Optimum Chapter Length?

[yukonnights]

The only reason I do a chapter style story is due to the length being quite long for a one piece story. I see it as a convenience for the reading audience. To that end, I aim for a 3 or 4 LitE page length.

A side benefit, as has been mentioned, the later chapters have lost those readers for whom the story didn't work. Thus, leaving only those who did enjoy the story in the later chapters — which usually results in higher ratings for those parts.

 

[ElectricBlue]

The only reason I do a chapter style story is due to the length being quite long for a one piece story. I see it as a convenience for the reading audience. To that end, I aim for a 3 or 4 LitE page length.

A side benefit, as has been mentioned, the later chapters have lost those readers for whom the story didn't work. Thus, leaving only those who did enjoy the story in the later chapters — which usually results in higher ratings for those parts.

Also, chaptered stories give you some idea as to how many people will actually read a story all the way through, something you can never know from a single, stand-alone story. Based on my multiple part stories, I reckon Reads is around 20% Views - as a rough rule of thumb.

I seem to work well with 10k - 15k chapter chunks too, the 3 - 4 Lit page metric.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

The only reason I do a chapter style story is due to the length being quite long for a one piece story. I see it as a convenience for the reading audience. To that end, I aim for a 3 or 4 LitE page length.

A side benefit, as has been mentioned, the later chapters have lost those readers for whom the story didn't work. Thus, leaving only those who did enjoy the story in the later chapters — which usually results in higher ratings for those parts.

Hmm... I really don't shoot for any specific length. My last was only 848 words. The one before that was 4 lit pages.

The story is done when it is told, no matter how many words, pages, chapters, or parts.

Of course there at those exceptions when the characters just seem to take over telling the story all on their own and you end up with a mess and sometimes in a corner you can't get out of.

 

[KeithD]

The story is done when it is told, no matter how many words, pages, chapters, or parts.

This. Always and forever this.

 

[8letters]

Looking at the second chapters of Lesbian Sex stories up through 6 pages:
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.​

[/td][td]

Average​

[/td][td]

Average​

[/td][td]

Average​

[/td][td]

Average​

[/td][/tr][tr][td]Pages[/td][td]

#​

[/td][td]

Rating​

[/td][td]

Views​

[/td][td]

Comments​

[/td][td]

Favorites​

[/td][/tr][tr][td]1[/td][td]

1020​

[/td][td]

4.27​

[/td][td]

32,250​

[/td][td]

3.0​

[/td][td]

10.7​

[/td][/tr][tr][td]2[/td][td]

567​

[/td][td]

4.50​

[/td][td]

33,743​

[/td][td]

4.7​

[/td][td]

17.6​

[/td][/tr][tr][td]3[/td][td]

200​

[/td][td]

4.53​

[/td][td]

31,190​

[/td][td]

7.9​

[/td][td]

26.6​

[/td][/tr][tr][td]4[/td][td]

86​

[/td][td]

4.43​

[/td][td]

36,499​

[/td][td]

7.7​

[/td][td]

29.7​

[/td][/tr][tr][td]5[/td][td]

46​

[/td][td]

4.71​

[/td][td]

31,557​

[/td][td]

14.0​

[/td][td]

38.1​

[/td][/tr][tr][td]6[/td][td]

26​

[/td][td]

4.80​

[/td][td]

46,063​

[/td][td]

18.7​

[/td][td]

52.0​

[/td][/tr]
Looks to me that, like whole stories, longer gets better statistics (though views is relatively constant)

 

[nylonpunkie]

Wow, there were some very learned and considered answers there, thank you for all your detailed answers.

I can see there is a world of thought gone into this, I was just hoping to avoid putting off readers by either whinging on or being too brief.

You've all given me a lot to ponder, thanks

 

[Nonsense01]

I've been keeping it to 1.5-2pages. Maybe 3-5K.
I figure too much more and I'll loose the reader.

Great posts in this thread to give more food for thought.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I've been keeping it to 1.5-2pages. Maybe 3-5K.
I figure too much more and I'll loose the reader.

Great posts in this thread to give more food for thought.

