Wondering why one of my stories is lower-rated than others

[Feotakahari]

Most of what I've posted has eventually crept up to a 4 rating, but my story about androgyny seems to be permanently stuck at 3.9. I'm starting to wonder if I did something wrong, either in writing the story itself, or in placing it in the Transsexuals section. Would anyone be willing to critique it?

(For what it's worth, I already know it's a little low on description, but that's a usual problem of mine, and doesn't seem to have had too much of an effect on the ratings of my other stories.)

 

[PennLady]

One thing you might consider is that some categories simply don't get as many views, or reads, and in some categories readers simply vote a little lower. Not sure if that's what's up with your story but it's a possibility. I've done a couple myself in Erotic Couplings and was surprised that on a sex site, a sex story was rated less than one of my romances, which will go chapters without sex.

 

[Darkniciad]

Penn Lady nailed it. Some categories simply score lower and get fewer votes than others, and T&D has a reputation for that.

However, I don't really see where your story could have gone anywhere else.

You can't really judge stats across categories. You have to compare within categories.

 

[candlesfyre]

Forgive me

Most of what I've posted has eventually crept up to a 4 rating, but my story about androgyny seems to be permanently stuck at 3.9. I'm starting to wonder if I did something wrong, either in writing the story itself, or in placing it in the Transsexuals section. Would anyone be willing to critique it?

(For what it's worth, I already know it's a little low on description, but that's a usual problem of mine, and doesn't seem to have had too much of an effect on the ratings of my other stories.)

I would love to read some of your stories but I don't know what they are how do I find them?

 

[nakdsub]

To find anyone's stories

highlight their handle and copy, go to the member's search engine and paste. It will give you all the stories for that person.

 

[CarlusMagnus]

highlight their handle and copy, go to the member's search engine and paste. It will give you all the stories for that person.

Alternately, Google on

site:literotica.com author_name

where, of course, you will replace "author_name" with the name of the author whose stories you want to find.

 

[Feotakahari]

Uh, the underlined words in the OP are a link to the story in question . . .

 

[KatieTay]

I care much more about qualitative comments than the grade. Unfortunately I don't get very many.

My guess for myself (my stories almost all hover between 4.2 and 4.4 approximately, except for one still at 3.7+) is that the categories matter the most.

I put a couple of them into incest/taboo because even though those were not the main elements, I did not want to inadvertently offend anyone not expecting those elements.

So any low ratings I got may have been because the readers of that category were expecting something else altogether. That would explain a few "1-bombs". Then the ratings were probably offset by readers who follow my series and didn't surf for them through categories. Just my guess.

Also, I think some readers have a different idea than Literotica itself of what the ratings actually mean. Nominally, 3 is actually very decent -- it means it's not bad, keep writing. 5 is supposed to be for absolutely flawless stories. Yet I gather that most readers here will give 5 as long as there aren't any big issues or problems, a 4 is taken to be mildly discouraging by the writer, and a 3 is downright disheartening. So maybe some readers are a bit stricter with the ratings but it doesn't necessarily mean they don't like your stuff.

 

[Darkniciad]

It's because of the Red H. Even a vote of 4 can move you dangerously toward that magical 4.5 bar that earns the H, which is an important visual cue to attract people to your story. Fans know this, and don't want to be the one who costs you that little red jewel on your list.

It's been suggested many times that a second orange H for 4.0-4.49 would likely do a lot to reduce the score inflation and angst amongst authors.

Prior to changing to the new Star voting, the scores were skewed even higher, because the new descriptions of the various ratings list 3 and 4 as positive votes. Before, it was essentially "Liked it" on 5 and "Didn't like it" on 1.

Also, I think some readers have a different idea than Literotica itself of what the ratings actually mean. Nominally, 3 is actually very decent -- it means it's not bad, keep writing. 5 is supposed to be for absolutely flawless stories. Yet I gather that most readers here will give 5 as long as there aren't any big issues or problems, a 4 is taken to be mildly discouraging by the writer, and a 3 is downright disheartening. So maybe some readers are a bit stricter with the ratings but it doesn't necessarily mean they don't like your stuff.

 

[ChrissieLecker]

Most of what I've posted has eventually crept up to a 4 rating, but my story about androgyny seems to be permanently stuck at 3.9. I'm starting to wonder if I did something wrong, either in writing the story itself, or in placing it in the Transsexuals section. Would anyone be willing to critique it?

(For what it's worth, I already know it's a little low on description, but that's a usual problem of mine, and doesn't seem to have had too much of an effect on the ratings of my other stories.)

I guess the biggest reason for the lower rating is what you didn't write into the story, especially the "he/she gave in" parts, but also the emotions in all those moments where your TGMC revealed bits about her(him)self. To me, it felt like a string of missed opportunities. Then there's the MMC's inner conflict. Your POV voice should know about any contradictory emotions he experiences, but you're almost completely avoiding them.

There is some truth about different scoring in different categories though. This is your only story not in scifi, horror on nonhuman, and thus also the only story where you can't depend on backstory and visuals from your description of the world it is set in. Those usually tend to compensate a bit for an otherwise noticeable lack of description.

If you want to get higher ratings, flesh it out. It has an interesting premise, it already has a number of witty moments and you'll only have to add to it, not change it around. Give your characters a dry throat or a soft creamy complexion, have them fidget and get nervous, let the MMC wear down the carpet in his living room before their first date, and perhaps give just a little more hints about what that nefarious dildo is trying to do in their bums, then it'll jump to "hot" in the blink of an eye. Your English skills are up to that, just keep in mind that we readers are sheep that need our noses rubbed right in the action until we get what you're trying to tell us

 

[Feotakahari]

This is your only story not in scifi, horror on nonhuman, and thus also the only story where you can't depend on backstory and visuals from your description of the world it is set in. Those usually tend to compensate a bit for an otherwise noticeable lack of description.

I didn't think about it in those terms, but you're exactly right. (I'm going to practice description a bit while preparing my next piece, so I'll hopefully do better in that regard.)

That said, I'll probably never go into detail about the sex acts themselves--at least, not without proofreading by someone who's actually engaged in one of the acts. What if I get something wrong that anyone who's actually done the act would know? (The solution, of course, is probably to find an experienced proofreader . . .)