435 votes, 81293 views, 82 comments, and 17 favs in a niche category.

 

[sr71plt]

I've observed quite a bump in views and votes when I've noted that a chaptered story is already complete and will post on a certain schedule.

Maybe I'll try that next time. I'm generally not in favor of any notes, as they always seem to hedge something that the author isn't quite sure will be accepted with their story (this certainly does, although not in a contextual way). But I don't post a chaptered story until the whole thing is completed and then I post with little time between (now a gap or no more then three or four days between chapters).

You can mark me up as a reader who is unlikely to open a story that's more than two Lit. pages. A standard limit for mainstream short story contests would fit on one Lit. page. I'm tending to go over onto the second page in my Lit. stories now--because the limitation isn't there--but much longer than that and I start assuming the story is probably just too fat with extraneous threads and verbosity. If it's a novella or novel, I presume it will be posting in chapters.

 

[rwsteward]

Interesting...

The story is done. I had a time finding a editor (he's not done with it yet, and of course I'll need to make his changes, too) that would take on a story line as complex and long as this one. I recall the length being 67328 words from beginning to end.

I was thinking of sending it up in one hunk, but it would top off about 18-19 lit pages long—ouch!

I'm not too warm to the idea of three lit pages per chapter either.

But, I'm leaning toward doing three chapters. The story is complex and I think if I were to break it up into tiny little bits, it would mess up some of the flow.

FYI

It's a romance story with a mini van full of characters, a sub plot or two with a serial killer running a muck.