"Pending" Put My Baby In A Corner.

[ElectricBlue]

It's hard to discuss these things when you so obviously don't even read my posts.

I read your post. You started with one proposal = story length as a threshold; you then proposed an elitist approach.

Make your mind up which approach you want to argue. You're making shit up as you go along, just like Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I believe most of what you are suggesting should start with us, the writers.

Just because the site allows sloppy and amateurish content to be spread over 100 1K submissions doesn't mean that it is the right thing to do as an author.

Collectively, the more experienced writers in the AH should consider offering tips and advice that lead to a better Literotica for all of us. If you want to see change, be that change.

I think you're wrong in your assumption that their 1k word chapters aren't purely intentional.

Furthermore, only a tiny part of authorship visits the AH. Even if we had the time and ambition to "educate" all those authors, how would we ever reach them? Your idea is practically unfeasable, to say the least.

Edit: If the website were to actually increase the word count limit, I'd be happy to provide guidance here for total amateurs, along with many others, the same as we do with every other issue authors have.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I read your post. You started with one proposal = story length as a threshold; you then proposed an elitist approach.

Make your mind up which approach you want to argue. You're making shit up as you go along, just like Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

My proposal was only ever to increase the word count. It was you who suggested that the increase would drive away total beginners, and I followed it up with a thought that that wouldn't be a bad thing at all, and named it Lit becoming more elite place.

The word count increase to stem the number of submissions is the only thing I proposed.

Everything else is your fanboy imagination working hard to discredit my proposal in BS ways.

 

[Bamagan]

I read your post. You started with one proposal = story length as a threshold; you then proposed an elitist approach.

Make your mind up which approach you want to argue. You're making shit up as you go along, just like Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

That is the opposite of damning with faint praise. Praising with faint damnation? As similes go, it's quite ambiguous.

 

[StillStunned]

Collectively, the more experienced writers in the AH should consider offering tips and advice that lead to a better Literotica for all of us. If you want to see change, be that change.

Two problems with that:

The first is that the vast majority of writers never visit the AH. They never even think of coming here to study the craft of writing. I suspect that most writers don't even think that they're writing needs to improve, until they face an actual and immediate problem. And even then I think many of them would be more inclined to give up rather than work through it.

The second is that everyone has a different definition of "a better Literotica". Or even "better erotica". The site would probably be happy with a few hundred new stories every day that were all purely human writing with no AI involved - and vast numbers of readers. Readers most likely just want stories that scratch their kink itch, and they want them to be easy to find and perhaps well written. Writers? We just want our stories to be published immediately so that those millions of readers lap them up and tell us how wonderful we are.

And what makes good erotica? I personally believe that it's about good writing. Other writers might argue that it's about engaging characters, or emotional impact, or an exciting plot. Plenty of others probably don't care about any of that, and just want to describe the sexy stuff - and let's face it, the sexy stuff is what draws readers to Lit.

 

[StillStunned]

I think you're wrong in your assumption that their 1k word chapters aren't purely intentional.

And maybe it's just as intentional that Lit lets it continue. Because the site thrives on clicks. A hundred short chapters means more advertising revenue than ten long ones.

And maybe all those chapters are easier for Laurel to process. After the first twenty or so, the writer is a known quantity.

 

[Bamagan]

And what makes good erotica? I personally believe that it's about good writing. Other writers might argue that it's about engaging characters, or emotional impact, or an exciting plot. Plenty of others probably don't care about any of that, and just want to describe the sexy stuff - and let's face it, the sexy stuff is what draws readers to Lit.

It's been said you'll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, but you'll catch the most flies with a pile of steaming shit.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Where is this "purpose" stated? Seriously.

It's in the FAQs.
https://www.literotica.com/faq/publishing/publishing-why-publish
https://www.literotica.com/faq/publishing/publishing-your-first-work

New writers publish 1K stories here because they can, not because that is the best that they can do.

No shit, Sherlock.

With few exceptions, they have no one here encouraging them to be patient with their stories and to avoid the quest for instant gratification.

