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

[RedHairedandFriendly]

I'm juggling between Romance and Sci-fi/Fantasy.

 

[Darkniciad]

Hopefully going to start mine today, before I get sucked into 7 hours of football.

I have my bunny, but unsure on category. Taking my shot at something fairly "sweet" and I suppose it could go into Romance(wouldn't seeing my name in the romance section make people do a double take) But the woman is early forties and the guy around 21 so Mature might be better.

I'll worry about writing it for now, and then see what some of the more experienced authors chime in with.

Good luck to everyone entering!

I'd say Mature is an excellent choice.

Romance readers score you higher on average, but actually placing in the contest is always a far outside chance anyway, and you'd likely be in competition with umpteen stories in Romance that are going to enjoy the same boosted scores.

On average, you'll have far more eyes on your story in Mature with that age gap. I'd even dare say double in a contest with it appearing at the top of the New list.

When I weigh the option of shooting for a win vs. getting "butts in the seats", the latter always wins if it's a question of which category. Contests are the perfect time to up your regular readership, and they're the key to placing in contests anyway.

Going for some diversity in another high ( if not nearly incest levels ) readership category right now while you're on the rise anyway is probably a good idea. The incest readership seems to take fairly well to this coupling anyway, because they just change the woman's name to "Mom" in their head and run with it *laugh* As long as you keep up with regular doses of taboo as they come to you, I think it can only help you all the way around toward building an even larger fanbase.

 

[nicecthulhu]

I'm juggling between Romance and Sci-fi/Fantasy.

I hope this works, I haven't tried the reply with quote before.

So why not try both romance and sci-fi/fantasy? I've the two combined into one.

Also, I'm taking up your challenge from January 3rd. We'll see who takes last place!!
Shooting low and hoping to be pleasantly surprised...

Good luck to everyone.

 

[PennLady]

I hope this works, I haven't tried the reply with quote before.

So why not try both romance and sci-fi/fantasy? I've the two combined into one.

The question is more which category to submit the story under, I think.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

I hope this works, I haven't tried the reply with quote before.

So why not try both romance and sci-fi/fantasy? I've the two combined into one.

Also, I'm taking up your challenge from January 3rd. We'll see who takes last place!!
Shooting low and hoping to be pleasantly surprised...

Good luck to everyone.

lol - well your quote within a quote worked, good for you.

The question is more which category to submit the story under, I think.

And yes, that's the big question. There is NO doubt it is romance. It deals with mythology and that to me is science fiction/fantasy.

 

[Darkniciad]

lol - well your quote within a quote worked, good for you.



And yes, that's the big question. There is NO doubt it is romance. It deals with mythology and that to me is science fiction/fantasy.

It depends upon the degree of mythology, from a pure category choice standpoint.

If it's "it could be attributed to this magical thing but also could just be a happy coincidence" then you can probably go Romance and have more readers.

If the myth and magic is a heavy part of the story, you're probably better off going Sci-Fi&Fatasy.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

It depends upon the degree of mythology, from a pure category choice standpoint.

If it's "it could be attributed to this magical thing but also could just be a happy coincidence" then you can probably go Romance and have more readers.

If the myth and magic is a heavy part of the story, you're probably better off going Sci-Fi&Fatasy.

Sounds like Sci-Fi/Fantasy may be the way to go, because it is thick with myth and magic. You'd need a shovel to dig your way into reality.

 

[Darkniciad]

Sounds like Sci-Fi/Fantasy may be the way to go, because it is thick with myth and magic. You'd need a shovel to dig your way into reality.

Probably right. Romance readers will accept a fair range of settings, so long as the romance is the heart of the story and it's good enough, but there's always a line in the sand where they'll go WTF?

 

[TxRad]

Categories is something I've been pondering today. My writing used to be fairly cut on dried as to where it would go but lately it wandered into some wild and weird places.

"What Bears See" is V&E most definitely.

"The Name of the Game" is Group as it is a threesome.

But "Until Death Do Us Part" starts out with the wife killing the husband. It is premeditated murder that is made to look like self-defense.
What friggin category is that?

That covers the Valentines day stories so far.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Probably right. Romance readers will accept a fair range of settings, so long as the romance is the heart of the story and it's good enough, but there's always a line in the sand where they'll go WTF?

Yeah, that's what I figured. If I had more "human" elements I would go with Romance.

Categories is something I've been pondering today. My writing used to be fairly cut on dried as to where it would go but lately it wandered into some wild and weird places.

"What Bears See" is V&E most definitely.

"The Name of the Game" is Group as it is a threesome.

