I may stop writing one-off stories

[Voboy]

Except the OP of the repeat threads is nearly always a newbie, asking what for them is a genuine question, asking it (for them) for the first time.

This thread is not a question, and the OP is not a newb.

 

[ElectricBlue]

This thread is not a question, and the OP is not a newb.

I was speaking generally, responding to your comment about repeat-a-thread threads.

 

[jaF0]

Can we quit with the diddlethwapping on every thread?

 

[ElectricBlue]

Simon said the same thing. I don't know why you guys keep perpetuating this myth. We are all paying for this. Money is not the only thing that holds value.

We're choosing to "pay" though, so what's the problem?

 

[AwkwardlySet]

We're choosing to "pay" though, so what's the problem?

Thank you for acknowledging that. And nothing is wrong with that, I am also choosing to pay. Some people like to put forward these thoughts about being thankful, etc. and I merely wanted to point out that contrary to what they are saying, none of this is for free. There are no favors being done here, no one should feel like they owe something to the site.
Important distinction

Anyway, I'd love to put this line of arguing to rest.

 

[SimonDoom]

@AwkwardlySet, @Voboy. Might you both be Romanian? My daughter-in-law is and there's a strong bit of folk wisdom that say a Romanian MUST have the last word.

I am the very model of a modern mad Romanian
When I get upset I slap the backside of a Pomeranian
I'm fond of mirrors and have been berated as quite vanian
I'm often told, "Dude, please stay inside your lanian."
My vampirific traits are often called Transylvanian.
But when I fight the Russkies I'm referred to as Ukrainian.
I am a devil of the sort that's often called Tasmanian.
I am the very model of a modern mad Romanian.

 

[FidelityBoss]

TL;DR - I may give up writing standalone stories because of increasingly poor ratings.

My latest story Acquired: Angel went live this morning, and followed the same pattern of voting as my other stories have recently. High score at first, then higher yet as -I suppose- more of my followers found, read, and voted favorably. It got up to something like 4.9. Then, the score started to fall until now it rests well below a 4.5.

In the past this didn’t happen to me. The score would drop off, but never that low. Most of my older stories rate far enough over 4.5 that I don’t worry about them dropping out of ‘hot’ territory even with some fluctuations. But lately this has been the pattern. Granted, Acquired is a non-con story which is not to everyone’s taste, but that’s clearly explained up-front. My writing may not have improved, but I certainly don’t think it’s gotten worse, either.

Even my innocuous humor story “The Make Your Own Baby Bar” experienced a sudden drop. I’m not aware that it had anything in it that would draw ire, but after a long stay well above 4.5 is dropped down sharply.

Was Acquired one of my best? No. Do I only write because I want high ratings? Again no, but there’s no question that I have an ego and that ratings motivate and reward me. I have two longer, multi-chapter works that I’ve been dragging my feet on, but increasingly I think I might be happier taking a break from publishing while I finish one or both. I’m tired of pouring my energies into standalone stories that go out with a whimper, not a bang.

Thanks for reading.

It’s tough when you feel like your work isn’t getting the recognition it deserves, especially when you’re putting so much into it. Ratings can be fickle and don’t always reflect the quality or effort behind a story, sometimes it’s just a matter of taste or timing. If standalone stories are draining your motivation, focusing on your longer works might be a great move. It could give you the space to dive deeper into something you’re passionate about without the pressure of immediate feedback. And hey, taking a break from publishing to recharge and refocus isn’t giving up, it’s just shifting gears.

 

[FidelityBoss]

I confess, I don't understand this way of thinking at all. Chaptered stories in series get higher ratings over time for the obvious reason of attrition: the people who don't like the story drop out from reading it, and the people who like it keep reading the series. So there is a clear, observable phenomenon at Literotica that many of the highest-rated stories are late chapters in series with many, many chapters. It is obvious upon a moment's reflection that this has nothing to do with quality. It's attrition, pure and simple. So when you say, "I want only to write chaptered stories, because they have higher numbers, even though I know rationally that those higher numbers are higher for reasons that have nothing to do with quality," you are confessing that you are surrendering to nonsense. Why would anyone do that? Why would you find satisfaction in a higher number when it's obvious that it has nothing to do with quality?

8Letters did an analysis that demonstrated that standalone stories tend to get more views. More views mean more votes and more favorites and more followers. So in the long run the standalone strategy is going to connect you with more readers that like your stories. That's my goal. The "only long chapter series" strategy limits your readership to only those most fanatical few who want to give you 5s. It baffles me that authors can find satisfaction in that. You're fooling yourself, right?

In your case, you seem distressed about the reception of your story when according to the statistics that I saw it hasn't been published for more than 24 hours and it has only slightly more than 500 views, which is a level at which scores are so volatile as to mean nothing at all.

I scanned your story list, and your average story score appears to be higher than mine. What's the problem?

You’re absolutely right that ratings can be misleading, especially with chaptered stories benefiting from attrition. It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers game, but as you pointed out, standalone stories often reach a broader audience, which can be more rewarding in the long run. It’s also a great reminder that early ratings are super volatile and don’t always reflect the story’s true reception. At the end of the day, writing should be about connecting with readers who genuinely enjoy your work, not chasing arbitrary metrics. If your goal is to reach more people, it sounds like you’re already on the right track,keep doing what works for you!

 

[AlexIce]

I think ratings can be a bit of a misnomer at times. There are plenty of stories on this website with a rating of 4.5 or higher that I honestly didn't care for. On the flip side, there a few stories with a rating in the lower 4s that I think are great.

It's all about perception. Don't let it discourage you! Write what you feel like writing and if you're having fun doing so, that's all that matters.