I'm pretty consistent suggesting new writers start small, do an apprenticeship, learn the basic technical stuff, learn their own style, before they attempt the next great American (erotic) novel. As are you.

My first published story here, which led to my professional writing career (not the other way around), was 94K words (27 Lit pages) and won an award.

That's most unusual. As evidenced by the recent post that observed 80% - 90% of new stories this week were first time authors with their first piece. I'm not going to go look, but I doubt many are like you, writing a long piece.

I've got chutzpah, I'll admit it, but it took me three years and some good stories under my belt, before I took a year off to write a novel. I wouldn't have had the balls to do that, if I hadn't started small.

If I could do it with my limited prior experience writing, why should I encourage others to do less?

You are one of the few who do say, aim higher.

Not everyone will hit a home run the first time that they step up to the plate, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't help them get on base without being hit by the pitch.

Exactly. AwkwardlySet's proposals (length based or elitist based, he can't make his mind up) don't allow the novice a foot in the door.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

And maybe it's just as intentional that Lit lets it continue. Because the site thrives on clicks. A hundred short chapters means more advertising revenue than ten long ones.

And maybe all those chapters are easier for Laurel to process. After the first twenty or so, the writer is a known quantity.

Maybe it's intentional. But I'm not sure it's those 1k submissions that drive the traffic. There is no way that the average reader has the time to browse and read Lit stories every day. No one can keep up with the number of new daily stories.

Based on what I've seen and heard here over the years, I suspect it's Lit's resistance towards change that's the true issue.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Exactly. AwkwardlySet's proposals (length based or elitist based, he can't make his mind up) don't allow the novice a foot in the door.

Again, read what I wrote. You are trying to dismiss my idea by intentionally misinterpreting it.
This is not discussing in good faith.

 

[StillStunned]

Perhaps Lit should create a sister site, Eliterotica.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Again, read what I wrote. You are trying to dismiss my idea by intentionally misinterpreting it.
This is not discussing in good faith.

You offered a solution based on story length, which denies many first time writers the opportunity to get a foot in the door, because they simply don't have the ability, first go, to write three Lit pages.

You then offered an elitist approach, but so far, you've not said what the discriminating criteria would be, nor how the site would apply it.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

You offered a solution based on story length, which denies many first time writers the opportunity to get a foot in the door, because they simply don't have the ability, first go, to write three Lit pages.

You then offered an elitist approach, but so far, you've not said what the discriminating criteria would be, nor how the site would apply it.

I'm not sure why you're doing this, but the only thing left is to stop discussing with you.

 

[Bamagan]

The relatively feeble efforts to monetize Literotica suggest, to me, that the site principally remains the curated repository of smut that it was originally intended to be (feel free to consult an internet archive to see what they said about the site back when it began). More blog than business; more community center than media company. It got big, and bigness often results in unwieldiness... which might be why they haven't 'weaponized' it (capitalist-style). Maybe they don't know how, or maybe they just don't wanna.

In Laurel's own words:

Jowl pork loin picanha, bacon swine sirloin landjaeger shank porchetta beef ribs pork chop. Ball tip picanha prosciutto cupim. Fatback salami ribeye beef. Capicola ribeye pastrami porchetta jerky pork sirloin jowl. Bresaola corned beef swine flank spare ribs.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I'm not sure why you're doing this, but the only thing left is to stop discussing with you.

I'm attempting, in good faith, to understand your second offering - perhaps you didn't mean what you wrote, but the suggestion that the site be elitist are your words, not mine.

Others here have countered the suggestion that a length based criteria will solve the issues that many agree, Lit is facing - the deluge of stories, no doubt the deluge of AI generated junk, the high number of poor standard submissions.

But I do think that your standard response, "let's slam the site every opportunity I get," plus your insistence that I'm nothing but a stooge for the site, gets in the way of any genuine engagement. But know this, you're not one of the people I do have on Ignore, because even though you're a bit of a one trick pony, you're not a bad bloke after all.

And for an Aussie to say that; well, if you don't know the culture, it's actually a measure of esteem. Which I've talked about elsewhere. So now you're fucked, trying to argue with that.

