Stupid Newbie Questions

[floweringquince]

...that I didn't see in the FAQ.

I submitted a story and it was posted on 1/29. I then pulled the price tag off my brand new Author's hat, and rushed right over here to settle mixed-metaphorically in on my Author's laurels


But since, then, many questions have arisen (the latest, if least salient, being whether I should capitalize "author" in this context

- My story's rating started off at about 3.4-something with 15-20 votes. As more votes have come in, it seems to be rising; and is at about 3.78 with 69 votes right now.
Is this normal?
Is this usual?
Can I count on my story being read by a ever-greater percentage of people looking for just its sort of thing; rather than folks just reading their way through the new post or whatever; until it finally settles out at, oh, say, a comfortable 6.5 or so ?


- There doesn't seem to be anything actually preventing me from voting on my own story (okay, I've only actually done this 2 or 3 times so far .
Could I really just keep voting it 5,5,5... until it hits the stratosphere; or at least until all the other authors figure out this same trick?


- I also seem to be able to put up my own public comments ("Holy Cow, this is the best thing ever written in the English language! Shakespeare and Nabokov would be eating their hearts out right now, if they weren't too busy spinning jealously in their graves..."), and could even send myself anonymous feedback ("Hot Spit, Quince, if you're not one sexy piece of prose! Send me your home address quick: my participle ain't dangling *no* more, and you've got some infinitives I'm just dyin' to split...").
I suppose it's just my own sanity and self-restraint keeping me out of a narcissistic inward spiral culminating in disappearance into my own belly button (or whatever ?


(I need to put up a new edit (which I really ought to be working on right now before I do any of the following, but...)


- Is is wildly unethical to start a thread saying "Hey, everybody, please come read/vote on my story?"


- How do I get someone to do a volunteer review on my story?
Is it wildly unethical to offer bribes ("Wouldn't you like a nice custom haiku, Big Boy? Seventeen sexy syllables, laid out solely for your personal pleasure..." ?


- And, while I'm here, is there an upper limit on smilies-per-post?


Thanks,
- f. quince

 

[mjl2010]

...that I didn't see in the FAQ.

I submitted a story and it was posted on 1/29. I then pulled the price tag off my brand new Author's hat, and rushed right over here to settle mixed-metaphorically in on my Author's laurels


But since, then, many questions have arisen (the latest, if least salient, being whether I should capitalize "author" in this context

- My story's rating started off at about 3.4-something with 15-20 votes. As more votes have come in, it seems to be rising; and is at about 3.78 with 69 votes right now.
Is this normal?
Is this usual?
Can I count on my story being read by a ever-greater percentage of people looking for just its sort of thing; rather than folks just reading their way through the new post or whatever; until it finally settles out at, oh, say, a comfortable 6.5 or so ?


- There doesn't seem to be anything actually preventing me from voting on my own story (okay, I've only actually done this 2 or 3 times so far .
Could I really just keep voting it 5,5,5... until it hits the stratosphere; or at least until all the other authors figure out this same trick?


- I also seem to be able to put up my own public comments ("Holy Cow, this is the best thing ever written in the English language! Shakespeare and Nabokov would be eating their hearts out right now, if they weren't too busy spinning jealously in their graves..."), and could even send myself anonymous feedback ("Hot Spit, Quince, if you're not one sexy piece of prose! Send me your home address quick: my participle ain't dangling *no* more, and you've got some infinitives I'm just dyin' to split...").
I suppose it's just my own sanity and self-restraint keeping me out of a narcissistic inward spiral culminating in disappearance into my own belly button (or whatever ?


(I need to put up a new edit (which I really ought to be working on right now before I do any of the following, but...)


- Is is wildly unethical to start a thread saying "Hey, everybody, please come read/vote on my story?"


- How do I get someone to do a volunteer review on my story?
Is it wildly unethical to offer bribes ("Wouldn't you like a nice custom haiku, Big Boy? Seventeen sexy syllables, laid out solely for your personal pleasure..." ?


- And, while I'm here, is there an upper limit on smilies-per-post?


Thanks,
- f. quince

More than three smilies and your home address is reported to everyone here. Those closest to you come and give you a blanket party.

If you vote more than once on your story, the vote will get erased eventually and your rating will drop. This is to keep trolls from trashing your story.

Feel free to post a link to your story and ask for votes and comments. Most here will tell you honestly what they think if they read it.

Lastly I would suggest a decrease in your coffee intake. It makes new authors jumpy.