You're underestimating a Lit page length. One page is around 3750 words, so two pages = 7500 words, three pages just over 11,000 words.

Three pages is a fairly typical chapter length here on Lit.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

I have tried multiple ways to submit stories, and I can share what my experiences have been.

My first story posted was a single submission of just under 96K words in Novels and Novellas. It was well received and continues to be popular with readers.

I have submitted other long stories in chapters, typically between 5 and 6K words each. Even though the story is completed and subsequent chapters get posted daily, readers still complain when the story is "trickling" to completion of the posting.

I have submitted stories in parts containing multiple chapters, typically between 10and 15K words per part. Fewer complaints from readers, but some are still impatient waiting for subsequent parts to post.

My latest story posted last week at over 108K in a single submission. The comments have all been favorable to the longer story as a single submission, but I did have a very clear disclaimer at the beginning warning anyone who didn't like longer stories to avoid this one. This might have dissuaded those who would have complained about the length.

I will also add that my longer stories are all posted in the "Novels and Novellas" category, so this would also tend to be a place where reader expectations are different than other categories.

 

[Nylonian]

I am kinda a novice but if I had to say, I would say I prefer shorter chapters than most. Maybe 2000-3000 words? I guess it depends what's in the chapter and how you want to use it to further the plot.

 

[SimonDoom]

The story is done when it is told, no matter how many words, pages, chapters, or parts.

I agree with this principle for standalone stories, but it doesn't help for multi-chaptered stories.

Let's say you have a long story that's done, or you've got it well planned. You're trying to figure out how to carve the story up into chapters.

To me, this is not an artistic question. From an artistic point of view, it doesn't matter. It's the same story and the same content. Others may see it differently. But to me, the question about carving it up into chapters is how can I maximize the number of people who see it and how can I get the most favorable response. It's a practical rather than artistic judgment.

And, from that standpoint, it makes sense, in my view, to do three things:

1. Make the chapter about 10,000 words or more, because chapters of this length or longer get a better reader response, on average, than very short chapters.
2. Include sex in the chapter. If you have to make the chapter longer to include a sex scene, do so.
3. Include content that appeals to the readers of whatever category the chapter is published in. That's what they're looking for, after all.

If this doesn't work, then just publish it as a single, long, standalone story rather than as multiple chapters.

 

[MrPixel]

I just chopped-up a (very) lengthy novella into chapters and am holding it until the prequel currently in the works is done and uploaded. It turns out that most of the chapters are in the 6-7000 word range. Mostly coincidence, because my priority in breaking it up was that the breakpoints had to make sense.

I do agree with the notion that there needs to be a sex scene in each chapter, but if there's a compelling story line that consumes a few pages/words and would be awkwardly large relative to the rest, I'll break it at a logical point and disappoint the crowd seeking a consistent level of titillation. (I've said it elsewhere, I write for me. If it costs readers or score, so be it.)

My concern with reading large works on LitE is picking up where I left off. I prefer discrete chapters for the ease of mental bookmarking.

 

[NotWise]

To me, this is not an artistic question. From an artistic point of view, it doesn't matter. It's the same story and the same content. Others may see it differently. But to me, the question about carving it up into chapters is how can I maximize the number of people who see it and how can I get the most favorable response. It's a practical rather than artistic judgment.

As you predicted, I see it differently.

You shouldn't break a story with word count as the main standard. A chapter is normally an episode in a story and should be somewhat self contained. If your chapters are separate documents (usual for Lit) then each chapter should also end in a way that keeps readers' interested in reading the next chapter. I don't think that's from an artistic point of view. I think it's from the point of view of keeping readers happy.

Back before I came to Lit, I googled for input on how long a chapter should be. I thought the best advice I read was "long enough to tell the story." That's definitely true if your chapters are breaks within a single documents. I agree with Mr. Doom that, if the chapters are separate documents, then readers probably want them to be longer.

I've broken stories up into very short chapters in separate documents and into chapters without sex. From my experience, I'd say chapters without sex go over better than short chapters.

 

[KeithD]

You shouldn't break a story with word count as the main standard. A chapter is normally an episode in a story and should be somewhat self contained.

