The Author's Hangout Valentine's Day 2012 Support Thread

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Thank-you, Mostera.

Lovecraft - only because you slipped my story in your post am I saying anything. I was surprised to see my story as low as it was, so I wasn't surprised to see my score change.

I was surprised to see it change so high, but I also knew there were trolls riding me since day one. I don't claim to understand the votes/sweeps etc., but I do feel my placement is fair and just - only because I know that story was a good story, even if there were grammar issues.

My score started somewhere in the 4.7 and then dropped into the 4.6 range, yesterday it went to the 4.8 range. I was both surprised and pleased, but I knew others were still ahead of me, DG being the only one I truly knew had a higher score than I.

I'm sorry you feel cheated, but in my case, I refuse to allow you to bring down my third place posting with your claim that the winners

Congrats to the winners you chose the right categories and stories that appealed to the person running the show, which is all you need to do.

I worked very hard on my story and I am so far from being the most popular writer on Lit., that me winning third is a thrill and in my opinion fair.

 

[nomoretears00]

Congrats to the winners! Way to go Night!

 

[Cia81]

Good Job

Those stories written that won are good stories. I think there were a lot of them in the contest, beyond the winners too. I'm glad that the contest can point me in the direction of some of the authors that go beyond stroke pieces here on Lit in categories I don't usually frequent but perhaps should.

I guess I just don't understand how Lit seems to score these. First place is 4.77, Second is 4.78 and Third is 4.82. I know there was a sweep last night after I went to bed because I lost 17 votes and jumped to a 4.81 from the 4.75 I've been locked at since the submission period ended. I did have a chapter post on a story in this 'world', so it's possible I had new new readers up voting after the contest ended. Or maybe staff don't go just by scores at all, I'm not sure.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not bitter about not winning since it wasn't about money or anything for me. However those winners won, they did. I'm cool with that. I was running in 4th place or below anyway. I'm just curious as to how they decide winners when the numbers don't seem to support the theory that scores are the answer. It was said last night that a few votes up/down won't really affect a high score so if first and second were bombed after the results came out, it had to have been by more than a few haters.

Call it a curious mind, or whatever, but the question of how they were determined winners is driving me slightly yonkers. I know they won't tell us exactly, since they don't want to give cheaters that info, but GAH!

 

[PennLady]

Congrats to the winners, and thanks for posting, TxRad. I kept checking but I guess I went to bed before they announced. I guess it's on to Earth Day now...

 

[NightTempest]

Cia thats what I was saying last night. I had more than a 'few' votes all of a sudden in the last two days that did nothing to my score. I sat at 4.77 for awhile then jumped to 4.84 after the final sweep. I still don't understand it. On a side note though, I really liked your story and so did a lot of other people.

 

[Ironiclaconic]

Keep in mind that vote totals aren't always current or
consistent on many pages within a day. If #1 has lower
votes than #3 it probably just means the source
page in question isn't current.

 

[DG Hear]

Wow! Quite the contest. My story 'Chocolate Covered Cherries' was entered the first day of the contest. It was in the 4.80+ area and pretty much settled in the 4.78 to 4.79 for most of the contest. After the last sweeps it went to 4.83.

Congrats to the other winners. Red, always happy to share a spotlight with you. You were one of the few female writers who befriended me when I first came to this sight. I never write a story expecting to win because there are so many good writers and I'm just the old guy having fun.

I've seen my stories high on the list many times but fail to place. I felt a lot like the bridesmaid but still had fun writing stories. The downside to contests is someone has to lose. A lot more than there are winners. I'll agree that the best stories don't always win, but I like what Red said, "we all try our best and I'm not going to feel bad that I won.'

Below was my final tally on this story.
With respect
DG Hear

Chocolate Covered Cherries A story about a loving family.
4.83 248 16082 Non-Erotic (English) 01/20/12 approved
Public Comments: 27

 

[Darkniciad]

Congrats to the winners

Cia - the scores you see listed right now haven't updated. That's the answer to why they don't match the results.

Also the answer to why doing a track right now is pointless. How close I'll be able to capture anything by the time I get home from work is questionable.

Lovecraft, it's completely true that I've never seen a story running that strong out of the gate not place, and I did in fact PM you asking you how you planned to spend the prize money because of that.

