So many readers so few votes

[Sea_Warrior]

I have posted 10 chapters of my story so far. I have written many more. I wonder if other authors have also been dissapointed with how few people actually vote compared to those who read them. It may seem like a small thing but I actually find the comments and feedback help me to become a better writer. I just wish more readers would take the time to vote. Thanks Sea Warrior

 

[*Catbabe*]

I am sure every author at Lit has had those very same feelings you just expressed. After awhile, you get used to the fact that very few readers actually vote. It is just a fact of life here.

If you want more feedback you can post a link to your story here or you can submit your story to the story discussion circle. Also, some categories result in more reads and more votes than others. For example, if you write an incest story you will have way more reads and votes than if you write a romance story.

I hope you enjoy your time at Lit.

Cat

 

[Maggie Erin]

Writer's view about Voting and Feedback

I have been reading many stories posted in Literotica, those about Lesbian love, as an unregistered guest for some time, and at first I read a story and not take the second to cast my Vote regarding how I felt about it, numbering 1 - 5.

However, being a writer/poet myself who has been published, I know how valuable feedback is regarding what one writes and the time and effort that goes into writing the story or poem, editing it, re-writing it, always being driven by the thought you can make it a better story than it is if you only changed "this" or made your writing tighter--less verbose--especially, if one is as Obsessive Compulsive as I am. If so, one will never be satisfied with what she/he has written. Yet, there comes the time when one must sit back and with a well-earned sigh of relief say, "It is finished."

A writer should write for herself/himself, and if she/he comes to the point of having that "gut feeling" that the words she/he has put down on blank sheets of paper--or on a monitor screen--is self-satisfying and self-fulfilling, then that is the time to stop, allowing readers to make their own subjective choice of whether they like what one has written or not. It all goes back to the saying, "You can't please everyone," and this is so true in writing.

Knowing this need for myself in my writing, I began to click my vote with a number I thought the story warranted based on purely subjective factors about which I will not go into at this time.

Since then I have just become a "new" member of Literotica that offers so much to its members, making it a wonderful Website for readers and writers alike.

Before becoming a member, I did send several written replies to one writer in the Lesbian genre whose stories were obviously a turn-on for me and well-written as well. The author is Colleen Thomas who I saw last night, being able to cast my vote, is in first place as "The Most Influential Writer of the Year 2003," garnering 35.34% of those votes cast to date. I, of course, was delighted to see this and hope she continues in the lead and is designated as such.

Being a lesbian, of course, leads me to read specifically in that genre, but I am sure there are many other good writers who have written good stories in other subjects, too.

I would personally, therefore, ask readers to take the second to click a number, showing the writer how she/he liked the story and possibly giving feedback for reasons why one liked a particular story, knowing again all this is purely subjective on the part of each reader.

I intend to submit some stories and poems that hopefully might be accepted to be posted, and if so, hoping I will receive votes and possibly comments about them as guides to my stories and style of writing.

Best of luck to all those who have their stories posted in each of the genres, past, present, and future.

Maggie Erin

 

[KWG]

feedback

As a devotee of this web site, I always make it a point to vote and comment generously on the stories I read and like, and urge others to do so as well. Without the imagination or skill to craft a good story myself, I have great admiration for those who can.

My particular interest is lesbian erotica written by women, and I'm a big fan of the afore-mentioned Colleen Thomas. But it seems I'm discovering delightful new writers here everyday. I'm thankful to all of them for sharing their gifts.

I wish I had the time to read all the submissions on this site. There is no doubt plenty of thoughtful, well-written erotica I'll never get the chance to see.

To all of you creative and talented people, let me again offer one humble reader's thanks. And good luck to you, Maggie Erin, I look forward to your offerings.

 

[Maggie Erin]

Taking Time to Vote

Hi, KWG,

Considering we are both new to "Literotica," we "Virgins" who are lesbians ought to stick together, or is that lick together? I guess its all in the tongue and how it is used.

Either way as a "newbie" who has had a few very nice welcomes to this site, I send out my welcome to you, KWG, and hope you enjoy the site as much as I have been, but I am still walking in the wilderness as I try to figure out how to get around it as effectively as possible.

Yes, feedback for a writer is certainly a good yardstick with which to measure what others think of a writer's story, and, if they so choose, even send a personal email that allows one to be more specific in sharing what thoughts she/he has regarding the story. At least, I find it so.

