do you have any idea what people will like?

KarissaTsevi said:

Write stories tailored to a specific audience.

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This can go two ways, especially fetish stories where you are writing to satisfy a certain kink.

For example, I have written some fat fetish material. Some readers with fetishes for fat girls aren't fussy, any story with overweight female characters is a good story to them. Others are quite particular in their fetish, and if your story doesn't fit to their specifics (for example the girl is overweight rather than obese and they like them bigger) they will lose interest very quickly.

RetroFan said:

This can go two ways, especially fetish stories where you are writing to satisfy a certain kink.

For example, I have written some fat fetish material. Some readers with fetishes for fat girls aren't fussy, any story with overweight female characters is a good story to them. Others are quite particular in their fetish, and if your story doesn't fit to their specifics (for example the girl is overweight rather than obese and they like them bigger) they will lose interest very quickly.

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You is aiming too broad. You cannot satisfy everybody. You cannot satisfy everybody in your kink. Sometimes you can't even satisfy peoples in your bed .

If you is aiming at a kink - aim at a specific. "Fat girls" - is not a thing. Details of body - is gots big bum? Big tits? Slender waist that gives the 'hourglass' trope? Thighs what merge into the wide bottom you want to get, or a hefty bum drawing you in, supported by hefty thighs of muscle that make you concerned for the health of your neck if you displease her?

Peoples are weird. Tell your story the way it excites you and carry buckets of water to put out the fires.

Most read stories of all time

This list is illuminating.

https://www.literotica.com/top/most-read-erotic-stories/

Note how popular incest is, including mother-son incest. I never would have guessed that. I remember that years ago a few R. Crumb cartoons would have incest themes, but I always thought it was a niche interest.

Apparently, however, it does "hugely" with over ten million views on the number one story.

Romance and Lesbian category readers seem to favor more serious stories over light or humorous stories.

Again, it might be just my experience, but three of the stories I have submitted in these categories in the last few months have all dealt with serious themes and all have proven to be big hits, and drew much positive feedback.

I has had one of my stories forced into Lesbian Sex and got flamed all over the place cause it wasn't about sex, it was romance, but romance only allows cishet stories and it was too much about the romance to fit into nother categories. Sos got flamed for not putting it into Lesbian Sex and then got flamed because the mods forced it there.

FaeLissa said:

I has had one of my stories forced into Lesbian Sex and got flamed all over the place cause it wasn't about sex, it was romance, but romance only allows cishet stories and it was too much about the romance to fit into nother categories. Sos got flamed for not putting it into Lesbian Sex and then got flamed because the mods forced it there.

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Mine ended with sex between the two girls, but I have written lesbian scenes in Erotic Couplings and Fetish stories, and these have been accepted into these categories with no issues. I thought a romantic story involving two women would be fine in Romance.

RetroFan said:

Mine ended with sex between the two girls, but I have written lesbian scenes in Erotic Couplings and Fetish stories, and these have been accepted into these categories with no issues. I thought a romantic story involving two women would be fine in Romance.

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I thinked it was better there since there wasn't a sex scene (was implied but no description) but peoples in Romance wants it to be hetero romance only. *shrugs* I mostly does fantasy stories sos not a big deal, just interesting how peoples reacted.

LIT readers generally want to read about sex. Each reader has their own kinks. Anything you write will be loved by some, hated by some, and ignored by most. Don't expect waves of adulation.

I have no idea what Literotica's readers will like.

I know which of my stories I like and which I think are not-so-good. But generally the readership doesn't agree with my opinion of my stories.

Sometimes I know I have written a good-for-me story, i.e. one that I think is a better example of my work - and it gets a low rating.

Sometimes another story I think is good but not really for Literotica can surprise me by being rated highly.

Stories that I think are run of the mill can exceed my expectations by becoming popular according to the rating.

However - the ratings can show that stories I think are poor examples of my work are actually bad.

I'm going to add to what I wrote before.

I think "popularity" at Literotica is less mysterious than some people make it out to be. If you want to understand Literotica, and how to be popular or "successful" (whatever that means) at this site, then you need to do more than just look at the scores and feedback for your own stories. You need to read other people's stories, and you need to read articles that people have written about how to write stories for Literotica.

There are two basic ways to be successful here.