Note: I've only been here two weeks, got my first story in and posted. So I'm no expert either.

MJL

 

[SimonBrooke]

...that I didn't see in the FAQ.

I submitted a story and it was posted on 1/29. I then pulled the price tag off my brand new Author's hat, and rushed right over here to settle mixed-metaphorically in on my Author's laurels


But since, then, many questions have arisen (the latest, if least salient, being whether I should capitalize "author" in this context

- My story's rating started off at about 3.4-something with 15-20 votes. As more votes have come in, it seems to be rising; and is at about 3.78 with 69 votes right now.
Is this normal?
Is this usual?
Can I count on my story being read by a ever-greater percentage of people looking for just its sort of thing; rather than folks just reading their way through the new post or whatever; until it finally settles out at, oh, say, a comfortable 6.5 or so ?

OK, remember the 'perfect score' is 5...

In my experience there's a first flood of readers who watch the 'New' page. For years watching the 'New' page and reading stories that looked interesting was how I read Literotica, and it's clear that there are a lot of other people who do that. So after you've vanished off the first few 'New' pages the rate at which your story is read drops - unless you make one of the 'top' lists.

Second, in my experience your scores tend to rise a bit after the initial flood has died down. I don't really understand why this is, unless a few people in the 'New watchers' camp are regularly voting stories down.

- There doesn't seem to be anything actually preventing me from voting on my own story (okay, I've only actually done this 2 or 3 times so far .
Could I really just keep voting it 5,5,5... until it hits the stratosphere; or at least until all the other authors figure out this same trick?

I don't know whether there is a mechanism to try to stop that... but who are you fooling? I mean, if you could get your story into the 'top lists' then it would get more reads, but if the score was rigged and you knew it was rigged, you would know it didn't deserve to be there.

- I also seem to be able to put up my own public comments ("Holy Cow, this is the best thing ever written in the English language! Shakespeare and Nabokov would be eating their hearts out right now, if they weren't too busy spinning jealously in their graves..."), and could even send myself anonymous feedback ("Hot Spit, Quince, if you're not one sexy piece of prose! Send me your home address quick: my participle ain't dangling *no* more, and you've got some infinitives I'm just dyin' to split...").
I suppose it's just my own sanity and self-restraint keeping me out of a narcissistic inward spiral culminating in disappearance into my own belly button (or whatever ?

Yes, well, same applies. I post stories here to get audience, to get feedback from other people. Feedback from other people is like sex; feedback from yourself is wanking.

(I need to put up a new edit (which I really ought to be working on right now before I do any of the following, but...)


- Is is wildly unethical to start a thread saying "Hey, everybody, please come read/vote on my story?"

People do it. A possibly slightly better way to do it...

- How do I get someone to do a volunteer review on my story?
Is it wildly unethical to offer bribes ("Wouldn't you like a nice custom haiku, Big Boy? Seventeen sexy syllables, laid out solely for your personal pleasure..." ?

...might be to offer it to the Story Discussion Circle. Or you could use the Volunteer Editors.

- And, while I'm here, is there an upper limit on smilies-per-post?

One

 

[slyc_willie]

Voting on your own stories is not only narcissistic but also unethical. The ratings and number of reads on your stories should not be the reason you write. If your story has a score of 3.something, there's a reason for it, troll attacks aside.

Besides, multiple votes from the same IP will get swept, sooner or later. trying to 'bump up' your score is ultimately a moot gesture. Literotica's voting system may have its flaws, but it works, and I think, it accurately reflects the strength and creativity of the stories posted here.

 

[Vermilion]

To answer one of your questions...
YAY - MY INCEST/TABOO STORY GOT ACCEPTED AT LONG LONG LAST!
Come read it...

~ Black Boots ~

First time I attempted taboo... T'will be interesting to see how it gets accepted.

</ hijack>




x
V

 

[cloudy]

Voting on your own stories is not only narcissistic but also unethical. The ratings and number of reads on your stories should not be the reason you write. If your story has a score of 3.something, there's a reason for it, troll attacks aside.

Besides, multiple votes from the same IP will get swept, sooner or later. trying to 'bump up' your score is ultimately a moot gesture. Literotica's voting system may have its flaws, but it works, and I think, it accurately reflects the strength and creativity of the stories posted here.

I believe you're wrong.

Since you're only allowed one vote anyway (try to vote twice in succession on any story and see what happens - you can only "bump up" your rating by that one vote.), it's absolutely not unethical to vote on your own story. In fact, I'd venture to say that most do that exact thing.

