Low scores for a newbie

[dansouthwest]

Hi guys,

I've been an avid reader of Literotica for over a decade and finally plucked up the courage to write my own story.

Having published it a couple of days ago, waking up on the first day morning and looking at the low scores was soul destroying. However, since then my story had got a respectable rating of 4.15.

My question is do we have a handful of readers who are extremely critical with their scoring or are they just trolling new writers and low scoring them on purpose?

I have emailed a few voluntary editors as now I can see the importance of having a proof reader but do I want to develop my writing skills and if anyone has any form of feedback on my publication, I would love to hear from you.

Thanks
Dan

 

[HandsInTheDark]

I know this is hard advice, but scores here don't mean as much as you think, especially in the short term. Try not to get hung up on numbers.

Now, I haven't looked at your story. But if there are grammar and spelling issues, those can kill your ratings. If the writing is disjoint, with ideas all over the place, that will cost you as well. Read other highly rated authors and figure out what they are doing. Keep reading and keep writing.

But also be aware that if you write to a particular fetish or category, some are crueler than others. And ultimately, scoring depends on who found your story, how horny they were, and how grumpy they were that day. Don't assume you know how people took your story was until you get at least 50 or 100 votes (which can take a long time.) The average will barely move after that.

 

[dansouthwest]

Thank you for the honest reply!

What is frustrating is getting a low score from someone with no reason given. If I don't like a story for any particular reason I make sure I leave a feedback for the author to know what I think of his work, I wrongly assumed everyone does the same.

I will take your advice on reading stories that are highly rated to give me some ideas about developing my writing skills.

Cheers.

 

[Handley_Page]

Hi guys,

I've been an avid reader of Literotica for over a decade and finally plucked up the courage to write my own story.

Having published it a couple of days ago, waking up on the first day morning and looking at the low scores was soul destroying. However, since then my story had got a respectable rating of 4.15.

My question is do we have a handful of readers who are extremely critical with their scoring or are they just trolling new writers and low scoring them on purpose?

I have emailed a few voluntary editors as now I can see the importance of having a proof reader but do I want to develop my writing skills and if anyone has any form of feedback on my publication, I would love to hear from you.

Thanks
Dan

A lot may depend upon which category you wrote in.
There are some real Trolls who's actions & behaviour can make you weep. They do not leave helpful criticisms or useful hints. They do it either "just for fun" or, perhaps, "because I can".
Have you got your 'comments' switched on ?

Welcome to the chaos that it AH.

 

[dansouthwest]

Hiya,

Yes the comments are switched on. As a new writer I actually want my readers to give me feedbacks as I firmly believe that is the only way I can improve.

The category is "Erotic couplings". Not a category that attracts the interest of the extreme readers I would imagine.

This is the link for the story: https://www.literotica.com/s/london-adventures-01

 

[CyranoJ]

What is frustrating is getting a low score from someone with no reason given. If I don't like a story for any particular reason I make sure I leave a feedback for the author to know what I think of his work, I wrongly assumed everyone does the same.

There are a few people here and there who deliberately troll the scoring, either because they're pathetic and have nothing else to do or they have a beef with certain categories or they have specific standards for "their" category that they deem you to have transgressed or who knows why. Any story can attract them no matter how much you edit it.

The good news is the readership tends to be pretty fair on the whole (least I've found them so, there are some categories that are more fraught than others); also, sweeps will often take care of some of the more gratuitous one-bombers. I know how tempting it can be to watch and hang on every fluctuation in a story's score, no matter how much you tell yourself "don't get hung up on the numbers," but my experience so far has been that if you do your best -- and so long as you're delivering genuinely erotic writing -- a story will find a more-or-less appropriate score in the long run.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

Noir is my thing. Noir is supposed to offend and stun. I spent much of my youth in the military and construction and ship building. Even the girls were brutes. I know the environment and society of brutes. Hell, my old man was a 13 year old Marine, did time for armed robbery, and associated with organized crime.

