The Official Authors' Hangout Winter Holidays 2017 Support Thread

[redzinger]

Has there been another sweep?

 

[RejectReality]

Not on mine. I'm a couple of votes higher than I was the last time I looked.

Has there been another sweep?

 

[NotWise]

Has there been another sweep?

Not really a sweep, but I've had at least two votes removed in the last two days. I also had a change in score with no votes added, which is probably another score remove + another vote added.

 

[Carnal_Flower]

I mainly enter the contests for exposure. It's insane how much feedback I've gotten on my old stories. And its great for bumping up your Favorite Author stats.

I noticed none of my old Incest fans/crowd seem to be around. It's a whole new crop of readers.

 

[redzinger]

Not really a sweep, but I've had at least two votes removed in the last two days. I also had a change in score with no votes added, which is probably another score remove + another vote added.

I had the same.

And my votes have gone down again today.

When does the voting part of the contest close?

 

[oggbashan]

...

When does the voting part of the contest close?

Shortly before:

winners announced: December 14

 

[RejectReality]

I had a smattering of votes swept at some point today, because I was a shade over 1800 this morning, and I'm dead on it now.

Must have been low ones swept, because my score went up. Or I was so close to the border that new votes ( likely because I got new favorites ) pushed it over regardless of the value of swept votes.

 

[Damoiselle]

Should probably do so as well. My story was too tame for BDSM so I put it in First Time for the lack of a better alternative. Better start working on those Group Sex and Incest stories...

This is a problem for me. All of my BDSM stories are mild BDSM with larger plots. I'm not sure how to handle it.

 

[SimonDoom]

This is a problem for me. All of my BDSM stories are mild BDSM with larger plots. I'm not sure how to handle it.

I think mild BDSM works in the BDSM category. I have written one BDSM story, published in late 2016. It has no bondage, no sadomasochism. It's about light and playful dominance and submission games between two people who've just met. In a year it's had 40,000+ views, it's my highest-rated story so far, and it placed second in the contest for BDSM stories for 2016. So if you think it can be put in this category, I'd say go ahead.

 

[rescatooor]

I think mild BDSM works in the BDSM category. I have written one BDSM story, published in late 2016. It has no bondage, no sadomasochism. It's about light and playful dominance and submission games between two people who've just met. In a year it's had 40,000+ views, it's my highest-rated story so far, and it placed second in the contest for BDSM stories for 2016. So if you think it can be put in this category, I'd say go ahead.

Mine just had a bit of spanking and sub/dom-ship. I felt it wasn't really sufficient. Maybe I should ask someone of that category to check up on that story and say if it might've been more at home in that category...

 

[LadyMireille]

I had a smattering of votes swept at some point today because I was a shade over 1800 this morning, and I'm dead on it now.

Must have been low ones swept, because my score went up. Or I was so close to the border that new votes ( likely because I got new favorites ) pushed it over regardless of the value of swept votes.

lol. I would be one of those. I have been trying to read as many of the contest stories as I can. I noticed yours was rated well, and even though I don't usually real incest, I decided to. Despite my dislike of incest, I gave your story a 5 star. It really deserved it. You are a great writer and the story was very well written. I added you to my favorite authors so I can check out some of your other stories when I get a chance. (just so you know, when I was done reading your story, I was wishing you would write a really sweet romance next since you are such a good writer. ;D)

 

[rescatooor]

The sweeps haven't touched me at all yet. Kind of looking forward to it since I had couple of one bombs in the beginning that are apparently still there.

 

[LadyMireille]

The sweeps haven't touched me at all yet. Kind of looking forward to it since I had couple of one bombs in the beginning that are apparently still there.

I only noticed once yesterday, my vote count dipped by one, which also dipped my overall score. I don't know why a vote would be removed that was obviously a 5. Maybe a duplicate? But I don't know who would be duplicate voting for me. I don't have "friends" who are voting for me, so...

Besides that, I haven't noticed anything. I had some low bombs in the beginning, too. Obviously because since the vote count has gone up, my score has slowly crept up almost a whole tenth.

 

[rescatooor]

I only noticed once yesterday, my vote count dipped by one, which also dipped my overall score. I don't know why a vote would be removed that was obviously a 5. Maybe a duplicate? But I don't know who would be duplicate voting for me. I don't have "friends" who are voting for me, so...

Besides that, I haven't noticed anything. I had some low bombs in the beginning, too. Obviously because since the vote count has gone up, my score has slowly crept up almost a whole tenth.

Yeah I haven't noticed any changes. But I do have relatively few ratings so maybe just all of them have been legit. Unlikely, but who knows.

 

[NotWise]

I only noticed once yesterday, my vote count dipped by one, which also dipped my overall score. I don't know why a vote would be removed that was obviously a 5.

I've had as many 5*s as 1*s removed from some stories.

There's still two nights for big sweeps, and usually the most important is on the last night.

 

[LadyMireille]

I've had as many 5*s as 1*s removed from some stories.

There's still two nights for big sweeps, and usually the most important is on the last night.

I'm still newish to this. Is there any insight into why 5's are removed? Is it to even up removing the low ones or is it due to duplicate voting? Just curious. Not that it really matters. I just like to understand the inner workings of things.

 

[KindofHere]

..............