Why shouldn't anyone vote on their own stories? The author has just as much right to an opinion as anyone else reading it, after all.

 

[cloudy]

My story's rating started off at about 3.4-something with 15-20 votes. As more votes have come in, it seems to be rising; and is at about 3.78 with 69 votes right now.
Is this normal?
Is this usual?
Can I count on my story being read by a ever-greater percentage of people looking for just its sort of thing; rather than folks just reading their way through the new post or whatever; until it finally settles out at, oh, say, a comfortable 6.5 or so ?

That would depend, I suppose, on whether there is anything at all "normal" for a group of authors as diverse as we are on Lit.

That's a lot of votes tallied up pretty quickly - some of my older stories have been around almost three years, and don't have that many.

It seems that ratings and vote totals depend an awful lot on what category the story's in. Incest/Taboo and Loving Wives rack up the views/votes pretty quickly, but the readers appear to be an unforgiving bunch if their specific kink isn't catered to exactly how they want it. On the other hand, the readers of the Romance category vote high, without fail. If ratings are really that important to you, then write for a category with more forgiving readers (although, I promise the ratings of your stories decline in importance the more you write).

Your views and votes will drop off dramatically after your story falls off the New list - just expect it.

And - a perfect rating here is 5.0. We've seen new authors complaining ad nauseum when their "perfect" story's ratings take a nose dive after ten or so votes. Expect that, too. No one's perfect. And, even the absolute best story will attract people that just can't stand to see someone else do well. Woe to you if one of your stories ever appears near the top of any of the toplists. If one does, savor it quickly - it won't last.

There doesn't seem to be anything actually preventing me from voting on my own story (okay, I've only actually done this 2 or 3 times so far .
Could I really just keep voting it 5,5,5... until it hits the stratosphere; or at least until all the other authors figure out this same trick?

No. Laurel "sweeps" votes very regularly, and any duplicate votes will be gone, so even if it wasn't totally creepy and unethical to do that, it would be a waste of time.

Voting once on your own story is something different. I believe that your opinion is just as valid as anyone else's, and see nothing wrong with voting once, and once only, on your own work.

I also seem to be able to put up my own public comments ("Holy Cow, this is the best thing ever written in the English language! Shakespeare and Nabokov would be eating their hearts out right now, if they weren't too busy spinning jealously in their graves..."), and could even send myself anonymous feedback ("Hot Spit, Quince, if you're not one sexy piece of prose! Send me your home address quick: my participle ain't dangling *no* more, and you've got some infinitives I'm just dyin' to split...").
I suppose it's just my own sanity and self-restraint keeping me out of a narcissistic inward spiral culminating in disappearance into my own belly button (or whatever ?

You could, sure, but what would be the point?

Is is wildly unethical to start a thread saying "Hey, everybody, please come read/vote on my story?"

Self-promotion is a given. Taking up forum space in the form of an entire thread for your story isn't.

There's a "new story" thread over in the Story Feedback forum, and since we're really lazy as hell around here, I would recommend putting a link in your signature so that those who would like to give it a read don't have to search to find it. When you have more than one, you can just put a link to your member page like I, and most, have (see that thing that says "Cloudy" and "go ahead, click it. You know you wanna."? - that's my link to my member page).

How do I get someone to do a volunteer review on my story?
Is it wildly unethical to offer bribes ("Wouldn't you like a nice custom haiku, Big Boy? Seventeen sexy syllables, laid out solely for your personal pleasure..." ?

Ask nicely.

And, while I'm here, is there an upper limit on smilies-per-post?

Yes, but I don't remember what it is. When you've used too many, it simply won't let you put any more in the same post.

 

[SimonBrooke]

And, while I'm here, is there an upper limit on smilies-per-post?

Yes, but I don't remember what it is. When you've used too many, it simply won't let you put any more in the same post.

And you know this how?

 

[RonClarkeson]

Forgive and forget!

...that I didn't see in the FAQ.

I submitted a story and it was posted on 1/29. I then pulled the price tag off my brand new Author's hat, and rushed right over here to settle mixed-metaphorically in on my Author's laurels


But since, then, many questions have arisen (the latest, if least salient, being whether I should capitalize "author" in this context

- My story's rating started off at about 3.4-something with 15-20 votes. As more votes have come in, it seems to be rising; and is at about 3.78 with 69 votes right now.
Is this normal?
Is this usual?
Can I count on my story being read by a ever-greater percentage of people looking for just its sort of thing; rather than folks just reading their way through the new post or whatever; until it finally settles out at, oh, say, a comfortable 6.5 or so ?