But "Until Death Do Us Part" starts out with the wife killing the husband. It is premeditated murder that is made to look like self-defense.
What friggin category is that?

That covers the Valentines day stories so far.

Hmm. . . I understand your premise and have pondered the idea and it is a good one, if characters wanted to be used in other parts a "cheat sheet" for them would be a good idea - but that is for another time and a different conversation.


Murder huh - Sounds like a lot of love going on there.

 

[TxRad]

Murder huh - Sounds like a lot of love going on there.

Actually there is but it is with the abusive husband's younger brother.

 

[TxRad]

On another note: He who shall not be named finally got a response on his fake contest thread. Are you ready for this, it was SPAM.

 

[lovecraft68]

I'd say Mature is an excellent choice.

Romance readers score you higher on average, but actually placing in the contest is always a far outside chance anyway, and you'd likely be in competition with umpteen stories in Romance that are going to enjoy the same boosted scores.

On average, you'll have far more eyes on your story in Mature with that age gap. I'd even dare say double in a contest with it appearing at the top of the New list.

When I weigh the option of shooting for a win vs. getting "butts in the seats", the latter always wins if it's a question of which category. Contests are the perfect time to up your regular readership, and they're the key to placing in contests anyway.

Going for some diversity in another high ( if not nearly incest levels ) readership category right now while you're on the rise anyway is probably a good idea. The incest readership seems to take fairly well to this coupling anyway, because they just change the woman's name to "Mom" in their head and run with it *laugh* As long as you keep up with regular doses of taboo as they come to you, I think it can only help you all the way around toward building an even larger fanbase.

Hey Dark, Yeah I have no illusion of placing so I think the biggest draw overall is what I would like. The fetish story I did for the winter contest got me some new readers and I had mentioned I was going to use the contests to try to test myself in unfamiliar waters.

And that's funny about the "Mom" remark. I really don't have a mom fetish. I wrote them to get votes and favorites. When I write them I don't think Mom I think hot older cougar. Now you're saying in the cougar category they are thinking Mom. Too funny.

I did not notice I was on the rise, but will take your word for it. Something tells me you could know my numbers better than I do.

Sadly my incest fans maybe disappointed in me this year. I just finished the first chapter of a BDSM series I originally outline a couple of years ago. That series will probably eat up a lot of my writing time. But I did make sure I finished part one in time so I could write my story for this contest.

Good luck if you are entering.

 

[HeyAll]

Finally! An announcement, I was getting a little worried there.

Mine is roughly 90% done. It should be out on the first day of the contest. Best of luck to everyone.

 

[Darkniciad]

I did not notice I was on the rise, but will take your word for it. Something tells me you could know my numbers better than I do.

Favorite author's list. You've went up several places since you hit it.

I've been looking at it every so often of late because I know I'm hovering just off the bottom of it, and if I can catch a glimpse of one popping in there, I can get a better handle on where my number of favorites is. Also have a couple that are close to making the most favorited stories.

 

[sr71plt]

OK, I'm ready.

 

[TxRad]

Now that I'm home maybe I'll get a little time to work on the last two stories I have started for Valentines Day.

A little over ten days left to get ready for the starting gun.

 

[PennLady]

I think I actually got an idea, but R&B is priority so I'm not sure if I'll get there. Well, maybe not for the contest. Ah well.

 

[HeyAll]

Ugh...It really sucks when you're working on a story, and someone coincidentally puts out a story a similar story just before you do. Oh well...

 

[Darkniciad]

Ugh...It really sucks when you're working on a story, and someone coincidentally puts out a story a similar story just before you do. Oh well...

I apologized to another author in the Winter contest when I was the one who got my story out before a very similar one he was writing and planning to enter *laugh*

Congrats on making the Favorite Authors list, BTW. Saw you popped into the top 250 last night.

 

[HeyAll]

http://www.literotica.com/stories/favauthorsv2.php


This list? Thanks, but I might have been bumped already because I don't see my name there.

 

[Darkniciad]

http://www.literotica.com/stories/favauthorsv2.php


This list? Thanks, but I might have been bumped already because I don't see my name there.

I'm seeing it. 412 Favorites.

 

[sr71plt]

I'm seeing it. 412 Favorites.

It comes and it goes. It's gone right at this moment. It's right on the edge.

 

[HeyAll]

Ah, there I am at the bottom! Thanks.

 

[Darkniciad]

I didn't think the list updated that frequently... Odd.

Oh well, at least he has a very tight bead on where his favorites numbers are with that total I posted, and a couple more stories in Incest will probably push him far enough off the bottom that he'll stay on the list anyway