Remember your first 100 followers? First 1K? First 10K? Lessons learned.

[John_Vandermeer]

For me, as far as followers, scores, and the other stats, there are four things:

1) Story premise matters.

2) Write and edit well. Duh! The thing is, not all LitE writers are actual professional writers and retired empty nesters that have the skills and resources for flawless execution. And as far as I know, those are not requirements for entry into the club. Thus, even though of course good spelling, grammar, punctuation, and the like are always desirable, getting 80% there with 20% of the work is perfectly fine.

3) Avoid the squeeks that are most widely or most intensely hated. They will get you 1-bombed. For that purpose, it is good I am not into anal, or gay, or piss or scat, or... you get the idea. But my own femdom kinks include some pretty hated squeeks, which can be summarized into: women humiliating and denying men. Not going to give those up for the sake of popularity. Even as I have noticed that, say, what I call "fluffy handcuffs and heart shaped crops BDSM" does not face the headwinds that the darker flavor stuff does.

4) Write about mothers and wives.

What did you learn as your grew in LitE?

 

[NotWise]

I'd say the main thing I learned came after the firsts three stories or so.

Writing is a lot of fun, but writing well is a lot more work.

 

[SimonDoom]

I agree with all of this except number 3. If your goal is consistently to maintain high scores, then sure, you should avoid taking risks. But to me, that's not a worthy goal. Writing squicky stories may turn some people off, but it won't cost you followers and favorites. Write whatever you want, with gusto. That's the surest recipe for success, whatever "success" means at Literotica.

 

[mirafrida]

Apropos of not much, I thought the response to my last two stories (both in the same category) was fascinating.

After one week:
5/13/23 story: 13.3k views, 4.57 rating, 18 faves, drew about 6 followers
6/18/23 story: 10.7k views, 3.44 rating, 30 faves, drew about 17 followers

I wasn't writing with the intent to piss anybody off. But, based on the anecdata, a low score is actually the gateway to swelling your follower ranks

 

[John_Vandermeer]

I agree with all of this except number 3. If your goal is consistently to maintain high scores, then sure, you should avoid taking risks. But to me, that's not a worthy goal. Writing squicky stories may turn some people off, but it won't cost you followers and favorites. Write whatever you want, with gusto. That's the surest recipe for success, whatever "success" means at Literotica.

Just a clarification. I was not saying not to write your kinks if that is what motivates you to write. In fact I stated I will not stop writing my own. Just that, yes, if it squeeks the many, it might bring a dedicated, but a rather small following. There is also the caveat that many of the examples I mention--e.g. anal, gay--have their own categories to protect them from the haters they seem to find everywhere else.

 

[John_Vandermeer]

Apropos of not much, I thought the response to my last two stories (both in the same category) was fascinating.

After one week:
5/13/23 story: 13.3k views, 4.57 rating, 18 faves, drew about 6 followers
6/18/23 story: 10.7k views, 3.44 rating, 30 faves, drew about 17 followers

I wasn't writing with the intent to piss anybody off. But, based on the anecdata, a low score is actually the gateway to swelling your follower ranks

There might be something to that. If you are not pissing off anybody, you might not be impassioning anybody on the other side either.

 

[SimonDoom]

Just a clarification. I was not saying not to write your kinks if that is what motivates you to write. In fact I stated I will not stop writing my own. Just that, yes, if it squeeks the many, it might bring a dedicated, but a rather small following. There is also the caveat that many of the examples I mention--e.g. anal, gay--have their own categories to protect them from the haters they seem to find everywhere else.

My point was to make clear that I don't accept, at all, the "don't rock the boat" concept. That may not have been what you were trying to say, but there are many people here who DO take that position, and I don't. I think authors should take risks and write what they want without fear. They may get some nasty comments and votes. So? I've had plenty of those, but I keep plugging along and I have many followers and favorites. For my taste, there is way too much caution in this forum. Way too much "you shouldn't write that." I cringe at that way of thinking.

 

[John_Vandermeer]

My point was to make clear that I don't accept, at all, the "don't rock the boat" concept. That may not have been what you were trying to say, but there are many people here who DO take that position, and I don't. I think authors should take risks and write what they want without fear. They may get some nasty comments and votes. So? I've had plenty of those, but I keep plugging along and I have many followers and favorites. For my taste, there is way too much caution in this forum. Way too much "you shouldn't write that." I cringe at that way of thinking.

I actually agree whole heartedly with this. Especially the last part. And not just about rocking the boat type themes, but about writing style explorations too (I still recall the vitriol and ridicule my question about onomatopoeia brought a while back).

 

[oneagainst]

The only thing I've found that gets the followers in is: lean into it. Whether it's forniphilia or femdom or feathers, do not stay in the middle ground. People follow because you are providing their own secret fantasy and they will find you still, years later, if your tagging is done well. The red H is the enemy of the follow count in that regard.

 

[Winter_Fare]

100 followers I think I have maybe 2.

Same. Actually I don't aspire to fame and glory at all. I write niche stories that probably put some people off their cornflakes. I tag everything carefully, and think hard about category before I hit publish but there will always be haters x

One big thing I've learned is that there's an audience for everything and a story for everyone.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

It took me 5 years to get 100 followers. Fair enough, bisexual kink and gay angst aren't everyone's bag.
I then got another 100 in a few months, mostly thanks to trying an Incest story.

