How do you measure "successful" stories?

I run a spreadsheet (updated every 3-4 months, it's an idle curiosity) that tracks the latest Lit calculated score, the total number of reads, the number of scores, the ratio of scores per read, the number of faves, and the number of comments.

Drawing a graph showing all my stories ranked against each other, my most "successful" stories by a long shot are Rope and Veil Parts 2, 1, and 3 in that order; The Gift Part 1; and my latest, The Floating World.

None of these are stroke (they are all my slow burn writing), they are all "off" main stream (whatever that is), they were all written as experiments. Readers have responded, favourably and with curiosity, I think. I'm pleased. And hey, none are incest!

electricblue66 said:

I run a spreadsheet (updated every 3-4 months, it's an idle curiosity) that tracks the latest Lit calculated score, the total number of reads, the number of scores, the ratio of scores per read, the number of faves, and the number of comments.

Drawing a graph showing all my stories ranked against each other, my most "successful" stories by a long shot are Rope and Veil Parts 2, 1, and 3 in that order; The Gift Part 1; and my latest, The Floating World.

None of these are stroke (they are all my slow burn writing), they are all "off" main stream (whatever that is), they were all written as experiments. Readers have responded, favourably and with curiosity, I think. I'm pleased. And hey, none are incest!

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My best stories have low scores and views, the lowest of them has a Green E.

My incest stories get 60K-90K views and middlin scores after my AH admirers one bomb me for a week.

But I write to improve, so my wares are really experimental, to settle things in my mind about aspects of writing.

Well seeing as lit is statistics based then I imagine numbers would be the indicator of success.

But seeing different categories have such wide ranging readership its not about total numbers, but numbers based on where it is. Example 1000+ votes is a pretty good incest story, but in BDSM you would be lucky to see 200.

Now score would be the indicator as it means regardless of votes your story earned a high score because it pleased that readership, making it successful. Issue is the linger you stay here the more crap we here and see about manipulation, authors, readers, trolls, cheerleaders...so even score sometimes is iffy.

Especially if you get onto a top list, and see the sniping that goes on there, and forget contest entries, between everything I just mentioned and the addition of inconsistent and at times seemingly biased sweeps, the scores there are meaningless as well. For those who may think I saw that as some form of sour grapes, I have 4 themed contest wins which means I'm not putting much stock in my own wins.

In fact I have all the markings of successful lit stories. I have 4.8+ stories, a sea of red H's, top list stories, stories with thousands of votes, one that's been favorited close to 1400 times and over 300 comments.

But what I have come to learn is that as corny as it may sound, the only true test of whether or not it was a successful story is if you feel it was. If you liked writing it, think it came out well, and maybe get a couple of comments where the reader calls out exactly what you wanted them to see and feel, then it was a success.

More so than ever in my time here, numbers are meaningless, and again I say that as someone that has some damned good ones.

It's not a successful story in my eyes unless the reader has finished reading it and the story had some effect on the reader. Kant

lovecraft68 said:

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But what I have come to learn is that as corny as it may sound, the only true test of whether or not it was a successful story is if you feel it was. If you liked writing it, think it came out well, and maybe get a couple of comments where the reader calls out exactly what you wanted them to see and feel, then it was a success.

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I agree. My stories I feel most satisfied about writing vary wildly in their ratings. Many have never had an H. Some have no comments at all.

On the other hand some stories I thought 'OK, but not one of my best' can be higher rated. Even some I think 'WTF was I doing? It's crap!' can get an H and reasonable comments.

What do I know? I only write the stuff.

oggbashan said:

I agree. My stories I feel most satisfied about writing vary wildly in their ratings. Many have never had an H. Some have no comments at all.

On the other hand some stories I thought 'OK, but not one of my best' can be higher rated. Even some I think 'WTF was I doing? It's crap!' can get an H and reasonable comments.

What do I know? I only write the stuff.

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I get it. My approval of a story seems to be the kiss of death. The ones I think "Yeah, nailed it" don't do so well. The "what was I thinking?" stories seem to really hit it off. Go figure.

I have a story with a BBW as the main character. It has a graphic sex scene, but I think it's a romantic story as well. While it has the lowest number of views, it's my second-highest rated story, and I noticed that a much higher percentage of readers took the time to vote on it.

