Chapter length and Update Frequency

[Goku9819]

Hey guys so recently I started writing this fanfiction and I was wondering how long I should make the chapters. Most stories differ between less than a thousand to almost five thousand. Those with longer chapters usually release about once a week maybe two at most. I was wondering what could be the best choice for a novel like Avatar: Second Incarnation.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

It depends on a few factors.
1) How natural does the chapter feel to you (and, if possible, to a beta reader).
2) How consistent is your chapter length going to be?
3) How frequent are your uploads going to be?

If the chapter feels natural, then irregular lengths might not be noticed by most readers. If it does not, they will get upset, and more likely over shorter ones than longer ones, but both CAN happen.
If you update frequently, shorter chapters (<=1K words) are far less likely to tick off readers; if twice a week or less, you probably want to stay between 1K and 2K.
Readers prefer a consistent experience and seem to think it happens more often with shorter chapters released frequently or medium length chapters (1200-1500 or so words) dropped regularly, but really, just provide them a consistent experience and, if possible, a warning if for some reason you go "out of range" - either too few downloads, or a chapter much longer or shorter than usual.

 

[LilRora]

Side note, best give a link to your story if you're making threads like this.

Onto the topic, fanfics tend to vary wildly in regards to chapter length and update frequency. After skimming yours, I would say the best length would be between 1,5k and 4k words per chapter, though that might be biased.

Past that, consider your ability to write and update consistently. Generally you should aim for at least ~3k words per week - less and people will likely lose interest because there is too little happening. If you can't maintain that, build a backlog first. If you can, then your update schedule mostly comes down to your preferences.

Before you try to decide what chapter length you want to go with, consider what feels natural to you. Cutting chapters into pieces to get down to a lower word count is just as bad as stitching up multiple loosely scenes into a single long chapter. If you don't have a good reason to, don't change the word count you're comfortable with and push things to get to that goal you set, but try to naturally split scenes into roughly equal parts.

 

[Corty]

If you are just starting out, do whatever you feel comfortable with. If you don't know your own limits and start immediately pushing yourself above it, you will burn out.

Focus on doing your book first and foremost. You can start worrying about consistency and word count after you gained enough experience.

 

[MatchaChocolate69]

It depends on what your goals are. If you want to grow steadily and build a large audience, what works best is publishing a chapter of about 1,500 words per day, every day, at least for the first few months. If you plan to go down this path, I recommend preparing a two-week backlog of chapters and maintaining it over time.

 

[Xcalibur_Xc]

It depends on you. I generally update almost daily and I keep the word count no less than 1.4k-2k words, and sometimes bigger. It all depends on the story.

 

[PancakesWitch]

it ultimately depends on your time and how you balance things, if you're full time you can go for a chapter every day of like 2k words, or if you're the type of person that likes to write a lot of content, a 4k words chapter could be published 3 or 4 times a week. Though its recommended that when you start you publish chapters every day at the beginning after dumping at least 10.

 

[Nolff]

Time, consistency, and natural feel toward each chap.

That's all they say.

Though, don't forget a thing.

Making your readers loyalists.


Once they do, they will not care if the chapter is short or long. They'll start questioning once the writing gets worse though, so beware.

Just like Youtubers, some authors here have plenty of loyalists while some others only have a few.

Win their heart, and their critics are solely towards the way you craft chapters, not the length.

 

[RainyLiquid]

My chapters are as big as I want, and are uploaded when I want. It's my book, and it'll get done at my pace.

 

[Bartun]

+7K words every six months ?

 

[Sola-sama]

+7K words every six months ?

bro, i got an even better idea.
2k words every month

 

[Samsonchui]

1500 words. Post every day

 

[Bartun]

bro, i got an even better idea.
2k words every month

 

[LoneQuack]

If you wanna do it professionally, the standard is 5-7 chapters a week at 1,5 and 2k words. If not, then whatever you want, it really doesn't matter.