The Official Author's Hangout 2014 Winter Holidays Contest Support Thread

[TxRad]

The story is also six years old at this point, do you recall the numbers around the contest time?

I ask because I am wondering if BDSM has taken a dip as it does not garner a lot of votes these days

I also wonder if the stories from a few years ago didn't get more attention with the site being somewhat smaller than it is now.

In recent times I can only recall one incest story placing (by Ben Long) Romance seems to be the dominate player of the last couple of years, or at least it seems that way.

As I remember, it had in the high 390's for votes and 40 or 50 comments which was outrageous for anything except romance and incest back then.

By the way, the sweeps aren't nearly what they were when they started out, score changing by full points. four, five six hundred votes tossed on stories at a whack. The first one with those big loses was the one and only scouries and then he started padding known authors to cover up his being caught so obviously. It was so obvious right from the start.

Before that it was more a friendly competition among friends than a contest. Even an outsider was cheered. I'm not even sure if anyone outside a few diehard readers even knew about it. There were way more votes than the few here in the AH that entered or even cared but we were always accused of not letting a certain person win. Seriously? There were maybe thirty people total in the AH but we controlled the voting. Seriously?

It would have been funny but he was so friggin' serious that it was our fault. He also blamed Laurel for rigging the contest against him. I don't think Laurel cares who wins one way or the other.

Anyway, so much for history. there won't be a test by the way.

 

[Carnal_Flower]

EC is the one that has really taken off in the last 2-3 years in terms of wins. NH has won quite a few--more than I would have thought. Lesbian is pretty high, too. It's interesting. It got to the point where I was cheering on LW and BDSM.

 

[RejectReality]

I am surprised NH does not place often they are probably second to romance in soft voting. But then again it seems mostly everything there is a series(and they do well in the monthlies because of it)

As for minimum votes...in my time I haven't seen a story place that was around 25 votes....but that does make a case about sweeps. Take two bombs off of a 30 vote story you have a pretty good sized jump.

I can only think of twice where it happened, ( outside of the How-To contest ) but for every story that doesn't qualify at all, the odds for every other story improves.

I know I'm going to get flack about that from some people, because I have every time I've brought it up, but damn... take a few lumps once in a while, or write in another category. *shrug* Probably half of my stories didn't qualify back in the day.

Hell, I had one that didn't qualify in 2010.

Things are tilted too much toward the low vote categories right now. This is a simple change that's completely transparent and will make a difference -- if not a huge one.

 

[HuckPilgrim]

I know I shouldn't worry about scores, but I can't help myself. So this post is about tracking scores. I track mine in a spreadsheet. Most of the information I want is right on the "view submissions" page associated with my profile. I have to go to the story itself to figure out a favorite count.

I have devised a way to figure out the score of a vote. If you multiply the score by the vote count and keep track of that number (let's call it RAW), you can then calculate the value for the next vote.

Humm. I'm not really sure how to express it as an equation, but I will give it a try along with narrative description, in the interest of clear communication. So here goes (S= score, V= votes, and the other values are explained below)

S*V=X

And then you set X aside and wait for another vote.

When you get another vote or your score changes, you update the score and vote values to get a new X (let's call it X1). And then you subtract the original X from X1 (the new value) and you will get a number.

X - X1 = Y

Y is the sum of all votes you got. So if you got one vote and Y is 5, then the person who voted gave you a 5. If you got two votes and the Y is 6, then maybe you got two 3s or maybe you got a 4 and a 2. You see?

But of course it's not completely accurate and I'm not sure how to fix it because I am not a math genius. Sometimes you get a fraction for Y like 4.8. Or sometimes Y is an out of bounds number like 6. I suppose this is because we're dealing with averages, but I'm not sure how to mathematically solve this problem.

Other times the votes dip in number, but the score remains the same. Maybe this means there was a sweep (removing votes) and then someone voted again but gave a lower vote? This doesn't happen often, and I'm not sure what it means. I think I get a negative number for Y, but I can't be sure because after I calculate the scores, I set Y back to zero and only save the latest running totals for S, V, and X. I've experimented with ways to save a history, but I have yet to come up with a good solution for this.

I'm a total lunk when it comes to math and spreadsheets, so I'm sure some of you have much more robust ways of tracking scores. What are you guys doing?

