Sequels not taking off

[DannyBell]

Hi there,

Wondering if anyone has some perspective on this:

I wrote a story, that ends pretty openly, intending to carry on into a series. The first part gets a lot of views, (not actually that many, but a lot for little old me) and positive ratings and comments, many asking for a sequel. I wrote the next part, published it, then had to wait for the series to be created (not entirely sure how that works but think it's up and running now). The second part is relatively short, and almost a stop-gap until the third instalment, but it's not got a lot of views at all. The numbers are currently 31K for the first part, and 6K for the second. I'm still happy people enjoy reading, but is this normal to have such a sharp drop off? It just feels like after the first week, when it's new, a story will be read by a good amount of people, and then after that first week or so it disappears into the sea of stories on here. I don't know that that's really bothered me before, but it feels quite discouraging for writing a whole series. Will they just keep dropping in readers until there's like 10 people left? I don't think I'd really mind too much if the second part had lower ratings, because that at least would make sense: people didn't like it so much so not many people read it. But if people like the first part, and also like the second part, why is there such a huge drop off in reader count?

I think I might just be blowing this out of proportion a little lol. It's probably because the series wasn't up and running straight away, and because I don't have many followers that would discover when the next part is out?

Any advice, replies or DMs are welcome!

 

[AchtungNight]

Sequels are almost never as praised as the original. Some of the new feeling has worn off. The exception is if you put in a surprise twist like Empire Strikes Back.

 

[AlinaX]

It's normal. You get a lot of views on the first part, but how many of those views are actual reads? But readers who like the first part will read the second part, and so you do see views drop through the series but the readers are those who like it.

 

[HeyAll]

1. Sequals always do less.

2. The longer the wait, the less the sequal will do.

3. Think long term, if you're future story get good views, then the older stories will pick up, from readers looking at your older stories.

 

[karina_jayde]

This is totally normal. Usually the views, votes, and favs diminish with each new installment, but as you put out more entries, you'll likely end up with a 'core' group of readers for that story who stick with it until the end.

If you add to the series, you may snag new readers over time whose views/favs/votes will be reflected in the earlier chapters as they catch up.

Case and point: my Drowning at Dusk series which started in 8/23 has about 7000 views and a 100 votes (mostly positive, given the rating). The finale (chapter 7) is sitting at about half as many views and a third as many ratings.

That pattern is mostly consistent (with some variation) across my other series.

 

[Bramblethorn]

It's usual for sequels to get lower views and higher scores. The people who didn't like Part 1 won't read Part 2; the ones who did like Part 1 enough to read Part 2 are more likely to give it a high score, because they've already been filtered for people who like what you're into.

The drop-off from 31k to 6k is maybe a bit more than usual, but that kind of thing can happen due to factors outside your control. If your story gets posted last in a batch, it'll sit at the top of the New Stories list for hours; if it gets posted first, it might be buried halfway down the second page of New Stories as soon as it's published, and that makes a big difference.

Probably best to post a few more instalments before trying to interpret those numbers.

 

[DannyBell]

That makes sense, thanks guys. I think I was just quite surprised at the difference in numbers, but I'm not totally discouraged! I'm not here to be famous lol

 

[Mastered_again]

The previous replies cover the question well.
The unasked question is "Should I continue the saga?"

I have a 14 part story up and suffer all the expectable declines in reads and votes (I never garnered much in the way of comments). That said, I'm having a great time writing it, so I'll keep putting it out there.

If you enjoy writing it, don't get discouraged.

 

[Voboy]

I wrote a series VERY irregularly and sorta by accident; by the time I got serious about it, it was already on its fourth part. The first piece and its immediate sequel proved very popular, but views dropped off a cliff subsequently.

I posted every now and then, getting a consistent c.2000 views with each new chapter... until I ended it, and labelled it as such. Once it was "done?" The numbers shot up like a bat out of hell. Now all but one of them are over 10k views, and several of them have quite a bit over 10k.