I have been visiting back East but return to So. California tomorrow where I have my writings on disks, some of which I am going to submit, hoping they will be accepted to be included with all the other writer's stories and poems. Of course, I think it is clear to you as to any who read this what genre' my writings will come/cum under: Lesbian.

So, KWB, a warm welcome to ya again to be sure, and isn't St. Patrick's Day (17 March) just around da corner? Maybe I'll write a poem or story where my characters meet in a pub on this day that is more than a wee bit special to us Irish. The pints o' "Guinness" Stout draught will surely be poured by the millions tat dahy. 'Tis a day kept alive in the hearts of a Irish.

Maggie Erin

____________________________________________________
Quote: "A writer's joy of writing is in 'having written.'"

Maggie Erin

 

[KWG]

Ms Maggie,

Thanks for the warm welcome, sweet lady! And Erin Go Braugh!

Yes, Wearin' 'o the Green Day is fast approaching, but I shan't be imbibing. Jane Barleycorn and I are no longer on friendly terms. So sad, me being a Gallagher and all...

But I like your pub story idea. Perhaps one of your characters could be a pretty young lass (named Karen, maybe?) who, as a novice drinker, has a bit too much to drink, leaving her to the tender mercies of a captivating stranger. Ah, the possibilities...

Cheers!

 

[Lou Nuttick]

Here's a response and a question from a reader and (as yet) non-author.

Often, by the time I get to the third paragraph, I find that the story I've opened is not one that I want to continue reading. If I were to vote on these stories, I'd probably give them ones, since I obviously didn't enjoy them enough to even read them to the end. Instead, I click on the back button without voting.

In a way, this skews the voting results, to the disadvantage of the stories I did read, because a great many of the stories I've opened would have much lower scores, and the stories that I did finish would be ranked relatively higher.

My question to authors, then, is this: would you prefer a low score for a story I've preferred not to read through (for whatever reason), or no vote at all?


Crazy Lou

 

[minsue]

Here's a response and a question from a reader and (as yet) non-author.

Often, by the time I get to the third paragraph, I find that the story I've opened is not one that I want to continue reading. If I were to vote on these stories, I'd probably give them ones, since I obviously didn't enjoy them enough to even read them to the end. Instead, I click on the back button without voting.

In a way, this skews the voting results, to the disadvantage of the stories I did read, because a great many of the stories I've opened would have much lower scores, and the stories that I did finish would be ranked relatively higher.

My question to authors, then, is this: would you prefer a low score for a story I've preferred not to read through (for whatever reason), or no vote at all?


Crazy Lou

I've often wondered that myself. I posted a poll on the AH with your question. I hope you don't mind.

To Vote or Not to Vote

- Mindy

 

[Syndra Lynn]

Absolutely!

Here is a HOT little story:

My Dear Sweet Fuck Toy

I have had over 900 views and only 4 votes!

Now, is it bad writing? Or do most folks just not vote?

Read and let me know what you think!

Syn

 

[minsue]

Re: Absolutely!

Here is a HOT little story:

My Dear Sweet Fuck Toy

I have had over 900 views and only 4 votes!

Now, is it bad writing? Or do most folks just not vote?

Read and let me know what you think!

Syn

Most folks don't vote and a lot of the views are from people who didn't even read it. All it takes is for someone to click on the story and, personally, I click on a lot more stories than I read. It's not bad writing. I'm not a fan of first & second person POV, but that's a personal preference and it's certainly appropriate in the Letters category. The only thing I didn't care for was the 'fukulater' at the end.

Welcome to Lit!

- Mindy

 

[Syndra Lynn]

Re: Re: Absolutely!

Thanks for the feedback! I too, click on more than I read. But when I read, I vote good or bad.

I appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks,

Syn

 

[mismused]

Re: Absolutely!

Here is a HOT little story:

My Dear Sweet Fuck Toy

I have had over 900 views and only 4 votes!

Now, is it bad writing? Or do most folks just not vote?

Read and let me know what you think!

Syn

=============================

Syndra,

at the risk of my subjecting my anonymity to scrutiny, I have been interested in voting because I am new to writing stories on Lit (or anywhere else), and wanted to try to find out what is normal, or average. I got some pretty good feedback on that (there is none, I guess).

