How are the mighty fallen . . .

[Alex De Kok]

A question for others who may have won in Literotica competitions. What sort of result has the win had on the story score? I ask because I was just checking my scores (my excuse being I had a new story post on Sunday) and noticed that the story for which I took second place in the Nude Day contest - 'Impulse' - now has my second-lowest score!

Trolls? I just wondered, it's no big deal.

Alex

 

[Lauren Hynde]

That's standard operating procedure. Happens to all winners.

I'd like to think that winning a competition simply attracts more readers, people who wouldn't have read or voted on your story, and that don't agree that it's all that. Even if they think it is good, but not enough to have won, they'll be more predisposed to vote it down in protest.

And trolls.

 

[Aurora Black]

Definitely more readers post-competition. A lot more.

 

[ABSTRUSE]

View it as a badge of honor.

 

[minsue]

I'd like to think that winning a competition simply attracts more readers, people who wouldn't have read or voted on your story, and that don't agree that it's all that. Even if they think it is good, but not enough to have won, they'll be more predisposed to vote it down in protest.

That's the way I've always figured it myself.

 

[rgraham666]

My one winner got trolled worst during the contest itself. Since then it's maintained a fairly steady score. It's slowly but surely going down but I think that's more because of four votes than trolls. I could be wrong.

The surest way to attract the troll is to be in the top ten of a category. Every time a story of mine ends up there, votes start appearing on it until it's kicked out of that position.

 

[Weird Harold]

Trolls?

Yes and no.

Contest winners and top-ten rankings put your story where more people will see it and raise their expectations for it. Increased exposure means increased exposure to Trolls as well as to readers who go to the top lists and contest winners looking for the "cream of the crop."

As Lauren points out, high expectations mean more low votes if the story doesn't meet those expectations; the votes are based as much on the readers' opinion of the previous voters' taste in stories as it is on the content of the actual story.

 

[Alex De Kok]

Thanks, boys and girls. Pretty much what I thought myself. I'm gonna treat it like Abs suggested - badge of honour!

Alex

 

[ABSTRUSE]

Thanks, boys and girls. Pretty much what I thought myself. I'm gonna treat it like Abs suggested - badge of honour!

Alex

I Knight thee, Agitator of Trolls.

 

[Alex De Kok]

I Knight thee, Agitator of Trolls.

I bend the knee in humble obeisance, madam, vowing to sharpen my blunted pen and continue the quest. Yea, verily!

Sir Alex, Troll-Baiter-at-large

 

[ABSTRUSE]

I bend the knee in humble obeisance, madam, vowing to sharpen my blunted pen and continue the quest. Yea, verily!

Sir Alex, Troll-Baiter-at-large

Master Baiter.

 

[Alex De Kok]

Master Baiter.

I am so not going there . . .

Alex

 

[Guest]

I am so not going there . . .

Alex

OH I'm sure you have, once or twice

 

[oggbashan]

The Green E

The green E awarded by the editors is also a guaranteed troll magnet.

My only E sank below 4.5 within hours and has stayed there ever since.

I think my 'How-To' winning entry has survived better than most winners because trolls seem to avoid the How-To category - perhaps because they know it all.

Og

 

[Softouch911]

My single winner sank .5 within a day, then further by the end of that week, iirc, then gradually recovered a little to where it is now .... basically unread for weeks and weeks.

Winning gets more readers, and we all know the H gets a few extra readers. But good gawd the oblivion that awaits a story with neither!

ST