Lots of variables at play, OP. My advice is to only write the sequels you want to write. And, when it's time to end it, just end it and move on.

 

[MillieDynamite]

It's a family thing; one sibling always does better than the rest!

 

[MillieDynamite]

If I could stick with one story, one series of stories, long enough to complete them and then put them up one at a time, a week apart, maybe they'd click. Often, my connected stories have months (or longer) between new parts going up.

The previous replies cover the question well.
The unasked question is "Should I continue the saga?"

I have a 14 part story up and suffer all the expectable declines in reads and votes (I never garnered much in the way of comments). That said, I'm having a great time writing it, so I'll keep putting it out there.

If you enjoy writing it, don't get discouraged.

 

[alohadave]

The second part is relatively short, and almost a stop-gap until the third instalment, but it's not got a lot of views at all. The numbers are currently 31K for the first part, and 6K for the second. I'm still happy people enjoy reading, but is this normal to have such a sharp drop off?

Very normal. 1/2 to 1/4 of the views of the first is normal for sequels. And less for each further sequel, until you get to an equilibrium of readers, usually around the 4th or 5th installment.

This is universal across all media, and is not something exclusive to readers at Lit.

 

[Mastered_again]

If I could stick with one story, one series of stories, long enough to complete them and then put them up one at a time, a week apart, maybe they'd click. Often, my connected stories have months (or longer) between new parts going up.

I have failed such a timeline miserably.
My personal best is 8 months

 

[OffNSFW]

With maybe one or two exceptions, I've only ever added more story if I felt a personal need to. Sequels kind of do worse by nature. Your audience is pretty much filtered through people who read the first one, and not all of them are going to be up for another.

Time was, this was also the assumption about movies, which have a lot riding on them in terms of money and resources. The routine assumption of a later installment doing better than an earlier one is a relatively recent development. And it's a bubble that may be in the midst of bursting.

 

[Boobytrap73]

I had seen comments before about the drop from the first installment but was wondering about this. I did a four part story last month (wrote all four first then posted them a day apart).

Part 1: Views: 14,277 . Rating: 4.79 / 231 Comments: 9
Part 2: Views: 6,610 . Rating: 4.72 / 134 Comments: 3 (This made sense given what everyone said)
Part 3: Views: 4,709 . Rating: 4.89 / 109 Comments: 1 (Views down but ratings up. Loyal readers?)
Part 4: Views: 7,787 . Rating: 4.72 / 139 Comments: 3 (Ratings back down to same at 3 but views way up)

So, did more people read the final part than read the Parts 2 and 3? The ratings look fairly consistent but the number of raters and the comments certainly dropped after the fist part.

Being a data freak, I have an overwhelming urge to analyze this but I promise that I won't try to do an article on readership trends in erotic writing even if I knew what journal might publish it.

~BT73

 

[Voboy]

I had seen comments before about the drop from the first installment but was wondering about this. I did a four part story last month (wrote all four first then posted them a day apart).

Part 1: Views: 14,277 . Rating: 4.79 / 231 Comments: 9
Part 2: Views: 6,610 . Rating: 4.72 / 134 Comments: 3 (This made sense given what everyone said)
Part 3: Views: 4,709 . Rating: 4.89 / 109 Comments: 1 (Views down but ratings up. Loyal readers?)
Part 4: Views: 7,787 . Rating: 4.72 / 139 Comments: 3 (Ratings back down to same at 3 but views way up)

So, did more people read the final part than read the Parts 2 and 3? The ratings look fairly consistent but the number of raters and the comments certainly dropped after the fist part.

Being a data freak, I have an overwhelming urge to analyze this but I promise that I won't try to do an article on readership trends in erotic writing even if I knew what journal might publish it.

~BT73

In my case, the last chapter shows a similar rise.

I think it's re-readers.

