Head in Vice

[ithildin]

I have the most awful headache this afternoon. Yrgh! I'm thinking a hot shower in addition to the Tylenol might be the ticket.

On another subject entirely: is there really an optimal time to post fic to your LJ if you want the most people to read it? It never occurred to me till I read a thread on that subject a bit earlier. I always just want to get it posted as soon as it's done. I'm entirely too simple, it would seem.

Comments

[sharpiesgal.livejournal.com]

It's the headache, luv.

*pets Ith gently*

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Thanks :)

[unovis-lj.livejournal.com]

Roughly speaking, for stories posted on LJ, from experience:

Do not post Thurs-Mon during a major con. Do not post in late July or during all of August or during Thanksgiving weekend. People are either at the con, on vacation, or overwhelmed with reading backlog when they return. People are very very sluggish about reading or making recs during the summer. Do not post during Yuletide madness (week before stories go live, week while everyone is reading, week of the reveal).

Posting Mon-Thurs is better than Fri-Sun. Nobody comments on anything 4-7 pm.

I usually post when I finish things, though, and usually at bad times.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

[takes notes]

Boy, am I miserable optimal posting failure! [g] [hangs head in shame]

[nessa5.livejournal.com]

I posted a story last Saterday and no one commented.
So I think the weekends are a bad time.

where is the other thread you read?

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

I'll have to go backtrack some to find it.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Here it is: http://fatale.livejournal.com/184413.html

[nessa5.livejournal.com]

thanks, that was interesting.

[unovis-lj.livejournal.com]

*g* I just read those comments and realized I'm posting for a very small circle of readers on LJ.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Yeah, no kidding! [g] The few Grey's Anatomy crossovers I posted on fanfiction.net, I was floored at the hits they got. I realized that it was a small taste of what it must be like to write fic in a current, large fandom!

[sharpiesgal.livejournal.com]

I've posted some of my CSI:Miami stories over there and the hits are amazing, but the reviews far and between....sigh

What does a writer need to do to get feedback?

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Now that's another subject entirely! :)

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

I hope your head feels better. One trick I have for headaches is to dampen a couple of bags of chamomile tea, freeze them, and then lie down for 10-15 minutes with a teabag on each eye. It's remarkable what an effect that has.

I'd like to know the answer to your question, too. It seems like just when I get a feel for the ebb and flow of LJ, new and different patterns emerge.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Thanks :) I think I have a touch of a stomach bug.

I'll have to see if fic I post in the autumn does better than what I've posted in the summer, I guess :)

[black-op.livejournal.com]

If you aren't going to sleep immediately, caffeine has been shown to improve the effectiveness of aspirin and some other pain-killers. Feel better soon. Looking forward to your story.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

I've had like six cups of tea, so I'm set on caffeine :)

I wasn't actually posting anything, I was just wondering about all the stuff I've posted in the last few months [g] Seems I was clueless :)

I try to date most of my posts for noonish.........

[dracschick.livejournal.com]

I don't think people read too early or too late posts.

[mischief5.livejournal.com]

Feel better soon, hon.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Thanks :)

[pat-t.livejournal.com]

well, you know I'm constantly commenting on the lack of activity on LJ during the weekends, yet I stubbornly post stuff anyway. Oh well.... I tend to have to do my LJ time when I'm off and since I don't work the typical Mon-Fri, you know....

Hope you feel better soon.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Yeah, my fic posting gets done mostly in the evenings and on the weekends since that's when I'm home to do it.

And thanks, I think I'm feeling better.

And Happy Birthday!

[jinxed-wood.livejournal.com]

It's strange, I alwayss thought that Tuesday was my best day for posting fic but I just checked my site's statisitcs and, apparentlym most people click onto my site on a Monday (between 8.00pm and 9.00pm GMT).

I don't have such exact statistics for my archive sites or LJ but my Highlander/Stargate crossover got the most enthusiastic reply on LJ and that was posted on a Saturday - although that may have something to with it's length, it's the only story I've written under 10,000 words (other than drabbles). It probably made it easier to digest :-)