FAQ

FAQ - Whatsawhizzer

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about the site, memberships, releases, and more.

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Getting Started & Site Basics

5 questions

At the moment, my site is not open to other writers. If I ever open it, there will be strict standards and a required commitment to progress and finish the work.

The newsletter is a direct line of communication. I send one email a month updating you on site news. I may send a second email for major events like eBook releases, but I rarely send more than three emails a month. Signing up to the newsletter grants you an additional vote to decide what stories are being released weekly. You also can access bronze locked chapters, even as a nonmember.

The schedule is available on the homepage of my site. I also try to post it every Monday on Discord.

You can view my copyright policy here.

You can contact me through my contact page. You can create a ticket there.

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Memberships & Payments

13 questions

A direct membership on my site using a credit card (via Stripe) is the best option. This method ensures I keep the largest portion of the revenue, and the system works. However, every system takes a cut and has their own challenges, so just pick what is convenient for you.

The differences are clearly labeled on the membership page in the main menu.

All payments go into a business account for Whatsawhizzer WN LLC around the 1st of every month. My salary and business expenses are deducted from this. About $1,500 is reserved for site maintenance (content, editor, plugins, services, domains, technician, hosting), and another $1,500 goes to taxes. This doesn't include the processing fees taken by SubscribeStar, Stripe, and PayPal. Whatever remains supports me and my family.

If you had an account on my site before joining Patreon, it should connect immediately, granting you access. If you join Patreon first, you need to create an account on my site using the same email address. The connection will happen automatically, but it can take up to five hours. If you don't have access within five hours, contact me. You can verify your membership status in the Your Membership section of your user menu. The connection should update automatically every month.

You will need to create an account on my site. Then, go to Your Membership in your user menu and click "Connect to SubscribeStar." Once connected, your membership will be extended. You will have to renew this connection monthly.

I have numerous jobs I'm always looking for help with; if you help, I'll grant you access. I can also accept alternative payments like Amazon gift cards or Steam games. There are two requirements: you must sign up for the "Chronic Master Baiter" tier or higher, and you must pay for at least two months (a $10 minimum deposit). These alternative memberships must be managed separately from the automated PayPal system, making it inconvenient for short-term plans. If you want to pursue this, contact me with your payment method, desired email, username, and desired tier. Once we agree, send the payment, and I'll set up your account.

There is a cancel button in the Your Membership section of your user menu. Note that this only cancels the membership on my site; you may still be charged by the payment processor. You must also stop the recurring payment through PayPal, Patreon, or SubscribeStar. If you use a credit card via Stripe, the billing page should include a cancel button. If in doubt, contact me with your info, and I will check for you.

I try to update information as things change, but occasionally I forget to update every platform. If you notice outdated information, please let me know so I can fix it.

In the Your Membership section of your user menu, there is a link button to connect your Discord account to my server. This will automatically assign you the correct role.

Member credit is provided based on your level of membership and the length of membership. One credit equals one dollar. They can be used toward the purchase of eBooks and for sponsoring chapters.

They remain stored in your account until you use them.

I will offer refunds on memberships and eBooks presuming you have not been utilizing them. If you've never downloaded the eBook or somehow purchased twice, I can refund you. I can also refund double memberships or failed cancellations, however, I will only refund the last three months.

At the $5 tier and higher, you can receive additional member coins based on how long you've been a member. You must be a member continuously to gain these loyalty credits. The additional amounts will be displayed below: Graph of Addional Amounts

Contact us, fill out a support ticket and we'll address it prompty.

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Chapter Locks & Content Access

6 questions

Public chapters are completely free to read on my site without an account. Currently, I offer the first twenty or so chapters of a novel without any lock.

Bronze chapters are free to read, but require you to be signed in and subscribed to my monthly newsletter. Bronze chapters are also accessible across all membership tiers without being signed up to the monthly newsletter.

Silver chapters require at least a $2 membership and cover the majority of my content. They are available to all paid members, though the $2 tier only allows you to unlock one book.

Gold chapters are reserved for bonus chapters, early access, and the newest releases of my most popular stories. Gold access unlocks at the $10 membership tier and higher.

Once a novel is finished, I release the eBook and eventually update the web novel to match the eBook's editing. At this point, I believe a completed novel can and should be sold—that's how creators make a living. Locking the chapters at this stage makes logical sense for my business.

Locking content blocks many site crawlers. This isn't just about preventing content theft; certain payment processors periodically run trackers across sites, and if they flag specific buzzwords, they may attempt to revoke my access. Furthermore, the bronze tier provides an incentive for readers to visit my site and subscribe to my newsletter.