 

[Bramblethorn]

In my case, the last chapter shows a similar rise.

I think it's re-readers.

Yep. My first series here has 30k views on Chapter 12 (angsty breakup), 47k views on Chapter 13 (reunion), 60k views on Chapter 14 (happy ending). Some of that is probably because the last chapter is rated higher and has been in and out of toplists, but I think a lot of it is re-reading.

Similarly for my second series, Chapters 8, 9 and 11 each have 7k reads and Chapter 12, the last one, has 15k. (Chapter 10 has 14k, but that's because it won a contest.)

 

[Rob_Royale]

This is what both impresses me and puzzles me about people who do stories with 10,20,30 chapters.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I had seen comments before about the drop from the first installment but was wondering about this. I did a four part story last month (wrote all four first then posted them a day apart).

Part 1: Views: 14,277 . Rating: 4.79 / 231 Comments: 9
Part 2: Views: 6,610 . Rating: 4.72 / 134 Comments: 3 (This made sense given what everyone said)
Part 3: Views: 4,709 . Rating: 4.89 / 109 Comments: 1 (Views down but ratings up. Loyal readers?)
Part 4: Views: 7,787 . Rating: 4.72 / 139 Comments: 3 (Ratings back down to same at 3 but views way up)

So, did more people read the final part than read the Parts 2 and 3? The ratings look fairly consistent but the number of raters and the comments certainly dropped after the fist part.

Being a data freak, I have an overwhelming urge to analyze this but I promise that I won't try to do an article on readership trends in erotic writing even if I knew what journal might publish it.

~BT73

I'd assume folk reading it twice, because your votes and comment counts are similar. It's a bit odd they didn't like it as much - but Part 3 might be the odd one.

 

[BBlaketbv]

I have two stories with a part 2.
Personally I almost never read story series. I think the longest I've read was 6 parts.
When I look for something to read I always skip past the stories that are not part 1.
Compared to others I don't think the numbers of my stories are surprisingly different.

Couple's first time BDSM
part 1 = Exhib/voyeur,
8.2k views, 4.58/40 rating, 9 favourites, 2 comments
part 2 = BSDM,
6.6k views, 4.62/26 rating, 5 favourites, 0 comments

Hot summer of '22
Both part 1 and 2 incest/taboo category. These were the first stories I have posted on Lit.
part 1 = 46.3k views, 4.28/315 rating, 34 favourites, 3 comments
part 2 = 20.9k views, 4.61/94 rating, 21 favourites, 3 comments.

 

[TheLobster]

So, did more people read the final part than read the Parts 2 and 3?

They read the first part, they think the premise is interesting but they don’t feel like it’s good enough to go through the whole series, yet they are curious how it ends. So they skip the middle and go straight to the finale.

 

[Mastered_again]

This is what both impresses me and puzzles me about people who do stories with 10,20,30 chapters.

We're masochists, which may or may not be reflected in our writing. Not highly correlated

 

[StillStunned]

@DannyBell The link to your stories in your signature doesn't work. When I click it, it takes me to my control panel.

You want to use this link: https://www.literotica.com/authors/DannyBell/works/stories

 

[Rob_Royale]

We're masochists, which may or may not be reflected in our writing. Not highly correlated

That does not surprise me. I have done a trilogy and for the sake of interest, have been monitoring the the views after 150 days.

After 150 days, Aunt Tina Part 1 was at 45300 views, Part 2 was at 13200 and part three will hit the 150 days, this time next month. It currently sits at 10300. So everything after Part 1, falls off by two thirds.

 

[Mastered_again]

That does not surprise me. I have done a trilogy and for the sake of interest, have been monitoring the the views after 150 days.

After 150 days, Aunt Tina Part 1 was at 45300 views, Part 2 was at 13200 and part three will hit the 150 days, this time next month. It currently sits at 10300. So everything after Part 1, falls off by two thirds.

My views have been doing Acapulco cliff diving