Strange last Chapter statistics

[MillieDynamite]

I posted both the case of the Rich Man’s Wife & Written in Blood on another site. It has a break down by chapter of the downloads and I noticed something strange in those downloads.

Like here, I posted the two stories complete in one upload on the Richman’s wife & over five days on Written in Blood. Unlike here, it separates the chapters when they are uploaded in one upload.

The other website has a glitch on some browsers, so first chapter downloads are often overestimated. Some browsers trigger an uptick on the first chapter if the reader leaves and comes back between chapters. To make matters worse, they have no idea how many or which web-browsers cause this or if it is caused by individual computers.

The odd thing is in both instances the last chapter (at this time) has more reads than the next to last chapter. I checked other chaptered stories on the site and there aren’t those issues. What I mean there is a direct drop in readership, with no noticeable uptick between chapters. Anyone have any ideas about this?

‘The Case of the Rich Man’s Wife’ (posted five weeks ago)
Title Version Downloads
1 ✍ Prologue 1.00 864
2 ✍ Chapter 1 1.00 850
3 ✍ Chapter 2 1.00 576
4 ✍ Chapter 3 1.00 440
5 ✍ Chapter 4 1.00 497
6 ✍ Chapter 5 1.00 408
7 ✍ Chapter 6 1.00 371
8 ✍ Chapter 7 1.00 419


‘Written in Blood’ (Posted from Monday to Saturday this week)

Title Version Downloads
1 ✍ Chapter 1 1.00 1063
2 ✍ Chapter 2 1.00 504
3 ✍ Chapter 3 1.00 376
4 ✍ Chapter 4 1.00 308
5 ✍ Chapter 5 1.00 246
6 ✍ Chapter 6 1.00 194
7 ✍ Chapter 7 1.00 119
8 ✍ Chapter 8 1.00 160

Do you think some people read the last chapter first? Do any of you have similar results here on stories post in serial form?

 

[NotWise]

Do you think some people read the last chapter first? Do any of you have similar results here on stories post in serial form?

I only have one story posted in serial form, and its Part 3 (of five) has more views than Part 2. I attribute that to the length of Part 3. Probably quite a few people who read Part 3 use more than one visit to read it.

 

[Lifestyle66]

I posted a series in March and had various numbers of readers.

Since then, I've restarted the series titled "Lifestyle ..." trying to write better main character development and descriptive scenes.

The first three chapters went from 3K to 1.5K, then 1.2K readers, then back to 3K and 3.2K for chapters 4 and 5. I notice chapters 2 and 3 posted on Monday and Tuesday, while the others were Wednesday or the weekends.

It could be many readers are just clicking on a chapter to see if they like it, and ignoring the others if they don't. And earlier in the week, there might not be as many readers sampling the postings.

So, just because a chapter has 3,000 readers indicated, that's not necessarily 3,000 who actually read the whole whole chapter.

 

[rjordan]

A lot of readers in the beginning. The majority bail after one chapter and more bail as the series progresses. No surprise there, and no reflection on you or the story.

Small uptick on last chapter from a few readers who have bailed but want to see how it ends.

Or something entirely different. Trying to figure out reader motivations from minimal uncontrolled data is nearly pointless. Even if you could explain it, would you seriously write different to exploit it to improve the statistics?

rj

 

[HeyAll]

I think it could be other factors, like if there's more traffic that day, or you have a high placement on the New list, and people click to check it out, to see if it's any good.

 

[RejectReality]

Some people will check the last chapter to make sure there's some sort of "The End" indicating that the story is actually complete before starting it. That could account for the higher number of views here.

Shouldn't be an issue at the other place ( assuming I'm guessing the site in question correctly ) because you can mark a story as complete. I suppose there could be people who don't trust that marker, or do it no matter what out of habit. I doubt it would be anywhere near the number of extra clicks final chapters get here, but I suppose it could account for a slight uptick.

Pretty much every one of my chapter stories here has an uptick in views, votes, etc. over the last couple of penultimate chapters. Final chapter bumps are fairly common.

 

[jsmiam]

…on another site. …

Just clarifying. You’re asking about the other site.

A person with multi-chapters here on lit probably could ask this, but in this thread, here, it’s a question about elsewhere, correct?

 

[ElectricBlue]

Just clarifying. You’re asking about the other site.

A person with multi-chapters here on lit probably could ask this, but in this thread, here, it’s a question about elsewhere, correct?

That's what i thought - another site.

If it was here, the numbers for the second one would be typical of the downturn in Views over a series, from 100%, 50%, 25% over the first three chapters and pretty much steady state to the end. The first one has a strong retention rate (100% to 50%).