This. Where/how the story arc breaks should be the main standard.

 

[Djmac1031]

Honestly no definitive answer here.

All of my stories are pretty short by LE standards . I think my longest is four pages.

I have one long running series, currently at 20 chapters, but they all range between two and three pages. I think one went to like three and a half.

It really just depends on what I'm telling in that chapter.

Also: I personally prefer shorter, easier to read chapters. That way I can continue to read at my own pace. So that's also how I write.

Others of course prefer much longer stories or chapters. There's no right or wrong about it. Simply personal preference.

Write what you write, and you'll draw the readers that prefer however you do it.

 

[Salacious_Scribe]

I make my chapters as ling or short as I want. Based on reader preferences I'll post longer stories in 10-12K word blocks with multiple chapters in each.

Lots of research says 10-15K words is the optimal length for erotica.

 

[Rustyoznail]

I write the story to how long it wants to be - with the proviso that I try and keep it tight and relevant. "Try" being the operative word.

As an example of writing the story to how long it wants to be - look at new serials produced by streaming services. They aren't confined to a set time limit anymore. Eg, "The Mandalorian" ranges between 25-45 minutes.

 

[Lovecraft_Lore]

750 words is the best length for a chapter.

Unless you want to get little red Hs, then you need to have stories that are at least 11,000 words long. Readers love the longer stories.

 

[dmallord]

A few comments have critiqued my stories as short, too short...but very good stories. Looking back at them, I felt they were well rounded. If it was a continuation story, I stopped based upon a natural breaking point in the action or events. If it happened to be 3,570 or 7,000 I didn't and don't care. However, it must be a breaking point that entices readers to return for more...whenever 'more' happens and my tired fingers heal from keyboarding again.

However, I did listen to the brevity complaints. I started to extend it a bit for them. I don't know if they are still reading my work, though! I need to check my story lengths now to see just what they average now, out of curiosity after reading this thread.

Thanks to all for your offerings. I found it educational.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I am kinda a novice but if I had to say, I would say I prefer shorter chapters than most. Maybe 2000-3000 words? I guess it depends what's in the chapter and how you want to use it to further the plot.

What a lot of folk seem to forget that is that they're writing erotica here (or porn, the same comment applies), and one of the key points about erotica is arousal and, presumably, orgasm as a preferred outcome for readers.

Unless one has a very short fuse, most people (I'm hazarding a guess here) want a longer arousal time than one Lit page. Just sayin'

 

[KeithD]

Unless one has a very short fuse, most people (I'm hazarding a guess here) want a longer arousal time than one Lit page. Just sayin'

Re men, I certainly don't agree.

Re the suggestion of 8,000 words for a standard chapter length, the traditional standard was/is 5,000 words in publishing, although this was shattered with the advent of the adventure thriller books, where an occasional 500-word shocker chapter grabbed readers. For electronic reading, where the norm for everything is truncated from print because of reading conditions, the standard chapter length would seem to be something less than 5,000 words, although e-publishing frees content from most of the technical controls that are on print, so anything goes, really.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

750 words is the best length for a chapter.

Unless you want to get little red Hs, then you need to have stories that are at least 11,000 words long. Readers love the longer stories.

I still think that depends upon the category the story is posted in.

94% of my submissions have the coveted red H, with 100% of those being in either Novels and Novellas or Celebrities/Fan Fiction.

 

[Nylonian]

What a lot of folk seem to forget that is that they're writing erotica here (or porn, the same comment applies), and one of the key points about erotica is arousal and, presumably, orgasm as a preferred outcome for readers.

Unless one has a very short fuse, most people (I'm hazarding a guess here) want a longer arousal time than one Lit page. Just sayin'

Good point but if arousal was the MO for a particular chapter I'd be more inclined to make that chapter longer. I think 3000 is more than serviceable if the chapter was just for moving along the plot and features a few teasers.

 

[SS100]

The optimum length for me is at minimum 10,000 Words. Usually I'm happy with a 15,000-20,000 words in a chapter. There's an introduction, building, conflict, climax and ending. A page per part usually which is good.