Since then my count has stayed the same, as every new story generates as many Followers as run away because it isnt I/T...

 

[John_Vandermeer]

It's fine. I don't even care if I have followers. I write shit and I know it. I just thought it was funny, 100 followers 1000 10K

The primary purpose for anybody here to write is to enjoy themselves. Via LitE nobody is being paid. And given everybody has pennames nobody is getting (in)famous IRL either. But LitE authors that do well and have been around for a while do collect followers. At a minimum it implies reader respect for and enjoyment of their writing.

 

[Seadog777]

I broke 500 followers today!!!

 

[John_Vandermeer]

I broke 500 followers today!!!

Congrats. I broke 100, which is why i ask.

 

[SimonDoom]

The only thing I've found that gets the followers in is: lean into it. Whether it's forniphilia or femdom or feathers, do not stay in the middle ground. People follow because you are providing their own secret fantasy and they will find you still, years later, if your tagging is done well. The red H is the enemy of the follow count in that regard.

I strongly agree with this. If you look at the lists of authors with the most followers, many of them write incest stories, but not all. Some of them write Loving Wives stories. Some write Gay Male or Lesbian stories. A common theme is that they play to their strengths and pick up loyal followers by doing so. I write a wide variety of types of stories, but I've probably picked up 90+ % of my followers by writing incest and exhibitionist wife stories -- two types of stories I enjoy reading and writing.

 

[Seadog777]

Congrats. I broke 100, which is why i ask.

Congrats.

 

[HeyAll]

Think like a buisness person; what does the market want? how can i provide it?

If your goal is to get more followers, then write in places that have more readers, in a place that suits your style.

 

[alohadave]

I strongly agree with this. If you look at the lists of authors with the most followers, many of them write incest stories, but not all. Some of them write Loving Wives stories. Some write Gay Male or Lesbian stories. A common theme is that they play to their strengths and pick up loyal followers by doing so. I write a wide variety of types of stories, but I've probably picked up 90+ % of my followers by writing incest and exhibitionist wife stories -- two types of stories I enjoy reading and writing.

You aren't kidding about incest followers. My first I/T story posted today, and I've picked up 13 new followers already.

 

[mirafrida]

My "goal" for being on Lit is basically (a) to write stories I like, (b) hopefully have those stories found by a few folks who will also enjoy them, and ideally (c) receive some feedback from those folks. That's about it. So when it comes to the various "numbers," I really only care inasmuch as those numbers help or hinder like-kinked people in finding my stuff.

From that perspective, I'm not sure whether amassing followers is meaningful or not. It seems like the follow mechanism ought to be a good way to pipeline people who liked my last story into coming back and (hopefully) enjoying my next story too. But I have no idea how often that actually happens, at least for the type of things I write. If such such an effect exists, it seems drowned out by the general sturm und drang generated by any new story.

 

[John_Vandermeer]

My "goal" for being on Lit is basically (a) to write stories I like, (b) hopefully have those stories found by a few folks who will also enjoy them, and ideally (c) receive some feedback from those folks. That's about it. So when it comes to the various "numbers," I really only care inasmuch as those numbers help or hinder like-kinked people in finding my stuff.

From that perspective, I'm not sure whether amassing followers is meaningful or not. It seems like the follow mechanism ought to be a good way to pipeline people who liked my last story into coming back and (hopefully) enjoying my next story too. But I have no idea how often that actually happens, at least for the type of things I write. If such such an effect exists, it seems drowned out by the general sturm und drang generated by any new story.

Completely agree with a, b, and c.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

As @Kumquatqueen said, the number of followers really depends a lot on the category and kinks you write. I also agree with @oneagainst, write your kinks right, and don't be timid about it.

 

[gunhilltrain]

100 followers I think I have maybe 2.

I've got about 150 after more than five years. Most of them have dozens of favorite authors and hundreds of favorite stories. They are mostly absent when it comes to voting and commenting. By, hey, it's the thought that counts!

 

[MrPixel]

... At a minimum it implies reader respect for and enjoyment of their writing. ...

As a blanket analysis I don't quite agree.

I am neutral on the follower count as a gauge of... anything. I know, and was reminded last week, that I have obcessed followers who are there to one-bomb anything I post. My Nude Day story wasn't even up for 30 minutes and the first vote it got was an undeserved one-bomb.

I'll mitigate that by that I don't post in popular categories, so there's less draw to build a positive base, but nonetheless it needs to be highlighted that there's a dark side to "followers".

 

[John_Vandermeer]

As a blanket analysis I don't quite agree.

I am neutral on the follower count as a gauge of... anything. I know, and was reminded last week, that I have obcessed followers who are there to one-bomb anything I post. My Nude Day story wasn't even up for 30 minutes and the first vote it got was an undeserved one-bomb.

I'll mitigate that by that I don't post in popular categories, so there's less draw to build a positive base, but nonetheless it needs to be highlighted that there's a dark side to "followers".

Certainly an easy way for trolls... to troll

My 1-bombs often come early in the cycle to.

 

[MrPixel]

As a one-time DBA I can easily code a way to filter for the followers who do this, but I don't run this show, nor do I want to. It is what it is.