I need to repost all the chapters of my story after numerous grammatical corrections.
Should I paste the text as I did for the original submission?
I submitted 2 chapters at once before, can I replace them separately?
If I re-upload the files, Do the filenames have to be the same?
What is the easiest method to do this?
Thanks in advance.
Capt. Zapp
Capt., you can change and resubmit as many chapters as you want (though it can only handle ten at a time). If you have them ready, then post them all at once (Often, when you're revising, you'll want to review to earlier chapters, because it'll affect later chapters, and the later chapters might change the earlier ones too).
"Do the filenames have to be the same?" Interesting question. I had one story, where readers raised some issues with the first chapter. Because it consisted of two different 'events' at the same location, I broke it into two chapters, which forced me to resubmit the entire story to renumber all the chapters. What I didn't count on, was the new chapter was listed as a 'new addition' to an already completed story, so all my old fans reread the last chapter, expecting a continuation of the story.
Yes, you can submit them all at once, and use the same file names, but be aware an extra chapter or two can change what the readers see.
The easiest way to revise existing chapters is to revise the whole thing at once. If you only have changes to a couple chapters, then just do those (they must be sequential, so if you change ch. 1, 5, 7 and 9, then you must either repost 1-9, or submit 4 separate chapters).
And, seriously, thanks for taking the time to improve the quality of your story. Not as many people will notice the new changes, but it will improve your reputation as a 'quality' writer. Our skill and our quality are what define us as authors. You can't expect to be taken seriously if your quality sucks, and quality alone isn't worth beans (i.e. you need a decent story and it needs to be well-written). If you provide both, readers will remember, and they'll trust your next stories.
CW. One of the things I was worried about was the multiple chapters in one file issue. Since I had submitted two chapters in a single file,I wasn't sure if I had to do so again to update. I slould have known that Lazeez would have a handle on that.
Since this is my first story, I really want to make a good impression. I probably shouldn't have written something so long as a first story, but this is what my 'dream editor' set me up for. It's okay though, I am really enjoying getting to know my own characters.
CW. One of the things I was worried about was the multiple chapters in one file issue. Since I had submitted two chapters in a single file,I wasn't sure if I had to do so again to update. I slould have known that Lazeez would have a handle on that.
I have resubmitted up to 5 chapters in one file that were all submitted individually.
I probably shouldn't have written something so long as a first story, but this is what my 'dream editor' set me up for.
Capt., it's not unusual. Many first time authors take on the serial format, trying to write stories of 50 to 80 chapters. It's the favorite story type on the site (aside from porn). If you're worried, though, you may want to consider breaking your story up into multiple books.
Like any such case you should ask these questions of Lazeez via the webmaster link. However, it's been my experience you can upload each chapter into the wizard as separate files if you wish. In the Wizard you identify which chapter you're replacing, thus the file name can be anything you want it to be; of you can designate a group of chapters and files.
It's also my understanding if you have the whole story as one file and have each chapter identified with the word Chapter at the start of it the system can accept it all as one file and slice it up into the chapters for you.
Probably a stupid question, but where is the webmaster link?
Edit: never mind, I found it.
Probably a stupid question, but where is the webmaster link?
Second link from the right at the very top of the home page.
In the upper right corner there is a series of links, a mobile phone icon for the mobile version of the site followed by: My Account, Sign Out, Webmaster, Help
I think a lot of readers, like me, prefer stories around or over 100k. It has to do with how many stories we can read a day. I may read faster than average, but when I read 16 short stories a day, I have what is left of the 24 hours without SOL stories.
It may demonstrate reader preferences that reader scores are often higher on longer stories than shorter ones. Of course if the goal is more downloads, perhaps the golden prize is for medium length stories. It may be nice that the score for the million word marathon is high, but if only a few dozen read it all the way through, it may not be an optimum length. In short, write stories as long as they need to be. If you are satisfied with it, that is all that matters. Well Management has to approve posting it, but certain age limits aside they are very forgiving.
I think a lot of readers, like me, prefer stories around or over 100k. It has to do with how many stories we can read a day.