Premium chapters are a relic from when I used to do chapter polls.

Bonus chapters are included with eBooks; every time I produce an eBook, I release an additional chapter or two. These chapters provide backstory, context, or alternative points of view for events in the novel, but the story can be fully enjoyed without them. They can also be read online as Gold-locked chapters, although they are intended to be eBook bonuses and usually release on the site months or even years after the eBook.

Sponsored chapters are the most recent chapters on an unscheduled novel. The sponsor system allows you to donate to see the next chapter of a novel. You get immediate access to the next chapter, and once enough people donate, it is released to members, and I begin working on the following chapter.

There are a few reasons for this. Back when I did premium chapters, I wrote an extra chapter every week based on votes. These were released as gold, causing popular novels to build up gold chapters outside the regular release schedule. Currently, any story that releases more than once a week will have one gold release. For example, if a story releases three times a week, two will be silver and one will be gold. In general, I like to keep two gold chapters out as early releases, but for some stories, I will drop them to Silver to encourage sponsorship.

It simply stopped working. While I initially saw a traffic increase, extensive testing showed that the added effort of releasing 90% of my content on third-party sites did not result in increased reader generosity. After nearly eight years of producing content, I feel I have more than enough work to justify the membership cost.

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Release Schedule

7 questions

Members decide the schedule. Every member gets a number of votes equal to their membership level. Any account holder can also receive a single vote by signing up for the newsletter. You can distribute your votes across any number of novels. These votes determine which novels are selected. To decide how many chapters are written, the total cost of all memberships is calculated and converted into 1,500-word "slots." Therefore, the total aggregate of memberships dictates how many chapters I write, and user votes dictate which novels I focus on.

Sponsorship chapters do not release to bronze. Silver chapters will release the day and time the gold chapter releases. The gold will release after the total sponsorship goal is reached, usually within 1-2 weeks, although if I have a lot of sponsor at once, it could take longer. There is no specific time. Scheduled chapters release are scheduled to release at 9 pm on the day shown on the home page. Gold chapters often release some time after 9 pm, but usually within 24 hours. Silver and bronze release automatically at 9 pm. However, bronze only release once a week during the first release. Silver, will release once a week as well, but if there are three releases of a novel, it will release twice. The novel with an X is what would have been written if the next goal is reached, and is not part of the schedule.

There are about twenty public chapters per novel, depending on the story. Some novels are membership-only. Newer concept novels are often released publicly to gauge reader interest. For bronze-locked chapters, only scheduled stories result in more bronze releases. For a novel on the release schedule, one bronze chapter releases per week.

This is a preview of what could be written if the next membership milestone is reached. It is not part of the schedule and will not be written, but gives you an idea of what is next in line.

All chapters are scheduled to release at 9 PM EST on the day listed on the homepage's schedule. Sometimes I get delayed. I usually get it done that night, or at worst, by the end of the weekend. If a gold chapter has been released and I haven't subsequently released the silver or bronze chapters, please let me know.

The schedule is created every Monday, or Sunday night depending on your time zone.

I work another job Monday through Thursday. Releasing between Thursday and Sunday creates the most convenient schedule based on my availability.

Life happens. Sometimes I can't keep up due to illness or a lack of motivation, and occasionally the schedule I created just doesn't work for me. I publish how much I release each month in my newsletter. You can review my release history and decide if my output is acceptable to you. I do the best I can, and I've lowered my production level to a pace I can consistently maintain.

Just about every novel that isn't finished is available for sponsorship. Voting patterns and sponsor completions ultimately dictate what gets worked on and finished.

Sponsorship System

9 questions

You can click on "Novels" in the menu or go to an individual novel's main page. There will be a clear sponsorship bar. Click the sponsor button, and an overlay will appear allowing you to sponsor any amount using money or member credit (if you have them). If you see the text, "The sponsorship goal was reached. Please wait for the next chapter in 1-2 weeks," it means the most recent sponsored chapter has already been released publicly, and you must wait for me to write the next one.

If you just want to read the latest available chapter, you can sponsor as little as $1. However, all sponsorships add to a global total, and the next chapter is only written once that total is reached. The total cost ranges from $20 to $60 depending on the novel.

Chapters are released when I write them. If I'm available and motivated, it could be up within an hour. If not, it could take up to two weeks. I try to release every chapter within a week, but sometimes life gets in the way. Occasionally, I have multiple sponsored chapters ready, so you can go from one to the next without waiting.