 

[HuckPilgrim]

Also, this doesn't work so good for the initial votes you get all in a lump when you first publish. With something like that, the average score the site gives you is the best indicator of the votes people are leaving. So if you got a 4.1, I think it means most people are giving you 4s and some people are giving you 5s (and depending on the number of votes, you might also be getting some 2 and 3s. Out of bounds votes -- votes that differ from the majority of votes have less of an effect with a lot of votes).

I am sure some of this is obvious to math people, but I had to think it through so I thought I would spell it out in the hopes that the people who have been around longer can point out errors in my thinking.

Grats!

 

[lovecraft68]

What are you guys doing?

Drinking, writing and trying not to put your formula to a test....

I don't obsess too much over them the only time its really going to matter is the day the final sweep goes through.

I did pay a lot of attention last time because its the only time I've had a story have a low enough vote total for me to be able to really notice each vote and sweep.

 

[HuckPilgrim]

Drinking, writing and trying not to put your formula to a test....

I don't obsess too much over them the only time its really going to matter is the day the final sweep goes through.

I did pay a lot of attention last time because its the only time I've had a story have a low enough vote total for me to be able to really notice each vote and sweep.

LOL, if you have a lot of stories, it can be a bear to update the spreadsheet. You're wise for not taking the bait!

 

[ScouriesWorld]

No dear LITEROTICANS I hadn’t forgotten you! A week sailing in the Caribbean… Book Week in Miami … time flies when you’re having fun…

The 2014 Thanksgiving winners will be announced very soon… however before I announce our winners why don’t we look at the winners from previous years…

Here are the winners from 2012:

A.I.R. 2012 THANKSGIVING STORY CONTEST AWARD WINNERS

A.I.R. 2012 THANKSGIVING Story Contest
BEST STORY IN THE CONTEST

My Wife’s Young Lovers by rgjohn

A.I.R. 2012 THANKSGIVING Story Contest
MOST VIEWS RECEIVED WINNER

Just One Night by scouries

A.I.R. 2012 THANKSGIVING Story Contest
MOST COMMENTS RECEIVED WINNER

Why Me? by Matt Moreau

A.I.R. 2012 THANKSGIVING Story Contest
MOST VOTES RECEIVED WINNER

With Sisters Help by HeyAll

A.I.R. 2012 THANKSGIVING Story Contest
MOST FAVORITED

Haircut by youbadboy


And here are the winners from 2013:

A.I.R. 2013 THANKSGIVING STORY CONTEST AWARD WINNERS

A.I.R. 2013 THANKSGIVING Story Contest
BEST STORY IN THE CONTEST

Kim by Britease

A.I.R. 2013 THANKSGIVING Story Contest
MOST VIEWS RECEIVED WINNER

Impregnating Mom by SAmJason

A.I.R. 2013 THANKSGIVING Story Contest
MOST COMMENTS RECEIVED WINNER

Dear Random Soul by nick_nice

A.I.R. 2013 THANKSGIVING Story Contest
MOST VOTES RECEIVED WINNER

Object of Moms Affection by HeyAll

A.I.R. 2013 THANKSGIVING Story Contest
HIGHEST RATED

Word of Mouth by Lgreenwood​

 

[Kethandra]

Monochrome bump

 

[lovecraft68]

Pearls of wisdom from the GB posted on one of his threads Soulfulbard moved over there(and is now in the AH)

This dookie thread has dookie sister-threads that dookie-ass scouries has started all over the forum. Dookie-fucking bastid that he is.

Yup, he's a dookie fucking bastid alright.

 

[redzinger]

I have to go to the story itself to figure out a favorite count.

Recent Activity?


I've noticed for this last effort that I've been author-favourited more than the story. I think that's good, right?

 

[lovecraft68]

Recent Activity?


I've noticed for this last effort that I've been author-favourited more than the story. I think that's good, right?

I'd say so, now that means they will read all your stuff, hopefully.

 

[Kethandra]

Recent Activity?


I've noticed for this last effort that I've been author-favourited more than the story. I think that's good, right?

I take that as higher praise - it implies future reading, and possibly checking back for future entries. And author favoriting isn't used as book marking so much.

 

[Kethandra]

Pearls of wisdom from the GB posted on one of his threads Soulfulbard moved over there(and is now in the AH)



Yup, he's a dookie fucking bastid alright.

