So what gets the punters in?

[where]

My latest story went 'live' this morning and already it has more votes and almost as many views as one which went up just over a month ago.

What is it? Title? admittedly my last to one title did suck

Maybe it's the subject matter?

I don't think the writing is that different in terms of quality or erotic content.

Any thoughts?

 

[MisterSir]

Selling your soul? I know it worked for Home Alone.

But, to be a fraction more serious than normal, people who post on Internet message boards that aren't dedicated to subjects like string theory are a bad-tempered, volatile and fickle bunch (although the thought of Stephen Hawking using his free time away from being the world's most intelligent man to troll a quantum mechanics board makes me smile). Trying to get them to read a particular story over any of the bajillion others is akin to herding cats - unless you manage to capture some ethereal quality, what the French refer to as a je ne sais quoi, it's all down to the vagaries of chance.

tc;dr* summary: Luck and magic.

* [too complicated;didn't read]

 

[where]

Selling your soul? I know it worked for Home Alone.

But, to be a fraction more serious than normal, people who post on Internet message boards that aren't dedicated to subjects like string theory are a bad-tempered, volatile and fickle bunch (although the thought of Stephen Hawking using his free time away from being the world's most intelligent man to troll a quantum mechanics board makes me smile). Trying to get them to read a particular story over any of the bajillion others is akin to herding cats - unless you manage to capture some ethereal quality, what the French refer to as a je ne sais quoi, it's all down to the vagaries of chance.

tc;dr* summary: Luck and magic.

* [too complicated;didn't read]

I just find it a bit baffling. I have one story called SCI which has bombed. People really hate it and the tag and title give very little away and are, to be honest a bit rubbish (I have a lot of difficulty with taglines and titles), yet it has way more views that the older story, 'The Screen' which is one of my more successful stories.

I know read counts and votes are kind of meaningless as to quantifying quality, but I would really like to know what makes someone hit on a particular story, even if they don't vote or finish reading it.

 

[where]

I should say, that beyond giving a link in the new stories thread I don't otherwise hawk them about

 

[driphoney]

I think your taglines and your 'advert' matter a great deal. I'm terrible at it and still figuring it out. Of course, you can mis-sell a story to the wrong crowd and really get hammered when your story doesn't live up to their expectations. For one of my chapters I had a humorous (at least to me) discriptive line, but as I sat pondering it I realized it would pull in all the wrong readers and they would be so ticked off with me and vote with their fingers, so I put in a very dull explanation, yet discriptive to those who just might be following the story. It drew half the readers of the previous chapter, but I got higher votes on average and it even sat on the Top List for a while. The next chapter I used the word 'naughty' which pulled in a lot more readers (more than double the previous ch.) and it was chapter four! It was terrible and funny at the same time to watch all my numbers on all my chapters rollercoaster and then sink for the three days following! I'm sure the description pulled them in, the fact that the chapter had angry not-so-nice-sex probably made for the rollercoaster. It was very out-of-character for the flavor of the story. However; I got great feedback on it from those looking for some drama! And I'm going with them, the story needed some drama.

Wait 'til you write a character doing something readers don't like, yet can't get enough of, and they yell at you and vote you a zero because of character actions! In my case it was a fairly fair assessment, but I've seen other stories wonderfully done where this has happened and it's so unfair to the author.

As for what gets them in? Very descriptive naughty words. There's a How To that covers this, but I forget its title. If you write consistantly and well, you'll develop a fan base and you're golden almost within minutes of posting! (A novel concept, huh?) I have a writer buddy here who climbs to the top of the Top List within hours of posting, but she's a very good writer, readers know her stuff and if they don't like it, they don't even read it, and she has an informed fan base that she alerts. All that takes effort, time and TALENT!

May we all here get so comfortable with posting, comments and feedback that we, too, like the old-timers here, don't even have interest in this type of thread. Ahhh ... the blessing of maturity!

 

[where]

I think your taglines and your 'advert' matter a great deal. I'm terrible at it and still figuring it out. Of course, you can mis-sell a story to the wrong crowd and really get hammered when your story doesn't live up to their expectations. For one of my chapters I had a humorous (at least to me) discriptive line, but as I sat pondering it I realized it would pull in all the wrong readers and they would be so ticked off with me and vote with their fingers, so I put in a very dull explaination, yet discriptive to those who just might be following the story. It drew half the readers of the previous chapter, but I got higher votes on average and it even sat on the Top List for a while. The next chapter I used the word 'naughty' which pulled in a lot more readers (more than double the previous ch.) and it was chapter four! It was terrible and funny at the same time to watch all my numbers on all my chapters rollercoaster and then sink for the three days following! I'm sure the description pulled them in, the fact that the chapter had angry not-so-nice-sex probably made for the rollercoaster. It was very out-of-character for the flavor of the story. However; I got great feedback on it from those looking for some drama! And I'm going with them, the story needed some drama.

