Is it dead yet?

[NotWise]

I posted the first seven chapters of Unlikely Angels knowing that even if the first part was a success then the rest of the story probably would not be. So the first seven chapters ended on a minor tragic note and the few thousand readers who followed it to that point wailed, gnashed their teeth, and eventually convinced me to continue.

Some chapters were very popular with a small audience, but the views have pretty steadily declined -- not surprising since the story is really not about sex. The last part I posted (chapters 14-17) got less than 1500 reads in four days and those who read it haven't particularly liked it. The score is low for me, it's had one comment (from a long-time reader) and a whopping two favorites. The story isn't going to get better for the I/T reader from here out.

My inclination is to take the whole series off the site. Maybe some day in a different context I'd have the motivation to finish it, but not here. Has this happened to y'all? What did you do? How did it work out?

 

[holliday1960]

I loved Angels! I'm sad now. Dont take it down. I stopped writing on mine as well, and didnt finish it. The more chapters you post, the more readers fall off and views decline. So what? I like it and I am sure some others will as well.

 

[My I]

There are those that think because they read it it belongs to their whims. Just keep writing and if they don't like it tell 'em to piss up a rope and write their own story.

Whatever you do, don't go George Lucas and cow to them.

 

[NotWise]

I loved Angels! I'm sad now. Dont take it down. I stopped writing on mine as well, and didnt finish it. The more chapters you post, the more readers fall off and views decline. So what? I like it and I am sure some others will as well.

Sorry, and thanks -- I suspect you wouldn't be the only one disappointed if it went away, but I have two reasons to take it down. We've had several threads here or in the feedback forum by people complaining about series that simply stopped. It makes me think that I should either finish it or take it down. Also, I have other things that I want to write and not a world of time for writing. Given the lack of positive feedback on the most recent story and the likelihood of getting even less in the future I don't really want to put more time into Unlikely Angels -- at least not for Lit.

I guess I'm looking for some experience that indicates it would be a Bad Thing to do.

 

[MagicaPractica]

I've had a couple series like that that I did end up taking down. I might, at some point, combine them into one story, edit, and re-submit but not any time soon.

 

[lovecraft68]

I went through this last year. When I started here in 2010 I wrote a long and very dark incest series, siblings with benefits. It had low reads and votes and comments, but the scores were good one of those series with a small but loyal audience.

For whatever reason last year I decided to revisit the series that I had ended five years ago and had wrapped up pretty well, I thought. But I had an idea for a further adventure and posted three chapters.

Second verse same as the first. Very low vote totals, I mean rock bottom, but decent scores. But this time around I find I'm far less inclined to waste time and effort to be all but talking to myself here. So I stopped posting it and most likely will pull it, eventually add to it and sell it.

The original is for sale and strangely enough has fared better in the pay market than here...but well, here set a low bar

 

[holliday1960]

General consensus is probably right then. Maybe just time to pull it all down. But, it was fun for a minute.

 

[Haulover]

Would it be worth pulling the whole thing, finishing the series, then publishing the whole thing as one large novel-plus-sized story?

 

[NotWise]

Would it be worth pulling the whole thing, finishing the series, then publishing the whole thing as one large novel-plus-sized story?

I originally conceived of it as a novel, so I could to that. I don't think that the Lit community rewards such things. I don't--and never will--write for one-handed readers. Someday I might be able to finish it and publish it somewhere else. It really isn't a Lit story.

 

[Kantarii]

The same thing seems to have happened with my storyline "A Slut's Triangle". It happens to be deeply rooted in my experiences and since the first few chapters center on sexual encounters with men as a T Girl, they are a little more popular than when the storyline starts reflecting my shift in thinking and the protagonist branches out to pursue a meaningful relationship with an open minded woman.

Hang in there and don't give up.The fans of your stories will stick with you to the end.

 

[homeboundboy]

I've been facing the same issue with my only story series on here. I'd been getting consistent 4+ ratings then started getting much lower ratings on recent chapters. Those chapters frankly were rushed as I hit a point in the story where I have a lot of things I want to do, but the plot device I chose (a year in the life) means I can't just jump to those.

I thought I wasn't going to continue the series but recently decided to write a few more chapters because I had some emails asking if I planned to continue. I have a lot of ideas for the series but can't figure out how to get to the conclusion I have already written without boring away the rest of the readers.

So I am considering taking the whole thing down and then rewriting it as longer, less frequent installments, so I can move the story along quicker. But not sure yet.

 

[NotWise]

I've been facing the same issue with my only story series on here. I'd been getting consistent 4+ ratings then started getting much lower ratings on recent chapters. Those chapters frankly were rushed as I hit a point in the story where I have a lot of things I want to do, but the plot device I chose (a year in the life) means I can't just jump to those.

I thought I wasn't going to continue the series but recently decided to write a few more chapters because I had some emails asking if I planned to continue. I have a lot of ideas for the series but can't figure out how to get to the conclusion I have already written without boring away the rest of the readers.

