Paying to Post

[ishtat]

1 If authors had to pay say $5 for every story posted on Lit, would you still do it? Authors might have to consider the benefits of immediate large circulation against cost.

2 If it wasn't a free site do you think that the number of stories would diminish?

3 Would a small fee to publish improve the quality of stories submitted?

4 Would Laurel and Manu be treated with a little more respect if authors had to pay for their spot. (The all too regular abuse of Laurel in particular, really irritates me)

5 If the fee was $1 would that change your answers? This is the "How cheap are you" question.

 

[sr71plt]

1. No (the authors already are providing the product base that attracts the advertising dollars; I'd delete my stories);

2. Yes;

3. I don't equate ability to write with willingness to pay;

4. no comment (it's a leading question; it should be a symbiotic relationship);

5. No (the authors already are providing the product base that attracts the advertising dollars; I'd delete my stories).

 

[RejectReality]

1: Nope. Even the largest erotica readership on the 'Net isn't worth that. Not even for my long stories as Dark or Les. And that "largest readership" wouldn't last long under these conditions.

2: The number of submissions would plunge into the basement faster than a cartoon anvil.

3: Probably, but there would be so few that it wouldn't last long. Lit is as popular as it is because it provides content for every type of reader. Most of the "crap" probably still has a rather significant readership. The backlash from angry authors, stories pulled from the story file, and general migration of authors and their readers would devastate Lit, I should imagine.

4: Nope. Odds are that people paying to post would be even more demanding and rude.

5: Nope.

1 If authors had to pay say $5 for every story posted on Lit, would you still do it? Authors might have to consider the benefits of immediate large circulation against cost.

2 If it wasn't a free site do you think that the number of stories would diminish?

3 Would a small fee to publish improve the quality of stories submitted?

4 Would Laurel and Manu be treated with a little more respect if authors had to pay for their spot. (The all too regular abuse of Laurel in particular, really irritates me)

5 If the fee was $1 would that change your answers? This is the "How cheap are you" question.

 

[MSTarot]

1..... I would still post but I would post a lot less.

2......the ones on my list would be less. SamualX would have to take out a loan.

3......I don't see the relevance between the quality that a writer can do and his or her ability to pay money.

4......No. If anything I think it might get worse in that people would be saying well we're paying for the site I want everything to work perfect no matter what.

5....Only in that I could afford to post about four more stories. Seem more of a how broke are you not how cheep are you question.


Okay, I have one. Do you think the site (and it author and owners) would benefit from it having a e-book style 'pay to download certain stories' feature? It would still be a free site for the most part but if you thought your story was good enough (And the site management agreed and you requested it) they could post it in a pay to read area.

basically we write them, the site sells them, they get a percent and we get a check.

Similar to e-book sites. I wont list them (cause it's late and I don't have the time to look them up) but several author here sell from them already.

MST


ps Sorry if I sound snarkey but I've had a crappy day and it's gone to hell in the last 4 hours.

 

[hoo_hoo_boo]

1 If authors had to pay say $5 for every story posted on Lit, would you still do it? Authors might have to consider the benefits of immediate large circulation against cost.

2 If it wasn't a free site do you think that the number of stories would diminish?

3 Would a small fee to publish improve the quality of stories submitted?

4 Would Laurel and Manu be treated with a little more respect if authors had to pay for their spot. (The all too regular abuse of Laurel in particular, really irritates me)

5 If the fee was $1 would that change your answers? This is the "How cheap are you" question.

I have no idea how that would work. I'm particularly ignorant about money on the net. I suspect that having to pay would get rid of a lot of rubbish. But I wonder what would be posted. As I see it there would be a shift to stories that self aggrandise. I suspect there would need to be something to discourage that. When there is payment the people paying will want some thing in return- would publication be enough? I suspect there would have to be a system of rewards too, so that the content isn't skewed to some thing equally dislikable.

I too dislike the disrespect shown to those who's site it is. I view my self as a fortunate guest.

Perhaps there could be a section which is special and money involved. It would represent quality. How to ensure that quality would be the question. The motivation of a lot of submitters isn't always to submit quality. I'm sure the number would diminish and that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. Perhaps the best way to do it would be to maintain this site as it is and start a new section that would be by invitation only, ie, to submit one needs to be invited. By who is a big question. The stories could be read by anyone but not all of them accessible unless one is a member of it.

I love Literotica as it is. I wouldn't like to see it changed. It would be great to get rid of those who are rude and offensive, but that it is so inclusive is wonderful.

 

[sr71plt]

Okay, I have one. Do you think the site (and it author and owners) would benefit from it having a e-book style 'pay to download certain stories' feature? It would still be a free site for the most part but if you thought your story was good enough (And the site management agreed and you requested it) they could post it in a pay to read area.

