Should Literotica have a blog feature for authors?

[SimonDoom]

I realize the Literotica owners have a lot on their plate already and various Site changes and updates in the works, but I've wondered for a while if a Blog feature would be a good value-added feature for the site. It could be linked to the Author's visible page, and it would allow the author to post regularly about story ideas or story progress for the benefit of the author's followers and readers.

I know there are some Lit authors who already have such blogs on other platforms. I've thought about doing something like that, but my thing is, I'm extremely lazy when it comes to taking on new online or technological challenges. Unlike some, I have no erotic story activity on any other platform. But if Literotica had a blog feature, I'd probably use it. It seems to me it would be a useful feature from Lit's point of view as a way of keeping authors primarily anchored here, as opposed to somewhere else. Authors would benefit because they would know they'd have a better chance of reaching out to blog readers here than anywhere else, because of the higher amount of traffic this site gets.

I don't imagine setting it up would be that technologically difficult.

Does anyone else feel the same way?

 

[SimonDoom]

Would it have to be monitored, to conform to Lit's rules?

Good question. I suppose the site would want to pick someone to be the blog moderator, just in case, but I would think the need for moderation or regulation would be minimal. There might be some basic threshold rules/gatekeeping requirements, such as that to have a blog one must be an actual author, with a published story to one's name, and the blog should be about writing rather than about non-erotic writing topics, such as partisan politics.

 

[lovecraft68]

Would it have to be monitored, to conform to Lit's rules?

Most likely, and I imagine that would be the reason it wouldn't happen. Between stories, comments and private feedback, they're already screening enough, I can't see them wanting to take on more.

 

[Voboy]

I don't mind the idea, but when I was "only" a reader I would have had no interest in reading a blog from any of the writers I favored. So I guess I wonder what impact it would have on the casual reader, whom I have to believe make up the majority of the site.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

The first thing that comes to mind is people abusing the blog so that they can post their stuff without going through a pending stage or getting screened for violations.

One could do a blog as a chapter series in essays, a bit clunky but doable. Or start a thread in the appropriate forum, although folks could interrupt it with replies and the readership would be a lot lower.

Perhaps a subforum of this AH could be set up for blogs?

 

[MrPixel]

Perhaps a subforum of this AH could be set up for blogs?

I could go for that. Blogs are basically "thinking out loud", and some of us do that in the coffee klatch thread. I have a blog thread elsewhere that's been going on for about 10 years. It is quite satisfying to unburden myself of broken thought trains and get feedback to tune ideas.

 

[CiaoSteve]

If not on @Literotica (which sounds like a good idea but may be difficult to control) where else are people creating their blogs? I sort of use Twitter but that isn't really a blog and more of just snippets of stories promoting what's coming next?

 

[RejectReality]

I think LC has nailed it. It's a potentially massive moderation nightmare.

 

[lovecraft68]

Not trying to be rude, but are that many readers interested in writers talking about their process or upcoming ideas or random ramblings?

I've always seen blogging as a bit narcisistic, and I'd never have one, nor do I read any.

That's my opinion of course, but I've seen a lot of other people who have pretty much the same feelings.

 

[SimonDoom]

Not trying to be rude, but are that many readers interested in writers talking about their process or upcoming ideas or random ramblings?

I've always seen blogging as a bit narcisistic, and I'd never have one, nor do I read any.

Why do people post anything in social media? Yes, I'd agree there's an element of it that's narcissistic, or even exhibitionistic, but so what? There are people--many people, I think--who like having a venue publicly to express themselves online in one way or another. 50-something housewives start OnlyFans pages so they can show themselves off naked. Bless 'em, I say. I recognize an element of that in my writing here at Literotica. I'm revealing some very personal, and sometimes very odd, material about my fantasy life in a way that seems relatively safe, and over which I have a great deal of control. Blogging would be an extension of that. Obviously, it's not for everyone.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I actually think it's quite an interesting idea. Limitations can be easily implemented to prevent abuse and/or work overload. Say only authors with published story/stories can have the blog option, and they are allowed to post only once per day, to avoid moderation nightmare. Same rules should apply as for stories. It would make it possible for an author to reply sensibly to comment feedback and maybe to post about their plans for the story and so on. Time would only tell how useful readers would find it, but eh, it is worth a try in my opinion.

 

[BelleCanzuto]

Does anyone else feel the same way?

No.
Like a few others have written, it'd be more moderation work for Laurel and Manu. With no benefit for them.
You want to write a blog? You've got plenty of options, and you can always link back to your page here.

And count me among those who think that the author musing on their process, or updating about works in progress would be boring and of no added benefit to me as a reader.

 

[Voboy]

I actually think it's quite an interesting idea. Limitations can be easily implemented to prevent abuse and/or work overload. Say only authors with published story/stories can have the blog option, and they are allowed to post only once per day, to avoid moderation nightmare. Same rules should apply as for stories. It would make it possible for an author to reply sensibly to comment feedback and maybe to post about their plans for the story and so on. Time would only tell how useful readers would find it, but eh, it is worth a try in my opinion.

The ability to reply to comments already gives some of that functionality, though.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

The ability to reply to comments already gives some of that functionality, though.

I agree, but how many readers open a story they have already read just to check out my eventual reply to someone's comment. This way it would all be in one place, without a need to scroll through old stories and check them out for new comments.

 

[Voboy]

I agree, but how many readers open a story they have already read just to check out my eventual reply to someone's comment. This way it would all be in one place, without a need to scroll through old stories and check them out for new comments.