- There doesn't seem to be anything actually preventing me from voting on my own story (okay, I've only actually done this 2 or 3 times so far .
Could I really just keep voting it 5,5,5... until it hits the stratosphere; or at least until all the other authors figure out this same trick?


- I also seem to be able to put up my own public comments ("Holy Cow, this is the best thing ever written in the English language! Shakespeare and Nabokov would be eating their hearts out right now, if they weren't too busy spinning jealously in their graves..."), and could even send myself anonymous feedback ("Hot Spit, Quince, if you're not one sexy piece of prose! Send me your home address quick: my participle ain't dangling *no* more, and you've got some infinitives I'm just dyin' to split...").
I suppose it's just my own sanity and self-restraint keeping me out of a narcissistic inward spiral culminating in disappearance into my own belly button (or whatever ?


(I need to put up a new edit (which I really ought to be working on right now before I do any of the following, but...)


- Is is wildly unethical to start a thread saying "Hey, everybody, please come read/vote on my story?"


- How do I get someone to do a volunteer review on my story?
Is it wildly unethical to offer bribes ("Wouldn't you like a nice custom haiku, Big Boy? Seventeen sexy syllables, laid out solely for your personal pleasure..." ?


- And, while I'm here, is there an upper limit on smilies-per-post?


Thanks,
- f. quince

24000 readers in 14 days and only 40 votes and not a single feedback comment!

Weep on, weep on.

I hope you are stronger than me. I have stopped submitting my 32 chapter novel!

 

[Vermilion]

There's a "new story" thread over in the Story Feedback forum, and since we're really lazy as hell around here, I would recommend putting a link in your signature so that those who would like to give it a read don't have to search to find it. When you have more than one, you can just put a link to your member page like I, and most, have (see that thing that says "Cloudy" and "go ahead, click it. You know you wanna."? - that's my link to my member page)..

But it don't do nuffink Cloudy....
x
V

 

[TheeGoatPig]

Why shouldn't anyone vote on their own stories? The author has just as much right to an opinion as anyone else reading it, after all.

Exactly. I read my story too, and I liked it!

Well, not my Little Red Rides the Hood story. That one sucks. But I liked the other ones I worte! That's why I wrote them!

 

[Vermilion]

Exactly. I read my story too, and I liked it!

Well, not my Little Red Rides the Hood story. That one sucks. But I liked the other ones I worte! That's why I wrote them!

<in a sympathetic tone> was it the title...?

x
V

 

[cloudy]

And you know this how?

because it's happened to me.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

<in a sympathetic tone> was it the title...?

x
V

Oh, I love the title. I wrote the whole thing around the title.

But it was one of my older stories, so it wasn't as well writen as my newer stuff. But I didn't finish it when I submitted it, which I didn't realize until a month later, and it took me another year to get around to finishing it and submitting the edited text. And I don't think I will ever get to the sequel, which I have conveniently forgotten the title of just now...

It was just a blunder from the middle.

 

[cloudy]

But it don't do nuffink Cloudy....
x
V

The story feedback forum or my link?

 

[rgraham666]

Never voted on one of my stories. Doesn't seem right some how.

 

[Vermilion]

The story feedback forum or my link?

The link

 

[cloudy]

The link

works for me.

 

[minsue]

And you know this how?

Because it tells you.

 

[damppanties]

Because it tells you.

*big voice booms from the heavens*

Minsue, the goose! You have been using too many smilies. Desist!

​

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Does the person know her thread's been hijacked??

 

[drksideofthemoon]

*big voice booms from the heavens*

Minsue, the goose! You have been using too many smilies. Desist!

​

I have had my knuckles rapped for Smily abuse...I took the seven step program...and I feel so much better....

 

[floweringquince]

Does the person know her thread's been hijacked??

(that's okay, really)



ps. it's 10

 

[TheeGoatPig]

(that's okay, really)



ps. it's 10

Wish I had known that the first time I tried to post too many. I had around fifteen, and had to cut back one at a time, still trying to convey the sillyness that was intended with the post.

 

[angela146]

Lastly I would suggest a decrease in your coffee intake. It makes new authors jumpy.

Actually, it looks like the OP had ADD (or is doing a reasonable job of faking it). Caffeen has a calming effect on folks with ADD so OP should drink *more* coffee.