But as for the other site, who knows. Ask there, Millie, not here.

 

[SimonDoom]

In both my series, the last chapter has more views than the penultimate chapter. I've often wondered why.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Just clarifying. You’re asking about the other site.

A person with multi-chapters here on lit probably could ask this, but in this thread, here, it’s a question about elsewhere, correct?

It is an general questions about why people would selectively read certain chapters and not others. Here they aren't kept together, in order, (though I think they are, just individual chapters are available on search's which isn't true at SOL)

I am trying to comprehend why readers would start in the middle or skip one chapter or another when reading a story.

Written in Blood could have ended on Chapter 7, the last line "No more writing appears in Jane Hanson Journal." And chapter 8 is more of an epilog, and quite short. It teases the next book I'm going to write on the characters.

 

[XerXesXu]

I am trying to comprehend why readers would start in the middle or skip one chapter or another when reading a story.

To selectively read the dirty bits. Just as the pages with the sex scenes of a paper book are more well-thumbed than the rest. A red H against a chapter says 'fap here'.

 

[Bramblethorn]

In both my series, the last chapter has more views than the penultimate chapter. I've often wondered why.

Same for both my two series. Last chapter of Stringed Instrument has about 20% more views than the second-last, and last chapter for Red Scarf has more than double the second-last.

For those, I think it's a consequence of the story arc. Second-last chapter has tension and tears, last chapter ties things up to deliver a more-or-less happy ending. Most readers are here for the happy endings* so those final chapters get higher scores, which then puts them higher on the category top lists, which gets them eyeballs.

*if you know what I mean

 

[ElectricBlue]

In both my series, the last chapter has more views than the penultimate chapter. I've often wondered why.

People reading it twice, is how I'll explain an up-kick on a particular chapter.

 

[ElectricBlue]

It is an general questions about why people would selectively read certain chapters and not others. Here they aren't kept together, in order, (though I think they are, just individual chapters are available on search's which isn't true at SOL)

I am trying to comprehend why readers would start in the middle or skip one chapter or another when reading a story.

See, there's your mistake. You're trying to comprehend readers, which is a fool's game at the best of times.

 

[MelissaBaby]

The last chapter of my Mary and Alvin series has gotten way more views than any other chapter than the first. I don't think that is unusual.

 

[SimonDoom]

People reading it twice, is how I'll explain an up-kick on a particular chapter.

This makes sense to me. It's the only plausible explanation I can think of.

In my 8-chapter series, chapter 8's score is LOWER than chapter 7's score. I rushed the final chapter, just a bit, and made it quite a bit shorter than the preceding chapters. I would draw it out more if I were to redo it. Nevertheless, it has more views and votes than the second to last chapter. I suspect you are correct that people re-read the last chapter more than they did other chapters.

 

[MillieDynamite]

To selectively read the dirty bits. Just as the pages with the sex scenes of a paper book are more well-thumbed than the rest. A red H against a chapter says 'fap here'.

Here the whole 32,000 words are in one file. On the other site, you are taken to page that list the chapters. I have no idea how they find the dirty bit's (which it is more erotic and less actually sex) without reading the whole thing.

 

[MillieDynamite]

See, there's your mistake. You're trying to comprehend readers, which is a fool's game at the best of times.

Yeah, your right!

 

[FifthEstate]

I’ve written 4 multi chapter stories and the click rate is all over the place, but the longer time goes on, aside from first chapter bias, it’s my experience, the best chapters get the most clicks. Also, if you have multiple categories in the same series, it can have a big impact. My last story series was one category for the first three chapters and I decided to embed a picture in chapter 4 and thus it went in illustrated. Holy shit, that category draws some views! Chpt. 3 has 73k clicks. Chpt. 4 (Illustrated) has 207k!!!

 

[Bubo_bubo]

Let me tell you something.

There are people that cheat.

And sometimes cheating means looking at the ending, or at least getting an idea where the ending is headed before you invest yourself in a long story that might be interesting but has a lot of possibility of ending up in a place you don't like/makes you uncomfortable/regret starting the story.

I know. Now and then I'm such a cheater.

 

[lovecraft68]

It is an general questions about why people would selectively read certain chapters and not others. Here they aren't kept together, in order, (though I think they are, just individual chapters are available on search's which isn't true at SOL)

I am trying to comprehend why readers would start in the middle or skip one chapter or another when reading a story.

Written in Blood could have ended on Chapter 7, the last line "No more writing appears in Jane Hanson Journal." And chapter 8 is more of an epilog, and quite short. It teases the next book I'm going to write on the characters.

I noticed with my long series that if a chapter featured something bad happening to one of the characters the votes and score and comments were all down. Maybe some chapters of yours had some unsavory content?