If we reach the scheduled release date and I still have a sponsored chapter pending, I will release it for free. If the story then falls off the schedule, I will write one more chapter. Those who previously sponsored will need to sponsor again to read further; reading the chapter a few days in advance was your sponsored benefit. The sponsorship progress will then reset to $0.

Novels currently on my weekly schedule do not have a sponsorship option because I'm already releasing them as fast as I would write them. If you see green text indicating sponsorship is available, it might just be between releases and I forgot to turn it off—feel free to remind me. Some stories are considered finished, and I don't plan to write more. A few stories I didn't feel were worth continuing at the moment, though I might revisit them in the future if they gain popularity. If you feel I'm wrong about a story, you're welcome to ask me to enable sponsorship for it.

"Pay in Full" pays the entire cost for one chapter, regardless of previous donations. This unlocks the current chapter and guarantees the next chapter will be unlocked when I release it. However, the sponsorship progress for that subsequent release will start at $0.

I price sponsorships based on the size of the release. I typically write in two lengths: 3,000–4,000 words and 1,500–2,000 words. I treat these numbers as minimums, and most chapters exceed them. Currently, the baseline is about $30 for 2,000 words.

I increased the price from $25 to $30 and $50 to $60 when I added membership coins. This made sense based on membership levels, my distribution output, and future expectations. Additionally, if a particular novel becomes exceptionally popular and is constantly being sponsored with coins, I may increase the price. For example, if someone buys a $50 membership, doesn't use their credit for 24 months, and then spams releases for a specific novel until they run out, I reserve the right to increase the sponsorship cost to slow down the release rate. I don't expect to do this often, but if I do, it's because I'm overwhelmed with sponsorships.

Absolutely. You can sponsor custom books, specific chapters, or even fanfiction. I may decline subjects I'm not familiar with, but if I can handle it, we can work together. There are three caveats:

  1. Creative freedom: You can't be overly particular; I need creative freedom.
  2. Existing lore: You cannot dictate the lore of my existing stories—I decide what is canon.
  3. Rights: Unless you pay extra for exclusive creative rights, I reserve the right to sell, edit, or distribute the work.

Costs are negotiable, but as an estimate, a 30,000-word short story (about 20 chapters) runs around $600. A full novel is about $1,800. Exclusive creative rights double the cost.

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eBooks & Purchases

10 questions

You can buy my eBooks directly on my site, or you can purchase them from Amazon or Draft2Digital and its affiliates. Draft2Digital distributes to a broad range of bookstores, but books with taboo content are restricted and will not appear on those platforms. To find out which stores carry my books (besides my site and Amazon), check the Draft2Digital links on my site.

You can find eBooks by visiting the site store or by going to the novel's page and clicking the eBook tab. Once you click "Buy," if you click again, you will be taken to the shopping cart to complete your order. Your purchases will be available under Order History for you to re-download at any time.

Every month, based on your membership tier, you will receive member credit. This credit accumulates monthly. This allows a $10 member to earn a free eBook every 6 months, and a $15 member to earn a free eBook every month. The amounts scale up for higher tiers. You can also spend this credit on sponsorships.

I do not change key plot points. The primary difference is that the eBook is an offline document, while the web novel is always online. eBooks contain more spelling and grammar corrections, fixed plot holes, and improved sentence clarity. eBooks also frequently include one or more bonus chapters that add background information, alternative points of view, or extended scenes.

I release eBooks in PDF, ePub, Mobi, and AZW3 formats.

Any eBook I revise or update is updated on the server. As long as you have access to your >Order History, you can re-download the newest version for free.

Buying directly from my site ensures I receive the largest cut of the sale. However, I typically adjust the prices for all eBooks to keep my earnings stable.

Different platforms have different fee structures. Amazon takes the largest cut, so I price books there at $6.50. On my site and Draft2Digital, I charge $6. Occasionally, I price the first volume of a series at $2.99 to encourage new readers to try it.

Yes and no. I would like to release physical books, but any book with taboo content will not be available in physical format, as print-on-demand services scrutinize and block them. Additionally, physical books cost about three times the price of an eBook, and I receive a smaller cut. However, it is my goal to start releasing them more reliably.

Time. It takes anywhere from 4 to 8 hours to create an eBook from scratch. It requires hundreds of small formatting changes, which can be nerve-wracking. I also want to release the best quality I can, which takes time and effort. Editing is also my least favorite job.

