This is absolutely a terrible idea but I don't know why. Please help.

[7Locks]

So I have recently started contributing stories again and uploaded a story in seven parts all at once, in the hopes that readers could enjoy it all at once, but they came through one per day.

I was thinking about it, and I absolutely understand that the people who approve stories are overworked, but I thought it might be a nice way for the site to generate revenue if they offered an option to pay a small fee to get priority in screen stories. Not a huge fee, just a couple bucks. I REALLY wanted the chapters to drop at the same time and would have paid a dollar each to do it.

Or perhaps offer it to authors as an add on to get their stories up faster.

Anyway, please feel free to hammer away at this idea. I just posted my latest story and so begins the dozens of checkins daily to see if it landed.

Cheers,
7locks

 

[Britva415]

please feel free to hammer away at this idea

Based on what you described, I can't think of any reason whatsoever to not have just posted it all in one submission.

 

[caleb35]

So I have recently started contributing stories again and uploaded a story in seven parts all at once, in the hopes that readers could enjoy it all at once, but they came through one per day.

I was thinking about it, and I absolutely understand that the people who approve stories are overworked, but I thought it might be a nice way for the site to generate revenue if they offered an option to pay a small fee to get priority in screen stories. Not a huge fee, just a couple bucks. I REALLY wanted the chapters to drop at the same time and would have paid a dollar each to do it.

Or perhaps offer it to authors as an add on to get their stories up faster.

Anyway, please feel free to hammer away at this idea. I just posted my latest story and so begins the dozens of checkins daily to see if it landed.

Cheers,
7locks

I'm sorry, I know you mean well, but no. Just no. Authors should never have to pay to be published. Also, as @Britva415 said, you probably instead have just submitted it as a single work. Also, I'm not sure I see the issue with them being separated by a day each; I'd think a lot (maybe most) of your readers will still read them all at once when they're all available.

 

[WCSGarland]

And I can't think of any reason whatsoever for paying for priority.

 

[7Locks]

Based on what you described, I can't think of any reason whatsoever to not have just posted it all in one submission.

Length. I think 22k words. Also separate chapters punch home the events of each one individually more effectively than the whole

 

[7Locks]

I'm sorry, I know you mean well, but no. Just no. Authors should never have to pay to be published. Also, as @Britva415 said, you probably instead have just submitted it as a single work. Also, I'm not sure I see the issue with them being separated by a day each; I'd think a lot (maybe most) of your readers will still read them all at once when they're all available.

This is exactly why I labeled it as a stupid idea! Although the payment wouldn’t be for the publication, it would be for the extra effort that the staff would take.

I think chapter 1 of my story suffered significantly because of the way I did it where it would not have if they had all been available.

 

[7Locks]

And I can't think of any reason whatsoever for paying for priority.

Right. I guess that’s just a preference. Also, I think I’m gonna sound like an asshole here, but if it is five dollars, that is relatively meaningless to me.

Yeah. I sound like an asshole. But it’s the truth.

This was definitely a bad idea

 

[TheWritingGroup]

Length. I think 22k words. Also separate chapters punch home the events of each one individually more effectively than the whole

There are 200,000 word novels posted in one part on this site. I posted a 40,000 word novella myself.

 

[NotWise]

So I have recently started contributing stories again and uploaded a story in seven parts all at once, in the hopes that readers could enjoy it all at once, but they came through one per day.

I was thinking about it, and I absolutely understand that the people who approve stories are overworked, but I thought it might be a nice way for the site to generate revenue if they offered an option to pay a small fee to get priority in screen stories. Not a huge fee, just a couple bucks. I REALLY wanted the chapters to drop at the same time and would have paid a dollar each to do it.

Or perhaps offer it to authors as an add on to get their stories up faster.

Anyway, please feel free to hammer away at this idea. I just posted my latest story and so begins the dozens of checkins daily to see if it landed.

Cheers,
7locks

It's common for authors to upload several chapters at the same time and ask the site to publish them on a schedule. It's likely that Laurel assumed that was what you wanted, and that's what she did. Another possibility is that her experience tells her that publishing a lot of chapters at once is a bad idea, so she didn't do it. She has always reserved the right to change when and where stories are published.

The one time I divided a story into chapters and wanted it published at the same time, I put that note into the submission. It was published that way, and it turned out to be a mistake. Part 2 appeared at the bottom of the category hub. Part 1 was below the fold.

If you want several chapters published at once, it's probably a good idea to put them all into one long story. Less can go wrong, and the readers will still read it.

 

[dirk2024]

So I have recently started contributing stories again and uploaded a story in seven parts all at once, in the hopes that readers could enjoy it all at once, but they came through one per day.

For the readers here, most would LOVE receiving follow-up series chapters one per day. Even one per week.

