Long series chapter intervals

-Ripley-

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Dec 10, 2003
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I have a new series I'm working on. I am not planning on posting it until it's done (and it's only 1/3 done), but I'm wondering what others think the best interval is to post the chapters.
 
I think the best interval is to submit the next chapter the day the previous one posted. This currently will give an interval of two or three days between chapter postings. (My current series showed the wisdom of waiting for the previous one to actually post, as the site dropped one of my chapters in the cracks and it didn't post when it should have.) For series I also post a note on the top of chapter one specifying how many chapters there are and a general ending time for the series posting to be completed.
 
I think the best interval is to submit the next chapter the day the previous one posted. This currently will give an interval of two or three days between chapter postings. (My current series showed the wisdom of waiting for the previous one to actually post, as the site dropped one of my chapters in the cracks and it didn't post when it should have.) For series I also post a note on the top of chapter one specifying how many chapters there are and a general ending time for the series posting to be completed.

That makes an incredible amount of sense to me.

I was thinking in terms of "a week" or "bi-weekly". But, posting the follow-up either the day or the day after a submitted chapter goes live is just too good of a plan if it is completely finished (or nearly so) before you begin posting.

PARTICULARLY since from my checkered past I'd hazard that we don't really know just how the whole Beta test is going to cause a slow-down. I'm not saying we will see it take longer for submissions to be accepted. But, I wouldn't be surprised either.
 
Serials

Serials are my preference here. They are what I read (mostly), and what I write (mostly).

As a writer, ive noticed that I get lots of hits for about 10 days. Then they fall way off. I've also noticed that when I post chapters 3-20, chapter 1 gets hit again, as more readers decide to take the plunge.... So, as a writer, I aim for a chapter every 2-3 weeks to maximize readers.

As a reader... I want it all now dammit!
 
Thank you all for your thoughts. They all make sense. I've noticed the same thing with regards to hits, Nathan. My last series was the first one that I had done before posting. Previously, I posted them as I finished them. My first story was a series with the first chapter posted in December of 2003 and the last in March of 2010!

If it was a relatively short series, I might try and spread it out, but it's planned for 35 chapters. I think that's a long time to make people wait. I like the idea of posting on the day the last chapter shows up. Makes sure nothing is out of order, but also not too long to wait! Since I'm close to done with Chapter 12, there is still a long time before it's a problem!
 
I have recently been reading a serial by a writer (Contrasting) who regularly puts up 12 to 20 lit pages per submission. You definitely need a longer break with something like that. Some of his/her breaks are up to 3 months but he/she is still pulling in 20,000 views plus after 30 or so chapters.
 
My first story I tossed the chapters up in three day intervals (though here there was a holiday contest at the time so the approval speed was way down, and so I just submitted each chapter as soon as I saw the previous approved).

Afterwards I decided that was overkill. These days I try to determine pacing based on the overall story length. A five chapter story I posted biweekly. Something that was supposed to be three chapters I was going to post monthly, until I realized it was far too short and just combined it all into a one-off. I have a 13 chapter series getting ready for next year that I will do weekly (or as close to it as I can get given the unknowns of approval speeds).

I think anything faster than weekly is unnecessary, and it's convenient for readers if they can realize that there's going to be a new chapter every Wednesday, or every other Monday, or what have you. Also part of the game you're playing is each new chapter is an entry in the "new stories" list, and the longer you are in that list the more views you are going to have, so it is likely better to space things out rather than cram it together to the point that two or three chapters are on that list at the same time.

Of course it matters not at all to the folks that come upon the story after the whole thing is up!
 
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