Author's expectations versus final score

[Trionyx]

The recent thread on the most reliable indicator of story quality as well as other threads over the past months have brought up in my mind a related issue of author’s expectations versus the final vote score. I have several examples of stories I was very pleased with and which had new or unique themes or approaches to older themes. I was relatively confident that these stories would do well. To my surprise, the scores were much lower than I would have predicted. Conversely, I’ve written a few which I was sure would not do that well (one I almost didn’t even submit) and they ended up scoring much higher than I predicted, one even amazingly higher. I have looked and tried to determine without success any commonality among those in either group.

Have you had similar experiences? Are you able to learn from or do anything as a result of your experiences? Or is this merely a feature of what we do and we should simply move on to our next creation? Or, as some have advocated, should we just ignore the scores altogether?

Thanks.

 

[Rob_Royale]

I have indeed. But was able to sus out the reasons why in most cases, via reader responses.

 

[Bamagan]

I fall firmly into the 'ignore' camp. I won't go so far as to say they're useless, but I think there's a tendency to read more into them than is reasonable given the uncertainties. My personal tastes appear to be somewhat outside the mainstream of the site. For stories I end up enjoying, the score is a very unreliable indicator, so I was probably predisposed to shrug them off whole cloth.

 

[RejectReality]

Not just score, but every stat can be a "where did that come from?" situation in either direction.

Pretty much everyone has had a disappointment or two and some that were surprise lightning in a bottle.

 

[ronde]

The recent thread on the most reliable indicator of story quality as well as other threads over the past months have brought up in my mind a related issue of author’s expectations versus the final vote score. I have several examples of stories I was very pleased with and which had new or unique themes or approaches to older themes. I was relatively confident that these stories would do well. To my surprise, the scores were much lower than I would have predicted. Conversely, I’ve written a few which I was sure would not do that well (one I almost didn’t even submit) and they ended up scoring much higher than I predicted, one even amazingly higher. I have looked and tried to determine without success any commonality among those in either group.

Have you had similar experiences? Are you able to learn from or do anything as a result of your experiences? Or is this merely a feature of what we do and we should simply move on to our next creation? Or, as some have advocated, should we just ignore the scores altogether?

Thanks.

I've experienced the same thing. I get comments that say the story is too long and comments that say the same story is too short. I get comments that say there's too much sex, and comments on the same story that say it was very erotic. After a time, you'll develop a following that likes what you write, just not everything you write. In the end, it should be more about how you feel about a story. I would never submit a story I wasn't proud of writing because that's why I write. If I'm particularly proud of a story and it scores low, I figure I stepped on a few toes but that's OK because I write what I like to write.

 

[MrPixel]

I don't get many comments, so I have to rely on scores to gauge reader acceptance. But it doesn't matter, really, because I "rate" my own stories by how they make me smile.

You know, the ol' "F 'em if they can't take a joke."

(That said, I already know that M-M contact usually knocks off half of a star. Refer to the previous paragraph. )

 

[Rustyoznail]

After 30 or so stories (!!! - never thought I'd write that), I expect a new story will settle in the 4.5 - 4.6 range. 750 words around 4.0. Anything outside of that is a surprise, either nice or nasty.

 

[LiterallyLiterate]

I just posted a story in my series that ended up way below where I’ve scored so far in the same series. I was actually quite pleased with the story since I changed around a little in my format and made the protagonist out to be more of a puppeteer than the usual straight sex. That’s basically the only reason I can think to point to as explanation for the lower score.

The MC does not have sex himself, he just observes his subjects/victims have sex and receives only minor gratification himself.

My main theory is that most readers come with a certain expectation to the story, and so long as all the boxes get checked and the grammar and flow are good enough, it’s 5 stars. Lose a box or two on the list, and the score drops fast.

 

[Cagivagurl]

Everybody who creates something. Art, Music, Architects, Builders, and of course writers suffer the same...

Sometimes, for whatever reason, you hit the target, and others you miss by miles...

Most important rule... Ignore the scores. You will not please everybody, not simultaneously.
We are all different. Have differing triggers...

Focusing on scores is a quick road to unhappiness...

Trying to discover the why's, is only going to cause frustration. If you're not getting paid for it. Do it for fun... Write what you want and enjoy the ride.
Some readers will love you for it. Others of course will hate it...

Life as they say can be cruel...

Squeeze every gram of joy you can out of your writing experience. Forget the crowds... Run your own race. Swim upstream, and be proud of what you've written.

Cagivagurl

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Disappointment comes only from unfulfilled expectations.

I have enough beta readers, none of whom are on Literotica, that I have always had a pretty good idea of how my story will be received by my target audience on this site.

I have been surprised by how a particular statistic for a story might seem odd, such as the votes-to-views ratio being extreme high, but the views-per-day being extremely low.

Taking a long-term view of my stories has never disappointed me.

 

[SimonDoom]

I've experienced disappointments, but I've been doing this long enough that I'm seldom surprised anymore. I don't get invested in a score until the story has about 100 votes. Until then, anything can happen.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

I expect 2.xx

I get 3.xx

.

 

[Actingup]

It’s always nice if scores exceed expectations, as long we don’t believe that they represent objective worth.

