The Official Authors' Hangout Summer Lovin' 2025 Contest Support Thread

[RoyalAuthor]

So far, I've only had one vote swept, but it sure felt like there were more bombers for the first couple of days after I published. Are the sweeps instantaneous or over a period of time?

 

[Actingup]

So far, I've only had one vote swept, but it sure felt like there were more bombers for the first couple of days after I published. Are the sweeps instantaneous or over a period of time?

Nobody knows the hour, nor the nature, nor the outcome of the sweeps. Some of us will be touched multiple times, some shall be untouched. Those elevated may rejoice, but others shall be sent into the darkness, wailing and gnashing their teeth…

That said, it seems to involve multiple processes, sometimes over a period of days, with the deepest sweeps just before the results are finalised.

 

[NotWise]

So far, I've only had one vote swept, but it sure felt like there were more bombers for the first couple of days after I published. Are the sweeps instantaneous or over a period of time?

The major sweep is just before the results are announced. That usually happens mid-day on the US east coast, but there's no fixed schedule. There are preliminary sweeps in the last few days, and those are probably complete.

 

[Actingup]

The major sweep is just before the results are announced. That usually happens mid-day on the US east coast, but there's no fixed schedule. There are preliminary sweeps in the last few days, and those are probably complete.

So far, I've lost 6 votes from my summer lovin' story (which is ineligible to win anything), and the vote has gone up a touch, and several other stories have been swept slightly. The really nice thing is that my 750 word story from early this year went from 4.49 to 4.50 - I'll bask in its hottness until the next vote

 

[ElectricBlue]

So far, I've only had one vote swept, but it sure felt like there were more bombers for the first couple of days after I published. Are the sweeps instantaneous or over a period of time?

So far as I can see, the algorithm chugs methodically through the whole data set, regardless of the age of the story. So it's not instantaneous, no - a couple of hours maybe. Towards the end of contests they run more frequently; outside contests, maybe once a month. Something like that. You don't need to have a contest entry to benefit.

 

[NotWise]

I had one 4* and one 5* vote swept off my contest story and the rating dropped 0.01.

I had four votes swept from Mom, Sex, Guns, and Rock-n-Roll (2x1* and 2x2*). I submitted that story soon after the Nude Day contest closed, and it wasn't swept. Its score jumped by 0.14, but it's still my second-lowest scoring story. At least now its score is higher than the score on the WIWAW essay about it.

 

[Voboy]

I don't know what happened to mine. The vote count is down by one and the score is down by .01 since last I checked, but that was about 24 hours ago. I don't know what's happened in the interim. It could have gained 12 and then lost 13; who can say?

It doesn't really matter. All the stories will find their level.

 

[BryanRichardson]

Holy Moley!

This morning it looked like I lost a vote overnight, and dropped from 4.53 to 4.5. Weird, but whatever.

I just looked again and I’ve lost four or five more votes and I’m up to 4.73! Yay!

 

[nicksouth]

Mine is now my highest rated story which is a nice surprise. I was not sure how it was going to go over.

 

[RoyalAuthor]

Mine went up .01 after removing one vote to 4.84. I'd be more than happy with that score if that's where it finishes, it'll be tied for my top rating.

 

[Trionyx]

Remember, you can lose five votes, have another four votes given by readers and believe that you had just one vote swept. Unless you are checking every few minutes, you truly don’t know what has happened.

 

[GoldenMaia]

It looks like contests haven't been updated since 2023... where do the results get posted?

 

[StillStunned]

It looks like contests haven't been updated since 2023... where do the results get posted?

I think it will be on the contest page: https://www.literotica.com/s/summer-lovin-contest-2025-at-literotica

 

[NotWise]

The contest schedule for 2025 was created in December, 2024. The Summer Lovin' contest results will be announced today.

 

[Inkent]

On a personal level, quite pleased with the outcome for the two pieces I submitted, the LW one garnered a few new followers and anything rated over a 4 in that genre I see as a success I wasn't sure how my lesbian based story would be received, but some doubts I had about that have proven to be unfounded, and it's scored better than I anticipated. Now, I need to dust off the Halloween tale that never quite got finished ang get stuck into that. See you all in that forum thread

 

[PennyThompson]

I don't think mine is in the running to win (there are at least four or five stories with a higher score, when I was last browsing around) but the engagement has been great, and by my reckoning I gained about fifty new followers because of the summer contest

 

[SyleusSnow]

I don't think mine is in the running to win (there are at least four or five stories with a higher score, when I was last browsing around) but the engagement has been great, and by my reckoning I gained about fifty new followers because of the summer contest

Yes, reader engagement this year has been phenomenal. I've gained 64 followers, had 630+ votes and a bunch of comments. Even though my story is riddled with super embarrassing errors.

 

[Inkent]

Yes, reader engagement this year has been phenomenal. I've gained 64 followers, had 630+ votes and a bunch of comments. Even though my story is riddled with super embarrassing errors.

Always happy to return your support and have a beta read in future.

 

[GoldenMaia]

I have never had stories rate so high in anything I've put up before. Even though it looks like winners need to score a 4.9 to win, I'm okay with just being able to please readers. Hope I can continue to do so!

 

[Jorunn]

I have never had stories rate so high in anything I've put up before. Even though it looks like winners need to score a 4.9 to win, I'm okay with just being able to please readers. Hope I can continue to do so!

I think what helps in summer is that nearly everyone has happy memories (of something), and readers can relate to the story and atmosphere created.

 

[crookedletter]

The sweeps knocked my score up a bit, but it seems to be taking another downturn in the last couple hours. Not sure what that's about. I don't know if it's in contention anyway...

 

[StillStunned]

The winners have been announced!
https://www.literotica.com/s/summer-lovin-contest-2025-at-literotica

Congrats to @bosombuddies, @SalemNightfox and @Infernalcock, and to everyone who wrote or read a story!

 

[StillStunned]

The scores listed on the stories' pages at this time are 4.95, 4.92 and 4.88.

Edit: nope, they've already plummeted.

 

[Ian_Snow]

Congrats to the winners!

 

[FrancesScott]

The winners have been announced!
https://www.literotica.com/s/summer-lovin-contest-2025-at-literotica

Congrats to @bosombuddies, @SalemNightfox and @Infernalcock, and to everyone who wrote or read a story!

Congratulations to all of them. At 4.85 I wasn’t very far off.

I also note that NONE of these more savvy authors used the competition tags. Something for me to learn for the future. This place is a maze!