Some of us wait weeks or even months between series follow-ups. That's if the author doesn't just stop (for whatever reason) leaving us hanging.

 

[Mastered_again]

Length. I think 22k words. Also separate chapters punch home the events of each one individually more effectively than the whole

At 22k words, 7 parts. One submission. There's no reason you can't delineate the parts within one story, 2 max

 

[ElectricBlue]

So I have recently started contributing stories again and uploaded a story in seven parts all at once, in the hopes that readers could enjoy it all at once, but they came through one per day.

That's the default, a 24 hour drop between chapters.

Laurel has been releasing stories for twenty-five years - I think she knows better than authors how a story will run, what's a good stagger.

Did you include a Note to the Editor, requesting a simultaneous release?

I was thinking about it, and I absolutely understand that the people who approve stories are overworked, but I thought it might be a nice way for the site to generate revenue if they offered an option to pay a small fee to get priority in screen stories. Not a huge fee, just a couple bucks. I REALLY wanted the chapters to drop at the same time and would have paid a dollar each to do it.

If you wanted the whole thing published at the same time, you could have submitted it as a single submission.

In any event, once the whole story is published, all release strategies are meaningless.

Or perhaps offer it to authors as an add on to get their stories up faster.

That's never going to get legs, asking authors to pay the site to release stories - which is all a "pay to fast track" request is, with another concept behind it.

 

[7Locks]

There are 200,000 word novels posted in one part on this site. I posted a 40,000 word novella myself.

I guess I know what I like, length wise. I mostly read Transgender, and find @MicheleNylons and @ShelbyDawn57 , my two favorite authors, post stories in chapters that are long enough to be delicious, and not long enough to make me feel overfull.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Length. I think 22k words. Also separate chapters punch home the events of each one individually more effectively than the whole

I've seen 300,000 word single submissions. 22k is an ideal length for a standalone story.

22,000 words with seven chapters means each chapter is less than one Lit page. That's not a good release strategy for an erotic story - there's no time for arousal, let alone a result - unless your readers are quick release two-strokes or fifteen-year olds.

 

[7Locks]

It's common for authors to upload several chapters at the same time and ask the site to publish them on a schedule. It's likely that Laurel assumed that was what you wanted, and that's what she did. Another possibility is that her experience tells her that publishing a lot of chapters at once is a bad idea, so she didn't do it. She has always reserved the right to change when and where stories are published.

The one time I divided a story into chapters and wanted it published at the same time, I put that note into the submission. It was published that way, and it turned out to be a mistake. Part 2 appeared at the bottom of the category hub. Part 1 was below the fold.

If you want several chapters published at once, it's probably a good idea to put them all into one long story. Less can go wrong, and the readers will still read it.

Thanks! I am relatively new to publishing here, and I appreciate all the experience-informed comments.

I did leave a note, and perhaps they overrode it for my own good. I am the s in a D/s relationship for a very good reason. I need someone with veto powers over my decisions, and my spouse exercises it judiciously

 

[7Locks]

I've seen 300,000 word single submissions. 22 is an ideal length for a standalone story.

22,000 words with seven chapters means each chapter is less than one Lit page. That's not a good release strategy for an erotic story - there's no time for arousal, let alone a result - unless your readers are quick release two-strokes or fifteen-year olds.

Right, I wanted the individual chapters to punch based on their individual contents, and I specifically said it was NOT a typical Lit story in terms of eroticism. It was more romantic literature with some spice.

Most of the chapters are over 4.7 so it's not like it wasn't well received, I just thought I'd start the discussion about paying for special features, but I'm thinking that crosses an ethical line that isn't worth crossing.

 

[7Locks]

That's the default, a 24 hour drop between chapters.

Laurel has been releasing stories for twenty-five years - I think she knows better than authors how a story will run, what's a good stagger.

In any event, did you include a Note to the Editor, requesting a simultaneous release?

If you wanted the whole thing published at the same time, you could have submitted it as a single submission.

In any event, once the whole story is published, all release strategies are meaningless.

That's never going to get legs, asking authors to pay the site to release stories - which is all a "pay to fast track" request is, with another concept behind it.

Thanks, I did leave a note, but you're correct, I think what happened was for the best based on other comments here.

What does Sideshow Bob say? "Cheerfully Withdrawn!"

 

[Statius]

My longest story is 36.4k or is it 34.6k? Doesn't matter. One submission, no chapters, and my most read story. Many readers prefer one submission for a single story. Chaptered stories, released individually, lose readers- I have a few series- per chapter no matter how they are released; a day apart, a week apart, doesn't matter. As far as I know, and I attempted it once myself, no series has chapters published the same day; I attempted that once myself without a note to admin. and had the same result as you, released a day apart.

As for the pay to play you mentioned, this site would lose many of its authors.

