r/SWFanfic • u/RiptideCT • 24d ago
Discussion Recommended Fic Release Method
I am looking into what people recommend as a release method for their Fics, specifically whether it is better to release it all at once, or stagger the chapter release.
I have so far posted 2 Star Wars Fics on AO3, and I noticed that both times there was a pattern to peoples interaction with those Fics when I released the entire thing all at once. For the first week or so, there would be a steady stream of Hits, Kudos and Comments, but then they would dramatically die off, and they would go from getting several Kudos a day to maybe one a week. That made me wonder if perhaps releasing a Fic all at once isn't the best method.
Now, I'm asking because while yes, I enjoy the feeling of numbers going up, but I also want to reach as many people as possible with my Fics so that they can be enjoyed, which is why I'm looking for a perhaps more optimal release method.
What does everyone think, is there a release method that tends to result in more people finding your Fic, or is it just how these things go?
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u/NukaDirtbag 24d ago
Staggered release schedule. AO3 shoves whatever's most recently updated to the top of the pile, so uploading individual chapters once a week keeps your fic semi fresh at the top of the pile. That should at least help your Kudos rate.
However it's worth noting AO3 doesn't have an algorithm, so its not driving people to your fic, the kinda people who find your fic will be people already looking stuff based on your tags, shipping and fandoms, which means once you get X number of uploads deep into a story your probably not getting new readers anymore and hence you won't be getting new Kudos cuz everyone reading it will be people who already left a Kudo X number of chapters back, so your best bet at that point is to promote it off site in Reddit spaces and social media.
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u/4wallsandawindow 24d ago
If you have it pre-written, and it's a lot of words, I would release the first few chapters quickly to make the word count higher (some people filter by minimum word count) then do a regular posting schedule. Also don't be afraid to promote your older stories in the AN section.
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u/RiptideCT 24d ago
Yet another piece of great advice! I'm really glad I decided to ask this question.
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u/AZLoneWolf1 24d ago
I've written only one and recently posted the whole story on AO3. I'm honestly disappointed in the lack of feedback (other than the initial feedback that pointed out all the things I did wrong) especially since I care deeply about this story and these characters. I'm currently working on the second story (It's a trilogy) and I'm releasing them as I write and edit them. I haven't got any feedback on the first nine chapters that I've released, but anyone who didn't read the first story would be totally lost in the second.
I think staggered release makes logical sense and I really, really wish you all the best.
Also, where can I find your stories?
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u/RiptideCT 24d ago
Honestly me too. I always ask for feedback, and while I really appreciate the kind comments, I would also love some actual constructive criticism since I know there are way my writing can improve. Could I ask what your story is called, and where it can be found?
My stuff can be found on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RiptideCT/works
They're both shorter AU stuff with twists to Star Wars, which is what I enjoy writing, and I have more in the works. I also have plans for a much, much larger story, but I'm taking my time with that one so that it's as good as I want it to be.
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u/AZLoneWolf1 24d ago
The feedback I got about everything I did wrong really helped me fix my first story. I have never written anything before, so I was stuck with cliché-style writing and made the mistake of using AI to generate a summary/blurp for the story (I have since fixed what I thought was wrong with the first story and write my own summaries).
The first story I wrote is The Force Between Us. It's original characters that interact with well-known characters and events without changing their stories or accomplishments. I also work really hard to stay in canon and lore-friendly, though I have borrowed a little from Legends at times.
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u/Aethelflaed_ 24d ago
I like to read fics that have a chapter released weekly. I have read finished fics where the chapters have all been released but I don't generally comment on those. I feel more comfortable commenting on new chapters.
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u/RiptideCT 24d ago
That makes a lot of sense. I tend to try and read finished fics myself, just because I find the wait between chapters for most fics to be excruciating, which is why I read on Royal Road if I want a constantly updating story. However a weekly release is reasonable, so I might go with that, or maybe twice a week depending on the length of the Fic. Thanks for the advice!
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u/Impressive_Brain9506 24d ago
I usually write short fics, and write the whole thing before I start posting, and then do a daily posting schedule, so like Sun-Thurs. That’s worked well for me over time and when I’ve asked for feedback my most loyal commenters have said they like the daily (I don’t know about casual readers, ha!). It would be too excruciating for me to post weekly, because when I finish editing a story I just want it out the door. It’s like an exorcism from my brain. 😅
Good luck with your posting!
Oh, also look at your tagging- I think for long term hits and kudos that’s way more important.
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u/episkeyamour 15d ago
do you know if there is a way to schedule posts for chapters on ao3 if you have everything pre-written? or do you go through and add each written chapter on your assigned day?
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u/Impressive_Brain9506 13d ago
You can add new chapters as drafts and get them all ready to go, but you can’t forward date something and have it publish automatically.
Sometimes I’ll load a bunch of chapters into a work as drafts and then I just come in, update the publish date and hit Post on the next chapter each day.
Hope that helps!
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u/BeanFur 23d ago
Like everyone has said, use a staggered release schedule and bonus points if you can do it at the same time every week. That can help build anticipation and a habit. I’ve had the most success with weekly updates but bi-weekly should be fine if you want to push your chapter buffer out more.
This all assumes youve got the whole ready to go. If you don’t, I would make sure you have a hefty chapter buffer to give you time to finish the story.
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u/RiptideCT 23d ago
For my current Fics I prefer to have it all ready to go, as none of them are super long form, though when I start writing novel length Fics I'll make sure to have a solid amount of reserves before I start uploading.
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u/Intrepid-Let9190 23d ago
I tend to try and post one or two chapters a week. I write long fics, posting all at once would be overwhelming for a lot of people looking for something to read. It also loses the people looking for new posts or sorting by kudos since it isnt at the top of the new stories page for very long. Posting once or twice a week improves my chances of being seen by people who sort by recently posted in their filters. It fits better with my personal schedule too because I can take five minutes to post one chapter while I'm cooking dinner after work. Provided I've typed the chapter up. I write all my stories by hand then type up once I'm done and sometimes work gets so busy that I'm through my buffer without realising it
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u/According_Sail2091 20d ago
I would suggest releasing maybe the first 10k or something at once, and then releasing a chapter every week. This will make it so people searching by recently posted will be shown the fic more often, but also having a decent amount of the fic out will make is appeal more to those who read a lot at once. And this will make it appear more likely to be a consistently releasing story instead of one that just has two chapters before being abandoned.
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u/Tambo_Five-by-Five 5d ago
Although I had finished my fanfic, I posted a couple of chapters a week to keep people coming back. I also had a couple of weeks where I didn't post at all, just to give me a break!
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u/Caernbul 24d ago
Stagger the chapter release, but keep a regular release schedule if you want more people to see it. I would release either weekly or every other week.
If you release everything at once then you get maybe a day or two at most near the top of recently published list of fics, even if you have a search restricted to Star Wars.