Chapter Drop Off Rate

#1
I was wondering if any other authors calculated what their average drop off rate was from chapter to chapter. I keep an average of 93% of my readers from chapter to chapter. So I have a 7% drop off rate. This is my first story so I have nothing to compare that to but I feel like it is HUUUGE.

Anyway, I use this to easily spot chapters with a higher drop off rate than my average. That signals to me that the chapter was weak and I should find ways to improve it.
https://greatlitrpg.com/wp-content/uploa...-Cover.jpg https://jllincoln.com/wp-content/uploads...-Large.png

A LitRPG adventure with Moba and Town Building elements - Legends of the Great Savanna
A Cyberpunk Coming of Age Story - Milton
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RE: Chapter Drop Off Rate

#2
yes that could be it, or there might just be an unusual accident in the magical plane across to ours which makes it so that most of the wizards who read your story had to be away that chapter.
Basically what i am trying to say is don't cut yourself short, the initial traffic may have just been people probing your story to see if it is anything for them. and that one chapter with an especially high droprate, might be the one where your voice is the strongest and your kind of story was the easiest to spot for your core audience who will be sticking around the longest.
number of views per chapter are unreliable, the follower and favorite count should be much more indicative of the growth rate of your story.

RE: Chapter Drop Off Rate

#3
7% sounds tiny tbh. I mean, think about it this way. Of every 14 books/TV shows/movies etc that catches your interest, do you continue finishing 13 of them? Personally, I might continue finishing like 2 of them.

I think losing only 7% means your story is very, very strong. But, I'm no experienced author, I'm just thinking about this from a statistical perspective so I could be totally wrong.

RE: Chapter Drop Off Rate

#4
I am sure the beginning few chapters throw off the average a bit but I think if you have enough chapters this metric can be pretty accurate. It may be worth not including the first few chapters if you only have a dozen or so.

Edit: words 'n stuff
https://greatlitrpg.com/wp-content/uploa...-Cover.jpg https://jllincoln.com/wp-content/uploads...-Large.png

A LitRPG adventure with Moba and Town Building elements - Legends of the Great Savanna
A Cyberpunk Coming of Age Story - Milton
Get more beta readers with the LitRPG Book Finder tool

RE: Chapter Drop Off Rate

#5
I agree with BigMartyrs. The first couple chapters, the first one in particular, will likely have a far larger viewcount than, say, twenty chapters in.

If only because it gets it's 20 minutes on the "new" section of the homepage, and people may click in and open the first chapter to see what it's like - regardless of any intent to actually continue.

Overall though, I'd personally be quite happy if I only had a 7% drop rate. Seems solid to me.
https://i.imgur.com/JBLglrm.jpg