To not be just a taker, I read your story, Dear Sweet Fuck Toy, and found the writing good, very good, in fact, but the story totally out of my interest.

That's not to say your story wasn't good, but how could I rate a story that is not of interest to me, though the writing ability is? That puzzles me, so I just vote when it is of sufficient interest to me, and I can vote it at least a 3. I can easily say something nice if I like some part of it, but I'm really no critic, so I prefer to say nothing, as well as not vote.

Just a point of view for your consideration. Thanks,

m

 

[MaxSebastian]

Syn, I fear you have hijacked poor old Sea Warrioir's thread here. My thoughts on your story are these: You've written a very short piece, with no dialogue and little plot or characterisation, which might explain the lack of votes. Readers like to get into a story - they like characters they can identify with, they like a bit of suspense to get them going, a bit of plot to build up to some wild passion.

Also, you've written in the second person - from the point of a narrator writing to someone ("you"). As a reader, it makes me feel like I shouldn't be reading this, it's written for someone else.

So not my cup of tea, I abstain from voting. I'm sure if I was going out with a girl, and she sent me a little note expressing her desire, it would get me going. But I'm not, and this one didn't. That's just my honest opinion, but it might explain the lack of votes from others. Steer clear of writing in the second person!

As for Sea Warrior's problem: I think any writer here will have to accept that they're going to get far fewer votes than the number of people viewing their story. And far fewer votes than perhaps they would want.

Move on, people. Write more stories, build up your name recognition with people. Build up a "readership" of people who might like your stories. If you have more stories on your list, people who happen on one that you've put up might want to see others you've read - more stories, more votes, more feedback. It's the Circle of Lit.

Even when you're an established writer, you'll have fewer votes than views. For my stories, even the "popular" ones, you can take the number of views, divide it by a hundred and that's roughly the number of votes.

But would it make me happier if I could get more votes than that? Not really. How do votes really help me as a writer? Some of the best-voted stories on this website are only best-voted because they are written about six priests banging their mother. Not because they are particularly well-written.

You'll help yourself far more as a writer by coming onto the Lit Forum and asking people for their advice on how to improve and for their feedback on your stories.

Open your eyes: Getting six dozen more votes on your piece is going to do diddly-squat for you as a writer. A number does not go into the reasons why.



Max

 

[Lou Nuttick]

Syndra,

Normally, if I see that the story is written in the second person, I back out immediately. The second person perspective rarely works for erotica, as has been mentioned before.

When you write it, you know the person you are writing to, and so it will seem fine. The reader, however, knows neither you nor "you" (the "you" to whom the story is written), and usually can't readily identify with either. One of the few exceptions is the form you've taken in this story, that of a letter. This is usually a little more accessible to the reader, though still less so than the other types of perspective.

There's still another problem with the second person perspective, even with the letter form. Because the "I" and the "you" know each other, there's a lot of shared history between them that doesn't need to be spoken (or written). Mentioning it will make the story seem artificial, but not mentioning it will often leave the reader unaware of important story points. It takes a skilled author to reconcile this into a smoothly flowing story.

As for your story specifically, the third paragraph confirmed that it would be about a masturbation session, which does not interest me, either as a story or as stroke material, so if I'd opened it while looking for something to read, I'd have backed out at that point. I wouldn't normally leave any feedback, since I'd assume that an author wouldn't appreciate messages from hundreds of viewers telling them that they didn't care for the subject matter.

For this exercise, I did read it through. It is well-written and well-edited, which makes it a nice exception to the norm here. There isn't much of a story, though. No plot to attract a reader's interest, and no characterization to hold it. In the end, it's another "insert tab a into slot b" vignette, which, for me at least, makes it tedious to read and unmemorable.

I hope this doesn't come across as too harsh; I meant it to be constructive.

-Lou

 

[Syndra Lynn]

Thanks and aplologies

Sea Warrior,
I apologize if I hijacked your thread. That was certainly NOT my intent and I will make it up to you by attempting to find your story to read and vote. Need to put a link to it in your post!
And to Mismused, Max Sebastian, and Lou Nuttick, thanks very much for the feedback! That is truly constructive criticism at its best. This is the information I was seeking and appreciate you taking the time to respond.

I must go find Sea Warrior's story and post a link for him.

Bright Blessings to you all!