So I am considering taking the whole thing down and then rewriting it as longer, less frequent installments, so I can move the story along quicker. But not sure yet.

I PM'd Laurel and got the instructions for removing a story. The only stipulation she made on reposting a story once removed is that it can't win a contest, because (edited or not) it isn't new to Lit.

I am, at least for the moment, holding off on asking Laurel to remove Unlikely Angels. It contains half of my posts to date so it would be a big change for me, but I think taking it down would be a relief in some ways.

I'm probably over-thinking it. I'm prone to that.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I'm probably over-thinking it. I'm prone to that.

Leave it be, write the next one, I reckon.

If guilt strikes about Unlikely Angels you can always put an author's note in the comments on the last story, and plead that life got in the way, beg forgiveness. If readers liked it, they'll at least know for sure that the story got to where you could get it, but no further. False hope maybe, but folk seem to thrive on that.

 

[NotWise]

If readers liked it, they'll at least know for sure that the story got to where you could get it, but no further. False hope maybe, but folk seem to thrive on that.

Just to be clear, I'm not having any trouble writing the story -- aside from the fact that it is generally difficult to write. The story has been largely complete in concept since I started writing it in 2010. Its very small community of readers like it, but 1500 views in 5 days, 2 favorites and 1 fairly negative comment on the most recent submission don't really justify the six weeks of work it took to write.

Going forward, the story as I originally conceived it isn't very erotic. It isn't a good fit for Lit.

 

[TxRad]

Just to be clear, I'm not having any trouble writing the story -- aside from the fact that it is generally difficult to write. The story has been largely complete in concept since I started writing it in 2010. Its very small community of readers like it, but 1500 views in 5 days, 2 favorites and 1 fairly negative comment on the most recent submission don't really justify the six weeks of work it took to write.

Going forward, the story as I originally conceived it isn't very erotic. It isn't a good fit for Lit.

I would go ahead and finish it out. You are getting some information of what the readership likes or dislikes by the fall off in vote numbers, view numbers and so on. Once you have it finished, use that information to rewrite or whatever you think it needs. You don't have to repost those. Use the new manuscript as a e-book or send it around as a mainstream submission.

I've done this on two different occasions and it has worked out fairly well. It might not be sexual enough for lit but that doesn't mean it is not a good story. Just thew wrong fit for here. Three authors that I know here at Lit got their foot in the publishing door with just such stories.

 

[Zodia195]

Oh man can I related here. This year will mark the 10th anniversary of when I started uploading my Dragons of Fraidel and I am not even halfway done yet (Chapter wise). At the time I was still in college and at one point decided to put my entire focus into that since I was going for my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and was going full time once I got into a 4 year university. So my Dragons of Fraidel wasn't getting updated as much. To make up for that I decided to upload my completed story The Lost One in the Non-Erotic section (I wrote the bulk of that story in my late teens and early twenties).

Even after I graduated from college, by than I was really stuck on Ch. 6 and decided to give up on it since people were reading it less and less, even tough all of my uploads (with the exception of the first upload) got a Hot rating. Than one day one of my readers reached out to me asking if I was going to continue and finish the story. It really touched me and replied back eventually saying I would try. By this time I was starting to get similar messages from others when I checked my profile area. That's when I decided that I would continue and I did, even though my updates aren't frequent. I made sure to get a new editor too because I felt ashamed for leaving my previous editor hanging. I hate leaving things unfinished and I don't want to let my readers and editor down.

I will say this though, if I didn't love my stories, I wouldn't finish them because I know the final product won't be as great as I know I can. I say if you still love what you're doing, keep doing it.

 

[rutger5]

Only you the writer can answer that. Is it a story that you feel you need to finish? Will it bother you if left incomplete?
If you're not writing it for filthy lucre (not that there's anything wrong with writing for profit) then follow your heart. Maybe it would be right for Lit, maybe not, but that's a separate issue.
As far as removing it from here what is the point in that? Just because it's not complete? It seems you already put up 17 chapters and it does have fans and may gain new ones so what is to be gained?
If you do finish in future and you decide to submit it to where you feel it is better suited, whether to publisher, e-book, or whatever then you may decide to move it. But for now leave it here while you decide whether to continue.

 

[MagicaPractica]

I originally conceived of it as a novel, so I could to that. I don't think that the Lit community rewards such things. I don't--and never will--write for one-handed readers. Someday I might be able to finish it and publish it somewhere else. It really isn't a Lit story.

Okay, just one thought here. A couple of my most highly rated items had low reading counts because they were non-erotic and essays. The people that read them found them very enjoyable and useful though. The essays, maybe they didn't belong here, but they were very important to a few people. I had messages from some people telling me they never expected to find that here.

If you want to focus your collection of stories here in particular categories, that's one thing. But if you just want a place to share whatever you write, then don't worry about whether it belongs here.