Ever had an old story just take off?

[eroticstoryspinner]

I wrote a story in January 2020 called "Visit to the Lodge." It was my worst rated story at around 4.3 or so. Its not anymore. Now it is like 4.51 all in the last couple of months. Not complaining mind you, but it just seemed a bit odd as I thought the conventical wisdom was that scores didn't move much after the first few weeks.

The only thing I can think of is that the main character in the story appears in the story "Celerity to Penal Slave" and I mentioned it in the opening.

Perhaps people do read introductions.

 

[KeithD]

I'm continually surprised by what stories pop up as favorites again after several years in the file. Quite often it's stories I don't think are in the top three-quarters of my better stories. I just smile and move on.

I might add the headscratcher that often when someone picks up and favorites an old story of mine, there's a quick second and maybe third read and favorite by someone else.

 

[NoJo]

My definition of "old story" is somewhat differnt than the OPs, but I get some of my stories from over fifteen years ago favourited by readers I don't know. I assume it was a result of random selection.

But then I go on to re-read that story and think "what a genius/n00b/crap writer/pervert/weirdo I was then"...

 

[NotWise]

I wrote a story in January 2020 called "Visit to the Lodge." It was my worst rated story at around 4.3 or so. Its not anymore. Now it is like 4.51 all in the last couple of months. Not complaining mind you, but it just seemed a bit odd as I thought the conventical wisdom was that scores didn't move much after the first few weeks.

The only thing I can think of is that the main character in the story appears in the story "Celerity to Penal Slave" and I mentioned it in the opening.

Perhaps people do read introductions.

There are frequent sweeps, but their affect seems uneven. It may be that some votes were pulled and that bumped the score. If you also had a bump in views, then the story may have been featured on one of those side bars -- "Similar stories" and so on.

 

[oggbashan]

My definition of "old story" is somewhat differnt than the OPs, but I get some of my stories from over fifteen years ago favourited by readers I don't know. I assume it was a result of random selection.

But then I go on to re-read that story and think "what a genius/n00b/crap writer/pervert/weirdo I was then"...

Snap! Some of my old stories embarrass me but they can still be favorited and have votes and comments.

 

[SimonDoom]

Probably the result of sweeps. I had a few stories that were several years old get a noticeable score bump last summer. They lost some negative votes, obviously, and finally got over 4.5 for the first time.

A couple of years ago I got a very weird and large bump in views (but not votes) during a period of 24 hours. It must have been a bot thing, which I don't entirely understand.

Another source for a noticeable bump for an older story can be a nomination for a contest award. That happened to me a few years ago and the story, which was 9 months old, doubled its views and saw its score rise shortly after the nomination. At first I was unaware of the nomination and had no idea what was going on.

 

[jehoram]

Sometimes it just takes time for a story to find its audience. I've never figured out why, except that when a story is published that gets a good rating from the readers, those readers are curious about what else I've written. Since I often cross genres, a person that found me originally for a "group sex" story might investigate what I've written in the "Incest" or "Erotic Couplings" categories.

 

[lovecraft68]

Sweeps and once a story fades from new lists it doesn't get as much trolling.

I have a story in LW that when it came out in 2012 was barely over a 4, it began slowly climbing and three or so years later was over a 4.5.

 

[eroticstoryspinner]

I apparently spoke too soon and attracted the attention of a few one bombers. Since I posted, all of my stories got some additional reviews and the scores on some of the stories that did not have over 50 or 6o reviews dropped.

 

[NotWise]

I apparently spoke too soon and attracted the attention of a few one bombers. Since I posted, all of my stories got some additional reviews and the scores on some of the stories that did not have over 50 or 6o reviews dropped.

That's a risk you take when you talk about scores on AH. Some lurker is likely to "fix" 'em for you.

 

[lovecraft68]

That's a risk you take when you talk about scores on AH. Some lurker is likely to "fix" 'em for you.

Readers who ghost here. or jealous petty author....or both?

I've always leaned towards petty author as I can't see a reader coming here to simply read threads and never post...then again who knows what people are into doing?

 

[oggbashan]

Readers on Lit outnumber authors by a very large percentage. Authors who post on any forum are a small sub-set of all authors. So if you post, you are going to be noticed - usually by trolls.