I think that if we know our audience, we might reasonably have realistic expectations. Going back to my percentiles thread, I now understand that if I put in a well written story that has elements that outrage the LW readership, it should score in the low 3s. The actual scoring and comments will give additional info to inform the subsequent story.

Understanding the scores also helps us make choices between writing something accessible / popular and pursuing our muse. I don’t think that we should ignore the scores, but they are not everything.

 

[nice90sguy]

I expect 2.xx

I get 3.xx

.

The definition of happiness

 

[Audiflex]

The recent thread on the most reliable indicator of story quality as well as other threads over the past months have brought up in my mind a related issue of author’s expectations versus the final vote score. I have several examples of stories I was very pleased with and which had new or unique themes or approaches to older themes. I was relatively confident that these stories would do well. To my surprise, the scores were much lower than I would have predicted. Conversely, I’ve written a few which I was sure would not do that well (one I almost didn’t even submit) and they ended up scoring much higher than I predicted, one even amazingly higher. I have looked and tried to determine without success any commonality among those in either group.

Have you had similar experiences? Are you able to learn from or do anything as a result of your experiences? Or is this merely a feature of what we do and we should simply move on to our next creation? Or, as some have advocated, should we just ignore the scores altogether?

Thanks.

That’s a really interesting observation! I think a lot of writers experience the same, sometimes the stories you’re most confident about don’t perform as well, and vice versa. It can be hard to pinpoint why, but maybe it’s just the unpredictability of how audiences react. I’d say it’s definitely something you learn to navigate. The scores can be a bit of a rollercoaster, but as long as you’re creating what you love, it’s probably best to focus on that and keep moving forward.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

My stories tend to get 4.3 to 4.7 (ignoring LW and 750s). Any H is vulnerable, because few of my stories get over 40 votes (except the one in I/T), and lots of them struggle to get 10 votes.

Why some of my stories get many more readers than others, even in the same category, is more of a mystery. I usually know why some stories score less well (mm contact, random kinks, pure drunk stream of consciousness), but some titles and descriptions (and perhaps tags?) clearly aren't as attractive as I thought.

 

[yowser]

The definition of happiness

Astute observation.

John Gorka, 'I'm from New Jersey':

I'm from New Jersey
I don't expect too much
If the world ended today
I would adjust

 

[NaughteeDragon]

I think part of the disconnect between expectations and actual voting may be because of our perception of the story. I wrote A Different Kind of Valentine (8k words ) in about 8 hours. I know that storyline pretty well so it came together quickly. It wasn’t a big challenge, it’s pretty linear in its development (save for the bouncing perspective in the sex scene). It is a 4.54 with ~250 votes.

Motivation (40k words) took about 50-60 hours to write and half that many to edit. I think it’s a more interesting story because there is more development of character. They have successes and set backs, they experience new things. They discover that not everything new is good. It is objectively a better story. It has yet to break the 4.5 threshold and less than 100 votes.

People like ADKOV because it’s short and sweet and to the point. The writing doesn’t encourage deep thought, it’s pretty straightforward. It’s what readers want. It came from my need to write something quickly for the V-day contest.
Motivation appeals to my more serious side.

 

[Trionyx]

People like ADKOV because it’s short and sweet and to the point. The writing doesn’t encourage deep thought, it’s pretty straightforward. It’s what readers want.

This may explain some of my stories which I believe are better stories but don't seem to do as well at the ballot box. In some of my 'better' stories, at least IMHO, the characters are more complex and the situations are more challenging yet these stories are the ones which fall short of my expectations. This doesn't mean I will change my writing style just to chase votes because in addition to the phenomenal amount of money I make on these stories here on LE (LOL), I have had some thought provoking and stimulating comments which truly make my day.

 

[OffNSFW]

I really do hope for high scores and comments. I want people who read my stories to feel engaged and seen. But I don't try to second-guess what they like. I write what I write and hope for the best.

If something I really believe in gets a lower score than I expected, I just think of Mitch Hedberg. "That joke was funnier than you acted."

 

[pink_silk_glove]

I don't get invested in a score until the story has about 100 votes. Until then, anything can happen.

Gee, I guess I will never be able to get invested in the scores of any of my stories. : P

 

[pink_silk_glove]

This may explain some of my stories which I believe are better stories but don't seem to do as well at the ballot box. In some of my 'better' stories, at least IMHO, the characters are more complex and the situations are more challenging yet these stories are the ones which fall short of my expectations.

I don't think that there are many readers who are against deep characters and nuanced plot. I do think that a large majority are indifferent to it. There is also a large chunk of readers who don't even know what these things are. However, when you include higher level elements of plot and character development, it takes up space in your story, hundreds of unsexy words that get scrolled over by half the readers. If they do too much scrolling, you will not get a 5 or a positive comment.

Furthermore, the reader who does appreciate such elements is more likely to give you an honest 3 or 4 score (which will kill your RedH) rather than the stroke reader who will just 5 anything that he thinks is hot. So writing something of more substance can often work against your score, category varying of course.

 

[SpermBankHoliday]

I'm more of a reader than writer, but when I do write, it's because either there's a contest prompt that engages me, or I'm frustrated with the stories I've been reading and have some ideas. I'd love high ratings and delighted comments, but the audience are strangers, they are the same people who made "Friends" a top-rated tv show. I don't care what the audience wants, I just want to create something I like.