About posting fics
Okay, seriously. Two things about posting fics (probably not directed to anyone actually on my friends list, but I've just gotta rant about it a little), because now it's been happening over and over again and it's getting on my nerves.
1.
When posting fics in multiple part, post the links to the previous chapter. Don't just link to the latest one. For one, if you write "4/6" only in the header and nowhere in the post, and then there's the link in the entry, there's a big risk that I won't see it. I'll click on the link and then be very confused as to what the heck is going on (and usually spoiled for the story). Secondly, unless you're posting the chapters with five minutes between them - which usually doesn't happen - then it's very, very hard for people to find the previous chapter(s). This goes especially for busy comms, but really, since it takes weeks or even months for some authors to post a new chapter, there will have been other posts in between. Usually a lot of posts. Which makes it impossible to find the previous chapters unless you've linked to them.
2.
It works the other way around too. If you post a story in multiple parts and don't post them immediately after one another, then go back and edit your original entry to add a link to the next chapter. If I find a rec for a story, or am simply searching a comm for entries way back when, then I don't want to have to go on a wild goose chase just to find the chapters of the story.
This also ties into the fact that if someone recs your story, they want to rec to the post with all the links in it. If that's your last chapter, then the unassuming reader who doesn't check which chapter the rec is linked to (because to little ole me, it's a given that it's to the first chapter), will start reading the story, be very confused and usually very, very spoiled for the story. And then I don't read the story, because I already know how it ends (and I don't like that. Some of you might. If you do, congrats ;)).
How to solve the problem
- Links. As stated above. In every chapter. At the top, links to the previous chapter(s), at the bottom, link to the next chapter. Or all at the top. Or something. Just make them easy to spot.
- Tags. The whole thing can also be solved with tags, obviously. But if you use tags, then make sure you actually use the tags. And not just on every four chapters or so - use them on every chapter. A week or two ago, I found a story which had tagged about half the entries in the story. Since I assumed the person had tagged all the entries, it made for a very annoying reading experience where I suddenly jumped from chapter six to chapter ten (and was thusly spoiled).
- Master post. If you reeeeeally don't want to go back and edit entries for links, and if you reeeeeally don't want to add a specific story tag for your story, then do a master post. Link to it from every chapter and update it with the links to the new chapters as you go.
Writers posting fics usually do it because they want people to read their story. That means its our job as writers to make sure that the readers can actually find and enjoy the (whole) story. It's really not that hard.
1.
When posting fics in multiple part, post the links to the previous chapter. Don't just link to the latest one. For one, if you write "4/6" only in the header and nowhere in the post, and then there's the link in the entry, there's a big risk that I won't see it. I'll click on the link and then be very confused as to what the heck is going on (and usually spoiled for the story). Secondly, unless you're posting the chapters with five minutes between them - which usually doesn't happen - then it's very, very hard for people to find the previous chapter(s). This goes especially for busy comms, but really, since it takes weeks or even months for some authors to post a new chapter, there will have been other posts in between. Usually a lot of posts. Which makes it impossible to find the previous chapters unless you've linked to them.
2.
It works the other way around too. If you post a story in multiple parts and don't post them immediately after one another, then go back and edit your original entry to add a link to the next chapter. If I find a rec for a story, or am simply searching a comm for entries way back when, then I don't want to have to go on a wild goose chase just to find the chapters of the story.
This also ties into the fact that if someone recs your story, they want to rec to the post with all the links in it. If that's your last chapter, then the unassuming reader who doesn't check which chapter the rec is linked to (because to little ole me, it's a given that it's to the first chapter), will start reading the story, be very confused and usually very, very spoiled for the story. And then I don't read the story, because I already know how it ends (and I don't like that. Some of you might. If you do, congrats ;)).
How to solve the problem
- Links. As stated above. In every chapter. At the top, links to the previous chapter(s), at the bottom, link to the next chapter. Or all at the top. Or something. Just make them easy to spot.
- Tags. The whole thing can also be solved with tags, obviously. But if you use tags, then make sure you actually use the tags. And not just on every four chapters or so - use them on every chapter. A week or two ago, I found a story which had tagged about half the entries in the story. Since I assumed the person had tagged all the entries, it made for a very annoying reading experience where I suddenly jumped from chapter six to chapter ten (and was thusly spoiled).
- Master post. If you reeeeeally don't want to go back and edit entries for links, and if you reeeeeally don't want to add a specific story tag for your story, then do a master post. Link to it from every chapter and update it with the links to the new chapters as you go.
Writers posting fics usually do it because they want people to read their story. That means its our job as writers to make sure that the readers can actually find and enjoy the (whole) story. It's really not that hard.