Re-publish + Add Chapters or Delete

Should I republish with edited chapters and add more in between or delete everything


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    12

TheIcMan

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Hey everyone
So I’m kind of an extremely amateurish writer, and someone who gets pretty butt-hurt if I find something I don’t like in my previous chapters. Recently I’ve felt that something was off about my current writing, and found that I was extremely unhappy with how I handled the beginning of my novel.
When I asked for feedback on my original and saw all of the flaws, I just made a new story and started over. But this time, I just want to make drastic changes that add on to what I already have.
So the question: should I add content to my already existing chapters and add more in between them, or delete everything and start over, because the comments and favorites wouldn’t match what I would have if I changed them.


Thanks guys
 

TheIcMan

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also I’m writing on mobile so please excuse formatting ugliness
:)
 

RedPanda

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It’s hard to tell, but I think it’s no good to delete the older ones. When your story is completed is it a different story because every reader until the last chapter knew your original version, but if you change a lot in the older chapters... not everyone read your story twice... Some won’t know details you may added afterwards.:blob_cookie:

so, my suggestion would be fix only minor parts and when your story is completed start with bigger changes.
 

TLCsDestiny

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I've 'edited' my own books years after they had finished. I feel that they may never be 100% complete lol. I've made them better through having more experience and would have hated myself if I had deleted them.
Call it 'editing'! Many people do it!
Starting from scratch might make it feel like a tedious job so I don't recommend it.
 

TheIcMan

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Thanks guys for your responses!
But I guess I kind of misworded my question. I’m 100% keeping the chapters I already have. I’m gonna build upon them on a separate file.
I kind of meant in the Scribblehub sense of delete. As in completely remove the chapter on the site and reupload it. The main reason why I would choose this over just editing and republishing is that I’m going to be adding a lot more in the first 10 chapters. So much that it wouldn’t fit 10 chapters anymore - leading to comments that could be talking about one thing that was previously there but isn’t anymore.

That’s kind of the only issue with the reuploads.
Okay yknow what I’m convinced I’m just going to reupload with notes saying I changed a lot of stuff thanks guys
 

NiQuinn

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Why? How many chapters have you had out? Personally, if it's a major key point in the plot, I think you might screw yourself over if you change/add too much. On the other hand, if you have a lot of chapters out already, then you really have to think about your decision. If you're adding stuff that you think you can adjust in your recent chapters, I'd say just inform your readers about the newly added chapters. I've seen web authors do that.

"I had to fix blah blah blah from chapter 32. It pertains to blah blah blah..." Or something like that.
 

TheIcMan

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Thanks @flucket!

I'm really embarrassed that you remember that old mess up of mine (And this upcoming mess up too, which is an absolutely spectacular super yikes).

So on your numbered points.

1. I would do this for some minor changes such as dialogue choices or setting descriptions, but what I'm planning on doing is such a huge dramatic change that affects new releases. It's not really something I can announce on a new chapter that would be vastly different from the previous one. But I am planning on using this point of advice, thanks!

2. I can't really respond to this. Frankly because you're correct. I pulled that on my previous series (completely ignoring a potential mass deletion), but I can't do that this time. Do you suggest I keep my current chapters up and edit one by one until I get to the end of the arc? Because the thing I said about the first ten chapters is that they're kind of like the first "arc".

My issue with it was that it wasn't long enough. There wasn't enough time put into it. The things I love - character interaction and relationship building - wasn't there at all. I wrote to get to the end-point, which is something I despise.

3 and 4. This completely slipped my mind. Thanks for these ones. Didn't really think about the rearranging option, haha.

Anyways, seems like my reputations pretty shady (ouchy), but I guess that's literally all my fault. I'm sure that this time is going to be the last time I do a mass change like this, because it really does hurt my image. It's just my anality to get things perfectly just messes with me. That and all of my inability to make solid decisions. (wow this really became a coming out and confession post didn't it).

I'll use all of your advice for sure. Hopefully I can be consistent and up-front about all this stuff in the future.
 

TheIcMan

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And thinking about it now, you're right @flucket .

Alright, I'm just going to stick with my guns. After all of this is done and my first sort of "volume" is complete, I'm going to go back and edit it, just like @RedPanda said.

I'll figure it out. Thanks everyone for your replies.
 

TheIcMan

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@flucket
Thanks man!
So I've reuploaded everything, while also making some important minor changes. I feel that the best time for me to do the reworking of the old ones is either when I finish my current arc, or when I'm done with the entire story, and to be honest I'm really leaning towards the latter. I did say that I despise writing just to finish, but I would rather just keep going and churn out better content I can just edit later.

And yeah, thank you so much. I'm a pretty dispirited person normally, and even the tiniest of things can really get to me, but I appreciate what you wrote :)!

So I'll push forward and do my best from now on!
(and try to keep a consistent schedule, which is the 100% hardest thing I'll do, but I'm motivated as hell right now, so let's do it!)
 

keitaro-sempai

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Two words: Decimal chapters.
If you want to expand early chapters, specially for characters development, put chapter 2.5 or 4.5 or the like. Try to keep already uploaded ones with minor changes to avoid screw up your readers
 

AlwaysxDreaming

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Just from my own experience as a reader I rarely ever go back and read earlier chapters that have been fixed unless they're fairly recent. (Ex. I'm reading Ch.30 and the writer made changes to Ch.26 -28).
If the changes are big enough that the current work couldn't continue as is I'd start over. Isn't that essentially a different story?
On the other hand, I'm sure there must be a way to add more detail to future chapters without changing the beginning too much. Then you can re-upload once the whole thing is complete.
 

TheIcMan

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Two words: Decimal chapters.
If you want to expand early chapters, specially for characters development, put chapter 2.5 or 4.5 or the like. Try to keep already uploaded ones with minor changes to avoid screw up your readers
Oh, oh, oh this is a very good idea. I’d use a different number, considering I’ve already established the .5 as a side concurrent and related story.

Thanks I’ll definitely be using this
 

keitaro-sempai

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Between two given numbers, there are infinite numbers. 2.1 or 2.75. whatever number you need xD
 
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