It essentially did that by publishing two e-book anthologies, which is a good idea. It stopped doing that right before the trend set in that made it very attractive to do such anthologies. (Figure the logic of that one.)

 

[sr71plt]

If paying for anything would be in order, it probably would be an annual fee for each account. That would help cut down in alts and get the ones benefiting the most in weighing in on stories, the readers, to kick in as well (anonymous readers could read, but they couldn't vote or comment. Their read would be included in the "view" stat).

The major problem would be in anyone involved here wanting to have their real name (payment if they didn't have a cut-out name PayPal account) connected to an erotica site that many browsers block out as being porn.

 

[desertslave]

If anything, I'd rather see a 'pay to vote' arrangement. I have a feeling many of the snarkier "reviewers" wouldn't put their money where their mouths are.

 

[sr71plt]

If course there's the question of whether someone who doesn't post stories to Literotica at all and only posts nonerotic poetry on an erotica site (not to mention hasn't contributed any product at all for two and a half years) has much to say about what erotica story authors here should do at all.

 

[sr71plt]

If anything, I'd rather see a 'pay to vote' arrangement. I have a feeling many of the snarkier "reviewers" wouldn't put their money where their mouths are.

If they had to pay for an account and couldn't vote anonymously, that would take care of that. Even if they couldn't post anonymously without consideration of pay, it would cut down on the snarky comments tremendously.

It's a pie in the sky discussion on two basic points anyway.

If folks had to pay for anything on this site, it would require financial ID, and 98 percent of the feet would be running away.

And, pretty much any suggesting here falls into a black hole.

 

[desertslave]

It's a pie in the sky discussion on two basic points anyway.

If folks had to pay for anything on this site, it would require financial ID, and 98 percent of the feet would be running away.

Exactly! The whole thing is moot. I'm just in a mood to take a jab at the cranky anonymous posters. (I'm cooking a story that belongs in LW, and knowing I'll live to regret it.)

 

[sr71plt]

Exactly! The whole thing is moot. I'm just in a mood to take a jab at the cranky anonymous posters. (I'm cooking a story that belongs in LW, and knowing I'll live to regret it.)

Post it and then don't look at the comments and ratings. That'll serve anonymous right. (I've been watching someone systematically taking my latest story from 4.76 to under hot over the last four hours, so I know all about cranky with anonymous.)

 

[slyc_willie]

I have to wonder about the motives behind posting a "what if" thread, when Literotica is clearly not going to change the way it operates. It's an exercise in absurdity.

 

[sr71plt]

I have to wonder about the motives behind posting a "what if" thread, when Literotica is clearly not going to change the way it operates. It's an exercise in absurdity.

Well, it does irritate me that folks who are basically parasites in terms of contributions to the product base here and here only for the forum discussions pontificate on the AH about what currently active Literotica authors should and shouldn't do, post to the forum, or write.

 

[slyc_willie]

Well, it does irritate me that folks who are basically parasites in terms of contributions to the product base here and here only for the forum discussions pontificate on the AH about what currently active Literotica authors should and shouldn't do, post to the forum, or write.

While your wording is harsher than I would use, I have to agree. Why even post such a topic in the first place?

The beauty of Literotica is that it is free and open to anyone. We, as authors, post here because this is a free venue with only some very limited constraints on what can be posted here. Change any of that, and it compromises the integrity of the site.

Regardless of what anyone may say about Literotica, it is the best of the best. Those who bitch and moan about the way the site is run have an overdeveloped sense of entitlement and an underdeveloped sense of respect.

 

[sr71plt]

Again, I think it's a symbiotic relationship. The writers are providing the product base here that is attracting the advertisers and readers that make it all possible and the regular members of the forum are providing most of the site guidance. The respect and regard should go both ways in a symbiotic relationship. It shouldn't be a one-way street.

 

[slyc_willie]

Again, I think it's a symbiotic relationship. The writers are providing the product base here that is attracting the advertisers and readers that make it all possible and the regular members of the forum are providing most of the site guidance. The respect and regard should go both ways in a symbiotic relationship. It shouldn't be a one-way street.

I, personally, don't think it is a one-way street. I think Laurel and Manu's obligations end with the opportunity they present for us to post to this site. They really need not do anything more for us, or for the readers, other than to police the content for anything objectionable (according to their definition of such).

That they host contests which reward cash to those who win is simply an extra, not something to be taken for granted. I see that as an extra dose of respect Laurel and Manu hold for the writers who post here.

