New author, first serial. Almost a dozen chapters posted. Author gains consulting editor, does a major rewrite of those chapters. It's a significant improvement.
A number of following chapters are in the pipeline.
Does he simply repost the revised chapters, with a blog commentary?
How would you handle it?
Does he simply repost the revised chapters, with a blog commentary?
Have there been any significant changes to the plot or characters, or is it just a case of improved grammar, spelling, better flow of the story etc?
If it were significant changes to the story/characters, and/or you've been hammered with chapter by chapter scores I'd suggest pulling & reposting.
Otherwise just make a note in your blog, and also in the chapter list or prequel/prologue (if there is one) when you re-post the updated chapters. IMHO.
Having deleted an entire story and reposted it, I'll state this emphatically: Do NOT post an old story as new! When I did, I immediately lost a third of my readers, who I've never regained. The story was better written, and it was a necessary step for me as a writer, but the story wasn't new, it was just cleaned up. As such, just repost the chapters and inform readers in the blog. Personally, I'd expect few readers will go back to investigate, but when readers go back to reread the story over time, they'll (hopefully) be impressed with the changes.
Also, don't discount readers who don't start a story until it's complete. Cleaning up earlier chapters is important to impress those readers. The people already reading your story are already impressed with your writing as it is, and those unimpressed won't be any more convinced to begin reading it when they see it appear again.
Having deleted an entire story and reposted it, I'll state this emphatically: Do NOT post an old story as new!
Which is what I said.
Unless there were significant changes(plot or character), just let people know there have been changes (using your blog and the chapter list or prologue/author's note if it had one) & continue on.
Having deleted an entire story and reposted it, I'll state this emphatically: Do NOT post an old story as new!
I should have dug deeper in the Files to find this answer to my other Post... Thanks again!
Does he simply repost the revised chapters, with a blog commentary?
I think it's safe to say I'm the one author with the most revisions ever posted at SoL. In most cases it's minor grammar and spelling, but there have been a few cases with some extra explanation and or action added. In each case I simply uploaded the new file as a revision via the Repost Chapter option of the submission wizard, posted a blog entry, and if the story was still posting I posted a comment on the End Note about the changes so readers would know to go back and re-read the chapter/s concerned.
After having just posted four chapters of a new story, I've just restructured the story, reorganizing the chapters. So, after having gotten that far, I'll advise my readers to start again, rereading what they've just read. Luckily, most will ignore the advice, though the story will be in better shape when I post it on SOL.
But generally, you don't remove and repost stories unless you've made significant changes to the plot. Not just beefing up a fight scene, but changing the entire dynamics/plot/conflicts of the story.
Thanks, everyone. Your comments are very helpful to a new author.
(No ... I'm not the 'hypothetical' but the points you've made are helpful to anyone going back to revise/improve earlier chapters.)