But LIT readers and most writers are candy ass pussies who wither around brutes. I'm comfortable with brutes. And my wares catch hell because I use the real language and characters of the brute society.

That's how it is. Until I write pussy boy stories that offend none of the fine arts majors, I gotta take my lumps.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

Hi guys,

I've been an avid reader of Literotica for over a decade and finally plucked up the courage to write my own story.

Having published it a couple of days ago, waking up on the first day morning and looking at the low scores was soul destroying. However, since then my story had got a respectable rating of 4.15.

My question is do we have a handful of readers who are extremely critical with their scoring or are they just trolling new writers and low scoring them on purpose?

I have emailed a few voluntary editors as now I can see the importance of having a proof reader but do I want to develop my writing skills and if anyone has any form of feedback on my publication, I would love to hear from you.

Thanks
Dan

I read some of your story. It has lotsa problems that will go away when you learn punctuation. But I saw nothing serious. My guess is, the tone of the story is too manly for LITs girly-men and fine arts majors.

 

[dansouthwest]

Thanks for the Feedback guys. I know my story is not perfect but it's heartening to know that it's not absolute rubbish either.

I guess the bottom line is, me as a writer realising who my target audience is and this is something I would only probably realise with the more I write and more feedbacks I get.

 

[NotWise]

My question is do we have a handful of readers who are extremely critical with their scoring or are they just trolling new writers and low scoring them on purpose?

I have emailed a few voluntary editors as now I can see the importance of having a proof reader but do I want to develop my writing skills and if anyone has any form of feedback on my publication, I would love to hear from you.

In my experience, the early votes tend to be low. Normally the lowest score I see on my stories is on the afternoon after it posts. The votes improve after that. I think there's a set of readers at Lit who spend their day reading new stories as soon as they come up and they tend to vote low. It isn't necessarily trolling.

The volunteer editor program that runs through the main site doesn't work for most people. I suggest that if you want an editor you should go to the editors forum and contact people there. You can simply give a description of your story (word count, category, maybe a short synopsis) and ask if someone will edit for you, or you can go to either of two stick threads at the top of the page -- one for beta readers and one for people available to edit now -- and contact them through personal messaging.

To use contacts through the editors forum you need to make sure that you account settings allow anyone to reach you through PM.

 

[dansouthwest]

In my experience, the early votes tend to be low. Normally the lowest score I see on my stories is on the afternoon after it posts. The votes improve after that. I think there's a set of readers at Lit who spend their day reading new stories as soon as they come up and they tend to vote low. It isn't necessarily trolling.

The volunteer editor program that runs through the main site doesn't work for most people. I suggest that if you want an editor you should go to the editors forum and contact people there. You can simply give a description of your story (word count, category, maybe a short synopsis) and ask if someone will edit for you, or you can go to either of two stick threads at the top of the page -- one for beta readers and one for people available to edit now -- and contact them through personal messaging.

To use contacts through the editors forum you need to make sure that you account settings allow anyone to reach you through PM.

That is great advice. Thank you for that! I will try the editors forum for my next chapter to see if someone will help me with my work. Cheers

 

[J_R_Ashunwhy]

Hi guys,

I've been an avid reader of Literotica for over a decade and finally plucked up the courage to write my own story.

Having published it a couple of days ago, waking up on the first day morning and looking at the low scores was soul destroying. However, since then my story had got a respectable rating of 4.15.

My question is do we have a handful of readers who are extremely critical with their scoring or are they just trolling new writers and low scoring them on purpose?

I have emailed a few voluntary editors as now I can see the importance of having a proof reader but do I want to develop my writing skills and if anyone has any form of feedback on my publication, I would love to hear from you.

Thanks
Dan

No need for a destroyed soul just yet. There are some who are rather critical in their scoring, and there are trolls that intentionally score low for a variety of reasons.