Carry on .

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I'm attempting, in good faith, to understand your second offering - perhaps you didn't mean what you wrote, but the suggestion that the site be elitist are your words, not mine.

Others here have countered the suggestion that a length based criteria will solve the issues that many agree, Lit is facing - the deluge of stories, no doubt the deluge of AI generated junk, the high number of poor standard submissions.

But I do think that your standard response, "let's slam the site every opportunity I get," plus your insistence that I'm nothing but a stooge for the site, gets in the way of any genuine engagement. But know this, you're not one of the people I do have on Ignore, because even though you're a bit of a one trick pony, you're not a bad bloke after all.

And for an Aussie to say that; well, if you don't know the culture, it's actually a measure of esteem. Which I've talked about elsewhere. So now you're fucked, trying to argue with that.

Carry on .

In the last attempt, I can just say to go back and reread what I wrote. There's no second offering, there's only one- the word count limit increase.

 

[Off_base]

It's been said you'll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, but you'll catch the most flies with a pile of steaming shit.

This must only work on large flies.
The fruit fly traps I buy at the grocery store have a pungent vinegar solution in them.
It makes the tiny things go nuts and want to bathe in it.
I've never tried shit for kitchen fruit flies.

 

[ElectricBlue]

In the last attempt, I can just say to go back and reread what I wrote. There's no second offering, there's only one- the word count limit increase.

So the suggestion of making Lit an elite site isn't what you meant. Fair enough. Let's leave it there, then, eh?

Fuck me, I've gone Canadian!

 

[ElectricBlue]

LMAO EB, now you're a fanboy even officially. It's almost like getting that green E.

Keep it up, old boy.

Apropos of this comment (the Mod's "like" amused me too, because it's telling you something), you'll be pleased to know my latest follower is Litaddict96. You know you can't win, not with the gang rallying around!

 

[OddLove]

This wasn't intentional at all, but reading your experience just made me realize a huge perk for writing an ongoing/never-ending type of series.

Every time I post a new 'episode' to my Kind and Cruel Dominatrix story, I'll notice a couple people favoriting the newest entry, then over a few days or week, I'll see them go back and favorite part 1, then 2, then 3, etc. So it's like getting the story back to the front page with every new entry.

But as far as stand alone stories, I could definitely see what you're saying. If I had to guess, I imagine weekdays is when most people have time to wind down and read some erotic before sleeping, or while bored at work. And weekends is probably when most of them would be busy doing stuff.

It would be very interesting to see some large scale data on erotica related traffic cause it could be completely backwards from what I suspect.

 

[alohadave]

Every time I post a new 'episode' to my Kind and Cruel Dominatrix story, I'll notice a couple people favoriting the newest entry, then over a few days or week, I'll see them go back and favorite part 1, then 2, then 3, etc. So it's like getting the story back to the front page with every new entry.

This applies to your whole catalog. Every time I submit a new story, I always see a boost in views on my other stories.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

This applies to your whole catalog. Every time I submit a new story, I always see a boost in views on my other stories.

I think that's true for everyone. And I suspect that's why all those authors cut their stories into 1k chapters - so they could keep refreshing their story file with minimum effort.

 

[shakespeare_i_aint]

Are you going to keep going with your series, or wrap it up quickly?

I'm going to keep going with the series--that poor wife.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I think that's true for everyone. And I suspect that's why all those authors cut their stories into 1k chapters - so they could keep refreshing their story file with minimum effort.

I wonder if there is some level of diminishing returns for that though.
If I notice part 4 or part 5, I might jump in and "catch up" with the action.
If it's part 59, that is kind of overwhelming, I wouldn't bother.

 

[YmaOHyd]

I wonder if there is some level of diminishing returns for that though.
If I notice part 4 or part 5, I might jump in and "catch up" with the action.
If it's part 59, that is kind of overwhelming, I wouldn't bother.

I like long series, but if I check something that has 50 parts and see that the parts are one Lit-page long, I'm not going to bother. I want something out of a series that I don't necessarily expect from a one-off.