Posting multiple chapters together

[QuietElegance]

I have a 4-chapter story I'm writing, and I'm considering how best to share it. The first chapter doesn't contain any erotica and basically serves as worldbuildin and setup for the next three. Would it be resonable to post the first two chapters together, labeling it as such? It's fairly long (8700 words for just the first two so far). If anyone else has run into this and has suggestions that would be super helpful.

 

[SimonDoom]

8700 words is not long at all by Literotica standards, especially for two chapters. My suggestion is to submit it as a single story. You will maximize your chances of getting a good reception that way.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I second SimonDoom's assessment of your situation.

 

[NotWise]

I've done that once ("Quarter to Midnight") and I don't recommend it. If you want the readers to have two parts at the same time then you're better off patching them together and making them one submission. If for no other reason, then because you aren't in control of their order of appearance.

In my case, the first part was posted lowest in the list (which I took as posting first); the second part was posted above it on the list and appeared at the bottom of the story hub. I think a lot of people who might have read it skipped it because all they saw was part 2. They didn't expand the hub to see that part 1 was right below it.

If I had my choice, I would have had part 1 posted higher in the list with part 2 below it.

 

[SimonDoom]

If you DO choose to submit your story in separate chapters, then I recommend submitting them at least three days apart, one after another. That way readers will be sure to see chapter 1 first, and they'll see chapter 2 as chapter 1 falls lower on the new stories list and draws fewer views. You maximize exposure this way.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I plan on submitting my next series in order. The day Chapter One (or Part One) goes active, I'll post the second, and so on, so they are hit in order and if one gets tossed back, I don't have the embarrassment of chapter four coming out after chapter five.

 

[SouthernCrossfire]

For the length you mentioned, a single submittal will probably be best and result in readers rating the entire story rather than individual parts. However, splitting a story into multiple parts can have a place if you're trying to build your catalog and name recognition among readers. In that case, Simon has great advice:

If you DO choose to submit your story in separate chapters, then I recommend submitting them at least three days apart, one after another. That way readers will be sure to see chapter 1 first, and they'll see chapter 2 as chapter 1 falls lower on the new stories list and draws fewer views. You maximize exposure this way.

Also, in your case, you may want to combine them into Part 1 (Chapters 1 and 2), Part 2 (Chapter 3), and Part 3 (Chapter 4) or something similar. I did this with The Milkmaid, spreading 8 chapters over three parts. That way, there is erotica in each chapter and you won't lose as many readers on Chapters 2 through 4 after they were disappointed on lack of erotic content in Chapter 1 (there will probably still be reader dropoff, but probably not as much). Some Lit readers (me among them) don't care if there is sex in every chapter, but it seems that many more do and my first submittal here (Choices-Part 1) didn't contain any sex while later chapters did. In hindsight, Chapters 1 and 2 should have been combined as above and the whole series might have had red Hs across the board instead of just "almost."

If I'd known then what I know now....

 

[QuietElegance]

Thank you all for the suggestions! I'll just submit them together since that seems best. The Part 1, Part 2, with potentially multiple chapters in each, is also a great idea. Very much appreciated.

 

[DarkRaven13]

This was a great question. And I loved some of the suggestions. I am a newer Lit member and writer. I am working on a a series story myself and had the exact same question. My approach will be to combine them into 1 chapter.

I do have a related question if I do combine the the "1st, less erotic chapter" and the "2nd, more explicit chapter".

Basically, I have seen comments in stories about too little sex in them. I have also seen the converse, with comments stating they'd like more character or plot build-up. So ... if I combine the two chapters, will I just be inviting everyone to not like something in the story?

(For background, I too had my "1st chapter" as plot build-up for the following chapters. There will be some plot and character development in the remaining chapters, but the pace of those stories will be moving at a quicker pace.)

And finally, I hope QuietElegance does not mind if I sorta hijacked her thread with a newer-ish question.

 

[SimonDoom]

This was a great question. And I loved some of the suggestions. I am a newer Lit member and writer. I am working on a a series story myself and had the exact same question. My approach will be to combine them into 1 chapter.

I do have a related question if I do combine the the "1st, less erotic chapter" and the "2nd, more explicit chapter".

Basically, I have seen comments in stories about too little sex in them. I have also seen the converse, with comments stating they'd like more character or plot build-up. So ... if I combine the two chapters, will I just be inviting everyone to not like something in the story?

(For background, I too had my "1st chapter" as plot build-up for the following chapters. There will be some plot and character development in the remaining chapters, but the pace of those stories will be moving at a quicker pace.)

And finally, I hope QuietElegance does not mind if I sorta hijacked her thread with a newer-ish question.

I think your question dovetails with hers.

This is my approach, and I think it works. Others have other approaches that work for them, but this is how I do it.

If I've got a longer story that I'm thinking of publishing in chapters, I typically make sure each chapter is about 10,000 words or more. About 3 Literotica pages (each page being 3750 words) or more. If a chapter is shorter than that, I'll combine it with another before publishing it.

This length gives me plenty of time to do some buildup (which I like, and which many readers like), plus a good sex scene.

If I publish a multi-chapter story, then all the chapters will be published in the same category, so I won't lose readers along the way. Also, this is just my author preference. I like a story to have an erotic focus.

