Hard to please

Does any other writer feel like it's really hard to please the crowd here on Literotica? I am not a perfect writer at all, I am still learning and growing after writing for ten years. But I have never been on a site where I felt so critiqued and even hesitant to post my writing. It makes me sad because it probably intimidates so many new writers who have great stories to share. I notice that usually it's strictly readers who are so judgmental and picky. Usually I have found that fellow writers will be more constructive with their criticism instead of saying some silly comment. Meanwhile, when I post on other sites I very rarely get any negative feedback. A low vote or negative comment won't faze me, but like I said, it makes me sad for newbie writers. Now I know why I was so hesitant to share my writing on here.

Writing isn't just talent. It takes dedication. And you can definitely never please everyone because we all like different things.

On a funny note, I remember the first story I posted on here got a 1 star because the person said: "you didn't include in the title that it's part 1, so I'm giving you an automatic 1." Sometimes I consider deleting my account, or perhaps not posting any more stories, but I'll try to persevere, I guess.

Sorry for the rant, I just had to get off my chest.

I understand your point. The trolls can be tough to deal with for a new writer. They know it, its just another example of little men getting their rocks of spewing hate on the net...

On the other hand, there is a lot of good here too and it teaches people to be a little thicker skinned which you need to be if you want to put things up for public consumption

1) Lit has so many daily stories for free, that readers take it for granted.

2) Frankly, everyone is a critic in some way. If you really think about it, I'm sure 99% of authors have complained about food, movies, music, tv shows, other people ect...

People complain (myself included). So I don't think the commentators realize that negative comments can be hurtful to people who spent a lot of time writing free stuff.

Even top tier movies and authors get tons of negative reviews. No one is immune.

Anyway, try using those negative comments as a way to motivate you to improve your writing. Try getting more positive comments than negative. Then it'll all be worth it.

RDeLajour said:

A low vote or negative comment won't faze me, but like I said, it makes me sad for newbie writers. Now I know why I was so hesitant to share my writing on here.

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I'm a newbie writer -- in the sense that I've been posting stories for less than a month -- but I'm not new to writing, or being edited, or to sometimes hostile critique, or to anonymous internet pus. I haven't had a problem here, but then I've not posted to Loving Wives.

Actually, comments -- constructive or not -- have been hard to come by. I could put up with a few more "you fucking idiot" comments, but I'd like to get a few more thoughtful comments. "Thoughtful" actually describes most of the comments I've gotten and some have been downright incisive.

49% of the population is below average. LIT's huge readership may skew that a bit. Some tiny percentage are rabid assholes -- but if a story of mine gets over 100k views, 240 votes, and 4 negative comments (out of 8 total) I take that to mean 99.996% weren't pissed-off enough to bother berating me. The rabid assholes didn't get me.

I've mentioned that my goal here is to affect as many readers as possible -- grab eyeballs and provoke responses. Comments and votes, positive or negative, show that I've connected with readers at some level. That suits me. YMMV.

Hypoxia said:

49% of the population is below average. LIT's huge readership may skew that a bit. Some tiny percentage are rabid assholes -- but if a story of mine gets over 100k views, 240 votes, and 4 negative comments (out of 8 total) I take that to mean 99.996% weren't pissed-off enough to bother berating me. The rabid assholes didn't get me.

I've mentioned that my goal here is to affect as many readers as possible -- grab eyeballs and provoke responses. Comments and votes, positive or negative, show that I've connected with readers at some level. That suits me. YMMV.

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So if only 49% of the population are idiots why do I always get behind one on the road? Statistically speaking I should only be behind a total fucking moron half the time, but that isn't how it works.

Me, I don't want to affect as many as possible. I just hope to help one poor smuck who can't get any have a little pleasure for a little while. Ahh, who am I kidding? I just like writing porn

GoldenCojones said:

So if only 49% of the population are idiots why do I always get behind one on the road?

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'Cause that's where they accumulate. The smart ones take other routes -- or you've passed them.

Ahh, who am I kidding? I just like writing porn

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Excellent.

Lately, no one comments on my stories. Of course that may be because the stories they would comment on I have turn off comments and voting. Why did I do that? It's call reverse trolling. They take the time to read the story, maybe, and then are frustrated that they can't call me names or 1 bomb me.

I actually chuckle thinking about that. Does that make me perverse? I really don't care.

And those stories I do allow comments and voting don't do too bad. Barely any comments and none really that negative. As for score...most are above 4.

Hypoxia said:

49% of the population is below average. LIT's huge readership may skew that a bit. Some tiny percentage are rabid assholes -- but if a story of mine gets over 100k views, 240 votes, and 4 negative comments (out of 8 total) I take that to mean 99.996% weren't pissed-off enough to bother berating me. The rabid assholes didn't get me.

I've mentioned that my goal here is to affect as many readers as possible -- grab eyeballs and provoke responses. Comments and votes, positive or negative, show that I've connected with readers at some level. That suits me. YMMV.

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That 49% of the people are not below average. They are just all below the mean. Only 16% are below average... or below one standard deviation from the mean.

I have an idea... Let's just call those 16% of the people deviants and agree that they are mean.

Sorry, it's an old statistics joke that I couldn't resist.

I don't think of it as a case of "not pleasing the crowd" here. I get the sense that "the crowd" is pleased with what I offer them for a free-read here--that it's just a handful of posters who drag the ratings down for one reason or the other. I'm quite satisfied with the fan base I have here that just ignores the nattering by a few on a site that gives the natterers a whole lot of power over the ratings.

RDeLajour said:

Does any other writer feel like it's really hard to please the crowd here on Literotica?

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Threads: 929,364, Posts: 50,634,185, Members: 1,805,219
Welcome to our newest member, _uckChuck

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Of course that 1.8 million is just people who have registered on either the forum or the main site. There are probably at least that many who read the stories without registering.

Out of that demographic you're bound to find a small percentage who don't like you, your writing, or some particular genre of erotic stories, and an even smaller percentage that feel strongly enough to vote and/or comment negatively -- those are the "crowd" you "see." They are NOT representative of the entire "crowd here on Literotica."