Hi 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.