 

[sr71plt]

That covers some of what is going on here, yes, with a lot of what I see as legitimate little "buts" involved that are being "guilted" down for reasons that sometimes escape me. But it's great (for you) that you can see it as that simplistic (or rosy, or, frankly, all that mutually respectful).

 

[Bramblethorn]

1 If authors had to pay say $5 for every story posted on Lit, would you still do it? Authors might have to consider the benefits of immediate large circulation against cost.

Probably not. Maybe if it was a no-ads site and the $5 was to defray running costs, but otherwise we're talking about vanity publishing. No thanks.

2 If it wasn't a free site do you think that the number of stories would diminish?

Certainly.

3 Would a small fee to publish improve the quality of stories submitted?

I doubt it. I think people who write crappy stories would be just as willing to pay, not least because they don't know their stories are crappy. (cf: Dunning-Kruger effect)

4 Would Laurel and Manu be treated with a little more respect if authors had to pay for their spot. (The all too regular abuse of Laurel in particular, really irritates me)

Not sure. If anything I suspect we'd see more entitlement - "I paid $5, why is my story STILL in the queue?"

5 If the fee was $1 would that change your answers? This is the "How cheap are you" question.

Not really.

 

[sr71plt]

Not really.

Is that "not really" mean you wouldn't pay or that this would then mark you as cheap? I'm hoping it was your response to both the question and the slam.

 

[slyc_willie]

That covers some of what is going on here, yes, with a lot of what I see as legitimate little "buts" involved that are being "guilted" down for reasons that sometimes escape me. But it's great (for you) that you can see it as that simplistic (or rosy, or, frankly, all that mutually respectful).

I don't see any reason not to see the relationship as being so simplistic. This is a free erotica website. Anyone can post here. Anyone can win, place, or show in a contest. Anyone can leave comments or send feedback.

Trying to add additional dimensions to the way the site is run is an exercise in futility. It's really just that simple.

 

[sr71plt]

I don't see any reason not to see the relationship as being so simplistic. This is a free erotica website. Anyone can post here. Anyone can win, place, or show in a contest. Anyone can leave comments or send feedback.

Trying to add additional dimensions to the way the site is run is an exercise in futility. It's really just that simple.

But . . . but . . . Literotica isn't a simple site. It's a complex site loaded with all sorts of functions--some of which don't work and haven't worked as advertised for years. You may think that stonewalling that it's all hunky dory and not fixing or dropping what isn't working (including some broken functions that could be dropped with a single forum announcement) and leaving it to the users to constantly explain to new posters is respectful. Sorry, but I don't. I can live with "take it or leave" because of all that does work. I won't pretend that it's either all working or all that hard to fix or all that respectful of the users, though.

 

[oggbashan]

I think the answers above have covered the questions but I'd like to add a comment on #3.

As a secondhand bookdealer, almost* any book that the author had paid to have published was crap. If it couldn't be financed any other way, then it wasn't good enough to be published anyway.

If authors had to pay to publish stories on Literotica, the authors who overvalue their talents would be a larger proportion of the total.

Paying anything, even 1c, requires a financial I.D. That would be a great deterrent because being associated with an erotica (Media would say "PORN!!!!") site can damage your employment and social life.

There are other sites that publish erotica. If they remained free, there would be a mass exodus from Literotica.

*The exceptions include very specialised community or family histories that would have such a limited sale that they couldn't be financed traditionally. Some I've handled have been a lifetime's labour of love, well-researched, well-documented and very readable, but of interest to a very small audience.

 

[lovecraft68]

1 If authors had to pay say $5 for every story posted on Lit, would you still do it? Authors might have to consider the benefits of immediate large circulation against cost.

2 If it wasn't a free site do you think that the number of stories would diminish?

3 Would a small fee to publish improve the quality of stories submitted?

4 Would Laurel and Manu be treated with a little more respect if authors had to pay for their spot. (The all too regular abuse of Laurel in particular, really irritates me)

5 If the fee was $1 would that change your answers? This is the "How cheap are you" question.

No, I would not. If lit was a pay site it would be the readers paying and we should get some type of small compensation for our efforts

If writers had to pay to post here with no reward for doing so, damn straight new stories would fall off the map.

No, it would not just cause someone is willing to pay has nothing to do with ability

No, I think they would get picked on more because now we're paying and still getting ignored (until very recently)

Ni, and it has nothing to do with cheap, its business sense. Please allow me to pay you for nothing? Nope.

If lit needed money my suggestion would be to charge the GB posters 10 cents a post. even with that small amount Laurel would be worth millions off those site addicted idiots.

 

[patientlee]

Nope. I'm only here because it's free and anonymous. I would not be associating my banking, PayPal, etc. with the site, and I wouldn't jump through the hoops necessary to post a couple of stories for my own entertainment.