How to link stories together?

[live4thebj]

I notice when people post stories with a part 1 2 and so on they are combined and you can click on the title and have all the stories of that series in one listing.

I just finished a part 2 of a story i am still waiting part 1 to be approved. When I submit part 2 I want it listed in the way I described just not sure how to do that.

 

[CalBishForNow]

There's a Series option in the sidebar, and also when creating a work after hitting Preview & Publish, if I remember correctly. I think you have to create a series manually and get it approved. Once you've done so, new works may be added to the series automatically if the system detects consistent titles, but you can also add works to series manually.

 

[TheLobster]

Series are created automatically by the site if you follow a sensible pattern in your titles. Anything like "XXX Pt. 1" followed by "XXX Pt. 2", and so on, will be added to a series "XXX". More complicated schemes (like "XXX Pt. 2: YYY") require manual series, as mentioned above, but if you just stick to numbered parts you basically don't need to do anything other than publish the parts.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

I encourage you to read this how-to article on publishing a series. It will answer a lot of questions for you.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Series are created automatically by the site if you follow a sensible pattern in your titles. Anything like "XXX Pt. 1" followed by "XXX Pt. 2", and so on, will be added to a series "XXX". More complicated schemes (like "XXX Pt. 2: YYY") require manual series, as mentioned above, but if you just stick to numbered parts you basically don't need to do anything other than publish the parts.

The titles don't have to be numbered to be automatically associated with each other. A perfect example is my "Before They Were Stars" series. The same core title with variables can drive the association with no numbers involved.

Placing the episodes on the desired order might require them to be manually reordered because the default in the system would be to list them alphabetically since there are no numbers.

 

[live4thebj]

Thanks everyone. Part 1 just got approved and about to submit part 2. If it wasn't for the holiday and things so slow not sure if I ever would have done a part 2. Funny how things work out.

 

[Chase_Storm]

Good luck.

Sometimes the automatic thing works perfectly.

Sometimes it SEEMS to work perfectly, but will do weird things like have readers skipping chapters under the "Read More of This Series" feature.

Sometimes the automatic thing doesn't work, so you go manual, and it works.

Sometimes the automatic thing works so you go manual, and nothing happens.

I have published four series and am currently experiencing each of these outcomes.

Here's to hoping it all works out for you.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Good luck.

Sometimes the automatic thing works perfectly.

Sometimes it SEEMS to work perfectly, but will do weird things like have readers skipping chapters under the "Read More of This Series" feature.

Sometimes the automatic thing doesn't work, so you go manual, and it works.

Sometimes the automatic thing works so you go manual, and nothing happens.

I have published four series and am currently experiencing each of these outcomes.

Here's to hoping it all works out for you.

Are yours "series" stories, or stories written serially?

I'm curious which type you might have had issues with the automated process.

 

[Gamblnluck]

The titles don't have to be numbered to be automatically associated with each other. A perfect example is my "Before They Were Stars" series. The same core title with variables can drive the association with no numbers involved.

Placing the episodes on the desired order might require them to be manually reordered because the default in the system would be to list them alphabetically since there are no numbers.

One thing I hate when an author does NOT number them is figuring out the order in which they should be read. As a reader, I generally do not even make the attempt.
Some authors think a line in the preface is sufficient. "Read XXX before this one". But they don't say that MMM has to be read before XXX. Numbering makes it so much easier especially a year or 2 down the road.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

One thing I hate when an author does NOT number them is figuring out the order in which they should be read. As a reader, I generally do not even make the attempt.
Some authors think a line in the preface is sufficient. "Read XXX before this one". But they don't say that MMM has to be read before XXX. Numbering makes it so much easier especially a year or 2 down the road.

I believe that there are two major contributing factors to the situation you describe:

1. The writer doesn't appreciate the difference between writing a series and writing serially, so they don't know how to properly title their chapters. In the writer's mind, everything from one episode to the next is clear so why bother?
2. Each subsequent episode is an "after-thought", with nothing having been planned to be ongoing. Readers just have to deal with it.

 

[Chase_Storm]

Are yours "series" stories, or stories written serially?

I'm curious which type you might have had issues with the automated process.

Series stories.

