This poll thingy is kinda neat...

[fictional]

[Poll #1336040]

Comments

[cruentum.livejournal.com]

Didn't reply to the poll yet-- but, for me, the time that something gets posted doesn't matter to me as a reader, mostly because I read stories posted by both Americans and Brits, I assume, so what with timezones and whatnot, it doesn't really matter. It's there when I turn on the computer, really.

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

Ahh yes. I seem to have forgotten about time zones. But perhaps it is all a part of my CUNNING PLAN.

[cruentum.livejournal.com]

It might just be. And I have to agree with Sam below actually - best way to hit all timezones is the way he does it. When I post I go for the same which makes it evening for me latemorning/early afternoon for the States and evening for Britain. Not sure if it really make a difference, but supposedly weekends are bad luck overall.

That said- I do believe that traffic stuff only really makes a difference if you are a new or unknown author. With established authors people will find it no matter when it was posted.

[psykaos42.livejournal.com]

I'm another person who basically reads it whenever I happen to look at my mail and see someone's posted something new. Though to be fair, I'm disabled and spend most of my time at home, so I spend a large part of my day on the internet.

And I'm another one that the time it's posted doesn't matter, since I read fanfic that's written by Americans, Brits and (in one case) a teacher who lives in Quebec.

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

Hahaha. You have found the loophole in my V. CAREFULLY DESIGNED POLL, i.e. it's always 2am somewhere. lol.

*hangs head in shame*

[semyaza.livejournal.com]

That would be 2-5pm PST.

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

Hahah. This is what I get for doing this circa 4am.

[flowright.livejournal.com]

I have it beamed directly onto my contact lenses, so, technically ALL THE TIME

Sort of !
I read them on my cellphone in the subway or at work during the night shift since there's no computer in the night shift room :(

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I am awed by the power of technology.

[elainasaunt.livejournal.com]

I'm in Europe and posters are sort of everywhere (to my knowledge, at least US, UK and the Antipodes) so posting time doesn't really matter to me. I check my LJ several times a day and am both relieved and frustrated if no new fic or recs appear - relieved because it means I might actually get some work done, for once.

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

Hahah. Um, yeah. Timezones. In my defense, I was... No. There is no defense.

[bodlon.livejournal.com]

There is no optimal time. I will read and then fail to comment (because I start long comments on the same nights my PC decides to reboot while I sleep) equally well no matter when you post.

*sighs, grumbles at auto-updates*

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

You have seen past my THINLY DISGUISED RUSE.

Hi, my name is Kali. I am a comment whore. First step: admitting you have a problem.

[bodlon.livejournal.com]

I admit it. I have a problem commenting because I hold off until the final installment/section of something and then try to do too much at once.

Maybe I should limit my commenting to "ZOMGHAWT" or "Guh!" and leave it at that? I mean, it's not like writers actually want well-considered commentary...

*grin*

[northern]

I'm in Sweden, so feel free to post stuff late nights.

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

=D

[halftime1030.livejournal.com]

Post as early and often as you like! Great writers come from a variety of different countries and time zones so it really doesn't matter! :)

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

*grins* thanks! Ahh yes. My extremely unscientific poll =D

[jlh.livejournal.com]

My "some other time" is in the mornings, very often weekend mornings but also weekday mornings. And what people said about time zones is true—I just read whatever was posted in the last howeverlong when I sit down to read.

The alchemy of when-to-post-to-get-readers has too many variables. I just try to control the day and let the time worry about itself.

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it was late at night, and it seemed like a good topic for a first poll! And then *facepalm* timezones. lol.

[troygirl68.livejournal.com]

"I have it beamed directly onto my contact lenses, so, technically ALL THE TIME"

If I'm working at home (which is most of the week) I often have LJ on in another window. If I'm on hold on the phone, or waiting for huge documents to print, why not do a bit of reading or post a comment at the same time? I am the Queen of multi-tasking.
Anything longer, which requires more concentration, I read on a lunch break or late in the evening.

I agree about the posting time, because of time zones.