Nevertheless, I don't believe the contests are "rigged" by the site owners.

You might notice that the stories that had the biggest lifts are in categories and from writers that a certain someone well known for painfully obvious voter fraud constantly spits venom about. I wouldn't put it past someone like that to use IPs already known to be caught and worthless to cast throwaway 5s ( with balancing 1s ) at you in order to use the swept votes as a basis to accuse you of cheating, either.

He's already done the latter, of course.

Which can't take away from the strength of your story on its own merits. Even with large numbers of votes removed, it remains on the high end of contest scores not only in this contest, but historically, and with a more than respectable vote total, which means that a lot of genuine Literotica voters found it appealing and scored it that way.

We'll see what the final numbers look like ( as close as I can get them ) when I track everything after I get home from work. I don't have enough time this morning to run even a quick score track. As I mentioned earlier, it would be pointless anyway, because the scores haven't updated anywhere available in public.

I'll upload the tracking pages and post a link at that point.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Wow! Quite the contest. My story 'Chocolate Covered Cherries' was entered the first day of the contest. It was in the 4.80+ area and pretty much settled in the 4.78 to 4.79 for most of the contest. After the last sweeps it went to 4.83.

Congrats to the other winners. Red, always happy to share a spotlight with you. You were one of the few female writers who befriended me when I first came to this sight. I never write a story expecting to win because there are so many good writers and I'm just the old guy having fun.

I've seen my stories high on the list many times but fail to place. I felt a lot like the bridesmaid but still had fun writing stories. The downside to contests is someone has to lose. A lot more than there are winners. I'll agree that the best stories don't always win, but I like what Red said, "we all try our best and I'm not going to feel bad that I won.'

Below was my final tally on this story.
With respect
DG Hear

Chocolate Covered Cherries A story about a loving family.
4.83 248 16082 Non-Erotic (English) 01/20/12 approved
Public Comments: 27

Congrats! I don't mind being under you either.

Though I didn't "say" that - but it is true. We all did a great job and worked hard and I'm not going to feel bad for placing third.

I do have a question and I did PM a Litster but I'll just ask it here. Since I came in third, but did not win first, does that mean my entries in the other themed contests are still eligible to win 1st? Or are they just non-eligible entries? (I will be entering because of the point value with Survivor).

Thanks.

 

[Darkniciad]

Any placing disqualifies you from winning a themed contest for the next 6 months, Red.

It doesn't stop you from entering, however. You can continue to enter stories to earn the survivor bonus.

 

[DG Hear]

Congrats! I don't mind being under you either.

Though I didn't "say" that - but it is true. We all did a great job and worked hard and I'm not going to feel bad for placing third.

I do have a question and I did PM a Litster but I'll just ask it here. Since I came in third, but did not win first, does that mean my entries in the other themed contests are still eligible to win 1st? Or are they just non-eligible entries? (I will be entering because of the point value with Survivor).

Thanks.

I'm pretty sure that any placement disallows one to win another contest in a six month time period, but you can still write and post to the contest. I may depending on if I get an idea worth writing about. By the way, I wouldn't have minded it if you would have been on top of me.

Congrats!!!

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Any placing disqualifies you from winning a themed contest for the next 6 months, Red.

It doesn't stop you from entering, however. You can continue to enter stories to earn the survivor bonus.

Thanks, Dark. That's what I needed, that clarification. I will keep entering just for Survivor.

Also, thanks for all the tracking and information you gather. It's got to be a fun hobby for you, because it would drive me batty!

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

I'm pretty sure that any placement disallows one to win another contest in a six month time period, but you can still write and post to the contest. I may depending on if I get an idea worth writing about. By the way, I wouldn't have minded it if you would have been on top of me.

Congrats!!!

Thanks and I'll keep that in mind.

Congrats, back at you.

 

[estragon]

Hail to the victors! And best wishes to all who entered.

 

[Cia81]

Thanks for the info

Thanks for those that responded and the compliment NightTempest. I have this need to know thing, lol. Always have. I think it's why I spend hours of research time on a topic, lol. I've spent a good 8 hours so far just researching neurons in the brain to get info to write Benny's story. I'm glad the scores haven't updated yet, instead of being slammed by haters. It would be a damn shame if people were so petty as to crash the winner's scores just because they won. Scores, reader numbers and votes can fluctuate, but a popular story is a popular story.

