Dropped stories and vanishing authors.

[Talmus]

Thoughts on how many authors just seem to drop their stories or even drop off the site?
I am about to just give up reading any stories with less than 50 chapters.,
Lately it seems like more than half the stories I read just get dropped after two to five chapters, usually with no warning. Add to that numerous stories getting deleted by the author I feel like I am wasting my time getting invested in new stories.

 

[Juia_Darkcrest]

Thoughts on how many authors just seem to drop their stories or even drop off the site?
I am about to just give up reading any stories with less than 50 chapters.,
Lately it seems like more than half the stories I read just get dropped after two to five chapters, usually with no warning. Add to that numerous stories getting deleted by the author I feel like I am wasting my time getting invested in new stories.

Real life happens.

Not to mention if they don't gain traction, get reader feedback, or a number of different things, they may lose interest in what they are writing, or think there is no interest in their story so why are they wasting their time.

They also maybe trying to monetize what they are writing, so pull it back and in 6 months you find it on Amazon or something.

Or the dreaded writers block happens, and they work on another project instead.

I understand what you mean though, 50 seems to be that sweet spot where the writer will probably continue writing and not let the project die until it has come to a conclusion.

 

[Alfir]

Writing's really tough, especially if you lack the traction. Really requires a lot of hard work, even for a modicum of success. Something I learned the hard way. If not hard work, a lot of luck.

But man, I feel you... There are stories I want to continue reading, too, but they're just gone.

 

[015]

Thoughts on how many authors just seem to drop their stories or even drop off the site?
I am about to just give up reading any stories with less than 50 chapters.,
Lately it seems like more than half the stories I read just get dropped after two to five chapters, usually with no warning. Add to that numerous stories getting deleted by the author I feel like I am wasting my time getting invested in new stories.

What are the stories you're talking about if i may ask. Kinda interested in your type of reading genre

 

[Safira]

I honestly thought about that. Had a burnout few weeks ago but managed to thrive and get back to rewrite my story.
It worked. I got a lot more views, my writing improved and people are commenting at least sometimes. It was hard to get the readers I have and yet, I know people who got a lot more with less.
It isn't RNG, but it isn't easy to get a good story to keep going and it makes people whoo need instant feedback to give up
I'm glad whenever I see someone liking my story but Im aware of which chapter is good or not. It is important to recognize the issue and most times people give up without knowing what is wrong.

 

[Talmus]

[HIATUS]Waking up as a Tiefling, Violaceae, Vamp Dragon Fox Girl, Umbra Frontier Online – A Casual Playthrough of the Umbra Witch, Two Faces [NSFW] [choose-your-own], The Sword Saint Also Has A Succubus Class, The Spirit Dragon's Gift, The Soul Mirror, The Most Violent White Mage, The Gyaru Next Door, The Dragon's Stolen Bride, The Death of Captain Liberty, Succubus Rising, Stellar Horizons, Slimegirls, Succubi, and Sticky Situations, Shinobinekoden: A Ninja Catgirl's Tale, Reincarnated as the Strongest Dragon. Here is a small sampling ofthe over 100 stories on Hiatus

I honestly thought about that. Had a burnout few weeks ago but managed to thrive and get back to rewrite my story.
It worked. I got a lot more views, my writing improved and people are commenting at least sometimes. It was hard to get the readers I have and yet, I know people who got a lot more with less.
It isn't RNG, but it isn't easy to get a good story to keep going and it makes people whoo need instant feedback to give up
I'm glad whenever I see someone liking my story but Im aware of which chapter is good or not. It is important to recognize the issue and most times people give up without knowing what is wrong.

I do my best to comment on every story I read and I try to be encouraging.

What are the stories you're talking about if i may ask. Kinda interested in your type of reading genre

A lot of Isekai, a focus on fantasy settings, Some superhero, urban fantasy and some romance I try to look at titles and synopsis and read stories that sound interesting

 

[Alski]

From my anecdotal evidence, its your choice of works. My planning to read list(34 stories) only has 1 deleted story and that was envys fault, meanwhile the trash folder(36 stories) has 9.

 

[KidBuu699]

If you are reading free stories on the internet written by amateurs and haven't accepted the fact that they will be dropped at any point in time I don't know what to tell you.

Its just the way it is. Its also the reason I don't "tip" or pay for advance chapters.

Also the worse isn't just someone dropping a random generic story, its when a good author drops a good story with a unique device/world.

On this subject though I remember a while back ago someone asked if people remember author's names. I replied to it with only the bad ones . . . One of the names on my list of author names I remember was an individual who not only wrote well but more importantly had good plot devices/unique story matter but every story he wrote would be dropped after 10 chapters. It got to the point where I would have to think do I want to have a taste of something just to lose it, or never taste it at all.

 

[Eldoria]

Possible reasons for deleted novels:

1. They gave up.
2. For some, novels can be dark records (especially if the contents are not friendly to general readers) so deleting them is a way to cleanse themselves.
3. They commercialize their works.
4. They join as webnovel authors.

We don't really know them. We can only guess them. I personally see many works that continue to exist, even reaching hundreds of chapters, even though there are few readers.

If you don't want these authors to delete their work, perhaps you can do a simple appreciation by reading, bookmarking, and liking the work. After all, authors are also human beings who need to be appreciated.

 

[Rezcore]

When I begin my novel, traction won't be my goal.