 

[jehoram]

Readers on Lit outnumber authors by a very large percentage. Authors who post on any forum are a small sub-set of all authors. So if you post, you are going to be noticed - usually by trolls.

Which is why it would be nice to have two ratings: one from readers, and another from people who have actually had stories or poems published. I bet there'd be a marked difference between the two.

 

[Voboy]

There are frequent sweeps, but their affect seems uneven. It may be that some votes were pulled and that bumped the score. If you also had a bump in views, then the story may have been featured on one of those side bars -- "Similar stories" and so on.

This is what I figure. Someone's story comes onto the New hub with your old story listed as a "similar" one, and presto.

 

[lovecraft68]

Which is why it would be nice to have two ratings: one from readers, and another from people who have actually had stories or poems published. I bet there'd be a marked difference between the two.

Not sure much would be different.

I know on the surface the thought is that authors might be less likely to bomb because they know how much work goes into a story and you don't always succeed at what you're attempting.

But writers are people, people suffer from base human nature meaning they can be just as petty shitty and abusive as a reader. Arrogance would factor in as well in the sense there are authors here who think no one is as good as them and they'll give you the score to enforce that.

Its fine the way it is, people just have to learn to not put too much stock in the scores and take what they choose to out of feedback as far as how much credence do they give it

 

[Nakedart]

Sometimes it just takes time for a story to find its audience. I've never figured out why, except that when a story is published that gets a good rating from the readers, those readers are curious about what else I've written. Since I often cross genres, a person that found me originally for a "group sex" story might investigate what I've written in the "Incest" or "Erotic Couplings" categories.

That is how i find some older stories and enjoy them and rate them etc,

NakedArt

ps if one of the stories got good marks would you as writers go back and make a part 2 or have you got a firm move onto the next one?
PS new to forum

 

[lovecraft68]

That is how i find some older stories and enjoy them and rate them etc,

NakedArt

ps if one of the stories got good marks would you as writers go back and make a part 2 or have you got a firm move onto the next one?
PS new to forum

Welcome to the forum.

For me if I feel the story is over, its over.

People will always ask for sequels, always. I wrote a 39 chapter series that finished with a definitive ending, and...people asked for more.

If think there is more to tell, by all means tell it. But if you force it for reader demand it's not going to come out as well as the first.

My style is I get into the 'thrill of the kill' whatever the conflict is between the characters, once its consummated in some hot steamy encounter and I wrap it up, that's it for me, I have no desire to keep going with the same two. But that's me, you have to decide where a story ends for yourself.

But do or don't do it, for you and the muse, not the readers.

 

[Voboy]

That is how i find some older stories and enjoy them and rate them etc,

NakedArt

ps if one of the stories got good marks would you as writers go back and make a part 2 or have you got a firm move onto the next one?
PS new to forum

Never, ever, ever write a sequel solely because your readers ask for it. Only write one if you've got more to say.

 

[jehoram]

Not really. The only times I'd consider a sequel is if the story absolutely will not let me go. And that's happened only once or twice (and not on this site).

Which is why I tend to ignore comments like "You story about X fucking Y is great, but please include Z next time. And make it a bondage thing, too. And interracial." I could do that, I guess, but it wouldn't be a story I would like to tell, and there are plenty of other authors to pick from. There are thousands and thousands of stories here, so a bit of searching should lead the reader to a story with exactly the elements required.

 

[thatsbogus]

I’ve found my scores tend to creep up as time passes. Early on you’re getting the highest readership, but more people reading means more people who may not like it. No one is going to read an older story, particularly subsequent chapters, if they didn’t like it. They’re more likely to rank it highly as they find and read it.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

My 750-word entry didn't go down well this year (I put 750 Words in the title and at the top.of the story, thinking a warning would dissuade the people who don't like short stuff). It's rated about 3.5, worst by far of 24 stories.

But at the same time my 2020 750 word story which annoyed all the incels suddenly rocketed from about 3.9 to 4.46 with a dozen new votes. No idea.

I have wondered whether the 'random category stories' show the same to everyone each day, or are they truly random?

 

[Athalia]

I don't honestly keep track, but it seems that some of my stories drift in and out of favor. A red "H" appears for a while, and then disappears, and a few years later, it shows up again for a while. I think it's probably when I release a new story, which gets people curious about what else I've written.