Do you ever post in series?

[ses5909]

Have you ever had a multi-part post? As a reader, do you mind when an author breaks a post into a series?

I don't mind at all of the content is really long, plus it gives me something to look forward to!

[Jeremy]

I've done a couple, but one series as a 24-part series and that kept me busy for a few months. It was nice to know there was something to write about. Plus, a lot of readers enjoyed it and looked forward to finding out what the next installment was going to be.

[goldfries]

planned to, but don't intend to label them Part 1, 2, 3, .....

[Michael Martin]

Not yet. I've thought about it a fair bit, and come very close to doing it a few times, but in the end, I'm not sure what the advantage of it is compared to just writing the same posts without making them a series.

The thing that put me off series was that if a reader doesn't care about the series topic, they're going to get a little fed up. You'd have to space out the posts a fair bit, and if you're spacing them out, are they really a series still? (Unless you make it a long enough series for it to be noticeable)

[snookca]

I've only ever done two part series. Each part is really intended to stand on its own but is connected by a common theme. Like, I did a two part thing on drag and drop. The first talked about the mechanisms of a drag and drop and the next talked about droppables and how to handle detection. Likewise, I did a two part on tables where the first talked about the HTML and the second part talked about the CSS.

It's a good way to break up lengthy content but also get people to hopefully read more often.

[jMcQuarrie]

I've done series posts. I wrote a three part series about the three main techniques I use to document the design of a web app. It was too much for one post, and each technique made a nice stand alone topic, but the three posts together I hope add up to something really useful.

As a reader I quite like it when someone takes the time to write an insightful, useful series, however like Michael noted, this only works for me if I'm interested in the topic being covered.

[goldfries]

planned to, but don't intend to label them Part 1, 2, 3, .....

i just remember that i did a 2 part article before. :)

[SarahG]

I'm with Michael on not annoying readers who don't like the series. I don't do series as such but I have both an ongoing PHP and WordPress sections with how to articles. I realise that some readers won't care about either of these and I don't want to swamp my blog with them but at the same time I know others do read them. It's getting the right balance.

[goldfries]

I'm with Michael on not annoying readers who don't like the series.

a few ways to release series without annoying people

1. release all at once (which is what i did, 2 articles that complement each other.
2. release these articles 1 by 1 but not telling that it's a series, not evem indicating an upcoming article. quite pointless i know, a series that's not a series but it sure is one of the way to do it.

[Michael Martin]

a few ways to release series without annoying people

1. release all at once (which is what i did, 2 articles that complement each other.
2. release these articles 1 by 1 but not telling that it's a series, not evem indicating an upcoming article. quite pointless i know, a series that's not a series but it sure is one of the way to do it.

With number 1 you aren't releasing a series. It's just pagination that is going to take up 2 slots in my RSS. :(

And with number 2, like you said, it's not a series. :) (It's just the thing I mentioned doing instead of series in my first post. :)


Sarah - I've seen the way you do your tutorials, and I like it. It is a part of the blog, but it is never just the sole focus of the blog. If I didn't like the tutorials, I could quite happily stay subscribed and just skip that article each time one pops up. Best way to do a series I agree. :)

[doorlight]

I haven't done that series thing but I've seen some doing it. I might too but don't know what's going to be like. Something Kyle XYish, maybe. :p

[goldfries]

With number 1 you aren't releasing a series. It's just pagination that is going to take up 2 slots in my RSS. :(

And with number 2, like you said, it's not a series. :) (It's just the thing I mentioned doing instead of series in my first post. :)

Hehe. It's still a series to the author, just that the series are published UNLIKE SERIES so as to please some groups of readers. :D

[SarahG]

Sarah - I've seen the way you do your tutorials, and I like it. It is a part of the blog, but it is never just the sole focus of the blog. If I didn't like the tutorials, I could quite happily stay subscribed and just skip that article each time one pops up. Best way to do a series I agree. :)

Cheers Michael. Nice to hear the feedback on it :)

Admittedly I've not posted much on my tutorials and they can be a little few and far between, probably more frustrating for anyone actually waiting for the next one! (That will all change come winter)

[sbpoet]

Believe it or not, I've been doing a poem series on Watermark that's been quite a hit. I just realized the other day that I need to do a category for this -- nice reminder to get to that.

I've also, maybe, begun a series: Ask the Agony Cat. Two so far -- we'll see if we get any more advice requests.

& yes, I do realize that my content is a bit quirky.

[adalante]

I always wanted to do a series but somehow never managed to do it.

[shyflower]

I've thought about it too and it's something I'd like to try at some point. Just need the time to plan it out first.

[ACCER]

I can take them or leave them as a reader. As a writer, I've don't them but not often. It's been quite some time since I did one....

[SageMother]

When I have posted in series it was to keep from having a 13 page post. Having smaller entries makes them easier to read. Most of my series are no more than 3 part concepts. Any longer than that and I should write an ebook.

[Jessi]

I've never really 'planned' a series, but I've done followups, so that they're distinct posts, but they're kind of like different 'parts'.