Given that your submission was rather short, I gave it a quick once over, and besides the suggestion of an editor, a few things that I noticed in your work that could hurt scores:

-addressing the reader directly can work against you, especially if the context is confusing
"Knowing how fast these damn taxies get to your place I have no choice other than to put my shoes back on and follow him out of his flat.
Let me give you a few facts about me which should make this story more interesting. "
was 'your place' in this example supposed to be meant for the reader, or for the friend in the story? The transition between those sentences is also a bit harsh...maybe as your character was leaving the flat, he could have caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and commented on his reflection...just a suggestion.

-giving exact measurements can work against you:
" I weigh a respectable 75 kg"
"it's full length of seven inches"
"grab her 36D boobs"
show, don't tell

this may just be personal to me, but there is not a single word of dialog during the actual sex. Characters tend to become more relatable and real through their dialog--especially during intimate moments--and dialog can help break up that listing effect of: and then I, and then she, and then she, and then I, and so on.

 

[dansouthwest]

No need for a destroyed soul just yet. There are some who are rather critical in their scoring, and there are trolls that intentionally score low for a variety of reasons.

Given that your submission was rather short, I gave it a quick once over, and besides the suggestion of an editor, a few things that I noticed in your work that could hurt scores:

-addressing the reader directly can work against you, especially if the context is confusing
"Knowing how fast these damn taxies get to your place I have no choice other than to put my shoes back on and follow him out of his flat.
Let me give you a few facts about me which should make this story more interesting. "
was 'your place' in this example supposed to be meant for the reader, or for the friend in the story? The transition between those sentences is also a bit harsh...maybe as your character was leaving the flat, he could have caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and commented on his reflection...just a suggestion.

-giving exact measurements can work against you:
" I weigh a respectable 75 kg"
"it's full length of seven inches"
"grab her 36D boobs"
show, don't tell

this may just be personal to me, but there is not a single word of dialog during the actual sex. Characters tend to become more relatable and real through their dialog--especially during intimate moments--and dialog can help break up that listing effect of: and then I, and then she, and then she, and then I, and so on.

Thank you for those comments. This is the kind of feedback I want!!! I've already started amending the second chapter after taking your advice in to consideration. I will definitely get it proof read before publishing it.

 

[Kantarii]

If I can't read what the writer is trying to convey, I don't bother to finish reading the story, let alone leave a comment or vote. It's easier just to back out of the story page and find something else to read.

 

[J_R_Ashunwhy]

Thank you for those comments. This is the kind of feedback I want!!! I've already started amending the second chapter after taking your advice in to consideration. I will definitely get it proof read before publishing it.

I would suggest posting to the feedback forum then with a link to your story, the category, a very brief description of the story, and an idea of what specific feedback you're looking for.

http://forum.literotica.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1

 

[dansouthwest]

I would suggest posting to the feedback forum then with a link to your story, the category, a very brief description of the story, and an idea of what specific feedback you're looking for.

http://forum.literotica.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1

Great stuff! Thank you!

 

[NOIRTRASH]

I put you on iggy. I got no time to waste on you.

 

[Ezrollin]

I think everyone posting a story hopes to get a decent score. First off some of the categories are more popular and get more readers. Some readers care more for the sex than the storyline and vice versa . I have read stories that I thought were better than some with higher scores. So take the score for what you think it's worth....being your own critic will help you improve your writing.

 

[8letters]

Hi guys,

I've been an avid reader of Literotica for over a decade and finally plucked up the courage to write my own story.

Having published it a couple of days ago, waking up on the first day morning and looking at the low scores was soul destroying. However, since then my story had got a respectable rating of 4.15.

My question is do we have a handful of readers who are extremely critical with their scoring or are they just trolling new writers and low scoring them on purpose?