My Saturday Nights in the Dorm was automatically organized as a series. Each story is titled "Saturday Nights in the Dorm Ch. X." In my profile they appear in order, but the connections are screwed up. Read chapter 11, for example, and at the end in the "Read More" section readers are prompted to read chapter 4 next, or go to the previous chapter, which is listed as 11 (the one they just finished).

Making this more complicated is that things don't break until chapter 4, so some people see my complaints, but then everything looks fine after the first chapter and they assume I'm crazy.

Then there's my Strictly Business Pt. 2 which has been completed and still hasn't been organized as a series.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Series stories.

My Saturday Nights in the Dorm was automatically organized as a series. Each story is titled "Saturday Nights in the Dorm Ch. X." In my profile they appear in order, but the connections are screwed up. Read chapter 11, for example, and at the end in the "Read More" section readers are prompted to read chapter 4 next, or go to the previous chapter, which is listed as 11 (the one they just finished).

Making this more complicated is that things don't break until chapter 4, so some people see my complaints, but then everything looks fine after the first chapter and they assume I'm crazy.

Then there's my Strictly Business Pt. 2 which has been completed and still hasn't been organized as a series.

There is nothing wrong with it, but you are not writing a series, you are writing serially.

The first paragraph of your "The Cabin Ch. 03" illustrates this:

The rest of the night was wonderful. We drank, we laughed, we just hung out. That we were all naked together in a hot tub was really forgotten, at least until anyone had to get out for any reason. Then we whistled and cracked jokes, but quickly returned to whatever we'd been talking about.

No one coming it at that point would have a clue what happened prior unless they had read the previous episode. One episode relying upon other episodes for purpose and clarity is the very definition of a chapter story, or writing serially.

In any event, I see what you mean with your Saturday Nights chapters "next/previous" links. It looks like they were all publishes at at time when there were several issues going on with the site (not that aren't still some right now). I would suggest that you send a private message to Laurel and see if she can't straighten things out for you.

 

[Chase_Storm]

There is nothing wrong with it, but you are not writing a series, you are writing serially.

The first paragraph of your "The Cabin Ch. 03" illustrates this:

The rest of the night was wonderful. We drank, we laughed, we just hung out. That we were all naked together in a hot tub was really forgotten, at least until anyone had to get out for any reason. Then we whistled and cracked jokes, but quickly returned to whatever we'd been talking about.

No one coming it at that point would have a clue what happened prior unless they had read the previous episode. One episode relying upon other episodes for purpose and clarity is the very definition of a chapter story, or writing serially.

In any event, I see what you mean with your Saturday Nights chapters "next/previous" links. It looks like they were all publishes at at time when there were several issues going on with the site (not that aren't still some right now). I would suggest that you send a private message to Laurel and see if she can't straighten things out for you.

At the end of the day, call it a popsicle for all I care. I just want it to work correctly.

I appreciate the advice. I've messaged Laurel. And Manu. And Laurel and Manu. I've done the "Report" option to note a bug on all of the stories. I've tried to manually reset the order to something ridiculous, and then put it back to the right order, which incredibly just ends up with the exact same issues at the exact same places. I've left notes in the "note to moderator" box. I don't think there's anything left to do.

And yes, I know, they are very busy people, etc.

I just want to warn the OP. You can follow the instructions exactly. You can do it all correctly. Whether it actually works seems independent of those factors. Hope for the best, but try not to let the result frustrate you.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

At the end of the day, call it a popsicle for all I care. I just want it to work correctly.

I appreciate the advice. I've messaged Laurel. And Manu. And Laurel and Manu. I've done the "Report" option to note a bug on all of the stories. I've tried to manually reset the order to something ridiculous, and then put it back to the right order, which incredibly just ends up with the exact same issues at the exact same places. I've left notes in the "note to moderator" box. I don't think there's anything left to do.

And yes, I know, they are very busy people, etc.

I just want to warn the OP. You can follow the instructions exactly. You can do it all correctly. Whether it actually works seems independent of those factors. Hope for the best, but try not to let the result frustrate you.

Unfortunately, I believe that we are dealing with separate systemic functions.

The Series Manager appears to control how stories appear on the author's story page, but not how they appear in the sidebars, which is where your problem exists. Something in that algorithm or other logic is screwed up and the admins are the sole resource for resolution. You likely did nothing wrong.