Question about RR's Rising Stars and Underland
Added 2021-10-19 20:57:00 +0000 UTCHi everyone!
So, uh, I'm facing something of an odd problem I would like to consult you on.
First of all, the first chapter of Underland is now finally available on RR! However, I have been informed by the webmaster that due to how the trending/Rising Stars algorithm works, I'll probably get penalized unless I publish more content in a quick succession. Too many ratings on the first chapter and a word-count barrier do not mix well.
I have been advised to release at least four more chapters/20k words to offset the wordcount penalty; as it is, there is a strong possibility that Underland won't make it to the first page of rising stars/trending if I release chapters with the usual schedule.
Underland is a dark fantasy/Lovecraftian horror well outside the usual stuff on RR and what I published before; I just have to look at the liking ratio to know Underland won't be anywhere as successful as Vainqueur or The Perfect Run before it, so it needs all the help it can get to attract new readers. Releasing a few more chapters would help with that.
However, I don't have a backlog outside of the Patreon advance chapters, so releasing four more chapters early would penalize people who already paid for them.
So, I would like to consult you on what will go on. I see a few possibilities:
- The first is to keep with the schedule as it is. I won't release early Underland chapters, and while it will penalize it on RR's trending, you patrons won't be penalized in any way. Since you're the guys who paid to see these chapters, it's only fair that you decide what to do with them.
- I can put Kairos on a short hiatus until I write four more Underland chapters to rebuild the Patreon backlog. Which should take until the end of the month, maybe less since I'll be basically doing a writhathon on one story.
- Or as a middle ground, I can release early chapters without changing the update schedule on Patreon, which means reorganizing the pledge system to move from 12 advance chapters of Underland to 8; in which case, to make up to you, I will suspend the Patreon billing for November so you'll get a month of early content free as an apology.
So... yeah, I would like your honest opinion on that. Whatever you choose, I'll go with it.
Comments
I like option number four more
Matthew Lewis Worthington
2021-10-20 15:10:47 +0000 UTCYou forgot a fourth option : do what you need to do and don't stop billing for it. It's a Patreon site, we're here to help you make something we like without the stress of combining it with more hassle like financial issues. We don't buy word count, we just get an incentive for being a ''patron of the arts''. The two should never be amalgamated in my opinion.
Mi
2021-10-20 04:29:27 +0000 UTCI would honestly give you more money if I could.
Joel Sasmad
2021-10-20 02:42:36 +0000 UTCi dont know why you are worried about trend. People usually wait for a story to exceed 20 chapters to start reading it. I did same thing with Kairos. As for the options, i dont think people here are that invested in underworld yet. So don't stop the billing, put how many chapter you want on RR and i think we can wait.
sri kalyan mulukutla
2021-10-20 02:19:30 +0000 UTCI like the third option, but don't really care for the billing pause. As far as I am concerned, keep it up and give the RR readers a pre christmas gift.
Astrael
2021-10-19 23:34:58 +0000 UTCWell I think that releasing 4 chapters on RR now and then one chapter per week in november (on RR) is best option. That way you dont lose anything and patreons are still 12 chapters ahead in december.
2021-10-19 22:47:31 +0000 UTCI voted for you to pause Kairos, but please make the best decision for yourself.
Jam
2021-10-19 21:44:34 +0000 UTCI’m for releasing extra chapters and the rebuilding of the current backlog over the next few months/year, without disrupting payments. I don’t think stopping Patreon payments would be fair to you, same as you don’t think that the change in benefits mid way would be fair to us, as the relative sacrifice is much more weighty on your end in the case of a subscription pause. I am subscribed to my fair share of creators that do not fulfil all their obligations all the time. You are in the top ten percent in your punctuality. This is an exceptional record. I also believe that the RR requirement is not something you can be reasonably expected to have known about in advance. As others have said, I pay to support you, not because I want the advance chapters (though it is a nice bonus). Anyway, I understand that you have a strong opinion on the necessity of a payment suspension, so I voted for the suspension of Kairos as the option I am most interested in next.
Armo
2021-10-19 21:39:01 +0000 UTCI voted pause and catch up, but my general sentiment is do whatever is best for your work and the story(s). I'm fine with anything and support the work being done even if it sometimes needs to happen in a different order. Love the work, the transparency, and the inclusion in the decision. You're aces!
2021-10-19 21:36:26 +0000 UTCWhile I have no issues with saving $10 why not go with Thursday releases for one month like you used to do?
mhaj58
2021-10-19 21:31:21 +0000 UTCI'm thankful for the offer, but, well, there is a thing I care for more than money and it's my principles. It's also that keeping the schedule and releasing early chapters means I'll have to reorganize/adapt the tier system anyway in November, so a suspension makes sense.
Void Herald
2021-10-19 21:21:36 +0000 UTCAnd where is the option to release the chapters, keep the schedule, and also keep the billing? Yeah, I get it, you are fiercely loyal to your patrons, and think this is fair, but I'd like to see some stats about how many of us are here because we are "buying" the early chapters, and how many are here because we want to support a favorite author. If your books were not freely available online, then it would be a simpler matter. As it stands, I'm pretty sure most are here just to support.
Ervin Ughy
2021-10-19 21:13:52 +0000 UTCBasically, from what I understood, if I get too many on the first chapter before I have enough words up, it will penalize the story's on trending because it works on a curve system. So yeah... I would prefer if you could wait until chapter 4/5 XD
Void Herald
2021-10-19 21:11:15 +0000 UTCSo, I should wait with the Follow, Favourite, Rate and Review for Underland on royalroad?
MaliMi
2021-10-19 21:09:03 +0000 UTCI think writing the 4 chapters would be best for the author since it would keep the 12 chapters to entice new patrons
afgasd adgasd
2021-10-19 21:06:58 +0000 UTCI am still burnt out after the perfect run so my only interest is in Kairos. I will probably start reading underland once there are more chapters and/or Kairos will be near its conclusion. Obviously I can't speak for others but I believe it's best to have a bigger sample for readers than just one chapter. To get the idea where exactly (and how) it's going.
Young Youghurt
2021-10-19 21:06:07 +0000 UTC+1
2021-10-19 21:05:27 +0000 UTCTo be honest, for the cover, it kinda slipped through my mind. I've been facing a lot of RL stuff (especially on the legal/piracy front) that delayed everything else and distracted me.
Void Herald
2021-10-19 21:05:15 +0000 UTCPersonally I’m okay with paying for November as an if we are not as far ahead, I pay both for the early content AND to support you. So do what you need to when it comes to RR
Enzo Elacqua
2021-10-19 21:01:49 +0000 UTCWell, I am going to complain: why didn' I saw the underland art (cover) until it was released on rr? also, what was the deal with the octohorse rabbit plushie in the perfect run? was it beaten as a purple messenger by Augustus? was it faking it? Was it depressed? More faking?
skewness7
2021-10-19 21:01:05 +0000 UTCYou could take it down and post the story again on rr when you have enough chapters to meet both patreon and rr req
Sahil
2021-10-19 21:00:53 +0000 UTC