 

[RejectReality]

Thank you much

You might want to venture into my other pen names. RR is mainly for quick, down-n-dirty stuff. I have a couple of more romantic, real world stories as Les, and quite a few with Fantasy themes ( especially my Magic of the Wood series as Les )

Sticking with RR, your best bet is probably "Nude Holly Day". I almost assigned it to Les because it had too much substance for this name LOL.

Holly Jolley is scoring way higher than I expected. I had it pegged at around the high 4.6s or low 4.7s, possibly rising to the mid to high 4.7s after the sweeps. Pleasing, of course, but still surprising that it's already at my post-sweep estimate.

lol. I would be one of those. I have been trying to read as many of the contest stories as I can. I noticed yours was rated well, and even though I don't usually real incest, I decided to. Despite my dislike of incest, I gave your story a 5 star. It really deserved it. You are a great writer and the story was very well written. I added you to my favorite authors so I can check out some of your other stories when I get a chance. (just so you know, when I was done reading your story, I was wishing you would write a really sweet romance next since you are such a good writer. ;D)

 

[TxRad]

I'm still newish to this. Is there any insight into why 5's are removed? Is it to even up removing the low ones or is it due to duplicate voting? Just curious. Not that it really matters. I just like to understand the inner workings of things.

Duplicate votes, fan votes, authors in the contest votes, I do believe are also swept. No one but management know for sure and that is a good thing. Why have a burglar alarm if you post the wiring diagram on the front lawn.

 

[NotWise]

I'm still newish to this. Is there any insight into why 5's are removed? Is it to even up removing the low ones or is it due to duplicate voting? Just curious. Not that it really matters. I just like to understand the inner workings of things.

No one outside of site administration knows what standards are used for the sweeps. I'd like to see it stay that way. If the method becomes known then people will manipulate it.

KindofHere, if you're back-calculating votes in the case where you have a change in votes but not a change in the score, then it's possible that the only result you will get is the rounded-off value of your score. If your story is over 4.5, then it will look like all transaction--new votes or removals--are fives.

My "Valentines for Cinderella" gets regular traffic coming and going, but according to my spreadsheet everything since August has been a five or group of fives.

 

[Polyacrylate]

So... this was my first contest entry, and my first entry that I'm actually happy with. And I really wish I had known how addictive this would be.

I submitted a story that I knew had some flaws, and would have benefited from one more edit (I ran out of time), but that I still enjoyed nonetheless. I'm not really interested in winning, I was just glad to have a story I thought others might enjoy. I've enjoyed reading the other contest entries.

And, I've received a much better response than I expected to my own story. But, I have turned into one of THOSE people... ALWAYS on my phone, constantly updating to check for updates... "Hey Polyacrylate, what are you looking at?" "Oh, uh... smut?" "You're such a funny macromolecule, Polyacrylate. Is that Twitter?" "So long as you have no further questions, yes."

As much fun as this is, I'll be glad when it is over.

 

[LadyMireille]

No Idea. My first contest story I lost 30 votes in a 1 day sweep (about 29 of them 1's) and jumped me to a 4.88 and I placed second.

That same story is now at a 4.82. It was at a 4.85 and after a comment was left that said: drug use, didn't read, automatic 1 vote, it dropped to a 4.84 and within an hour, a 4.83. (never mind being dropped from 4.88) And so all BUT my contest story has been hit with a sweep and I thought, great! it's going to back up ... it lost another .01 points ... and I thought, is this a sweep or a butt fucking.

Woah! That is a LOT of votes swept!

My story reached 4.78 today (my high). Then went back to 4.77 with one vote, where it has sat since this morning, despite adding more votes. :/ I need to submit an edit for mine. I missed several things and I hate that it's been sitting there with words that are spelled correctly, but it's the wrong word. (Life with three kids = choppy editing at times. :/ )

Your story is next on my reading list from the contest.

Thank you much

Holly Jolley is scoring way higher than I expected. I had it pegged at around the high 4.6s or low 4.7s, possibly rising to the mid to high 4.7s after the sweeps. Pleasing, of course, but still surprising that it's already at my post-sweep estimate.

You are very welcome. I just added LesLumens to my favorites so I can check out your other work. Good luck!

My story is scoring higher than I had hoped. Not that I don't think it's good enough to score that high. But it's only my 5th published, and it's my highest scoring story so far.

No one outside of site administration knows what standards are used for the sweeps. I'd like to see it stay that way. If the method becomes known then people will manipulate it.

lol. How right you are! ;D

.....................................

One thing I have enjoyed about the contest is that all of my other stories have received more votes, and ALL of them have gone up in scoring (just a hundredth, but I will take what I can get! And hopefully the sweep won't take away those votes. lol)

 

[NotWise]

As much fun as this is, I'll be glad when it is over.

You might get over that. Or you might not...

 

[RejectReality]

Should have been here back in the day when there were daily ( sometimes multiple times daily ) sweeps throughout the whole of the contest. From the first story posted until moments before the winner's announcement, your score and vote totals went up and down like a yo-yo.

1s get swept. Trolls come back a few minutes later. Lather, rinse, repeat for three to four weeks.

That's what people are talking about when they mention the "Roller Coaster." Your first contest back then was pure, undiluted, sustained anxiety.

 

[ChloeTzang]

I have just discovered it's so relaxing NOT having a story in the competition

Good luck to you all and just relaaaaax, lay back, don't worry about the sweeps and the trolls and your score. Relaaaaaaax.

Chloe says, ROTFLMAO