As far as the question, ask whatever you want here, no one has the right to tell you not to short of the owner.

 

[RejectReality]

I just went and checked my chaptered stories over yonder, and while for the most part, they show a steady regression in downloads, ( which is greatly reduced by posting more than once a week ) a few do have a final chapter uptick.

Beyond people not trusting the complete marker, I don't know what could be prompting it. Individual chapters don't have their own description lines there like they do here, so it can't be because you came up with a really good tagline and caught some extra eyes. I don't believe any of them added new tags at the time of uploading the final chapter either, so there aren't any sort of new eye-catchers. There aren't individual stats beyond downloads for the chapters either, so there aren't any additional data points to work with.

Absolutely the only thing I can come up with is people double checking that complete marker to make absolutely sure the story is finished before they start it. If there are people who do that, and they do not finish the story in a single 24 hour period, they would end up ticking the download counter twice. Once for the initial open and check, and then ( assuming they finish at all ) a second for opening the chapter to actually read it.

Or, it's just a glitch. It's not as if downloads are much more transparent than views here. My assumption that opening the same chapter twice in the same day wouldn't result in a download tick is just that — an assumption. If I'm remembering correctly, your counter as a reader doesn't tick twice for opening the same chapter more than once in a day, and I'm assuming that carries through to all download ticks.

 

[Comshaw]

You got me wondering so I went and took a look at my series, "A Common Man:A Tangled Web" parts 1 to 5. I posted it in the Romantic category last year. Here's the stats:
Chapter# / Posted date / reads to date
1 6/21 6.6k
2 6/27 4.9k
3 6/29 3.9k
4 7/1 3.7k
5 7/2 4.9k

I won't even hazard a guess as to why the reads break out that way. Like eb66 said, it's a fool's errand trying to make sense out of it.

Comshaw

 

[SimonDoom]

You got me wondering so I went and took a look at my series, "A Common Man:A Tangled Web" parts 1 to 5. I posted it in the Romantic category last year. Here's the stats:
Chapter# / Posted date / reads to date
1 6/21 6.6k
2 6/27 4.9k
3 6/29 3.9k
4 7/1 3.7k
5 7/2 4.9k

I won't even hazard a guess as to why the reads break out that way. Like eb66 said, it's a fool's errand trying to make sense out of it.

Comshaw

It's not surprising at all. It's the same pattern my series stories show.

The first chapter gets the most reads. Those that like it, read the second chapter, which in your case posted only 6 days later. Those that don't like it don't read chapter 2. So there's a big drop off from chapter 1 to 2. Your series didn't demonstrate an especially big dropoff, which is good. It's pretty common for chapter 2 stories to have fewer than half the views of chapter 1 stories.

Each successive chapter gets fewer views -- until the final chapter! This is true of my two series as well. Why would that be?

Well, your final chapter had the highest score of any of the chapters. Whether that's because it's better or because of the process of attrition (i.e., with each successive chapter you weed out more readers who are predisposed NOT to like what you write), I don't know. But the score difference between 4 and 5 is significant.

I think people are more likely to favorite the last chapter as a way of favoriting the entire series. This will give the last chapter more visibility. It may appear more often on "similar stories" lists, giving it still more visibility.

Plus, for people who like the story, they are more likely to repeat-view the last chapter than all the other chapters. I think this is a factor as well.

 

[Comshaw]

It's not surprising at all. It's the same pattern my series stories show.

The first chapter gets the most reads. Those that like it, read the second chapter, which in your case posted only 6 days later. Those that don't like it don't read chapter 2. So there's a big drop off from chapter 1 to 2. Your series didn't demonstrate an especially big dropoff, which is good. It's pretty common for chapter 2 stories to have fewer than half the views of chapter 1 stories.

Each successive chapter gets fewer views -- until the final chapter! This is true of my two series as well. Why would that be?

Well, your final chapter had the highest score of any of the chapters. Whether that's because it's better or because of the process of attrition (i.e., with each successive chapter you weed out more readers who are predisposed NOT to like what you write), I don't know. But the score difference between 4 and 5 is significant.

I think people are more likely to favorite the last chapter as a way of favoriting the entire series. This will give the last chapter more visibility. It may appear more often on "similar stories" lists, giving it still more visibility.

Plus, for people who like the story, they are more likely to repeat-view the last chapter than all the other chapters. I think this is a factor as well.

Absolutely those are all logical and "could be". I accept your guesses as a logical working theory. That said, there is no way to verify that any or all are the reason for the anomaly of the views, so I guess the answer will stay in the mist, hidden and a subject of all our WAG's.

Comshaw