# Publishing Cadence Guidelines

Recommendations for series publication frequency based on content type and goals.

---

## Cadence Options

### Weekly (Recommended Default)

**Schedule:** Same day each week (e.g., every Tuesday)

**Best for:**
- Standard series (3-5 parts)
- Evergreen technical content
- Building sustained audience interest
- Content that benefits from reader feedback between parts

**Advantages:**
- Maintains momentum without overwhelming
- Time to incorporate feedback
- Sustainable writing pace
- Allows promotion between posts

**Example schedule:**
```
Week 1 (Dec 3):  Part 1 - Foundation
Week 2 (Dec 10): Part 2 - Core Implementation
Week 3 (Dec 17): Part 3 - Advanced Topics
Week 4 (Dec 24): Part 4 - Production
```

---

### Bi-Weekly

**Schedule:** Every other week

**Best for:**
- Deep technical content (1500+ words per part)
- Complex topics requiring research
- Part-time content creation
- Audiences that need digestion time

**Advantages:**
- More time for thorough writing
- Complex topics get proper treatment
- Sustainable for side projects
- Reader has time to implement/experiment

**Example schedule:**
```
Dec 3:   Part 1 - Problem Space
Dec 17:  Part 2 - First Approach
Dec 31:  Part 3 - What Went Wrong
Jan 14:  Part 4 - Final Solution
```

---

### Daily (Launch/Event Mode)

**Schedule:** Consecutive days (typically Mon-Fri)

**Best for:**
- Time-sensitive content
- Product/feature launches
- Conference tie-ins
- Short series (3-4 parts max)

**Advantages:**
- Maximum momentum
- Captures full attention
- Good for event-driven content
- Creates urgency

**Disadvantages:**
- No time for feedback incorporation
- Demanding production schedule
- Reader may fall behind

**Example schedule:**
```
Monday:    Part 1 - Announcement
Tuesday:   Part 2 - Getting Started
Wednesday: Part 3 - Deep Dive
Thursday:  Part 4 - Advanced Usage
Friday:    Part 5 - What's Next
```

---

### Staggered

**Schedule:** Part 1, gap, then remaining parts weekly

**Best for:**
- SEO optimization (Part 1 establishes search presence)
- Content calendar balancing
- Testing audience interest before committing

**Pattern:**
```
Week 1:  Part 1
Week 2:  [gap - promote Part 1, gather feedback]
Week 3:  Part 2
Week 4:  Part 3
Week 5:  Part 4
```

**Advantages:**
- Part 1 builds search ranking before series continues
- Gap builds anticipation
- Time to adjust based on Part 1 reception
- Remaining parts maintain momentum

---

## Cadence Selection Criteria

### Choose Weekly When:

- [x] Content is evergreen
- [x] Parts are 800-1200 words each
- [x] You have buffer of completed parts
- [x] Audience expects regular content
- [x] No urgent time constraints

### Choose Bi-Weekly When:

- [x] Parts are 1500+ words each
- [x] Content requires significant research
- [x] Writing is not your primary job
- [x] Topics are complex and dense
- [x] Reader needs implementation time

### Choose Daily When:

- [x] Content is time-sensitive
- [x] Series is short (3-4 parts max)
- [x] All parts are complete before publishing
- [x] You can dedicate full attention to promotion
- [x] Audience will engage daily

### Choose Staggered When:

- [x] SEO is a primary goal
- [x] Testing topic interest
- [x] Balancing with other content
- [x] Part 1 is particularly strong/shareable

---

## Day and Time Considerations

### Best Days for Technical Content

| Day | Effectiveness | Notes |
|-----|---------------|-------|
| Tuesday | Excellent | Early week, past Monday chaos |
| Wednesday | Excellent | Mid-week, high engagement |
| Thursday | Good | Before weekend reading time |
| Monday | Fair | Competing with work catch-up |
| Friday | Fair | Weekend may help or hurt |
| Weekend | Variable | Good for hobbyist audiences |

### Time of Day

- **Morning (8-10am)**: Catches morning reading habits
- **Lunch (12-1pm)**: Lunch break reading
- **Evening (4-6pm)**: End of workday reading

**Recommendation:** Pick a consistent day/time. Consistency matters more than perfect timing.

---

## Managing Series Production

### Buffer Strategy

**Recommendation:** Complete at least Part 1 + 50% of remaining parts before publishing Part 1.

```
Series of 4 parts:
  Before Part 1 publishes:
    Part 1: Complete
    Part 2: Complete
    Part 3: Draft
    Part 4: Outlined
```

**Why:** Reduces pressure, allows revision, handles unexpected delays.

### Feedback Integration

Build in feedback windows:

```
Day 0: Part 1 publishes
Day 1-6: Collect feedback (comments, questions, issues)
Day 7: Part 2 publishes (can address Part 1 feedback)
```

### Publishing Checklist Per Part

Before each part goes live:

- [ ] All links verified (prev/next, external)
- [ ] Cross-references accurate
- [ ] Code examples tested
- [ ] Previous part updated with "Next" link
- [ ] Landing page updated (if manual)
- [ ] Social posts scheduled
- [ ] Email newsletter queued (if applicable)

---

## Handling Delays

### Missing a Scheduled Publication

**Best practice:** Publish late rather than skip.

**Communication:**
```markdown
*[Series note: This part was delayed from our usual Tuesday schedule.
Part 4 returns next Tuesday as scheduled.]*
```

### Extended Delay (1+ weeks)

**Communication on landing page:**
```markdown
**Series Status:** Parts 1-3 complete. Part 4 expected [date].
```

### Abandoning a Series

If you must stop mid-series:

1. Add note to landing page explaining status
2. Update last published part with status
3. Consider: Can you publish what you have as incomplete but still valuable?

```markdown
**Series Status:** This series is on indefinite hold after Part 3.
Parts 1-3 are complete and standalone. Part 4 (Production) may be
added in the future.
```

---

## Series Length vs Cadence

| Parts | Recommended Cadence | Total Duration |
|-------|---------------------|----------------|
| 3 | Weekly or Bi-weekly | 3-6 weeks |
| 4 | Weekly | 4 weeks |
| 5 | Weekly or Staggered | 5-7 weeks |
| 6 | Weekly or Bi-weekly | 6-12 weeks |
| 7 | Bi-weekly | 14 weeks |

**Guideline:** Series duration should not exceed 3 months for reader engagement.

---

## Promotion Between Parts

### Inter-Part Promotion

Between publications:
- Share individual insights from upcoming parts
- Ask questions the next part will answer
- Highlight comments/feedback from previous parts

### Series Completion Promotion

When final part publishes:
- Announce series completion
- Share landing page as comprehensive resource
- Consider: Summary post linking all parts

---

## Audience Considerations

### Technical Professionals

- Weekly works well (aligned with work week)
- Bi-weekly for very complex topics
- Prefer schedules that include weekdays so the cadence reaches readers when they are most active

### Hobbyists/Learners

- Weekly or bi-weekly both work
- Weekend publishing can be effective
- Consider: Time needed to work through exercises

### Mixed Audience

- Default to weekly
- Provide clear "level" indicators per part
- Allow readers to skip to relevant depth