Richard, like a lot of us, I've considered this for a while. However, I think it (preferring longer stories) has more to do with reading stories a chapter at a time.
Long books are often harder to sell, and book readers constantly complain about books they just don't have the time to read. However, if you only read a chapter every couple days/weeks, the pressure to consume it at once drops considerably.
This is backed up by the fact that, while I sell a fair number of books to SOL and FS readers, they typically read the entire story here first, and then purchase the book, or they'll purchase it, and continue reading it online.
Where longer books do resonate with readers are when readers have more time (i.e. the very young (YA readers) and retired readers).
Guilty as charged. I am so tired I am retired. Not a lot of us 70 year olds are working at a paid job. So I have a lot more time than working stiffs. Which is why I make so many forum posts.
Even for people without much time, and reading a chapter at a time, the advantage to them of long stories is that they don't have to find something else to read until the story they like ends. I'm not sure if this affects how long authors should want to make their stories, but I suppose it doesn't discourage the epic writers to keep on doing so. They may not make more people happy, but they make the same people happy more times, or for more months than short story writers. Not having to make the decision "What do I read next" is helpful and lets you read something rather than think about what to read. Somebody stop me before I keep writing.
Even for people without much time, and reading a chapter at a time, the advantage to them of long stories is that they don't have to find something else to read until the story they like ends.
It's not just that, but reading a 'chapter at a time' allows them to read multiple stories at once without becoming overwhelmed, which helps to build suspense across all of them. Thus those readers are less likely to grow bored when a story has an 'explanation' or 'build-up' (to a larger event) chapter.
Of course, I have no statistics on can quote on this behavior, but the serial has long been preferred on SOL, and the 800 page serial has been popular in the YA market for some time, while working parents mostly prefer fast action/mystery/romance stories they can read quickly without getting too immersed in.
working parents mostly prefer fast action/mystery/romance stories they can read quickly without getting too immersed in.
Where as for me a good story is one that I do get immersed in. If a story doesn't draw me in, I generally don't continue with it.
There have been quite a few stories that have had good reviews, good scores, and are of the type I like; but when it came to reading it the story just didn't grab me, some I've given up on after a half dozen chapters, others I didn't even make it through the first chapter.
Where as for me a good story is one that I do get immersed in. If a story doesn't draw me in, I generally don't continue with it.
I totally agree with this, and one day I'm going to get around to adding something to a story starter I like, of:
It's the best of times and the worst of times. He's a great author and I love his stories, but this latest one drags on like a month of heavy drizzling rain and has less plot action than the plot I've got reserved at the local cemetery. I wonder if he really wrote this or if he was high on something at the time, but he should never have sent it out in to the world until he made it a story.
.............
Not sure where I want to go from there at the moment.
edit to add: _ I usually don't even think about starting to ready a story before it's finished posting now.
It's the best of times and the worst of times. He's a great author and I love his stories, but this latest one drags on like a month of heavy drizzling rain and has less plot action than the plot I've got reserved at the local cemetery. I wonder if he really wrote this or if he was high on something at the time, but he should never have sent it out in to the world until he made it a story.
When I'm down I read Anguished English by Richard Lederer - a book of schoolboy and other howlers but this beats them all!
It might just do that, but you can easily picture how terrible the story being discussed is, can't you?
Where as for me a good story is one that I do get immersed in. If a story doesn't draw me in, I generally don't continue with it.
And often, when a story 'just doesn't grab you', it has nothing at all to do with the story. How many times have we all started a story and hated it, but when we try it again years later, consider it a tremendous story.
I encountered that recently with my sister-in-law, a voracious reader. I ranted about the novel "The Martian", but she hated it (probably because I'd built it up so much). When she went back, without the hype, she loved it (thought the science and math might have been to blame there too).
Sometimes reading a story a chapter at a time gives you a different flavor than reading it all at one time. As you may have guessed, some that I've reread after they were completed didn't have quite the same draw as the first time.
Cheers, RustyKen
some that I've reread after they were completed didn't have quite the same draw as the first time.
Is that due to reading a chapter at a time vs the whole story, or the fact you already knew what was going to happen the second time around?