Even bastid fucking dookies look askance at dookie fucking bastids.

 

[lovecraft68]

I take that as higher praise - it implies future reading, and possibly checking back for future entries. And author favoriting isn't used as book marking so much.

I always shake my head when someone comments "I'm going to go read the rest of your stories" and that was left on the one or two romances I have here.

Once they get to the rest of my stuff I can hear the and just see that heart turning into a broken one...

 

[TxRad]

LOL, if you have a lot of stories, it can be a bear to update the spreadsheet. You're wise for not taking the bait!

After so many stories posted you don't even worry about it anymore. You check it a few times the first few days when it's on the new list and then you wait to post the next one.

What comes across the Recent Activity page means more to me. It has more information on how good the story is than the score.

 

[lovecraft68]

After so many stories posted you don't even worry about it anymore. You check it a few times the first few days when it's on the new list and then you wait to post the next one.

What comes across the Recent Activity page means more to me. It has more information on how good the story is than the score.

My wife had me cracking up one time when she said the recent activity page should have a bunch of emoticons and things like

so and so....was disgusted by your story....

so and so expressed utter disdain for your writing.

So and so vomited after reading...

Then maybe some good ones

So and so jacked off twice to this story

So and so grabbed her boyfriend and hopped right on after reading....

Your mother has discovered your stories and.....fill in the blanks depending on your kinks...

 

[Kethandra]

My wife had me cracking up one time when she said the recent activity page should have a bunch of emoticons and things like

so and so....was disgusted by your story....

so and so expressed utter disdain for your writing.

So and so vomited after reading...

Then maybe some good ones

So and so jacked off twice to this story

So and so grabbed her boyfriend and hopped right on after reading....

Your mother has discovered your stories and.....fill in the blanks depending on your kinks...

The one that gets me is versions of

"Is this story based on real events? My sister and aunt..."

 

[lovecraft68]

The one that gets me is versions of

"Is this story based on real events? My sister and aunt..."

Get those all the time along with the private feedback stories that are paragraphs long and discussing what they do with their mom.

I call those reality checks. I enjoy writing this stuff as fantasy but as soon as an e-mails starts with, back when my mum caught me sniffing her slippers....I check out

 

[HuckPilgrim]

Get those all the time along with the private feedback stories that are paragraphs long and discussing what they do with their mom.

I call those reality checks. I enjoy writing this stuff as fantasy but as soon as an e-mails starts with, back when my mum caught me sniffing her slippers....I check out

Hahah, you say this, but we all know you're saving those off for future plots!

 

[HuckPilgrim]

Recent Activity?

I find it difficult to tabulate favs from the information on recent activity, but it's satisfying to see the likes and comments (and so disappointing to see the little broken hearts -- what? You don't like me anymore? wah, wah, wah!)

 

[HuckPilgrim]

After so many stories posted you don't even worry about it anymore. You check it a few times the first few days when it's on the new list and then you wait to post the next one.

What comes across the Recent Activity page means more to me. It has more information on how good the story is than the score.

I hear you. I guess I will have to amass a bigger backlist!

I agree about the recent activity, too. I like seeing the favorites pop up. For some reason, I especially like getting a favorite from someone who has had a profile for a long time. I'm not sure why that is, but I always look to see what information they have about themselves and who else/what other stories appear on their list.

 

[lovecraft68]

Woke up to this gem this morning....not on my contest story, an older story, but I think it is noteworthy as this reader is obviously an erudite scholar

by Anonymous11/30/14
Fuck you! Yaak!!!

Yaak!!!yack!!!! Yack!!!!

Now that's constructive feedback.

 

[Kethandra]

Woke up to this gem this morning....not on my contest story, an older story, but I think it is noteworthy as this reader is obviously an erudite scholar

by Anonymous11/30/14
Fuck you! Yaak!!!

Yaak!!!yack!!!! Yack!!!!

Now that's constructive feedback.

They don't seem to be saying "I enjoyed it but wished there was more; will there be a sequel or two perchance?"

 

[lovecraft68]

They don't seem to be saying "I enjoyed it but wished there was more; will there be a sequel or two perchance?"

My interpretation was that seeing there were three "Yaaks" they re obviously looking for Chapter's two and three.