Syn

 

[Syndra Lynn]

Sea_Warrior Here!

Let's all go check this out for Sea_Warrior

And remember to vote!

Syn

 

[Syndra Lynn]

Re: Here's a response and a question from a reader and (as yet) non-author.

Lou Nuttick and Mismused both made great points that are just becoming clear to me. Votes and comments don't help a lick if they come from the uneducated or disinterested.

This morning I got this comment: Yeah I saw your comment on the Boards, read the story and voted. It's not my cup of tea. I hate stories where people tell me what I think or what I am doing. Who the fuck says I would do it with you anyway? Maybe thats why votes and feedback is slow. Its boring.

She included a name which I will withold.

I guess, as a writer, I want feedback from people who know how to conjugate verbs.

So now I understand WHY so many readers and so few votes.
1) It just works that way and
2) It's really for the best

Thanks all!

Syn

 

[Honey123]

I have written a few stories in a short time. I also noted that there are many readers and not many votes. I asked a friend of mine who introduced me to Literotica and he told me that he reads the stories and never votes. I asked why and he basically told me because he "just didn't want to".

I think readers are just out there to have fun. They want to read these stories, get exicted, perhaps a bit horny and then...poof, they're gone!

I always check back at my stories to see the voting or rating results and am quite surprised how many will read them and how many times the rates will fluctuate. But then I think to myself that I write these stories or fantasizies because I enjoy them and who is the better critic then yourself.

 

[DVS]

Just in case you didn't know...
Voting is a bit misleading, here at Lit. If you didn't already know, it is kind of skewed.

One would think a 5 is the exact opposite of a 1, but that really isn't true. And one would also think that a 3 is more or less voting middle of the scale, but that isn't true, either.

In fact, if someone votes a 5, that is great. If someone votes a 4, that is also OK. But, if someone votes a 1, that will wipe out the previous 5 and 4 that were there, before.

And, to make matters worse, it will take many more 5s and 4s to replace what a single 1 vote does to the vote rating. Actually, even a 3 vote will lower a rating of a story more than you think it would.

Don't ask me why, but that's how it is. If you don't believe me, do a search for posts about voting and check out the comments for yourself. There is a system to it, but the system can be easily misused by those who wish to.

Oh, it wasn't intended to be that way, it's just evolved, so there are people out there set against voting because of this.

Personally, I usually don't even vote for a story that I don't care for. Now, if it's truely bad grammar or punctuation, I might, but not for content itself.

The way I look at it is this...there are so many varied sexual tastes out there that how am I to be the one to judge if that is a good story for someone else? Sure, I might hate it, but do I have the right to kill its rating if lots of others felt differently?

And, if someone was to vote a 1 after reading only a couple paragraphs of one of my stories, I don't think they gave the story enough of a chance to even vote.

Some will click on a atory because of the red H beside the name. But, when they read the story, and don't like it, they don't feel it deserves the H rating and will vote a 1.

Some people go around voting 1s for the stories they don't like, without even reading the stories. Is that fair? Hell no! But, I know things like that happen. There are people who get their kicks from that.

Some people go around voting 1s on highly rated stories for some selfish reason or another, just because they can. Voting is anonymous, so you get all kinds of crazy things happening.

Someone else was correct to mention your view rating will go up when someone just views your story, for only an instant. They don't have to read a word of it.

I know some will like the title, but when they get to the story itself, they might not want to read it for whatever reason and click off of it.

It's very normal for the view rating to be far above your vote rating. You just need to keep writing and you will get a following. Then, your vote rating might start jumping, too.

Just don't wish too much for votes. The kind of votes you get might not be what you want.

As for feedback, it's great. All kinds are great. I even like feedback that blasts my story as crap. In fact, I've even received feedback written to the story character, telling her to get away from the male character of the story, because he's not good for her.

I've received feedback that is obviously from a woman who liked my story. They are usually short and to the point of what they want to say. But, sometimes, they add a bit of humor.

One said she had to wipe the steam from her monitor before she could type the feedback. I liked that one. She didn't tell me much about why she liked the story, but I could tell she liked it.

Sure, you want to read constructive feedback, but you don't always get that. Readers are out there looking for stories to read. They don't want to be your critic.

