Extra promotion

[TxRad]

Please quit feeding the troll.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

...

You'd think that'd clear it up, but apparently not... {but then again, according to some folk, all of us are just idiots. And isn't calling everyone you're interacting with dumb a tried and true way to make friend or have pleasant interactions}. Count me among those who weren't sure what the objection to invitationals was in the first place. Though I did think it was odd that the annoucement for the event which spawned this thread came so close to the publication date.

That's because it was an invitation only event. Now if it was an open event like the one Vix_Giovanni is running, it would be announced not only here but on the front page.

 

[Voboy]

Awwww.

But the poor thing’s hungry. And he’s bored, probably because he’s waiting for his Netflix to download. Over the radio.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Writing [1] for the fun of it and [2] to hell with all else?

[1] Nope, I write when my voices force me to start. It's fun enough once I get going altho anywhere from hours to years may pass before completion.
[2] I've stopped fretting over scores altho I don't mind Red-H's and I do value faves, follows, and any comments. I plan no venture into any marketplace -- writing would then be WORK (shudder).

I may time stories for contests, which boost attention to my back catalog. I may write for an author's event if my voices insist -- they haven't so far -- and I'm unsure whether an event would promote or demote me. Maybe my nefarious .alt should submit some trashy eyeball-grabbers. That'd be fun.

And of all the events that have run on Lit in the last 13 years I have only participated in 3. One was really early back in 2006 and the last two in the current year.

 

[MichaelGH]

Please quit feeding the troll.

“When I feed the trolls, it’s through loving wives stories.” Dos Equis presents: the most interesting man in the world.

 

[Bebop3]

In an attempt to get this thread back on track:

1) Anyone who wants to can reach out to Laurel and try to set up an event. I'm not aware of her turning anyone down.

2) Invitational events invariably offer stories that are better written (subjective) and have better scores (objective) than the stories that preceded them and followed them.

3) The readers benefit from invitational events.

4) Authors that do not participate otherwise, write for invitational events. That includes authors with numerous stories in the HOF.

5) Invitational events are a boon for Literotica.

6) With the exception of being emotionally hurt by not being asked to participate, invitational events hurt no one.

 

[Inkhorn]

In an attempt to get this thread back on track:

Optimist.

 

[MichaelGH]

In an attempt to get this thread back on track:

Or we could really get this thread off track. Just go wild with it. Burn everything down and laugh maniacally at the flames. Really get people into a tizzy, insult everyone so much that this whole thread loses all semblance of a topic and devolves into people just shouting at each other.

Hey Bebop3, my dad could totally beat up your dad.

 

[SimonDoom]

In an attempt to get this thread back on track:

1) Anyone who wants to can reach out to Laurel and try to set up an event. I'm not aware of her turning anyone down.

2) Invitational events invariably offer stories that are better written (subjective) and have better scores (objective) than the stories that preceded them and followed them.

3) The readers benefit from invitational events.

4) Authors that do not participate otherwise, write for invitational events. That includes authors with numerous stories in the HOF.

5) Invitational events are a boon for Literotica.

6) With the exception of being emotionally hurt by not being asked to participate, invitational events hurt no one.

This is well said.

 

[Hypoxia]

Optometrist.

My ophthalmologist trumps that.

But my electrocardiologist is a wild card.

Hey, there's a challenge event! Stories of medical specialists, the more or weirder, the merrier. But it'll be an invitational for authors whose LIT names begin with X. That leaves me out. Whew.

Would I want membership in a club where I blackballed myself?

 

[Inkhorn]

Would I want membership in a club where I blackballed myself?

Groucho would be proud!

 

[MattblackUK]

So how did these writers qualify for extra promotion from Literotica?

This has been going on for a while, with blackrandi1958 being pretty much at the center of it. I want Laurel to explain. Why are some writers getting special benefits that aren't available to all of us?

From my understanding it is open for anyone to request that Literotica allow a themed story event to be launched. And that if it gets approval, Literotica will then provide assistance to the organisers and help them with technical issues, promotion, etc.

There's plenty of opportunity for such events to be featured on Literotica. Why not ask Lauren if you could organise such an event? How about running the Author's Hangout Special Invitational Literary Event? You could have sections for different categories of stories, essays on various subjects and there could even be poetry and art entries.

Literotica is an exciting place to be a writer and a reader. So long as we writers do our best to provide readers with entertaining and interesting reading material.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Or we could really get this thread off track. Just go wild with it. Burn everything down and laugh maniacally at the flames. Really get people into a tizzy, insult everyone so much that this whole thread loses all semblance of a topic and devolves into people just shouting at each other.

Hey Bebop3, my dad could totally beat up your dad.

That sounds like the General Board.

 

[Bebop3]

Just Sad

Some anonymous troll posted in the comments section of the announcement for the Wine and Old Lace saying "We want an explanation."

He/she was referring to what's being discussed here, how someone has the audacity to run an event and invites people to participate. I'm not sure if the "we" is royal or not, but the comment is idiotic and pathetic.

The facts are simple.
Invitational events produce much, much better stories than are usually published. That's an indisputable fact.
Invitational events involve writers who wouldn't otherwise publish on Lit.
Invitational events in no way stop other writers from publishing their own stories. No writer is harmed in any way by invitational events.* There's an event happening that has a theme of Cowboys in Space but your story is about falling in love with the neighbors maid? Cool. Publish your story. One does not preclude the other.
Invitational events are enjoyed by the readers. The scores and comments reflect that.

Want an event that's not an invitational? Cool. Run one. Reach out to the powers that be at lit and set it up. Too lazy? Then you may want to consider not criticizing those that actually put in the effort.

Again, it's just sad. Clearly jealousy is rearing it's ugly head.

