Litizen Readers

[PandemicReader8]

So here's a question that likely can never be answered. What percentage of Litizens - those who might be termed as active on the board - are/ever were readers of Lit stories?

Are there two - at least - different groups?

 

[SimonDoom]

I am. I've been reading stories at Literotica since around 2001 0r 2002. I didn't write anything until 2016.

Readers vastly outnumber authors, although I have no idea what percentage of authors read other authors' stories.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I'm only an occasional reader. I found Lit because I had a yearning to write erotica. I joined and submitted my first story within the first week, back in 2014.

Readers far outnumber writers, and looking at the number of active writers, it can only be a tiny sub-set who are active on the writers' forums. Whether those active in the other forums read or write, who knows? There are many tribes on Lit, that's for sure.

 

[onehitwanda]

Used to read back when Thesauruses roamed the Lemurian plains. Scratched the itch to write somewhere along the way, and that was that. Now revisiting reading when I can.

Look, mum, I'm a boomerang!

 

[djrip]

I try to read one a day or so. Or 3-4 pages of a long one. Doesn't always work out though.

 

[NotWise]

I found LIt as a reader back when the site was young. I came back in 2015 to write. I read an occasional story, usually by an AH participant.

 

[Djmac1031]

I started as a reader, many years ago.

It was only a couple years ago I decided to try writing my own stories.

And it was only then that I discovered this forum. Had no real reason or interest to frequent it before that.

The ratio of writers to writers frequenting this particular forum does indeed appear very small.

Perhaps many don't know it exists, especially newer writers.

Or perhaps they know and just aren't interested in participating.

I still try and READ stories. Especially ones by friends here.

But it can be tough to manage that time.

Plus, and no insult to anyone here because I think you'd agree with me if you think about it...but once you start writing your own stories, especially in this genre (erotic / porn) it can become more difficult to get I to other people's stories because, well... "I would have written that differently. "

No, not every time. There's plenty of great stories by great writers here I've enjoyed.

I'm rambling. Was any of this even remotely on point? Lol

 

[djrip]

I started as a reader, many years ago.

It was only a couple years ago I decided to try writing my own stories.

And it was only then that I discovered this forum. Had no real reason or interest to frequent it before that.

The ratio of writers to writers frequenting this particular forum does indeed appear very small.

Perhaps many don't know it exists, especially newer writers.

Or perhaps they know and just aren't interested in participating.

I still try and READ stories. Especially ones by friends here.

But it can be tough to manage that time.

Plus, and no insult to anyone here because I think you'd agree with me if you think about it...but once you start writing your own stories, especially in this genre (erotic / porn) it can become more difficult to get I to other people's stories because, well... "I would have written that differently. "

No, not every time. There's plenty of great stories by great writers here I've enjoyed.

I'm rambling. Was any of this even remotely on point? Lol

I made my first amateurish writing efforts here about 8 years ago. I didn't know the forum existed until about 9 months ago.

 

[oneagainst]

Used to read back when Thesauruses roamed the Lemurian plains. Scratched the itch to write somewhere along the way, and that was that. Now revisiting reading when I can.

Look, mum, I'm a boomerang!

I've heard that before, but I can't remember where.

I'm sure it'll come back to me.

 

[oneagainst]

I am. I've been reading stories at Literotica since around 2001 0r 2002. I didn't write anything until 2016.

Readers vastly outnumber authors, although I have no idea what percentage of authors read other authors' stories.

From my follower list, it's about 3%-4% who follow who have also written at least one thing, but if you knock off people who have done 1-3 stories waaay back, that would drop to < 0.2% (excluding some of you kind people here who have looked in and inadvertantly skewed the numbers) - so yeah, active writers, not much. Then again, maybe just too busy for reading....

 

[SimonDoom]

Then again, maybe just too busy for reading....

I think so. I don't read as many Literotica stories as I used to, especially long stories. I'm too busy writing or goofing around this place.

 

[alohadave]

it can only be a tiny sub-set who are active on the writers' forums.

I think there are around 90,000 registered authors here (many not active), and a couple dozen of us active here on this forum.

 

[onehitwanda]

I think there are around 90,000 registered authors here (many not active), and a couple dozen of us active here on this forum.

high hundreds figure if you account for all the forums, though. still 1% at most, though.

 

[WyreBendr0417]

I started reading on Lit many moons ago. Too many to remember accurately, but have only been writing for a couple of years. Any free time for reading is now spent on writing. Or cruising AH.

WB

 

[Kumquatqueen]

I used to read, but got fed up of not finding stories that met my standards of characterisation and thought. Then I found some recs from the Story Feedback forum and also some good stuff via authors here.

Writing my own has also resulted in finding stories I like via the "read similar" links.

 

[joy_of_cooking]

I used to read, but got fed up of not finding stories that met my standards of characterisation and thought. Then I found some recs from the Story Feedback forum and also some good stuff via authors here.

Writing my own has also resulted in finding stories I like via the "read similar" links.

Same goes for me. I had a particular interest (happy monogamous consensual femdom with high heels) that not many people seemed to write. Putting my own stuff out there has helped me find a lot more interesting reading.