One is to write stories that fulfill the expectations of the readers of specific story categories. Many people come to this site with very particular kinks, and they want stories that satisfy those kinks. For an excellent introduction to what people are looking for in various categories, I recommend this article: https://www.literotica.com/s/how-to-break-the-literotica-toplist?page=2. Also, this one: https://www.literotica.com/s/love-your-readers-categories. Stories can be short and even badly written, but if they hit the notes that the category readers are looking for, they can succeed. You have to know what those notes are. The information is out there if you want to look for it.

The other way to succeed is to write a story with well-developed characters that draw readers in. These stories often are somewhat longer. Many readers like stories that take their time in narrating how a believable character gets drawn into an erotic situation. Character is the essential element of a good story: a good character drives a good plot. It drives conflict, and it makes sense of the story arc. If you have good characters, then the other things tend to fall into place, but if you don't, then there's no substitute for their absence.

If you are curious about how to be "successful" on Literotica, whatever that means to you, then identify some authors that have achieved the success that is meaningful to you, and read their stories and analyze what they've done to achieve the success you want to emulate.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with ignoring the concepts of success and popularity altogether, and just writing the stories you want to write.

i guess i phrased the question sloppily. i'm not looking for a key to popularity. i'm just asking if, when you post something you have reservations about, it has a tendency to surprise you? i had just had that happen twice. one story was a real battle to finish and i considered scrapping it...it got really good feedback. i just wondered if anyone else has had similar experiences, not how to be voted "most popular".

rae121452 said:

i guess i phrased the question sloppily. i'm not looking for a key to popularity. i'm just asking if, when you post something you have reservations about, it has a tendency to surprise you? i had just had that happen twice. one story was a real battle to finish and i considered scrapping it...it got really good feedback. i just wondered if anyone else has had similar experiences, not how to be voted "most popular".

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I've not posted material I've had reservations about, but I have posted stories where I didn't expect the reactions I got. My first Floating World story took off like a rocket (relative to my other pieces) and pulled in an unexpected number of comments - it struck a chord amongst older dreaming men, and women seemed to like my leading man (or am I just a dreaming man?).

My Songs of Seduction - Water also surprised me. I'd not realised I'd written something quite so good until writer friends told me - I'd written it quickly with no huge expectations. It's still doing okay.

SimonDoom said:

If you are curious about how to be "successful" on Literotica, whatever that means to you, then identify some authors who have achieved the success that is meaningful to you, and read their stories and analyze what they've done to achieve the success you want to emulate.

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That's the key right there. No point in jumping into Incest or LW and writing something they'll love, unless it also appeals to you, and makes you feel you've accomplished what you set out to do.

I'll never emulate even those who I have huge respect for, and who are hugely successful, because my own work is what it is. My own passion. Love it or leave it.

'Course one day, I might need money, in which case, Incest, here I come!

JasonClearwater said:

'Course one day, I might need money, in which case, Incest, here I come!

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Here, of course, the money is still...$0.

I don't think Lit votes are exchangeable with bitcoin just yet. That will be the day when everything changes.

electricblue66 said:

Here, of course, the money is still...$0.

I don't think Lit votes are exchangeable with bitcoin just yet. That will be the day when everything changes.

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Oh My Days. Mining for Comments.

*thinks*

That brings an unsanitary image to mind.

JasonClearwater said:

Oh My Days. Mining for Comments.

*thinks*

That brings an unsanitary image to mind.

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My piss-take on Lit Contests has my author say to one of his characters, "Idiot, what are you thinking? There are enough conspiracy theories already about the scoring of the contests, dodgy scores being swept, all of that. I don't need to add to it with my own made up readers."

It's all about prescience, this predictive stuff. But I don't know about that, sitting in this library chair which is really very comfortable. I think I'll fall asleep and dream about the future. Where people rely on some huge, world wide computer to live their lives .

electricblue66 said:

Where people rely on some huge, world wide computer to live their lives .

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For you, it's a black box with a little red light on it, isn't it?

rae121452 said:

i guess i phrased the question sloppily.

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You've been here long enough to know that once you've loosed a question on the form it will be used in whatever way we see fit.

electricblue66 said:

Here, of course, the money is still...$0.

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Yep. I've done really well with the incest penguins. But they're cheap dates. I've earned no more than anyone else.

JasonClearwater said:

For you, it's a black box with a little red light on it, isn't it?

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A blue light. I believe it's an LED, they're very efficient, don't you know?

https://manxelectricrailway.co.uk/latest-news/tynwald-approval-for-laxey-substation-replacement/

SimonDoom said:

Yep. I've done really well with the incest penguins. But they're cheap dates. I've earned no more than anyone else.

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Except your mother's respect .