I gained some new fans from the contest entry, so I'm very happy with that. It is why I started posting on Lit in the first place since my 'home' is GA. I'm a big fan of the outdoors, since I'm a nature photographer as a hobby too, so maybe I'll enter the next contest.

Congrats to the winners of this one, it was a fun first contest to be in!

I'm not sure if we post info here to make it easier for Darkniciad, or if DG was just sharing, but my totals are: Views 21,495 - Votes 614 - Score 4.81

 

[talismania]

Congratulations winners! This was a strong field of stories. I read and voted on them, and am not surprised by any of the winners... only sad more stories couldn't win. They were that good. I'm starting to think Valentine's Day brings out the best romances!

 

[Dual_Triode]

Congratulations to NightTempest, DG Hear, and RedHairedandFriendly. Your entries are exemplary and earned their final placement. I enjoyed reading these and most of the contest entries.

I had a lot of fun entering my first themed contest. I had no expectations, so all of the exposure and feedback I received was a pleasant surprise.

 

[SusanJillParker]

Congrats to the winners. It was an exciting contest. Wasn't it?

Pardon my ignorance but, as it appears everyone else is as confused, I don't understand the sweeps. Listed below are my stories before the sweeps and after the sweeps.

My story Blowjobs on Demand had a score of 4.25 with 132 votes before the "so called" sweeps and a score of 4.26 with 131 votes after the sweeps. I lost one vote. Forgive my skeptism, but it's hard to believe that in 131 votes, I only had one bad vote.

My story Exposing Oneself, a Sexual Disorder had a score of 4.23 with 62 votes before the sweeps and a score of 4.21 with 61 votes after the sweeps. Again, I only had the one bad vote (lol). Go figure. With so few bashing votes, readers must have liked me and my story, but not enough to vote it higher.

My story Meant to be Together, I'm the one had a score of 4.20 with 147 votes before the sweeps and a score of 4.21 with 142 votes. I lost only 5 votes. How about that? What are the odds?

My story Mommy Dearest Uses & Abuses her Son had a score of 4.17 with 354 votes before the sweeps and a score of 4.19 and 348 votes after the sweeps. C'mon, seriously, are you telling me that there were a mere 6 questionable votes from out of 354? Holy shit and I thought that I had way more bashers than that? Damn, why did I even bother changing my name?

My story Never Too Old for Love So Young had a score of 4.34 with 38 votes before the sweeps and a score of 4.31 and 36 votes after the sweeps. Yeah, right. Give me a break.

My story Payback is a Bitch, You Slut Bitch had a score of 2.89 with 533 votes before the sweeps and a score of 2.91 with 523 votes after the sweeps. What is more unbelievable than losing a mere 10 votes is that this story was posted in the Loving Wives category. Are you serious? Those guys are brutal. Call me crazy, but I figure with 533 votes that I had, at least, 200 one votes.

My story Twinkle, Twinkle My Wishing Star had a score of 3.74 with 109 votes before the sweeps and a score of 377 with 107 votes. Boy, they really must have liked that story for me to only lose two bashing votes, huh?

My story Valentine Exhibitionism/Voyeurism had a score of 4.07 with 172 votes before the sweeps and a score of 4.09 with 166 votes after the sweeps. No comment. This is getting ridiculous.

My story Woman Cross Dresses for Power and Sex had a score of 4.35 with 26 votes before the sweeps and a score of 4.32 and 25 votes after the sweeps. Again, there's the one bad vote again. Go figure.

Now, I'm no computer geek. I'm no genius. I'm just write stories. Yet, I can tell when something smells like shit and these "so called" writing contests, more appropriately deemed popularity contests, smell like shit. So, why do I even bother? My passion is writing and if nothing else, and I literally mean, nothing else, at least my stories get more exposure.

I suggest that Literotica does not sweep all scorecards in the same way. I suggest that some scorecards are swept with greater enthusiam, while other scorecards, such as my scorecard are left virtually unchanged with most of the bashing votes intact.

