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A schedule note + latest chapter poll (Patreon)

Published:
2023-11-08 09:06:41
Imported:
2026-06

Poll

A schedule note + latest chapter poll

  • Use the official posted chapter, the one without the list, as the final 'real' version 277
  • Use the unofficial shown side-chapter, the one with the numbered list, as the final 'real' version 98
  • Don't care 252
  • 2023-11-08
  • 627 votes
{'title': 'A schedule note + latest chapter poll', 'choices': [{'text': "Use the official posted chapter, the one without the list, as the final 'real' version", 'votes': 277}, {'text': "Use the unofficial shown side-chapter, the one with the numbered list, as the final 'real' version", 'votes': 98}, {'text': "Don't care", 'votes': 252}], 'closes_at': None, 'created_at': datetime.datetime(2023, 11, 8, 8, 46, 56, tzinfo=datetime.timezone.utc), 'description': None, 'allow_multiple': False, 'total_votes': 627}

Content

I'll start with the poll!

Latest chapter had two versions. I rarely ask for feedback, but to my mind, both are as good as each other, and I'm torn which one to use. So I'm asking all of you for feedback! On another note, I try hard to write BTDEM mostly chronologically. There is some REALLY AWKWARD timing coming up, which, combined with the serial nature of the story, would result in a poor end experience for everyone. I'm being cagey on purpose to not spoil anything, but I think you'll all understand the part when you get there. Now, normally I'm fine throwing you all the cliff for a chapter or two, even over admin week! This one's a bit more severe than usual, and instead being a "life timing" issue, is a pacing and chapter order issue. I've thought long and hard over various solutions, and finally hit one I like: When I hit you all with the unfortunate timing aspect, AND when the final part is written and finished, I'm going to post ALL the chapters at once for everyone to enjoy. These chapters will be released early, so in all likelihood you're going to get 5-6 chapters dropped all at once, then nothing new for two weeks... with the usual admin stuff mixed in as normally scheduled. Yeah... awkward. For those of you who want to keep things at the normal pacing, I'll also be "re-releasing" the chapters as I go along. Confusing, I know! Let me try concrete dates and examples from what I project: Friday, Nov 10th: 493

Admin WeekMonday, Nov 20th: 494Wednesday, Nov 22rd: 495. This is where I throw you all off a gigantic "OH SHIT I CAN'T WAIT!"Friday, Nov 24th: 496. IF ITS READY: 497, 498, 499, 500, 501. 502. At the time of this post only 497 is written. My backlog is currently not in amazing shape, but the admin week should help fix that. Do note there's a second cliff, but it's also the end of the book, so it's more end of book cliff than anything.Monday, Nov 27th: 497. Either again, or for the first time.Wednesday, Nov 29th: 498. Either again, or for the first time.Friday, Dec 1st: 499. Reposting it.

The exact dates of being able to give you all the remaining chapters is a bit up in the air, along with the exact number of chapters, etc. I don't want to rush out the big major event everyone's looking forward to, but I don't want to blueball you all too hard. It's going to be a lot of long nights on my end, but I'm hellbent on doing right by all of you.

The reason I'm dumping all the chapters, but then still reposting them after, is because there's two distinct sets of Patrons. Half of you want your chapters and want them NOW. The other half wants to wake up to the chapter in their inbox as regularly scheduled, and read it over breakfast. Or they don't want to have such a long drought, and me continuing to 'repost' them as 'normally scheduled' is how they want to consume and engage with the content. 

For Autumn-tier patrons: Nothing's changing on your end. Now I get it. After getting so many chapters all at once, with the prospect of a long drought of chapters after (I'm taking TWO whole weeks off in December, giving myself a vacation for once), a lot of you are going to say "Why should I stay subscribed when I'm not getting any new content?" And it's a perfectly valid question, and I wouldn't blame you much if you decided to unsubscribe. In the end, I've weighed my benefits versus providing the best service and story possible to everyone, and concluded that the scales needed to fall in all of your benefit over mine. It's going to suck for me a bit, but that's life. In the end, you're all getting the same number of chapters over the same amount of time, just... pushed forward a bit. 

