A Red H does not always mean erotic

[oggbashan]

A Red H does not always mean that the story is arousing or full of sex.

All it means is that a number of readers LIKED the story. If it is in the Romance category, sex could be absent, minimal or just implied. If a Romance story has a Red H some people think it is a good story.

I have had several components over the last couple of months (not all from Anon) complaining that a story of mine has a Red H but why? There is no sex. Sorry, Anon and others. Some people liked that story. That is all a Red H means.

 

[SamScribble]

A Red H does not always mean that the story is arousing or full of sex.

All it means is that a number of readers LIKED the story. If it is in the Romance category, sex could be absent, minimal or just implied. If a Romance story has a Red H some people think it is a good story.

I have had several components over the last couple of months (not all from Anon) complaining that a story of mine has a Red H but why? There is no sex. Sorry, Anon and others. Some people liked that story. That is all a Red H means.

Indeed.

 

[NotWise]

One of my stand-alone stories has no sex in it, but the good folks in SciFi&F gave it the red H anyway. It's one of my favorites. I just checked the comments. No one's even pointed out that there's no sex in the story.

 

[PennameWombat]

One of my stand-alone stories has no sex in it, but the good folks in SciFi&F gave it the red H anyway. It's one of my favorites. I just checked the comments. No one's even pointed out that there's no sex in the story.

My Winter Holidays 2020 is the same for me. I did add a note in my preface that it is, in essence, barely ‘R’ rated, since it’s 35K words. But it’s clearly SF&F. No one’s complained, don’t know if the note has kept anyone away who might’ve been annoyed.

 

[Winter_Fare]

Agreed. People need to manage their expectations, so much amazing stuff on Lit, enough for everyone's taste. I wish people would jog on rather that leave angry, non constructive comments.

 

[Emirus]

A red H is misleading on many stories. Those are the ones where there is very little story but a lot of sex. Stories deliberately aimed at a certain type of reader who votes for the sex because they only read a story for the sex.

 

[NotWise]

A red H is misleading on many stories. Those are the ones where there is very little story but a lot of sex. Stories deliberately aimed at a certain type of reader who votes for the sex because they only read a story for the sex.

If the H means anything, then it means that people like the story without saying why. Lit's an erotic story site. Liking a stroke story for the sex should be the norm.

 

[TadOverdon]

If the H means anything, then it means that people like the story without saying why. Lit's an erotic story site. Liking a stroke story for the sex should be the norm.

This.

 

[lovecraft68]

I have a story that has a Red H and a Blue W(Monthly winner) there is no sex whatsoever in it, and its in the romance category.

 

[Blind_Justice]

If the H means anything, then it means that people like the story without saying why. Lit's an erotic story site. Liking a stroke story for the sex should be the norm.

But what if the story is 75% Fantasy with a few awkward sex scenes? I doubt most people read my stuff for the sexy bits. Still, out of my 53 submissions, 48 have a Red H. My sole I/T entry missed the mark, as did my 2016 Halloween Lovecraft hommage. Oh well.

 

[windar]

There are better ways to pick stories

There are a lot of problems with voting, even putting possible manipulation aside.

Someone (might have been SimonDoom) said they're like consumer ratings on other sites. Back before Covid, when you could still go out to eat, I used to review restaurants for TripAdvisor. But there, the customer is plunking down $100 to have a night out so the quality matters.

Here the stories are FREE, gratis, $0. If you open a story and don't like it, you click out and move along. You lose maybe 15 sec.

So how would I prefer to choose a story, rather than ratings? Give me a clever title and a topic that appeals to me along with a punchy short blurb and I'll check it out. An author who can write a good blurb is promising at least. Then, I'll skim the first few paragraphs. They either grab me or they don't. No rating beats that because I'm making my own judgement, right or wrong, not deferring to others.

Interestingly, on pay sites, where there is actual money at stake, that's exactly how people select stories to buy-blurb and extract. OK, they also have a cover, but those often have little to do with the story. It's paradoxical that pay sites are less star obsessed than this free site, but it's the truth.

 

[Emirus]

If the H means anything, then it means that people like the story without saying why. Lit's an erotic story site. Liking a stroke story for the sex should be the norm.

Going by how many votes are made as against comments then it’s obvious readers are voting without having to justify their vote. Which is as it should be. If someone wants to give a stroke story a 5 simply because it’s a stroke story that’s fine.

But not every reader is here just for the sex. Many readers want to read a good story with some sex. Which is also fine. But just because a story has an H doesn’t mean it’s a well written story.

 

[Emirus]

So how would I prefer to choose a story, rather than ratings? Give me a clever title and a topic that appeals to me along with a punchy short blurb and I'll check it out. An author who can write a good blurb is promising at least. Then, I'll skim the first few paragraphs. They either grab me or they don't. No rating beats that because I'm making my own judgement, right or wrong, not deferring to others.
.