MLClifton said:

I have a story with a BBW as the main character. It has a graphic sex scene, but I think it's a romantic story as well. While it has the lowest number of views, it's my second-highest rated story, and I noticed that a much higher percentage of readers took the time to vote on it.

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Link? I have yet to find a BBW story that I found truly sexy. I enjoy looking at bigger women from time to time, but writing them is difficult.

lovecraft68 said:

Link? I have yet to find a BBW story that I found truly sexy. I enjoy looking at bigger women from time to time, but writing them is difficult.

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Here you go. Hope it doesn't disappoint.

https://www.literotica.com/s/little-death-by-chocolate

MLClifton said:

Here you go. Hope it doesn't disappoint.

https://www.literotica.com/s/little-death-by-chocolate

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Left a comment

I guess I fly below the radar in terms of total volume of readers, so I don't have any of LC' s problems. I'm also not part of any writer's clique, so score stacking ain't a problem; and the only contest story I've entered was a piss take on the whole idea of the contests and the bile they seem to bring out in people, so that isn't an issue either.

My highest number of reads is, no surprise, an incest yarn which also gives me my highest number of faves, but an average to low number of scores per read; and compared to some of my other stories, a proportionally lower number of comments. Those guys tick the favourite box but don't say much. Also, it's a sibcest story - do they get the same reader volumes as mother/son? I don't know. I'll never find out either, since I can't see myself ever writing mother/son. Always seems like a pointless waste of a hot woman to me, spending her time on an eighteen year old boy, but there you go - not my scene.

lovecraft68 said:

Left a comment

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Just saw that, and it's much appreciated. I'm happy to have provided some inspiration.

Once the dust has settled, I measure success by how I feel about the story. It's hard to feel that way while the votes are still coming in and the score is changing.

NotWise said:

Once the dust has settled, I measure success by how I feel about the story. It's hard to feel that way while the votes are still coming in and the score is changing.

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Do I enjoy re-reading my own story? Then it's a success. Do I notice views, votes, and comments? Sure. I like my highest-rated stories and their few mostly-favorable comments. I like my lowest-rated stories and their shocked or astonished comments. Either way, I feel I've affected people. That's my mark of success.

lovecraft68 said:

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But what I have come to learn is that as corny as it may sound, the only true test of whether or not it was a successful story is if you feel it was. If you liked writing it, think it came out well, and maybe get a couple of comments where the reader calls out exactly what you wanted them to see and feel, then it was a success.

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Yes. If I like what I wrote...that's all that matters to me. If other like it, all the better, but I'm not holding my breath to see if they do.

Out in the pay world, you judge by the number of copies you sell. A short story I wrote on a whim is by far the best, judging by the number of copies sold, story I have ever written. So far I have sold over a thousand copies, most of them in UK.

I did enjoy writing it. At the time I thought it might be a good seller. It far exceeded my expectations.

Zeb_Carter said:

Yes. If I like what I wrote...that's all that matters to me. If other like it, all the better, but I'm not holding my breath to see if they do.

Out in the pay world, you judge by the number of copies you sell. A short story I wrote on a whim is by far the best, judging by the number of copies sold, story I have ever written. So far I have sold over a thousand copies, most of them in UK.

I did enjoy writing it. At the time I thought it might be a good seller. It far exceeded my expectations.

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The story that I sold the most of- this was back in 2012 before amazon had a PI witch hunt was a lit story "Weekends With Laura" not a great story in my mind and I tossed it up on a whim on amazon

It averaged about 175-200 sales a month for about 8 months. Over the years that story has probably earned close to 4k. I don't think any other book has done half that.

lovecraft68 said:

The story that I sold the most of- this was back in 2012 before amazon had a PI witch hunt was a lit story "Weekends With Laura" not a great story in my mind and I tossed it up on a whim on amazon

It averaged about 175-200 sales a month for about 8 months. Over the years that story has probably earned close to 4k. I don't think any other book has done half that.

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Yeah, The Teacher, hasn't made me a lot of money seeing as it's a 99 cent short story, but sales were, it's died down now, phenomenal for a long while. And most of my sales came via the Kindle Store. Go figure.

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