I can't just drop my entire backlog and keep going, for a thousand reasons, most of them relating to consistency and quality. While I'm on the topic of patreon and subscriptions - I'm going to be doing again this year around Christmas what I did last year, and temporarily reopen the old Iona-tier for the lower price for anyone who wants to join.

Cheers all, thanks for understanding, and I am SO EXCITED to get the chapters in question to all of you!

Comments

a passing Fnord

I'll be staying subscribed until the end. And I personally love getting the occasional clump of chapters to binge.

Evie Rivka

I still subscribed and last I read was the house building storyline. I've been busy myself... Take care of yourself and do what's best for you both short and long term. Burning out isn't, ask me how I know.

Cameron Kispert

If people unsubscribe over getting a ton of chapters at once then a break on content then they are assholes. Supporting you is well worth it and you communicate well so there isn't confusion.

Adurna

On the subject of the different chapter versions, I found the extra details from the alternate versions fun even if the numbers and boldness a bit obtrusive. Perhaps using the keyword and a question mark at beginning paragraph as a mix?

Horty

As if I would give up the Grandfathered Elaine Tier...

Michael Otton

As it stands I like the "no list" chapter more for reasons I left in a post on the last chapter also I'll gladly enjoy binging on a few chapters and a two week break well sad is short enough that I'm not going to lose my place in the story or stop my patreon to save a few dollars. (which it wouldn't as a grandfathered Elanine tier)

Cormac

In other words, you will be doing a chapter dump for Elaine's class-up. I agree with the rationale.

Guilherme Paschoaletto

I honestly liked the second version more, mainly because of the extra details. The numbered list is kinda bad being bold tho. I think it would look better if it was italic, it would make more sense to mean that it's Katerina thinking about the list...

Kennyevilmonkey

Looking forward to the chpt dump. I might have to do something special on that day for while I'm reading. Maybe get some mango wine/sake or something to enjoy while I read.

Tiffany Miller

Two week break is shorter than a lot of writers do take care of yourself everyone needs a vacation sometimes.

Hugh OConnor

I like both versions, the list is interesting for conveying Legata's thought process and there's a bit more context in there, but i also agree that the list jumping around a bit was jarring

Gustav G

Like both versions. Extra details from V2 nice.

Jumping Flounder

the posted chapter felt better to me, and the doc was a bit of a bumpy ride, if that makes sense. although i did like the list and think it should be included somewhere.

Wizard Tim

Second version was better, hands down. Without that list, the reader is left a bit lost on why Katerina I'd thinking through data points that are irrelevant. Adding the list organizes each point into a set with a defined threat that makes more sense. I'll also be keeping my subscription. You deserve vacations too, and I get paid vacations so why not?

Cirvante

Second version, despite the added threat list, was too disjointed and out of order. Also became less of a mystery to solve and more of a checklist. Unfortunately, the longer version contained some vital intel that I believe the official version was missing, i.e. they are in hostile territory and enemy faction will reclaim the city in short order. That combined with 'they are about to starve after paying tribute' could lead to the logical conclusion that Wang Jian is about to go scorched earth and turn them into levels. The Legata's plans at the end should have also been better explained. Going maximum cliffhanger after such a short chapter unnecessarily frustrates the readers.

Weirwood

I prefer reading it as the posted chapter. It feels like a stream of consciousness as she randomly flips through reports.

Auburn Meadow

I think either idea could work: - A chapter listing the thirteen ways things go wrong, with snippets of concrete dialogue and story in between - A chapter that reads stream-of-consciousness, as the Legata reads through reports and tries to piece together a mystery. They're both fine, but if you try and do both at once the chapter gets very disjointed. I actually read the unposted version at first by accident, and I think I had to reread bits because I just lost track of what was happening too many times.

Aoinfinity

I see what you were trying to do with the interspersed list, and it's a nice idea in concept... but in this case it breaks the flow of Katarina's thought process and the buildup of tension. Keep trying things; sometimes they work. This time it didn't.