Thoughts on my first story--Last of the Year

[calstevens]

Thoughts on my first story--Last of the Year(BDSM)

I am looking for feedback, I am seeing that it isn't getting rave reviews. I am looking for constructive criticism please and thank you.

Last of the Year by calstevens

 

[Areala-chan]

"Last of the Year" by calstevens.

Make sure you link the story if you're asking for feedback. Makes it much easier for readers to find.

 

[ElectricBlue]

You've got a minimal number of reads, two favourable comments (have you deleted comments?) and two faves. Give it time, I would have thought.

Also, you need to tell folk what category your story is in (BDSM) - from what I gather, it's a polarised crowd.

No comments from me though, not my interest.

 

[calstevens]

Thank you for the feedback and I will keep that in mind, Going to go back and edit now.

To be honest I am pretty surprised that 1k views (is this different from reads) is a low number.

I am still learning this site, but had the idea and wanted to write it.

I have not deleted any comments as yet but as I said I am looking for any constructive criticisms rather than just relying on the star system to tell me I did, or did not, do well with it.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Thank you for the feedback and I will keep that in mind, Going to go back and edit now.

To be honest I am pretty surprised that 1k views (is this different from reads) is a low number.

I am still learning this site, but had the idea and wanted to write it.

I have not deleted any comments as yet but as I said I am looking for any constructive criticisms rather than just relying on the star system to tell me I did, or did not, do well with it.

Couple of points to keep in mind:

- don't expect many reader comments, and don't expect much useful critique. You might get a little more here on the Feedback threads - you can see for yourself the amount of input you will get, by browsing other threads.

- If you are doing well, you might get 1% of your views (you have no way of knowing how many finished reading your story - the number of views is how many clicked on the first page) as someone who scores, and you are doing very well if this ratio pushes past 1.5%. Be aware that different categories have different reader habits, some will give you higher ratios of scores per read than others, and some categories will deluge you with comments (often negative), others will be silent.

- of these 1% who score, an even smaller percentage will comment. If you write outside the same old same old, and write well, you've got a better chance of picking up positive comments, and over time you will see a small following.

- give your story a chance to settle - again, different categories will have completely different reader patterns. You need to look at other bdsm stories to figure out what's "typical" - if there is such a thing. 1k reads can be a lot, but I didn't check when your story went up - different categories have very different read rates.

- decide why you are here. Are you writing because you want to write, or because you want to be read? These are not necessarily the same thing. Some writers are heavily influenced by reader reaction, and give them what they want (eg: incest stories); others write more for themselves, and if they gather a following, that's a bonus.

- finally, grasshopper, be patient! One story isn't going to make or break you, and it certainly isn't going to give you any patterns of reader response.

Just write the next one, is my advice.

 

[Bramblethorn]

There were a lot of grammar/proofreading issues, especially with punctuation of speech. That made it difficult to follow. I'd suggest looking for an editor or beta reader.

By my understanding, a lot of the readers in BDSM are unfriendly to stories with male submission, which may have hurt your ratings.

 

[lovecraft68]

I agree with the above. Femdom does not play well in BDSM.

Keep in mind that was a good assumption on your part. After all in the real world and lifestyle men are submissive and every one knows what a dominatrix is and they wouldn't if it weren't so popular.

But understand this is not the real world nor is it fet life or any other type of strictly BDSM audience.

This is a porn site with countless male readers who know shit about BDSM. THey equate BDSM with women who are meek and submissive and who enjoy being abused. They are looking for rape masked as BDSM-and there is plenty of it there-and the mindless weak willed twit from 50 shades of grey to be every female in the category.

So bottom line for lit BDSM is just about 100% male driven as in men on top because that's what the men here all expect and of course women who enjoy submissive stories like it. Women generally won't call you to task for a femdom story, they will move on, but the 'real men' will.

If you have not received any comments calling your male character a weak faggot cuck then you're lucky so far. Take that from me because I write strong female characters.

IN the future any femdom story should go in fetish and it well be better received because the men there enjoy it among other things and are far more secure in their manhood than the testosterone driven morons who beat down femdom stories in BDSM where they by rights should belong.

Know your audience is a big key to success here and although in real life I enjoy BDSM I wouldn't piss on the readership in that category here.

 

[calstevens]

Well thank you very much for that information lovecraft, I can understand a little better, and I guess I should have dug a little deeper.

I did tag it properly I think with femdom in the tags but putting it in fet probably would have helped.

And thank you ElectricBlue, I do plan on writing more but I only really write when I get the inspiration to. This one was natrually inspired by new years last week.

And finally, thank you for the suggestion on the editor brambleton. I will look into that for future stories.