Not privy to all that goes on behind the scenes, but when I see the same few people winning contests, not always, but too many times to be a concidence, then either there are great writers or these contests are fixed. After reading some of the winning stories in this and in other contests, it's easier for me to believe the later instead of the former.

The way that I figure it, Dark will win, place or show with his copy and paste story of wood nymphs for Earth Day. Luna will figure somewhere in one of the contest and TxRad will ad his 12th contest win, show, place in the Nude Day contest.

My only question is when it the turn of all the other writers who write for free in good faith, while hoping to win a contest? When is it our turn to win? Does Literotica not want to pay out cash, which is why they give the contest win to their insider plants and few chosen ones?

I used to write for Igor's Voyeur Web My Story board and he had to close the site because too many writers had more than 100 identities. Can you imagine that? Granted I have several identities but, open and honest about them, I only change my name to temporarily hide from those who continue to bash my stories.

When someone brand new emerges from out of no where, posts a few well placed posts and polite posts on the contest page to appear accepted and viable, sure enough, time and again that person wins the contest. I wonder if it's Manu or Laurel writing stories (lol). Now, I may not be a genius, but please stop insulting my intelligence.

Now before you start pointing fingers at me and calling me names, I am AndTheEnd, BostonFictionWriter, CarBuffStuff, PositiveThinker, SuperHeroRalph, WmForrester, and SusanJillParker, the most prolific, albeit most bashed writer on the site. Yet, having written nearly 1,000 stories, more than 6 million words with tens of millions of hits, I've never won a contest, other than Survivor.

Perhaps, I'd have a chance to win a contest, if the contests here were fairly run. Tragically and oxymoroncially funny with me being so bashed that so few of my votes were swept away by the supposed sweep. Go figure. Doesn't make any sense to me.

Just once, one time, I'd like to see a fair contest. There's some truth in what Scouries writes about open disclosure. Yet, TxRad takes it upon himself, his personal mission, on the pretense of warning the newbies that Scouries is a fake and a fraud, when the only thing fake and fraud around here are these writing contests.

Yet, no matter, my rants, charges, and complaints, I'll still be posting stories. Just as TxRad points his finger at Scouries, I'll be here pointing my middle finger at the rest of you, those of you, who abuse this site for the detriment of rest of us. How dare you? Who do you think you are?

All we want to do is to write a story, see our story fairly voted upon, and, perhaps, have an equal and fair chance to win a contest. Nope. Sorry. That will never happen.

To all you newbies, trust no one. Stay off the forum boards. Just write and post your story. Oh, yeah, and never expect to win a contest.

 

[TxRad]

Congratulations to the 2012 Valentine's Day Contest Winners!
Manu and I would like to thank all the authors who submitted during this special contest! We've tallied the reader's votes, and are happy to announce the winners of our 2011 Winter Holidays Story Contest.

First Place ($150 Cash Prize Winner):
My Love is Your Love by NightTempest

Second Place ($100 Cash Prize Winner):
Chocolate Covered Cherries by DG Hear

Third Place ($75 Cash Prize Winner):
Golden Arrows by RedHairedandFriendly

The 2012 Special Contest schedule, with full rules and dates, is here.

Happy Holidays to all!!

For the new page and anyone showing up late.

Congrats One and all

 

[Angellica1612]

Congratulations to the winners! I read and enjoyed all three stories. This was my first contest, so I never expected to win. What pleased me was that it brought up the scores of my two non-contest stories. My V-day stories scored 4.32 and 4.37. As a new writer I am pleased with these scores, especially since I wrote one of them in just one day. On to Earth Day!

 

[Ironiclaconic]

The sweeps are a hidden process on a site with weak controls to prevent multi-voting. I knew this going in. I submitted just to try it, expecting to be bombed and trolled by the fans of more established authors. To make it worse i posted in one of the least romantic categories. I was surprised. My story was well received, even though it didn't place. It got 24k hits in less than one week (far and away my most viewed story) and resulted in a lot of spillover views and votes to my other stories.

Lesson learned is that expectations are important.

 

[scouries]

originally posted on the A.I.R. thread...

well it looks like we've got some disgruntled losers over here...

Manu and I would like to thank all the authors who submitted during this special contest! We've tallied the reader's votes, and are happy to announce the winners of our 2011 Winter Holidays Story Contest.

