June 14 Update (Patreon)

So... last time I did a serialization as an experiment, beginning telling no one to see how well I could. The answer turned out to be "okay", then I got tired of that, and let people know about the Cognosticon profile.

Well, not this time. Cognosticon is still retired, but I've begun another serialization under my Sarah Lin name. You can read it completely for free here:

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/172653/throne-of-time

Inside Look at Algorithms

This is the first time I've put out something that is truly "hot" within its category. As I write this, the story is sitting at #14 on Rising Stars, and there was a time on Friday when it was dominant in all subcategories:

That didn't last, because I only have so much promotion I can try, plus many of the categories are percentage-based. Still, I've been moving up the list steadily and there's good reason to hope it can keep increasing.

This isn't just a meaningless popularity contest, because the Rising Stars list is heavily visited by users of the site, some of whom eventually convert into fans. The current position is driving new readers, and the ultimate goal is to reach the top seven, which are prominently featured on the front page. I've done this a couple times before, but that was many years ago when the site was less competitive, and it wasn't anywhere near this fast.

Unlike many sites, where people invoke "the algorithm" to refer to a black box of metrics they hope have some effect, on RR you can actually get meaningful attention via known methods. That's why I keep going back, despite having had various negative experiences. Because I'm spending a bunch of time thinking about these metrics, here's the algorithm as I understand it, for those who like getting an inside view:

1) Followers are the most important metric, with favorites playing a supporting role. So if any of you use RR, please click over and give me a boost! The top stories are often adding about 150-200 followers per day, so each one is actually a measurable help.

2) Authors argue about how much views matter, but they don't hurt. So even if you don't have an account, consider clicking over to boost my numbers. There are also specific lists based on raw view count, though I can't compete on those lists yet as a new story.

3) Reviews and ratings do not factor into the popularity algorithm, but average rating is important to readers on RR and eventually it can get you on the "Best Of" lists, which drive significant long term growth after the initial popularity rush. Do I have a shot at this? Well, right now many readers are reasonably not rating a new story, but we're actually getting close to the top 100 stories by rating.

It's wild seeing the numbers move like this. Even if RR is a smaller pond than Amazon or Steam, it's one of the most active reading sites for this sort of thing, and success can be significant. I hope many of you will be interested in the story itself, but even if not, please give me a click or two!

Anyway, this is the story that I previously alluded to after so many of you recommended time loop stuff to me regarding Omnipocalypse. It's my effort to add something to time loop and magical academy subgenres. Unlike some projects, this one can only be one specific length, because a time loop is by nature a puzzle box of plot construction. Hopefully there will be some people on board, but I'm sure it will be fun along the way. ^-^

Official Synopsis

Time travel is forbidden, but Suria didn't have a choice.

When she transfers to Darkmoon University, the greatest magical academy in the world, she accidentally stumbles into a complex conspiracy that threw students into a time loop. Someone decided it was worth risking the death sentence in order to attain the unparalleled advantages of time travel... but Suria was never supposed to be there. Her education will be nothing like she expected as she attempts to solve a conspiracy too layered to possibly be unraveled in a single loop.

What to expect:

- Time loop with significant variation.

- Magic academy setting with real focus on the academy.

- Gradual non-LitRPG progression.

- Detailed magic system with in-depth spell construction.

- Series-spanning mysteries.

- MC is intelligent, but will have to overcome other intelligent characters, not easily be the smartest character in the room.

- Zero romance.

- Chapters MWF, double-sized first chapter.