Sounds good to me. But then it would do because that’s exactly how I choose the majority of stories I read. Although the clever title isn’t as necessary as the enticing tag line. I once read/heard whatever that you needed to grab the reader with your first words in order to keep them with you so they would read the entire story. I’ve read many good stories which, in my opinion, should have an H and many stories with an H which, in my opinion, shouldn’t be there. But that’s the way of the world. If we all liked/disliked the same things life would be boring.

 

[windar]

Sounds good to me. But then it would do because that’s exactly how I choose the majority of stories I read. Although the clever title isn’t as necessary as the enticing tag line. I once read/heard whatever that you needed to grab the reader with your first words in order to keep them with you so they would read the entire story. I’ve read many good stories which, in my opinion, should have an H and many stories with an H which, in my opinion, shouldn’t be there. But that’s the way of the world. If we all liked/disliked the same things life would be boring.

The tag lines here are a little too short for even a very disciplined writer to tell you much. 300 characters or so would be better. Surely the software on this site could handle that...

 

[ChloeTzang]

One of my stand-alone stories has no sex in it, but the good folks in SciFi&F gave it the red H anyway. It's one of my favorites. I just checked the comments. No one's even pointed out that there's no sex in the story.

One of of my "Unity Mitford" stories, "Blood of my Enemies" is 4.6, and not even a hint of sex in it.

As Og says, its a measure of how much readers like your story. It's just coincidence that most stories on Literotica are erotica. LOL.

 

[DanDraper]

I got an H on some of my stories that I know isn't entirely erotic, it just means enough people enjoyed it and gave it 5-stars.

But you can understand why it's misleading. For a site that deals in eroticism, you'd think the H, which means Hot here, means it's very pornographic.
If you saw that H on someone's story, you'd want to check it out first before any of their other stories because you think it's something exciting.



....

 

[jaykaythree]

I have red H's (thank you! To those who so voted) on three stories with no sexual depiction. As Ogg and others have said, it's all about how well stories appeal to tastes.

Speaking of you, Ogg ... this new one of yours, "Stand Down Home Guard", is one I definitely found worth a read or two.

 

[oggbashan]

I have red H's (thank you! To those who so voted) on three stories with no sexual depiction. As Ogg and others have said, it's all about how well stories appeal to tastes.

Speaking of you, Ogg ... this new one of yours, "Stand Down Home Guard", is one I definitely found worth a read or two.

Thank you. The Red H keeps coming and going on that one.

I am not complaining that sex episodes stories have a red H. I am just saying that a Red H doesn't always mean wall to wall sex.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Hardly any of my Sci-Fi stories have sex in them and yet a Red H and a ton of comments praising and wanting more.

A Red H just means you achieved a 4.5 point average star votes. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[jomar]

And yet we all love those red Hs though.

 

[oggbashan]

And yet we all love those red Hs though.

I am happy with only a third of my stories getting a Red H. I don't think they are necessarily what I consider as my 'best' but some of them are.

What does irritate me sometimes is that some of my stories get a Red H and then become a troll target with abusive comments from Anon.

 

[jomar]

I am happy with only a third of my stories getting a Red H. I don't think they are necessarily what I consider as my 'best' but some of them are.

Same

What does irritate me sometimes is that some of my stories get a Red H and then become a troll target with abusive comments from Anon.

Yeah, that do suck

 

[geronimo_appleby]

And yet we all love those red Hs though.

nah, we all don't. i turn off voting [and comments] because the scoring doesn't mean much - to me anyway.

it's a massive pisser when the early H attracts the dickheads and trolls. then anon starts with his bullshit. it's much better for one's mental health to avoid that drama.

those who want to leave feedback will do it in PM or email [which can still get the anon BS but they usually can't be bothered to click too many times].

 

[windar]

I am happy with only a third of my stories getting a Red H. I don't think they are necessarily what I consider as my 'best' but some of them are.

What does irritate me sometimes is that some of my stories get a Red H and then become a troll target with abusive comments from Anon.

I didn't really experience that. The comments have been very positive with one exception and I believe that person wasn't a troll, but just didn't like what the story was about, which is their right.

It's hard to figure why certain chapters of a multi-chapter story got H's and others were close but didn't.

Maybe the H should be an L for "Liked" to avoid confusion with "Hot" as in erotic. Or get rid of them entirely-everyone can read the number if they want (I already said what I think of the number as a useful guide)...

 

[SimonDoom]

I think the Site should dispense with the red H. It adds no value, and it creates mischief. Readers can decide for themselves whether they want to read a story with a 4.49 or a 4.51 score. The red H does nothing but create angst and gamesmanship.