Bummed!

[sachiaiko]

Man oh Man, I'm so confused. Laurel YANKED *50* of my votes. Now, i know that 50 of my votes weren't fake on my Christmast story(All I want for Christmas) - I mean, hell, i was in first place. I have a yahoo fangroup with almost 100 people in it, all of whom were going and reading it. It's one of the best peices i think i've done in a while. It's a gay male story, with alot of love and emotion in it. I took a serious chance with it, i wasn't sure that it'd be well accepted because of how emotional it was, but it ended up doing FANTASTIC right off the bat.

:sighs gently: Anyhoot, i do have a mail into Laurel, i'm hoping she'll reconsider what she did, because that really HURTS man. Specially when you know that they aren't false votes. I was thinking maybe since they came from the same link (my yahoo group) maybe that triggered the "false vote" thing. I dunno, i dont think thats how it works.

Just sucks ass going from 88 votes, to 38 votes, and down a bunch of points. from first/second place down to god only knows what in the contest. Specially when you're one of the most honest people. Never ask for false votes even from friends, and go read others stories and give honest votes, even if it makes my own story go down a notch.

Yes, i know i'm whining, and i probably shouldn't. I'm just bummed. i was really hoping that thsi wouldn't happen, but it has happened the last few times I've been close to winning a contest, and i dont know why. If i'm not close, they don't generally mess with my votes. :frowns: I REALLY wanna eventually get a story in the literotica.com BOOK, mayhap one day.

At any rate, the story IS really excelent, if any of you feel like reading it, it's gay erotica/romantica. Its a LOVE story, it's long, its emotional and i feel it's intense. Here's the link: All I want for Christmas - By SachiAiko aka Nikki Willmeth

I Would totally love to hear what you guys thought. I'd ask in the story forum, but the honest to god truth is, this is a way better place to get feedback on GAY stories, ya know? hehe.

And for Forum Moderators, considering moving my post (which i hope you don't) I just feel more comfortable in the GBLT forums, this is more my comunity, not the authors, not the general boards. My story is also gay themed, and i felt that was fitting here. I hope you allow my post to stay.

PS, sorry for the whinning guys. I think i just needed to get the disapointment out, such is life!!

Be well, lots of love and gentle hugs,

Nikki

 

[Chicklet]

*hugs* that DOES suck... but maybe you had one well-meaning fan who DID fake a few votes. Sometimes things happen. If it makes you feel any better, at least you know tha Laurel is doing SOMETHING about fake votes, and even though this time it may have hurt your score and your ego, it's probably doing a lot of good in the contest, too.

 

[sachiaiko]

Well...

Well, I have always known she does well and is well meaning for the contest entries and makes sure to check for malicious votes. Its just that i am absolutely (absolutely) possitive that 50 votes were NOT false votes. I have actually told my group that extra votes from them do not help, they hurt me. So, i really do not believe that is the case at all.

What i think happened, honestly, is that i got a lot of votes very quickly because I told my group about it, and she thought that indicated false votes because its only been up a few days and i got almost 90 votes. I believe maybe with the info given to her, she'll realize she made a mistake. There is no way in hell what happened is reasonable. Though, i can see from her standpoint why she may have been anxious about it - with the new information i think she'll see that it was a little bit jumping the gun. I hope.

I am very pleased and thankful that she makes attempts to remove false and malicious votes for everyone. I think its a good thing in general, i just think that because you can not be certain that at times mistakes can be made. that's all.

Anyhoot, my two cents

Nikki

 

[kbate]

Something about bringing in friends from your yahoo fan club to vote on a story isn't quite right in the first place, how is this any different from ballot box stuffing?

50 "5" votes; all from newly registered users, all on one story? Do you see the problem here?

 

[sachiaiko]

Something about bringing in friends from your yahoo fan club to vote on a story isn't quite right in the first place, how is this any different from ballot box stuffing?

50 "5" votes; all from newly registered users, all on one story? Do you see the problem here?

My Yahoo fan club was created almost exclusively from people who read my work on Literotica and then read in my profile that they could get updates and notes as to when new stories came out. So no, you're idea isnt quite right since almost all of them are already literotica members, almost all of them actually found me through lit and just liked my stories so joined my yahoo group.

It was an idea I had to help me promote myself long term. Now some people from literarymetro can also join, siince i just started posting there also. But basically, if you have already started a fan group it helps to promote you and looks really good to publishers. So, that's why i did it.

So no, they aren't all 'brand new members' and to be honest with you, even if they all were brand new members, that all read and loved my writing, and found out i was in a contest and wanted to legitametly vote on a story that they enjoyed (meaning, no fives just cause they like me. I always ask for them to give me an HONEST Vote, since winning unfairly isnt winning at all. I want to win on my OWN merits, and i really feel that way honestly.) then that would still be perfectly fine according to my personal opinion and lit's rules. It's one vote per IP addy, so that shouldn't be an issue. :shrugs:

Nikki

 

[Nirvanadragones]

Have to agree with you K.

Something about bringing in friends from your yahoo fan club to vote on a story isn't quite right in the first place, how is this any different from ballot box stuffing?

50 "5" votes; all from newly registered users, all on one story? Do you see the problem here?

 

[sachiaiko]

Have to agree with you K.

Again. I do not "Bring friends from my fan club." As you put it.