 

[Talmus]

Possible reasons for deleted novels:

1. They gave up.
2. For some, novels can be a dark record (especially if the content is not friendly to general readers) so deleting them is a way to cleanse themselves.
3. They commercialize their works.
4. They join as webnovel authors.

We don't really know them. We can only guess them. I personally see many works that continue to exist, even reaching hundreds of chapters, even though there are few readers.

If you don't want these authors to delete their work, perhaps you can do a simple appreciation by reading, bookmarking, and liking the work. After all, authors are also human beings who need to be appreciated.

I bookmark, like and comment on just about every single chapter as well as rate the story once I am engaged with it.

 

[Alfir]

Possible reasons for deleted novels:

Here's another reason: it's a result of impulsive writing, and they just move on to new stories. It happens too much to me, especially for my earlier projects.

 

[Eldoria]

Here's another reason: it's a result of impulsive writing, and they just move on to new stories. It happens too much to me, especially for my earlier projects.

Now, we have to differentiate between postponing novels and deleting novels. I've also written four novels. However, only one is actively updated. I've postponed the continuation of the others. Of the three hiatus novels, I've completed arc 1 of two novels (volume 1 is complete - although I haven't released it on SH yet), and the other is completely postponed (because the contents in the chapters are getting darker, so I postponed them to prepare myself). Meanwhile, my main novel is lighter in content with a few dark content elements. This makes it easier to continue.

 

[MasterY001]

I've considered quitting so many times, but I never actually do it. My tip for writers who aren't gaining traction is to have some self-pride. You had the guts to present work at the risk of judgment and ridicule. Be your own fan (also create alts to pad your stats and only check them once a week).

 

[Anonjohn20]

Thoughts on how many authors just seem to drop their stories or even drop off the site?

I have always expressed my negative opinions on the "infinite hiatus" authors.

I am about to just give up reading any stories with less than 50 chapters

I tried that, even then, many stories I started would get abandoned, such as:
'Claire' An AI Awakening 55 chapters, the author dropped it 3 chapters after I started reading. Everything else this author has written has also ended up in hiatus.
Against My Nature 92 chapters.
Dungeons and Dalliances 378 chapters.
This Ascent to Divinity is Lewder Than Expected 315 chapters.
Old Gods Motorcycle Club 57 chapters, I started reading it and 5 chapters later it stopped updating.
The Impregnation Theory 60 chapters, I started reading it and 5 chapters later it stopped being updated.
and many more.

These "authors" are driving people to stop reading in free sites with their carelessness, LOL. Honest people will go back to buying books and supporting libraries while spontaneous scallywags will resort to piracy, LOL. (Yes, I am aware I deserve this for reading so much smut).

Add to that numerous stories getting deleted by the author I feel like I am wasting my time getting invested in new stories.

I'd say the "sweet spot" is when the story is completed; anything else is a huge risk, LOL.

[HIATUS]Waking up as a Tiefling, Violaceae, Vamp Dragon Fox Girl, Umbra Frontier Online – A Casual Playthrough of the Umbra Witch, Two Faces [NSFW] [choose-your-own], The Sword Saint Also Has A Succubus Class, The Spirit Dragon's Gift, The Soul Mirror, The Most Violent White Mage, The Gyaru Next Door, The Dragon's Stolen Bride, The Death of Captain Liberty, Succubus Rising, Stellar Horizons, Slimegirls, Succubi, and Sticky Situations, Shinobinekoden: A Ninja Catgirl's Tale, Reincarnated as the Strongest Dragon. Here is a small sampling ofthe over 100 stories on Hiatus

Another based NSFW reader, 10/10. BTW, Shinobinekoden isn't cancelled (I think); the author just writes 1 chapter every 3 months.

Its just the way it is. Its also the reason I don't "tip" or pay for advance chapters.

Yep, I'd pay for a completed book, but giving people donations on Patreon or SubscribeStar only for the story to be abandoned anyway would suck, and it happens pretty commonly to the ones who do support incomplete projects.

 

[Corty]

That's why you follow me and join my cult.

 

[Alfir]

Now, we have to differentiate between postponing novels and deleting novels. I've also written four novels. However, only one is actively updated. I've postponed the continuation of the others. Of the three hiatus novels, I've completed arc 1 of two novels (volume 1 is complete - although I haven't released it on SH yet), and the other is completely postponed (because the contents in the chapters are getting darker, so I postponed them to prepare myself). Meanwhile, my main novel is lighter in content with a few dark content elements. This makes it easier to continue.

Good for you. Don't be like me. I am at double digits of an unfinished novel. Committing to finishing a whole series would be the next challenge. That's the case for me.

 

[Macha]

Are you sure you aren't cursed or something? Please stay away from my stories and don't read them, thank you.

 

[Arkus86]

My own reading record is 77 completed stories, including one-shots and stories completed off-site, against 75 stories either with very slow and irregular updates, or, more often, in permanent hiatus, not including ones I stopped reading before the hiatus or that were deleted from both my list and the site.

 

[JayMark]

I'll make a promise to finish all my stories, unless I die before I can.

Though I'm not going to hate on writers who don't. I'm not entitled to their work just as much as they are not entitled to my readership.

Though I might still delete stuff that nobody bothers to read, rate, or comment on, because why put in the effort for nothing? And I might want to try again with a rewrite when everyone seems to hate something.