First Place ($150 Cash Prize Winner): Gay Male
My Love is Your Love by NightTempest

Second Place ($100 Cash Prize Winner): Non-Erotic
Chocolate Covered Cherries by DG Hear

Third Place ($75 Cash Prize Winner): Sci-Fi
Golden Arrows by RedHairedandFriendly

I see there are some unhappy people over on the other thread. SURPRISE…SURPRISE!!!! Sometimes you just have to laugh, if not you couldn't help crying.

I’d say it’s same old, same old except the QUEEN seems to have taken it to a new level this time.

CATEGORIES: Gay, Non Erotic and Sci-Fi? These are the ‘reader’s choices’ on this site? You just have to look at the VOTE totals these supposed winners amassed compared to other stories. Or the VIEWS! I believe my story alone had more VIEWS and VOTES than the three supposed winners combined.

WINNERS: Is anyone surprised at who won? No of course not! Every contest produces one or two of the old school, toady AHers. This time we get the Doc and Red.

Christ the Doc sprayed the contest with his entries (which is why, sadly, A.I.R. had to disqualify him). But if you’re going to give him the victory why not give it for one of his popular stories. Heck he had a thousand voter and yet the QUEEN gives him the prize for this throw away Non Erotic crap? The guys written hundreds of stories and yet he never gets rewarded for his good stories – I think this is his third NE win. Didn’t he win with a NE story in the last Valentines contest? It’s almost as bad as db and his Earth Day jokes.

Fuck, can’t they give him one for a Loving Wives story – that category never wins anything.

As for the Sci-Fi thing. It’s just a gift from the QUEEN to a friend. Quite frankly it shouldn’t have finished in the top 20! I’m pretty sure it was the only SF or NH story in the contest - fuck, it had to win. A survivalist, the author flooded the site with stories and poems during the contest period in her effort to get attention to her contest entry. She too was disqualified from the A.I.R. section of the contest on two counts.

And the Gay thing. How many contests in a row has a Gay story won? Gay scores have been rocketing up over the last couple of years. Look they’re not stupid – they vote as a block. Solidarity and all that.

But that’s why A.I.R. uses the Category Correction Coefficient – we know categories like NH, SF, Mature and Gay score higher than others.

And as for lovergirl – I must admit I’ve been around long enough to have seen it coming! I guess she didn’t train enough voting subs… and to fall for db's lines - priceless!

So that’s it! Another contest with another joke ending.

At the end of the day I’ll take the A.I.R. WINNERS.
They’re the stories and authors who got the most votes and views. They’re the stories that really reflect our readers views.​

 

[TxRad]

Poor scouries, more sour grapes about not placing in a real contest and how it is all our fault.

 

[Angellica1612]

Good morning, TX. I'm so glad I have Scouries on iggy!

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

This is the second time I've ever been signaled out by scouries. I don't believe I've ever really said anything disparaging about him, or his posts. It's okay that he's honored me with being called Laurel's friend. I didn't know she and I were on such great terms.

Flooded the site with my stories because of Survivor - um okay - it is about quantity, though for me it is both quantity and quality (but he/she/it won't see it like that). I'll give you that, but in regards to flooding it for attention to my contest entry - nah, I did that on the Playground forum. I admit that and have admitted it from day one. It was a contest dumbass, you're supposed to promote yourself in a contest, you're not supposed to vote for yourself a dozen or so times, just so you can stroke your ego, when there is no one there to stroke your cock/pussy/tentacle.

Don't worry folks, I know I am only feeding scouries and he/she/it now has me as one of the "toady" folks, and it was just a matter-of-time that I was given the title.

I do want to thank him though for signaling me out. Because he has, I now feel I'm just a wee bit closer to being a true AHer.

I too have tried to read scouries works, and see if he really is as awful as everyone claims and though I will now have another troll one-bombing me (if he/she/it wasn't already) I honestly couldn't make it past the first few paragraphs, and I've tried on three different occasions with three different stories.

Thanks scouries for making me one of the gang. I am honored to be even thought so highly of that you would include me with the other great writers of this site, but more so, just for finally being acknowledged by you - for the second time - you did use a link in your thread concerning me, so that was AWESOME!

Love ya babe.