I try to make sure that each chapter "delivers" whatever kink is promised by the category in which the story is published. So, for example, if it's an anal sex story, then there must be SOME anal activity in the first chapter. I would never publish a story where the first chapter is entirely buildup and no sex.

I like to get things a little bit hotter with each chapter. This isn't always easy to do, but I more or less have done it in the two series I've written.

Keep in mind, this is just how I do it.

 

[DarkRaven13]

If I publish a multi-chapter story, then all the chapters will be published in the same category, so I won't lose readers along the way. Also, this is just my author preference. I like a story to have an erotic focus.

I try to make sure that each chapter "delivers" whatever kink is promised by the category in which the story is published. So, for example, if it's an anal sex story, then there must be SOME anal activity in the first chapter. I would never publish a story where the first chapter is entirely buildup and no sex.

Thank you SimonDoom. Those are good insights and suggestions. (My initial 1st chapter really had very little sex, so your comment about a chapter being all build-up and no sex is something I will take to heart.)

As to the comment about publishing all chapters in the same category ... I never thought about potentially losing readers in following chapters. Hmmm. I was thinking of changing categories alone the way. While each chapter adds to the overall story, each chapter can, and often does, have a slightly different theme. I was thinking of using the LW catergory and using tags and perhaps some author's notes to inform readers of what is coming - however, in another discussion forum I read that the LW category often attracts a lot of hate comments.

 

[RejectReality]

The standard abbreviation for Part is Pt., which is what Laurel would probably change to that if you used any other version in the title. Saves a couple of those precious characters.

No need to lose your chapters either. You can put your chapter headings in there with multiple chapters per single submission. It's been done regularly over the years, and it's nothing readers will balk at.

As far as numbering in the title goes, use 01, 02, etc. That way, everything will remain in sequence on your submissions page. Without that leading zero, once you get past 9, it will start alphabetizing them out of sequence. If you already know the number of parts and it's less than 10, feel free to skip the leading zero. Just be sure. Obviously, no need for that with internal chapter headings, if you're using them.

 

[NewOldGuy77]

I have a 4-chapter story I'm writing, and I'm considering how best to share it. The first chapter doesn't contain any erotica and basically serves as worldbuildin and setup for the next three. Would it be resonable to post the first two chapters together, labeling it as such? It's fairly long (8700 words for just the first two so far). If anyone else has run into this and has suggestions that would be super helpful.

Think 3400 words per Lit page, so you're in 3-page territory. I've submitted 20k+ stories as singles, they've done all right. My advice is if you break it down into multiple chapters, submit them all at once. I lost story followers on Blue Ridge Romance because Chapter 2 was dark and vengeful, people got turned off, never read Chapter 3 which was all about redemption when it was published later.

 

[MillieDynamite]

If it is a series and doesn't have to be read in order, is a consistent title, with varying subtitles enough where you don't need pt or ch on them?

 

[RejectReality]

If it is a series and doesn't have to be read in order, is a consistent title, with varying subtitles enough where you don't need pt or ch on them?

If there's no particular order, a title that starts with the same grouping of words is sufficient for the code ( ideally... It can be wonky ) to connect them as a series without adding ch./pt.

It has to be the beginning words, though. My Magic of the Wood series is the reverse, with the first word of the title changing on each new entry, and "of the Wood" being the connective tissue. The code can't handle that.

My Title: Eat at the Y
My Title: Bend Over Backwards
My Title: Backdoor Man

Those should all connect.

 

[MillieDynamite]

My magic word, Hitwoman: {title of the story}

 

[ElectricBlue]

If it is a series and doesn't have to be read in order, is a consistent title, with varying subtitles enough where you don't need pt or ch on them?

The series sequencing only works on the Title field, so your alphabetical sort has to work within those 35 characters. The story description field isn't part of the sort.

 

[Bubo_bubo]

My magic word, Hitwoman: {title of the story}

Is she bald with a barcode tattoo on the back of her skull?

 

[MillieDynamite]

Is she bald with a barcode tattoo on the back of her skull?

Nope, but she is beautiful and possesses a lethally quick wit! LOL Actually, there are several stories in a filefolder about her that need some refinement before they see the light of the Lit world.

 

[Bubo_bubo]

Nope, but she is beautiful and possesses a lethally quick wit! LOL Actually, there are several stories in a filefolder about her that need some refinement before they see the light of the Lit world.

*giggles* "light of the Lit world" *giggles*
(I'm easily amused)

 

[MillieDynamite]

Yes, I can see that. Rayann is near and dear to my heart, and she's demanding freedom, so her stories must be told!

 

[yukonnights]

Two ways to organize a series;

Surrender To Desire, Surrender To Love, Surrender To More — these three submissions, while being three different titles, create an obvious three part series. Note that the last word in each separate part is in ascending alphabetical order > D - L - M. This is one way to get a series organized and posted in order. They also appear stacked in an obvious way that is hard to miss. But, I'd also recommend you include a short note at the end of each "Part" something like this> This story continues in; "Title of next part", just to make it as clear as possible.

The majority of my multi-part series are formated in the easier path like this; STORY TITLE Pt. 01, STORY TITLE Pt. 02, STORY TITLE Pt. 03, etc.

PS: I agree with the comments that the current 8700 word count is much too short. In general, I like to give each Chapter/Part at least three Lit screen pages - 3750 x 3 = 11,250 give or take + or -, etc.

Best wishes on your upcoming story!