When to post/not to post?

[kriadydragon]

Do you think there is a best time to post a story and a not-so-good time? Because, face it, we're all comment whores and want as many people as possible to read our stories;) As I said in my post about reviewing, it's our "payment" and what helps out motivation to write.

But I've been wondering, when posting, especially on LJ, that if you post at the wrong time whether you run the risk of your story becoming lost in the shuffle of other posts - not just other stories but various miscellaneous posts as well. It becomes buried, and some readers end up missing it.

For example, the weekdays, especially Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and sometimes Thursdays, LJ is pretty quiet. For that reason (and though this may be stating the obvious) would a story garner more readers if it was posted between Friday and Monday?

Or do you think that it doesn't matter; that people get on when they can, read what they can in the time permitted, then move on?

Comments

[ameshinju.livejournal.com]

For me personally, I often don't get online at all during the school week. I find myself staying up late on weekends trying to get caught up on reading my friend's page and doing school readings. I usually have to go back at least 4 pages on Friday to catch up on what I missed during the week. Often times if a story is posted I'll hear about if from someone on my f-list and then I'll look for it as I go through the backlog.

Posting a story between Friday and Monday will guarantee that I will see it. And I really do love your stories (even if I sometimes get distracted and forget to reply to them). I've said it before, but I know it's always nice to hear, I have yet to read a story of yours that I have not really liked.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

"Posting a story between Friday and Monday will guarantee that I will see it."

I do think a story has better luck when it's posted on weekends. My problem is that I get impatient, want to post right away, so end up posting during the week on Tuesday or Wednesday.

At the moment, I pretty much have no life so I'm in the Internet, LJ and other story communities quite often. So it's not often I miss a newly posted story, but even with me it still happens. There was a story on FF.net by a favorite author that I had no idea was being posted until I found it on another author's favorites page.

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

IMO midweek, definitely not Friday or Saturday as many
away doing other things........but of course they come back
to LJ later so would eventually read ff which has been posted,
or for that matter any journal entry.
BUT, comment is then the part that is iffy.......

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

"but of course they come back
to LJ later so would eventually read ff which has been posted,
or for that matter any journal entry."

Unless they don't have time to search through posts, or there are too may posts to search through. I think LJ makes it too easy for stories to get lost in the crowd, especially if there is a ton of fic to choose from.

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

Unless they don't have time to search through posts, or there are too may posts to search through



**nods**
it is an ordeal
slogging back through all the posts........
I normally check daily because it is a hassle if
you are too far behind....

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

That's why I created a much larger archive, which I need to move up the links list to make it easier to find.

[kristen999.livejournal.com]

I think people tend to read on schedules, before work/school, after dinner...etc..I think mid-week is best. I've even noticed that posting late at night or really early in the morning....the only reason I've picked up on this was when I found time to answer reviews.

The weekends people have stuff to do. If I notice a pattern with Beth and I'd fics I'll let you know...though its been really quiet and I'm not sure if it is b/c of length or if it is an AU?

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

I've been wanting to see if there is a pattern by posting on the weekends, but I get so anxious to post that I've yet to find out :P

"I've even noticed that posting late at night or really early in the morning....the only reason I've picked up on this was when I found time to answer reviews."

So it may be more a matter of time than of days. Now that I think about it, looking back on some of my own fic, late night postings may have made a difference as opposed to earlier postings.

I think LJ has just been really quiet, lately. Maybe real life dealings, or maybe people are so worn out by Big Bang they can't even read fic out of concern it'll inspire them to write fic. I don't know. I just know that it's been quiet. I've been tempted to ask where everyone has disappeared to ;).

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if it is b/c of length or if it is an AU?



No not length as you have broken your story up into easy to read sections. I think that was very smart.
I can only imagine if you had posted it all
It is after all an EPIC
***BIG SMILE***
AND
I do not believe because it is an AU.
People who love Sheppard and team, are willing to
believe he might be involved this way......
therefore, not a hard sell IMO
I know I had no trouble fitting it into my mind, but
then you know if it involves pilots, aircraft and....
OK enough.....
:P

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Another thought, based on what I've been experiencing on FF.net (and at risk of opening the "review/not review" can of worms again:P) I wonder if people are reviewing less (because they're busy, forget, or just don't want to). I have stories on FF.net being faved like crazy, but very few actually leave a review.

*Shrugs* It could also be that SGA stories have fewer readers these days, what with many having wandered off to other fandoms or just lost interest. So it might not be that people are reviewing less, but reading less.

Just thinking out loud.

[sholio]

I think it is probably so different from person to person that whenever you post, it tends to average out. I know some people are never online on weekends because they're busy with friends/family or because they only have computer access at work, but I'm *always* online on weekends compared to being around rather intermittently during the week. (Well, my LJ reading has been kind of hit or miss lately because I'm so busy, but I expect that's true of a lot of people too.) And even if you manage to find the time when the majority of websurfers are online, it doesn't really say anything about whether the majority of *your* audience is online. Plus there are time zones to be dealt with, as well -- evening in the U.S. is early morning in Europe. For some people a major holiday means they won't be online at all; for others it means a long uninterrupted stretch of time to catch up on their LJ reading.

One thing I have noticed some authors do which is useful is to occasionally post a roundup of all the fic they've posted or rec'd lately in various places -- like every couple of months or whatnot. I find this really helpful; when you're busy and don't have much time for reading fic, it's often useful to be reminded of a new fic several times and to have a handy list to refer to.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Very true. People get on when they get on.

I do think Kristen has a point about posting late at night, though. As you said, late night in the US is morning in other countries, and if people are more likely to get on late at night or early in the morning then you're probably more likely to hit a larger audience if posting at night or in the early morning. Not a guarantee, of course. And if everyone is posting around those hours then it kind of defeats the purpose :P But if you're looking for something to read then it's all good ;)

I need to get into the habit of fic roundups, especially the yearly ones that other fanfic authors do. And update my archive.

posting

[(Anonymous)]

To me, as a regular reader of yours and a few other talented writers in the SGA fandom (especial Sheppard H/C), it doesn't matter what day of the week you post your stories, other than perhaps providing readers starving for quality fics something to read on an otherwise bland Thursday. I don't think posting on a busy posting day will affect how many will read it. Maybe it would if you were an unknown writer. But I look on specific websites for certain writers' stories, so there is no chance I'll miss a story by a favorite of mine. The only way I would miss anything is if I were on vacation out of town. Still, I'd find the new stories upon my return home and have plenty of good stories to read. So, post when you want...post when you can. Your stories will be read.

--Diane

Re: posting

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Thank you :D

This was merely a matter of curiosity, to know whether or not when you posted made a difference. After what has been said here, "when" doesn't seem to matter much.