Wait 'til you write a character doing something readers don't like, yet can't get enough of, and they yell at you and vote you a zero because of character actions! In my case it was a fairly fair assessment, but I've seen other stories wonderfully done where this has happened and it's so unfair to the author.

May we all here get so comfortable with posting, comments and feedback that we, too, like the old-timers here, don't even have interest in this type of thread. Ahhh ... the blessing of maturity!

do you post in the loving wives section? I swear, I will never ever write a loving wives story. I couldn't take the abuse

 

[driphoney]

do you post in the loving wives section? I swear, I will never ever write a loving wives story. I couldn't take the abuse

I've heard it's rough in those seas! I can't see myself ever writing in that catagory, but you should never say never ... next thing you know ...

I'm still pretty green as far as writing and posting are concerned.

 

[where]

I've heard it's rough in those seas! I can't see myself ever writing in that catagory, but you should never say never ... next thing you know ...

I'm still pretty green as far as writing and posting are concerned.

heh... well I just looked and it's bombing!

Masses of votes though! Must be doing something right... or badly wrong!

 

[IsabellaKing]

Title.

I've just skimmed down one page in the Erotic Couplings category and nothing caught my eye, but I'm sure there were some good stories there.

Going to read yours now...

 

[where]

Title.

I've just skimmed down one page in the Erotic Couplings category and nothing caught my eye, but I'm sure there were some good stories there.

Going to read yours now...

meh...

 

[driphoney]

heh... well I just looked and it's bombing!

Masses of votes though! Must be doing something right... or badly wrong!

I've never read anything in that catagory, but don't you think that people just feel guilty for liking that type of story? I mean, what is the psychology that attracts readers to Loving Wives? Do singles read Loving Wives?

 

[where]

I've never read anything in that catagory, but don't you think that people just feel guilty for liking that type of story? I mean, what is the psychology that attracts readers to Loving Wives? Do singles read Loving Wives?

I've read a couple of things, but the comments are the best bit really. It's like some people can't see that it's fiction and get very very worked up about it. It must be the most contentious category, I think.

I prefer group and erotic couplings

 

[driphoney]

Title.

I've just skimmed down one page in the Erotic Couplings category and nothing caught my eye, but I'm sure there were some good stories there.

Going to read yours now...

That's a good point, too. I overlooked Checkout on Erotic Couplings for ages because I assumed it was a just another popular guy viewpoint stroker about a guy going/getting done in the back of a grocery store or something.("I loved to get my beer at the local Stop n Shop because Becky, who is 5'5" with 42DDD cups and red hair is there when I get off work, yadda, yadda...") I couldn't have been more wrong! It was a wonderful story and well deserving of its placement at the top of the Top List.

Oh, and short strokers have their place, BTW! (wrote one myself! )

 

[evanslily]

I can offer another explanation.

The day of the week it posted. Now, it may be that your last story also went up on a Friday, but I bet it didn't.

Stories that post on a Monday or Tuesday don't get as many hits as those that post on a Thursday or Friday, unless your stories/author name are well-known and people are looking out for your new stuff.

Plus stories fare better or worse depending on the category. Loving Wives and Incest/Taboo get quite a few hits. Romance stories/Erotic Couplings float about in the middle somewhere. Graveyard categories - Novels and Novellas (unless you've got a bit of a following) and Letters and Transcripts...

 

[driphoney]

I can offer another explanation.

The day of the week it posted. Now, it may be that your last story also went up on a Friday, but I bet it didn't.

Stories that post on a Monday or Tuesday don't get as many hits as those that post on a Thursday or Friday, unless your stories/author name are well-known and people are looking out for your new stuff.

Plus stories fare better or worse depending on the category. Loving Wives and Incest/Taboo get quite a few hits. Romance stories/Erotic Couplings float about in the middle somewhere. Graveyard categories - Novels and Novellas (unless you've got a bit of a following) and Letters and Transcripts...

Thanks. I've wanted to know this. It seems that -- before I became a full-time computer addicted bum -- timing worked out for me to submit on Thursday evenings, that makes for a Sunday night release and Monday readers. After three days, no matter what, the numbers fall waaaay off.

 

[where]

I can offer another explanation.

The day of the week it posted. Now, it may be that your last story also went up on a Friday, but I bet it didn't.