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

"I have it beamed directly onto my contact lenses, so, technically ALL THE TIME"

Well, I posted this poll at four am, so glass houses, etc etc.

I agree about the posting time, because of time zones.

Hahaha. Clearly, it was very scientifically thought out. ;-)

[verasteine.livejournal.com]

I'm unemployed at the moment, so technically, I read fic any time I'm awake, depending on how I feel about it. Usually, though, it would be the evenings or weekend.

Also, the time for posting question -- I answered in my timezone, so it might skewed, I don't know.

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

I answered in my timezone, so it might skewed, I don't know.

You have destroyed my carefully planned out and controlled exper... I can't even type this with a straight face. Um, yeah. Not the most well thought-out survey. *grins*

[verasteine.livejournal.com]

::puts on academic hat:: Of course, technically speaking, it's all about what you were trying to measure. If this was a sociology survey, you're doing just fine. If you were trying to get more readers for your fic, hmm, it might not have been so successful :)

[demotu.livejournal.com]

I tickyboxed the work one, but work technically is school, so it's not quite the same. When I have had jobs I don't usually read during them.

I don't really care when things get posted, since I check often enough I'll see them no matter what.

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

I tickyboxed the work one, but work technically is school, so it's not quite the same.

Hahaha. Yeah, I read in my office all the time while waiting for student to show up, but I wouldn't do it while teaching. Mostly. ;-D

And also, when I'm meant to be doing other things like writing this #$%#(* dissertation.

[okydoky.livejournal.com]

I read mostly in the evening, but I'm a student with significant amounts of time on my hands, so afternnons are probably even more likely than evenings. No one else is about/awake during the day, and evenings are for socialing! :) Probably more information than you wanted lol, sorry but there you go :)

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

No, all information is good!

[contrarywise]

I'm in an odd situation in that my primary job is online, and I work from home mostly, so I'm online for most of my waking hours these days. I keep LJ up in one browser window and check for new posts often, so I read 'em when I see 'em, which can be at any time, regardless of when they're posted.

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

This is clearly the way to be!

[polypragmosyne.livejournal.com]

In which timezone did you mean the optimal time for posting?

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

None in particular. This poll is not very scientific.

[polypragmosyne.livejournal.com]

Ok :) them I will specify that my answer (2pm-7pm) is tied to being on CET and having most fandoms' writers in the US. Makes a very nice evening :)

[copperbadge.livejournal.com]

Filling out this poll makes me worry about how often I read fanfic, but it's not like I read at ALL those times EVERY DAY. And usually my fanfic-reading per day is confined to about an hour, forty minutes of which involves me saying to myself "this is badfic" and closing the window it's in. :D

I have discovered through careful experimentation that Wednesdays and Sundays are the worst days to post (I don't know why Wednesdays. Sundays, it's because nobody's on LJ) and while I don't have a Best Day yet, I do know that early-afternoon is the best time, because you hit the most time zones where people are still likely to be awake AND your post is fairly recent when local timezones get home from work and check their flist.

Now I'm even more perturbed that I could just rattle all that off, but hell, I worked in PR for three years and I can't help but notice traffic patterns when I see them...

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

Sam, did you tick every box???

Iguess it's nice to know that people step away from the intertubes to, you know, wash and stuff at least one day a week.

Your logic! It burns!! Seriously though, that actually makes sense, and it's nice to know that there is a traffic pattern, and it's not just all... entrails and sacrificing goats.

[copperbadge.livejournal.com]

Well, the entrails play a part, of course, but my building has a tenant contract that excludes sacrificing goats, so I have to get by on my analytical skills.

I ticked almost every box. I don't read in the mornings! I'm too busy putting on fifteen thousand layers of clothing in preparation for going outside.

[oni-butterfly.livejournal.com]

On LJ and IJ I don't think there is a specific time that helps you get noticed, because usually so many people are on from different time zones that it evens out. However, back in the days of Fanfiction.Net, I always noticed that if you posted at night the amount of reviews was ridiculously low compared to during the day.