 

[Voboy]

I still read. I tend to re-read a lot of the same stories I know I'll like, however, since I started contributing my own pieces. The other benefit of being a writer is gaining followers, and 99% of the new stuff I read now comes off my followers' Favorites pages. I reckon if they like my stuff, I'll probably like the other stuff they like.

There was a time I'd scan through 15-20 stories a day, but that's about fifteen years ago now. Like a lot of others are saying, once I started writing, I read less.

 

[MajorRewrite]

I probably read 100 Lit stories for every one I write. But I only write about 1 a year so writing doesn’t keep me busy as y’all.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I came here to read and didn’t even register an account for a year. Zero anonymous comments in that time, though I did rate some stories, but only the ones I liked. If I didn’t like it, I moved on.

But - as per what @Djmac1031 said - it becomes more difficult when you write as well. First your spare time is spent on writing (or procrastinating here ). Second, even with my at most emerging abilities, you read differently. Maybe I get less easily caught up in the story and instead think “oh the author is trying to convey this here”, or “what did they use that expression, it’s grating?”, or with a select few authors (nameless to save their blushes) “I hate you so much, how did you get to be so fucking good, it’s not fair!”

Let’s just say the experience changes. It’s like when I used to read about a hurricane or tropical storm a few years back, I’d think - how terrifying and the poor people. Professionally now I’m - I wonder what our aggregate exposure is to that peril? And what does that mean for my bonus?

Outside of a few favorite authors, I often read as I’ve been asked to as a beta, or because it’s a friend’s story. The three things obviously overlap sometimes.

I used to think reading would improve me. But I have read a load of literature in my life. What I find improves me is trying new things and just writing.

Em

 

[Djmac1031]

I've actually tried to branch out in my reading since I started writing.

Like @EmilyMiller I've done some beta reading for friends, or simply tried a new story published by someone here that I haven't read yet just to try something different.

Of course, there's simply genre's / kinks I'm just not all that into, and that's gonna affect my view of any story, no matter how well written it might be.

Then it depends on the type of story and timing itself.

If the story is, say, a simple Stroke Story, one with the express purpose of arousing the reader.

Nothing wrong with that. But if I'm not "in the mood" at that moment I'm probably not going to find the story engaging.

So what I'd probably be looking more for at that point is a story to engage me, regardless of the kink / sex / whatever.

If the STORY engages me, perhaps it then gets me "in the mood."

Or maybe it doesn't and I just enjoy it as a story.

I try to read more of the authors here because I also think it helps when engaging in conversations to know more about what they write.

Plus I like the idea of being supportive.

That said, I can't always read EVERYBODY'S stories anymore than I expect all of you to read everything I write.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Been reading the stories on and off for about 15+ years. Started writing less than a year ago. Relatively active on AH, although I should probably cut it down. It is unbelievable how much time going through these threads takes.

I had a particular interest (happy monogamous consensual femdom with high heels) that not many people seemed to write.

You might find my stories interesting possibly

 

[Djmac1031]

writing (or procrastinating here ). Second, even with my at most emerging abilities, you read differently. Maybe I get less easily caught up in the story and instead think “oh the author is trying to convey this here”, or “what did they use that expression, it’s grating?”, or with a select few authors (nameless to save their blushes) “I hate you so much, how did you get to be so fucking good, it’s not fair!”

It reminds me of when I used to be a DJ.

I make no claim about being "The Best." But I was good at what I did.

Whenever I'd see another DJ perform, I could not help but make comparisons.

"I like the way he did that."
"I don't like what he did there."
"I'd have done that differently."

Etc etc.

There were some I knew I was better than.

Others, far better than me.

Then there were those who I had to understand that, while they did things DIFFERENTLY than i would, it didn't make their choices WRONG.

A choice a DJ makes for one crowd might completely FAIL with a different crowd.

I could play the same song at 100 different parties and be successful with it 99 times.

Does that mean the one time it failed made it a bad choice?

Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe I didn't read my audience right that time. Or maybe that one particular group just hated that damn song no matter how popular it was.

I'm kinda off on a tangent again. *who, me???)

But I think my point is that there is a perspective shift once we move from just readers to actual writers.

We start to see how it works, see how and why certain choices are made by other writers.

Some we may agree with, some not.

But I think it's important to keep reading even after we write our own stories, if only to open up our minds to other perspectives on it.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I had a particular interest (happy monogamous consensual femdom with high heels) that not many people seemed to write.

This sounds like a challenge .

Em

 

[BobbyBrandt]

I started here as a reader and soon after submitted my first story to this site to gauge reader interest, even though it wasn't erotica, it won a monthly award, and still does well with readers. My other stories posted here since then are typically those that I have written to challenge myself with something new that wouldn't fly in my mainstream publishing world.

I don't read here as often as I used to, and I realized that this is because I have become more selective and judgmental with stories here. I have my favorite authors and I try to read anything that they publish, and I will review stuff from those who ask for feedback as long as it's in a category that I would visit normally. I think it's getting harder to separate the wheat from the chaff, and that discourages me from devoting much time to reading stories here from authors that I am not familiar with.

Participating in the AH forum definitely provides me with inspiration to read more than i would otherwise.

 

[oneagainst]

If you're reading this, get back to work! That story isn't going to write itself. You know who you are ^^

[end public service announcement]