 

[7Locks]

My longest story is 36.4k or is it 34.6k? Doesn't matter. One submission, no chapters, and my most read story. Many readers prefer one submission for a single story. Chaptered stories, released individually, lose readers- I have a few series- per chapter no matter how they are released; a day apart, a week apart, doesn't matter. As far as I know, and I attempted it once myself, no series has chapters published the same day; I attempted that once myself without a note to admin. and had the same result as you, released a day apart.

As for the pay to play you mentioned, this site would lose many of its authors.

Yes, your second point is why my spider sense was tingling at my own idiocy without understanding it.

To me, it would be worth it, but I'm sure I'm an outlier.

I wanted to do the chapters to reinforce the different events in each one, and wanted all of them available so readers could just click through.

I uploaded a second series episode today, 8k word, not approved yet, but I don't even know myself what one of the two main characters is feeling, and she is the controlling party in this Nonconsent romance. So it will probably be a few weeks before chapter two comes.

I have learned a LOT in this thread, though, and appreciate all the responses

 

[Stanfield2025]

My longest story is 36.4k or is it 34.6k? Doesn't matter. One submission, no chapters, and my most read story. Many readers prefer one submission for a single story. Chaptered stories, released individually, lose readers- I have a few series- per chapter no matter how they are released; a day apart, a week apart, doesn't matter. As far as I know, and I attempted it once myself, no series has chapters published the same day; I attempted that once myself without a note to admin. and had the same result as you, released a day apart.

Yep. Because of this my next series is going to be posted in one submission. Hopefully that shit gets readers.

 

[Stanfield2025]

I wanted to do the chapters to reinforce the different events in each one, and wanted all of them available so readers could just click through.

If the submissions are coming day after day, it seems like it won't take long before all of it is out. Once all of it is out, readers can click through all the same.

Also, you can put the story you want seen in your signature line on this forum. Anyone here who's interested in your stories and profile could click it.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

I guess I know what I like, length wise. I mostly read Transgender, and find @MicheleNylons and @ShelbyDawn57 , my two favorite authors, post stories in chapters that are long enough to be delicious, and not long enough to make me feel overfull.

Thank you.

 

[Statius]

Yep. Because of this my next series is going to be posted in one submission. Hopefully that shit gets readers.

Currently working on a novel, no where near complete, and am contemplating releasing it in one long piece when the time comes, but undecided; I have the luxury of a long time to go before I make that call, though.

It's the endless discussion here though, right? Will readers read online a novel? or do they prefer chapters? What's easier? What's the best format? You go to a bookstore and buy a novel, read it over time chapter by chapter, putting it down whenever you like; reading on line though is a whole different ball game, so who knows. It's an agonizing decision process, I'll say that and if I write any more they will be solo stories.

 

[Stanfield2025]

Currently working on a novel, no where near complete, and am contemplating releasing it in one long piece when the time comes, but undecided; I have the luxury of a long time to go before I make that call, though.

It's the endless discussion here though, right? Will readers read online a novel? or do they prefer chapters? What's easier? What's the best format? You go to a bookstore and buy a novel, read it over time chapter by chapter, putting it down whenever you like; reading on line though is a whole different ball game, so who knows. It's an agonizing decision process, I'll say that and if I write any more they will be solo stories.

I never really considered doing my first serious story on Lit as a single long piece. I posted it in chapters because it was what other authors had done. Of course, those authors had tons of followers so they could probably get away with doing chaptered stories. Not something I'd considered but it's too late to back on it now, so it is what it is.

I do know that back when I read more erotica on this site, seeing a large number of pages in a single piece was intimidating to me. To an extent I'm a little surprised that readers prefer long pieces over chaptered stories.

Hmm, I wonder why reading online is such a different ball game from reading a novel.

 

[Statius]

I never really considered doing my first serious story on Lit as a single long piece. I posted it in chapters because it was what other authors had done. Of course, those authors had tons of followers so they could probably get away with doing chaptered stories. Not something I'd considered but it's too late to back on it now, so it is what it is.

I do know that back when I read more erotica on this site, seeing a large number of pages in a single piece was intimidating to me. To an extent I'm a little surprised that readers prefer long pieces over chaptered stories.

Hmm, I wonder why reading online is such a different ball game from reading a novel.

I agree. I was surprised by that as well, and it may have to do with choosing a story and sticking it out. With short pieces a chapter may 'feel' like a story, especially to those just looking to get off- ok that's done, what's next? kinda thing, but I'm talking out of my ass and it's just speculation on my part. Many writers here think it's more a 50/50 split between one long piece and chaptered as a preference.

I don't know that it is a different ball game, it just feels like it is to me and may have to do with what I just wrote above.

I do feel like- note the word 'feel', chosen for a reason- because it is a feeling, not a known- that there is a psychological difference? Maybe?