I VERY clearly stated that the reason for the fan club to begin with, and WHY people join it, is so they can get notified when my new stories come out in the first place. I send them mail every single time a new story is posted on lit or anywhere else. Thats the whole reason for the group. Thats why they joined. They liked my writing so they joined the group so that they never missed "new releases" - How is anything wrong with that? Its just flat inteligent if you asked me.

:grumbles:

An annoyed Nikki

 

[Nirvanadragones]

It is the word "fan club" that does not sit right with me. In my subjective experience:

fan - people who have a very strong interest and admiration for a particular person/ event or activity.
Club - an association dedicated to a particular interest.

When i require objective, constructive and critical feedback on my writing, ofcourse there are a few particular people that i will ask (depending on the type of writing and the topic) Other than those hand picked individuals, i prefer to put my writing "out there" and have it pasturised by the masses - the people i don't know and i have no association with usually provide the most eye opening, raw and valuable feedback.

Just my opinion. Didn't mean to offend.

Again. I do not "Bring friends from my fan club." As you put it.

I VERY clearly stated that the reason for the fan club to begin with, and WHY people join it, is so they can get notified when my new stories come out in the first place. I send them mail every single time a new story is posted on lit or anywhere else. Thats the whole reason for the group. Thats why they joined. They liked my writing so they joined the group so that they never missed "new releases" - How is anything wrong with that? Its just flat inteligent if you asked me.

:grumbles:

An annoyed Nikki

 

[sachiaiko]

Believe it or not, i get very good and constructive feedback on my work from my group. They're really wonderful, they help me with little mistakes i make, they help me with editing and they tell me where i missed the mark. They enjoy my writing for the content in it, which makes me happy. I am a romantic writer, i love in depth characters, in depth love scenes, and in depth love writen to the fullest. I also like to write realistically (For example, a virgin doesnt take a 9 inch cock and say "ooh that feels so good" It requires prep and touch and gentleness and i like to put all of those peices into my work.) so my "fan club" is more just a group of people who enjoy my stories an want to know when they come out so they can read, vote and comment on them.

I feel blessed to have such a wonderful and supportive group. It's also very good to start early specially if you wanna publish long run. Publishers like to see authors who are doing their own personal work to put themselves out there and to build a fan base.

:shrugs: My point is, of course i'd share my contest entry with them. thats what the group is for. I let them know, they run and read it and lemme know how they feel about it. There isn't anything wrong with that - and i suppose what seemed so negative to me was that somehow by sharing my story with my fans i had done something wrong, and i honestly feel thats not so at all. And anyone who wants to can create a yahoo group and do exactly as i have done. :shrugs: I dont feel like i had an extra something over the other entries in the contest because i'm not special and neither is what i did. :chuckles: anyhoot, my two cents of response.

nikki

It is the word "fan club" that does not sit right with me. In my subjective experience:

fan - people who have a very strong interest and admiration for a particular person/ event or activity.
Club - an association dedicated to a particular interest.

When i require objective, constructive and critical feedback on my writing, ofcourse there are a few particular people that i will ask (depending on the type of writing and the topic) Other than those hand picked individuals, i prefer to put my writing "out there" and have it pasturised by the masses - the people i don't know and i have no association with usually provide the most eye opening, raw and valuable feedback.

Just my opinion. Didn't mean to offend.

 

[sachiaiko]

One more point to make. I never called them a fan club. I called it my yahoo group. Which is made to notify people of new stories and to discuss the stories i have already posted and talk about the stories i havent posted and am working on nfor my publisher. K is the one who called it a fan club. Not me.

Nikki

 

[kbate]

One more point to make. I never called them a fan club. I called it my yahoo group. Which is made to notify people of new stories and to discuss the stories i have already posted and talk about the stories i haven't posted and am working on for my publisher. K is the one who called it a fan club. Not me.

Nikki

In actuality in post # 1 you called it a "fangroup" I mistakenly changed this to fan club, not seeing a lot of difference.

 

[sachiaiko]

In actuality in post # 1 you called it a "fangroup" I mistakenly changed this to fan club, not seeing a lot of difference.

Huh, i hadn't realized i'd done that. Well, truthfully, there's no harm as they are my fans and thats perfectly fine. I guess my point was basically very simple - those of us who take it upon ourselves to enter ito the world of "self promotion" should not be penalized for doing so. Simple point, very much the truth in my opinion.

And also, Kbate - thanks for your public comment and for reading the story - i apreciated both. And i have gotten that comment from a couple people now so i will go through it and see if i can pin point where i was long and keep it in mind for future stories - Constructive commets like that help VERY much to make me a better writer - which is indeed what i am looking for! :hugs:

I totally apreaciate it

Nikki

 

[kbate]

By the way. Congratulations. Your story did quite well.

 

[sachiaiko]

By the way. Congratulations. Your story did quite well.

Yep! I placed at *least* place 5 - We're still working out the voting problem together. But Man i'm stoked as hell!! The truth is, and i know most of you wont believe me - i Dont CARE about where i place (in regards to the voting problem. I'd have made this a big deal even if i had 50 people place before me or even if i was in first place with no fear of loosing at all, cause i truly believe more then just me are getting lost votes cause of a script error), i just care about the principal of the voting problem, if its my self promotion thats making me screwed along with others it needs fixed.

But 5th place! Even with alla the problems and what not - MAN i'm stoked, That really is a wonderful thing and i feel very proud of myself - i mean hell, there was a lot of great top notch stories in that contest and that really is something to be super proud of Woohoo! Thanks for all of you who offered and leant support!!

a :beaming: Nikki