I normally don't pay attention to how scores change over the first day, so this is merely two anecdotes. I wanted to submit my entry for the 2016 Summer Lovin' contest entry after lovecraft68's so his story wouldn't step on mine. First thing Monday morning, I checked to see if his story had dropped and I was really surprised to see his "I Want Mom Too!" had a sub-4 score. It's now at 4.62.

I submitted "My European Summer Vacation" that day. I woke up early, early the next morning and couldn't resist seeing if my story was published. It had been and had a score of 4.3 something. It's now at 4.84.

 

[richman3]

Don't worry too much about it

Hey I too am a newer writer and recently posted a story. In my case I have gotten high views and ratings however there were some down right mean reviews too that had nothing at all to do with my story. I even had experienced authors telling me that the only reason the story did so well is that the genre is popular. Well why didn't other stories in the same genre do as well as mine then. I am getting off topic.

I am learning to not get so hung up on the scores and ratings as in my case it gave me a little bit of a big head and that is not good either. Eventually all things even out and go where they are supposed to go.

Just remember why we write these stories in the first place. To get ourselves off. We share them for others to do the same thing but originally it was for ourselves. I promise to read your story and give you an objective review.

Don't sweat the small stuff. If it is a good story that will eventually pan out.

Also remember you can always edit your story and re-post it if you are unhappy with it.

 

[8letters]

Hey I too am a newer writer and recently posted a story. In my case I have gotten high views and ratings however there were some down right mean reviews too that had nothing at all to do with my story. I even had experienced authors telling me that the only reason the story did so well is that the genre is popular. Well why didn't other stories in the same genre do as well as mine then. I am getting off topic.

I am learning to not get so hung up on the scores and ratings as in my case it gave me a little bit of a big head and that is not good either. Eventually all things even out and go where they are supposed to go.

Just remember why we write these stories in the first place. To get ourselves off. We share them for others to do the same thing but originally it was for ourselves. I promise to read your story and give you an objective review.

Don't sweat the small stuff. If it is a good story that will eventually pan out.

Also remember you can always edit your story and re-post it if you are unhappy with it.

For incest, the scores IMHO relate more to the premise of the story than the quality of writing. Write a story about a guy secretly fucking his mom, then his sister and then his aunt in the back seat of the car during a cross-country drive and you'll get a red H even if the story is filled with typos and bad grammar.

 

[HeyAll]

Regarding score, in my experience looking at the site numbers everyday is that the stories that score highest are the ones with some level of plot, and of course gratifying sex. Usually 2-3 pages will get you a red H.

Now that's assuming that your story is well-written. If you write well, have a nice build up, and hot sex...then you have the right formula.

There are exceptions though. For instance, if you put the wrong topic in the wrong catagory, people will vote you down. Meaning, you added a fetish that people in the category don't like.

For incest, the scores IMHO relate more to the premise of the story than the quality of writing.

Interesting point. I'm inclined to agree with this.

 

[TxRad]

Check your score on the first or second of the month after all the 1-bombs have been swept away. That will give you an idea of the real score. If the score is up significantly, then you know you were bombed.

 

[CoffeeWithMonkeys]

I read some of your story. It has lotsa problems that will go away when you learn punctuation. But I saw nothing serious. My guess is, the tone of the story is too manly for LITs girly-men and fine arts majors.

This. I got lost with all the dude, and man. This line nearly lost me because even all the guys I know, and I just stayed with three a couple weekends ago for a long weekend, none of them talk like this.
"Dude you've got to go out and check out some chicks man,"

Also I admit I get lost with the location, and using kg(I am a hopeless American I guess, LOL).
And sports thrown in too!!! I am so not into sports.

BUT I do think you're writing is good. It flows fairly well. A few minor typos or grammar problems, but believe me I have seen way worse. I've only read a few paragraphs so far, but will finish hopefully tonight.

 

[karaline]

I'm sorry that sucks, but its also worth bearing in mind that those one bombs hit you a lot harder when you don't have many votes, the more votes you rack up the less impact they'll have

(I'm not sure if that makes any sense? I hope so)