So, voting is good, when it's used correctly. Feedback is good, when you understand why the reader sent it. And, keep in mind that behind these who vote and send feedback, there are many more who felt the same way. They just didn't take that step to do so.

Keep on writing. They are out there, and they will read.

 

[Honey123]

DVS - you're absolutely correct and so to the point. I agree with you totally. As writers on the Lit we tend to understand the voting aspect and make sure we rate a story that we read in it's FULL capacity. I read these stories to learn and enjoy the minds of other writers. Most "readers" will look at a story and skim to the sex -- and I believe it those readers that never vote.

I have had negative feedback and take it in stride. I have gotten to someone whether it's good or bad -- they read, they felt it and they needed to let me know their thoughts. Isn't this why we write?

 

[mismused]

Ref: DVS post, and others

I was going to address something that I just discovered may be happening with the voting process.

Being a new author here, I was fairly ignorant of the process of getting my story in. After some questions here and on the Editor Forum, I felt brave enough to try, and afterward felt very rewarded, validated, or whatever someone may think to call it.

My story (novel) was initially very well received by the readers, and has maintained a decent group (at least for me) of readers who have appreciated the new chapters I kept posting.

When I ran into what I perceived as some problems with the voting, well, to be honest, it hurt a bit. Then I thought of the comments, and the e mails I got, and that is getting me over what may or may not be a problem.

In short, I loved it when the readers loved what I wrote. I thought is was a good story when I finished it, and wondered if others might feel the same. It was as uplifting an experience as I've ever had with the outside world.

Ergo, I will continue to post the rest of my story in appreciation of those faithful readers who have let me know that they've enjoyed my work.

And that's it: I'm discovering that I APPRECIATE THE READERS. Many have been anonymous, and I have no way of letting them know how happy they've made this new author, so to heck with the voting that may or may not be as it should be, I'm grateful for those I know like what I wrote.

With apologies for the long missive, I remain gratefully,

mismused

P.S. Thanks for this thread that let me have a forum to say this.

 

[juanjsojr]

storys and voting and views

you people are right more people read the story and not that many vote I always vote on storys if I like it or I don't like it once you put a story in the icest section I can't change it righ to another place

 

[juanjsojr]

comments

I didn't like how I got two bad public comm but I got many good responds if anyone who hates gay story then don't write any bad comm on my story I only want good responds

 

[Lying Eyes]

I started a similar thread on the Authors hangout asking how many votes did other authors work get. Seems so few votes compared to views is normal.

I also rarely vote. If I won't give a story a 5 then I refuse to vote at all. Their are stories I do not like but I feel like I should not give them a 1, 2 or 3 becuase who am I to judge their work? I'm not Charles Dickens. And anyway while the story might not suit me I am sure that it fits well with other readers. I dont want to give an author a negative opinion by giving his/her story a poor score. I would rather email them privately with constructive criticism.

Now feedback that is what is really important. I didn't realize by how much untill I recieved feedback for my first story. One hundred people all voting 5's does not compare to a dozen people taking the time to email you to tell you how much they love your work.

 

[mismused]

I started a similar thread on the Authors hangout asking how many votes did other authors work get. Seems so few votes compared to views is normal.

I also rarely vote. If I won't give a story a 5 then I refuse to vote at all. Their are stories I do not like but I feel like I should not give them a 1, 2 or 3 becuase who am I to judge their work? I'm not Charles Dickens. And anyway while the story might not suit me I am sure that it fits well with other readers. I dont want to give an author a negative opinion by giving his/her story a poor score. I would rather email them privately with constructive criticism.

Now feedback that is what is really important. I didn't realize by how much untill I recieved feedback for my first story. One hundred people all voting 5's does not compare to a dozen people taking the time to email you to tell you how much they love your work.

===========================

I agree so much with much of what you have said, especially about the e mail. I have received some very wonderful e mails, two in the last two days in fact, that have moved me greatly. I had to respond to them immediately, and was very grateful that they weren't anonymous so I could let them know how appreciative I was at their kind words.

I do care about the votes, but that's an ego thing, and no one vote moved me such as the comments and e mails. That is a spectacular feeling, especially for someone who had never had a story presented to the public before. When my story is completely in the hands of Lit (three more chapters), I will be totally lost for what to do, the readers have made me feel such a need to continue to feed them (and me). It's kind of like a submissive/master-mistress thingy.

mismused