*The only possibly legitimate complaint is that all those stories dropping on the same day will push some off the front page. Solution: publish a day after or two days before.

 

[NotWise]

Want an event that's not an invitational? Cool. Run one. Reach out to the powers that be at lit and set it up. Too lazy? Then you may want to consider not criticizing those that actually put in the effort.

Again, it's just sad. Clearly jealousy is rearing it's ugly head.

*The only possibly legitimate complaint is that all those stories dropping on the same day will push some off the front page. Solution: publish a day after or two days before.

For the record, I did not post that comment. Also, I cannot read the comment. It isn't there now.

One thing I'll point out to you and to Laurel, is that it doesn't make much sense to tell someone who complains about writer's events that they can fix the complaint by hosting their own event. It's like saying, "If you don't like people who belch in public, then you should belch in public, too." It's an invitation to hypocrisy.

In the case of the "Wine and Old Lace" event, it looks to me like there are more than 25 authors in the event. If there are more than 25 stories posted to Romance then the event will completely flush the Romance hub. Authors who can usually expect a week of exposure on the hub will get as little as one day.

If they don't want to have their story flushed off the hub, then they shouldn't publish anything to Romance for a week or more before the event date.

Also for the record, when I got up this morning there were new votes on several of my recent stories. One was definitely a 1* vote on a story that had never received one before. Another was a down vote, but I can't tell what it was. The others didn't change the score.

 

[Bebop3]

It seems that Laurel removed the post, which makes sense.

The person that left it clearly didn't think things through and it was likely motivated by a grudge or jealousy as opposed to logic and reason.

Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Internet trolls abound. They get excited about tilting at windmills and find validation in their efforts. Sad, really.

 

[ChloeTzang]

It seems that Laurel removed the post, which makes sense.

The person that left it clearly didn't think things through and it was likely motivated by a grudge or jealousy as opposed to logic and reason.

Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Internet trolls abound. They get excited about tilting at windmills and find validation in their efforts. Sad, really.

Yeah. Must admit when I saw an invitational event for the first time I did wonder how you got invited but after I found out, and did an event of my own I think it’s great. There’s lots of room for both ad now my house move is done I’m thinking of another one that someone suggested..and personally, I like organizing open events to encourage everyone who wants to give it a try. The story quality varies a bit more than an invitational but it gives writers the opportunity to try something different

 

[gordo12]

The facts are simple.
No writer is harmed in any way by invitational events.

*The only possibly legitimate complaint is that all those stories dropping on the same day will push some off the front page. Solution: publish a day after or two days before.

Because the invitationals aren't advertised in the AH sometimes the only notice is when they all get published. Not everyone is here everyday reading slavishly through everything. I've had stories I spent a couple of months writing knocked off in a day and a half because of an avalanche of unexpected stories. The views were about 1/3 what I would have expected. That was a lot of work just to get ambushed. It's not the first time. I try checking for events and no longer post within a week either way.

Frankly, I'm even reluctant to enter into events now. The current one now has 46 stories and the views have gone from a couple of hundred a day (once off the hub) to about 5 a day because of the glut of stories. I'm not knocking other authors participating, but pointing out these events are destructive to the hubs. (or the busier hubs)

A partial solution to all this is to expand the hubs. At 25 stories, with the volume in some of them, they need to expand to 40 or even 50.

I had a story that for some reason sat at the top of the LW hub for three solid days. Why? I have no idea. But where I would be happy with 20-25,000 views this one hit over 50,000! So the readers are there, just not getting enough time to access all the stories being posted.

More time in the sun would be a bonus for everyone.

 

[Bebop3]

Because the invitationals aren't advertised in the AH sometimes the only notice is when they all get published. Not everyone is here everyday reading slavishly through everything.

I understand your points and the expansion of the size of the hub is a great idea, but as a heads up, there is a sticky in AH with all of the author initiated events.

 

[SimonDoom]

The hubs should be expanded regardless of events or competitions. Even on non-event days there are sometimes so many new incest stories posted that new ones get bumped off immediately. It makes a big difference to the number of views they get.

 

[NotWise]

I understand your points and the expansion of the size of the hub is a great idea, but as a heads up, there is a sticky in AH with all of the author initiated events.

There are alternatives that don't require the site to change its structure, but nothing is going to happen unless Laurel sees a problem. If there is a consensus opinion on this thread it seems to be that the challenges -- whether they're open or invitational -- aren't a problem. I don't expect to see anything change.

 

[Inkhorn]

There are alternatives that don't require the site to change its structure, but nothing is going to happen unless Laurel sees a problem. If there is a consensus opinion on this thread it seems to be that the challenges -- whether they're open or invitational -- aren't a problem. I don't expect to see anything change.

To be honest, I don’t expect anything to change in this site for the simple fact that the site owner does what the site owner wishes. I’ve seen no evidence that the site owner wants to make any changes at all in regards to anything, regardless of feedback. Which is, of course, her prerogative.

 

[oggbashan]

I'm not complaining about this promotional event:

http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=1511344

It is attracting attention to my stories, even the older ones.

 

[gordo12]

Rotating could be another option. Now, stories are shown in a fixed order, but like the lists of contest-stories, this could easily change, each time the story-page is opened. New stories could get higher chances to reach the list compared to older stories, and at a certain point they shouldn't show up at all.

To my knowledge contest stories ARE rotated. The hubs go by date. (or am I misreading your post?)

I'm not complaining about this promotional event:

http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=1511344

It is attracting attention to my stories, even the older ones.

Deservedly so!

 

[Inkhorn]

I'm not complaining about this promotional event:

http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=1511344

It is attracting attention to my stories, even the older ones.

Well your stories ARE awesome to start with!