Stories that post on a Monday or Tuesday don't get as many hits as those that post on a Thursday or Friday, unless your stories/author name are well-known and people are looking out for your new stuff.

Plus stories fare better or worse depending on the category. Loving Wives and Incest/Taboo get quite a few hits. Romance stories/Erotic Couplings float about in the middle somewhere. Graveyard categories - Novels and Novellas (unless you've got a bit of a following) and Letters and Transcripts...

but this one has had more hits and votes in one day than the other has had in a month!

I think you right about categories though. I keep mine pretty vanilla. Even whrn my group one was placed in BDSM I requested it be moved back to where I put it, in group.

 

[evanslily]

Thanks. I've wanted to know this. It seems that -- before I became a full-time computer addicted bum -- timing worked out for me to submit on Thursday evenings, that makes for a Sunday night release and Monday readers. After three days, no matter what, the numbers fall waaaay off.

The thing is, I think most people read stories from the New Stories page. So if you're not on the first page or two of that, you're not going to get read as much. And not as many people read stories on a Monday anyway, so if that's when your story first appears, it won't be off to the best of starts...

As I'm sure you know, by the time your story's been out a few days, you're buried on page 4 or 5. I get nearly all of my votes and comments in the first 2 days, and then it tails off dramatically.

Keep writing, that's the best advice I can give for drawing in the punters (punters, like it, LOL ) It has a couple of effects.

(1) You get better at writing the more you do, so your stories get better and people like them more

(2) People start recognising your name, so start looking for things written by you.

But if nothing else, just make sure you're having fun with it all. And unless you have a very very thick skin, LOL, stay well away from Loving Wives...

 

[driphoney]

The thing is, I think most people read stories from the New Stories page. So if you're not on the first page or two of that, you're not going to get read as much. And not as many people read stories on a Monday anyway, so if that's when your story first appears, it won't be off to the best of starts...

As I'm sure you know, by the time your story's been out a few days, you're buried on page 4 or 5. I get nearly all of my votes and comments in the first 2 days, and then it tails off dramatically.

Keep writing, that's the best advice I can give for drawing in the punters (punters, like it, LOL ) It has a couple of effects.

(1) You get better at writing the more you do, so your stories get better and people like them more

(2) People start recognising your name, so start looking for things written by you.

But if nothing else, just make sure you're having fun with it all. And unless you have a very very thick skin, LOL, stay well away from Loving Wives...

I agree. I never realized how that New Stories page(s) is THE place where all the action is! All the years I hung out as a reader, I never once went there! I've never made it through all the 'old stuff'!

I decided to post my story chapter by chapter and, in the end, I'm soooo glad I did. With every new chapter (except the 'angry' one) it's attracted new readers, or at least, new comments. The overall readers are down, but the voting (if not ratings )and comments are up. I'll take that any day.

 

[where]

The thing is, I think most people read stories from the New Stories page. So if you're not on the first page or two of that, you're not going to get read as much. And not as many people read stories on a Monday anyway, so if that's when your story first appears, it won't be off to the best of starts...

As I'm sure you know, by the time your story's been out a few days, you're buried on page 4 or 5. I get nearly all of my votes and comments in the first 2 days, and then it tails off dramatically.

Keep writing, that's the best advice I can give for drawing in the punters (punters, like it, LOL ) It has a couple of effects.

(1) You get better at writing the more you do, so your stories get better and people like them more

(2) People start recognising your name, so start looking for things written by you.

But if nothing else, just make sure you're having fun with it all. And unless you have a very very thick skin, LOL, stay well away from Loving Wives...

I'm going to write a loving wives story. I am!

 

[Recidiva]

My nonconsent got a ton more views than my romance, if that's of any help.

I think it has to do with category and opening day.

 

[evanslily]

I'm going to write a loving wives story. I am!

Yay! Go for it.

 

[where]

My nonconsent got a ton more views than my romance, if that's of any help.

I think it has to do with category and opening day.

ok... I'll bear that in mind... it may explain the odd ratings...

 

[driphoney]

I'm going to write a loving wives story. I am!

If you do, how do you want us to comment/vote? Do you want to see what vitriole we can project, you know, test us as writers? Or do you want a counter-revolution of gushing and praise?

We can accomodate, I'm sure.

 

[where]

If you do, how do you want us to comment/vote? Do you want to see what vitriole we can project, you know, test us as writers? Or do you want a counter-revolution of gushing and praise?

We can accomodate, I'm sure.

vitriolic acid please! Then it's an exercise for both sides.

 

[driphoney]

vitriolic acid please! Then it's an exercise for both sides.

I will do my best! As I'm sure you will!