Gary Chambers
Really Really Experienced
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2003
- Posts
- 374
My first Literotica story, Shayden's Tower, was posted on the 7th or 8th of Nov., somewhere there abouts. Within a short time I was receiving some reader feedback. I acknowledged that feedback, of course, whenever email addresses were supplied. But just at that crucial time, my server gave me technical problems and when I phoned them to sort it out, they fixed the problem but deleted all my waiting email on the server. That means any other feedback there is lost.
Am I pissed? You bet. But there is nothing I can do except vent steam here and apologise to any readers who find this posting. Believe me, I would have acknowledged any feedback you sent had my server been half way competent.
As for the promotion of stories and poems, I have an idea which I was implementing when my server decided to screw me up. It may be of use to other Literotica writers, especially poets who say they don't get enough feedback or votes compared to total number of readers.
It doesn't matter whether you write for Literotica or some big glossy magazine, if you are a writer you need to be a self promoter too; a literary prostitute. If you were writing for big magazines or publishing books, you would need to go on the rubber chicken circuit, doing book signings at book stores; appearing on literary TV or radio talk shows; doing readings at coffee houses and luncheon clubs; earning your ulcers from eating cold rubber chicken in motel rooms as you tour. Online it may be easier. Here's what I'm planning to do. It's too late with Shayden's Tower thanks to my moronic server, but I plan to try all these things with my next story. I'd be interested to know what others think of these ideas.
1.) Make an email list of everyone you know who you think might enjoy your latest work. Send them all a form email with a link, inviting them to read your story or poem. Also invite them to email their friends and ask them to visit too.
2.) Always acknowledge people who send you feedback. It can be done with a polite form letter, so it doesn't have to take too much time.
3.) Make and print out some small posters to put in places like coffee houses, library bulletin boards, Internet cafes and, since we are writing erotica, in places like exotic dance clubs and singles bars.
4.) Offer to do readings at libraries and book stores, and send press releases announcing your latest published effort to your local papers and broadcast stations.
5.) Make some banner and button ads and use the various free or paid services on the Internet to upload these ads promoting your story published at Literotica, linking the ads to your story, of course.
6.) Don't spend all your time here in the Hangout. Go to the Literotica Chatrooms every day or two. There is a Literary Lounge there and another room called Stories and Authors. Meet your readers there, and potential readers, and chat with other authors and poets. If you're really adventurous, use your writing talent to give the odd new acquaintance a Private Message session they won't soon forget. Hell, I even do phone sex when asked, and although I'm heterosexual in real life, I'm bisexual in chat, but I always make sure my partners are aware of what I'm doing on this side of the site too. Frankly, I get very little sexual satisfaction out of cyber or phone sex, almost none, but my partners seem to enjoy themselves, and when one of them signs off with a thankyou and remarks that they want to read my story, I feel like one very high class hooker, and that ain't so bad believe me. It's improv theatre over there folks, and theatre is also a literary art form. If you are a serious erotica writer, shouldn't you be one of Literotica's star improv performers?
7.) Build a free thumbnail gallery Web page of erotic or porn pictures and lace that page with ads and promotions linked to your output here at Literotica. You can get the pictures for free. Just visit one of the sites for adult Webmasters to find links to the free pictures. Usually all they want in return is a link to their site.
Shameless self promotion? You bet it is. So bite me. Better yet, come on over to the chatroom and spank me red (provided you kiss it better afterwards of course *wink). Literotica seems a good online publisher of our chosen genre of poetry and prose. The more professionally we create and promote our work and ourselves, the more credibility and traffic Literotica will receive. It's a symbiotic relationship.
You can probably think of other similar promo ideas. Please share them here in the Authors Hangout, and I'd love to hear what others think of this kind of promotional attitude.
Oh, and if your server screws you up after you've done all this work, drop in and piss on its rug. If you deal with a company called Telus (my server), it certainly doesn't mind pissing on your rug.
GaryBob2
Am I pissed? You bet. But there is nothing I can do except vent steam here and apologise to any readers who find this posting. Believe me, I would have acknowledged any feedback you sent had my server been half way competent.
As for the promotion of stories and poems, I have an idea which I was implementing when my server decided to screw me up. It may be of use to other Literotica writers, especially poets who say they don't get enough feedback or votes compared to total number of readers.
It doesn't matter whether you write for Literotica or some big glossy magazine, if you are a writer you need to be a self promoter too; a literary prostitute. If you were writing for big magazines or publishing books, you would need to go on the rubber chicken circuit, doing book signings at book stores; appearing on literary TV or radio talk shows; doing readings at coffee houses and luncheon clubs; earning your ulcers from eating cold rubber chicken in motel rooms as you tour. Online it may be easier. Here's what I'm planning to do. It's too late with Shayden's Tower thanks to my moronic server, but I plan to try all these things with my next story. I'd be interested to know what others think of these ideas.
1.) Make an email list of everyone you know who you think might enjoy your latest work. Send them all a form email with a link, inviting them to read your story or poem. Also invite them to email their friends and ask them to visit too.
2.) Always acknowledge people who send you feedback. It can be done with a polite form letter, so it doesn't have to take too much time.
3.) Make and print out some small posters to put in places like coffee houses, library bulletin boards, Internet cafes and, since we are writing erotica, in places like exotic dance clubs and singles bars.
4.) Offer to do readings at libraries and book stores, and send press releases announcing your latest published effort to your local papers and broadcast stations.
5.) Make some banner and button ads and use the various free or paid services on the Internet to upload these ads promoting your story published at Literotica, linking the ads to your story, of course.
6.) Don't spend all your time here in the Hangout. Go to the Literotica Chatrooms every day or two. There is a Literary Lounge there and another room called Stories and Authors. Meet your readers there, and potential readers, and chat with other authors and poets. If you're really adventurous, use your writing talent to give the odd new acquaintance a Private Message session they won't soon forget. Hell, I even do phone sex when asked, and although I'm heterosexual in real life, I'm bisexual in chat, but I always make sure my partners are aware of what I'm doing on this side of the site too. Frankly, I get very little sexual satisfaction out of cyber or phone sex, almost none, but my partners seem to enjoy themselves, and when one of them signs off with a thankyou and remarks that they want to read my story, I feel like one very high class hooker, and that ain't so bad believe me. It's improv theatre over there folks, and theatre is also a literary art form. If you are a serious erotica writer, shouldn't you be one of Literotica's star improv performers?
7.) Build a free thumbnail gallery Web page of erotic or porn pictures and lace that page with ads and promotions linked to your output here at Literotica. You can get the pictures for free. Just visit one of the sites for adult Webmasters to find links to the free pictures. Usually all they want in return is a link to their site.
Shameless self promotion? You bet it is. So bite me. Better yet, come on over to the chatroom and spank me red (provided you kiss it better afterwards of course *wink). Literotica seems a good online publisher of our chosen genre of poetry and prose. The more professionally we create and promote our work and ourselves, the more credibility and traffic Literotica will receive. It's a symbiotic relationship.
You can probably think of other similar promo ideas. Please share them here in the Authors Hangout, and I'd love to hear what others think of this kind of promotional attitude.
Oh, and if your server screws you up after you've done all this work, drop in and piss on its rug. If you deal with a company called Telus (my server), it certainly doesn't mind pissing on your rug.
GaryBob2