I don't make enough to hire professional editors. I do my best to keep my novels edited, but I can only do so much. As soon as I release a book, I inevitably spot another error. I am not a professional publisher with editors on retainer; it is just me and two part-time helpers. Keeping up with writing while working a day job is hard enough, and getting eBooks out on top of that is difficult.

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About the Author & Writing Process

11 questions

I originally went by "Whizzer," but the name was too short for some platforms. Plus, people frequently asked, "What's a Whizzer?" so I combined the phrases into "Whatsawhizzer." You can read the full story of what a Whizzer is here.

No, that is not my name. "Terrance Phillipe" is a pseudonym I use on certain accounts to protect my true identity.

I work as a middle and high school instructor. A few years ago, when my writing income dropped, I accrued significant tax debt. I work this job to pay off the IRS; all my income from teaching goes directly to that debt.

I started writing while pursuing a doctorate in biomedical science. I did not complete my doctorate because I began making more money writing than I would have made working in a lab. Writing allows me to set my own schedule, work from home, and control my financial potential.

Because you (the readers) vote for me to work on so many! If everyone voted for just one novel, I'd focus solely on it. However, if I put all my effort into one story, it would become the top story on my site, but once finished, 90% of that fanbase would likely disappear. Working on dozens of novels slowly, rather than finishing one quickly, provides a more stable paycheck. Ultimately, the power is in your hands through votes and sponsorships. I create concepts, and if people sponsor them, they get fleshed out into full stories.

Practice. When I'm motivated, I write a lot, but I also have days where I'm just burned out. Writing daily makes the process easier over time. I rarely write fewer than 2,000 words a day. Even when I'm not writing web novels, I'm creating content for my day job. As for remembering details across novels, I do forget things occasionally. AI has helped me organize data, and I keep spreadsheets for most stories to recall details.

I write in Microsoft Word. I keep chapter-by-chapter files organized into folders on Google Drive. I usually write an entire chapter in one pass, correcting spelling in real time. I give every chapter a once-over with Grammarly before uploading. My editor may then review it in the following weeks. Final edits are done when compiling the complete manuscript for an eBook.

I use the free version of Grammarly and a lifetime membership to ProWritingAid. I also occasionally rely on AI tools. I have an editor who does light editing on published work, as well as the occassional fan edit.

First, I don't think I make that many mistakes. Second, I cannot afford a professional, full-time editor. Compared to other works on ScribbleHub, Webnovel, Wuxiaworld, Wattpad, and Royal Road, my writing is considerably above average. All chapters are written, corrected with Grammarly, and given a quick read-through before going live. Given my release rate, that's the time I have. In past surveys, the vast majority of readers preferred I maintain my current production rate over slowing down to improve grammar. I do have a part-time editor who goes through the site. He isn't a professional, but he is hardworking and handles micro-edits. Please ping uko_2001 on Discord to report errors.

Yes, I treat AI like a mathematician treats a calculator—it handles the easy tasks so I can focus on deeper thinking. I primarily use it as an analyzer and information provider. I upload manuscripts to extrapolate character lists, generate summaries, and ask questions while writing. I also use it to help generate erotic scenes or descriptions when I struggle to articulate my vision. Do I use AI to write entire chapters? Absolutely not. However, I am not immune to accidentally including "AI-isms" on a bad day. If you find a chapter that seems poorly written or distinctly AI-generated (it's not, but if it seems wooden and inhuman to you), please let me know, and I will happily rewrite it.

I receive a lot of messages daily. While you might be making your first comment to me, it might be the tenth time I've heard someone say, "Why aren't public chapters releasing yet? Stop being a money-grubber." Some fans think I deliver way more content than is reasonable for the price, while others insist I owe them more. Sometimes I get frustrated. Most people who have followed me since my origins at MSB know I enjoy complaining and arguing with fans. Take my comments with a grain of salt. My entire website and almost everything on it was built by a single guy—me. Please give me the benefit of the doubt. I genuinely appreciate every reader, your criticism, and your presence.

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Technical Support & Other

3 questions

You can ping Kokoadict in the comments, DM him on Discord, or post in the Discord's #report_corrections channel. Please be specific: include the chapter, book title, and a quote of the error so we can find it. A link or image is also appreciated.

Please reach out to uko_2001 on Discord if you have any micro-edits you want fixed.

I currently don't have an active mailing address for the business. I used to have a PO Box, but after two years, I never received a single piece of mail, so I closed it. I probably won't get a new one.