Yes. That's why I said "some" of that functionality.

I'm still unsure of the need for this, nor of how that might be evaluated. As it needs to be, before Laurel and Manu lay out the dosh.

 

[lovecraft68]

The ability to reply to comments already gives some of that functionality, though.

Not as much as it used to. In the past if "Joeyballsac" left a comment I could reply with the title "@Joeyballsac" now comments no longer have titles so its harder to see if an author is replying to someone, and to who.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I think LC has nailed it. It's a potentially massive moderation nightmare.

There is another site that has it, but they don't seem to moderate anything. The blog entries show up in the site's "feed," which is purely chronological - it is not divided into categories. Most of the entries are quite short, a few lines at most. It is useful I suppose to announce that a new story is up and also to make some further comments about it. I use it, but I can see that it might not work with Literotica's limitations.

The story feedback forum here is similar in some ways, but I haven't used it much recently.

 

[lovecraft68]

There is another site that has it, but they don't seem to moderate anything. The blog entries show up in the site's "feed," which is purely chronological - it is not divided into categories. Most of the entries are quite short, a few lines at most. It is useful I suppose to announce that a new story is up and also to make some further comments about it. I use it, but I can see that it might not work with Literotica's limitations.

The story feedback forum here is similar in some ways, but I haven't used it much recently.

There is also a thread here for new story announcements.

The issue is the people who come to the boards are a fraction of the traffic the site sees, so most readers aren't going to see it.

But as RR said, if you're following someone you will get a notification if the author updates a profile or publishes another story.

The key is the moderation. Lit's long past its 'free speech" model and is now scrutinizing everything (except the two worst forums on the site of course) and they're not going to chance someone blogging about how the site should allow stories where 14 year olds have sex or use them to spam or direct people off site. It would need moderation and they're a two person show, they're not taking more on.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I'd prefer to see any new developments being in the area of interactive and threaded story comments, with the question always, how would the site moderate content?

I'd have thought, if anyone wants to start a conversation on their writing process or self-musing, whatever, there are already enough forums where they can do that. Start a new thread and invite people to jump on board, or watch it die, depending on interest.

Or pop your musing into a 750 word blurb in your story file - is there much difference between that and a blog post? Although, an added burden for Laurel.

 

[RejectReality]

I'd prefer to see any new developments being in the area of interactive and threaded story comments, with the question always, how would the site moderate content?

I'd have thought, if anyone wants to start a conversation on their writing process or self-musing, whatever, there are already enough forums where they can do that. Start a new thread and invite people to jump on board, or watch it die, depending on interest.

Or pop your musing into a 750 word blurb in your story file - is there much difference between that and a blog post? Although, an added burden for Laurel.

Threaded story comments are already in development. Manu brought that up a while back.

Comments are 100% visitor participation. Author blogs would present more as something site sanctioned, as it's coming from the content providers. In reality, there's little difference. Perception is another matter.

 

[ofbuttons]

I really like the idea of a little subforum for writing blog type threads. As much as we can kind of just yell our thoughts into whatever forum is suitable, usually you do so with specific intent and purpose - asking a question or starting a particular conversation, rather than just updating the abyss about what's going on with you and your writing. More contained and focused narcissism please, lol. But I'd genuinely enjoy reading other authors' thoughts and process ponderings and would enjoy writing the same, for whoever was curious.

It would need some buy in, and I'm not sure if there's a hunger for it, but I'd like to see it if there was.

 

[Alitaptap]

I think this is a fantastic idea, and is quite on the pulse regarding what readers want nowadays. Substack was founded on this idea and has gained huge readership.

It’s based on the premise that readers now want a more intimate relationship with the authors they like - and publishers are seeing that a more direct relationship between authors and readers actually maintains numbers and grows them. Because of the blurring of the offline/online lives of most, many readers no longer separate the art from the artist, which may be both good and bad, but is the way it is now. So that’s why Pulitzer Prize winning authors, journalists, and new writers have joined.

I’m not affiliated with Substack in any way, but I do follow the authors that I love there, and it’s fun to see their daily musings about life. It gives new color to their work in retrospect and opens my mind to new ideas as well.

The thing is, it is a newsletter/micro-blogging aggregation which is not edited - so I’m not sure how open Laurel/Manu would be about not vetting the writings of authors here. But if they did grow this site into that, I think it would pave the way to even higher numbers for them, so it may be something they’d consider. Plus there’s already a model like Substack which has anonymous writers which they do not edit, so it may be something they may like to think about. I’d definitely be onboard, whether to read/write/both if ever they did.

 

[Phantom300]

A couple of authors I follow have a blog for their thoughts/processes on stories. I've skimmed once or twice. Not something I would go out of my way to do, but if it was just here and built in, I might

 

[Duleigh]

Not trying to be rude, but are that many readers interested in writers talking about their process or upcoming ideas or random ramblings?

I've always seen blogging as a bit narcisistic, and I'd never have one, nor do I read any.

That's my opinion of course, but I've seen a lot of other people who have pretty much the same feelings.

A Blog would open up another channel of communication between authors and readers, so just for that idea I'm all for it.

 

[BelleCanzuto]

It’s based on the premise that readers now want a more intimate relationship with the authors they like

Maybe it's because of my age, or (more likely, I think) my personality, but "a more intimate relationship" with authors doesn't appeal to me at all.
I just want to read (or watch, or listen to) the end product, when the artist thinks it's ready for public consumption, and enjoy the story or whatever as its own thing.