What strokes your ego?

[wishfulthinking]

Which would you prefer:

a) 500,000 reads [as opposed to views]
b) W
c) 300 public comments
d) 600 feedbacks with return emails
e) E
f) No 1 on the top list
g) H
i) No 1 on the favourites list
j) anything I forgot insert here_________

All of the above is not an option [greedy bastard]!

 

[impressive]

Are you gonna add a poll?

 

[wishfulthinking]

Are you gonna add a poll?

Don't know how!

 

[carsonshepherd]

A cuddly little publishing contract?

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Feedbacks with return addresses.

The most important thing to me is not to be popular or hot, but to know that I communicated what I set out to communicate. SOmetimes you can get that from a PC, but not usually. The feedback where they say, "I liked the way you did such-and-such" that shows me they understood what I was trying to do are the most gratifying.

Trying to find a way to say things I barely understand myself is the biggest struggle I face.

 

[wishfulthinking]

I would like an E, since I don't have one. Only thing is, the stories I write don't attract E's Mine are only for entertainment value, no deep explorations of sensuality and muck like that - but I wouldn't change a thing.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

I would like an E, since I don't have one. Only thing is, the stories I write don't attract E's Mine are only for entertainment value, no deep explorations of sensuality and muck like that - but I wouldn't change a thing.

Forget it. I think I have 2 E's, and one of them's for one of the worst stories I've ever written, where I unknowingly changed tense halfway through from past to present. The story has no value other than as a porn fantasy (about a girl's makeover--physically changing her body and putting on go-go boots) and must have just pushed one of the editor's buttons somehow.

The other one's for "The Little Bow And Arrow", a Valentine's story whose chief virture is that it's cute. Being "cute" isn't something I value especially in porn, so the E doesn't mean much to me. Someone liked it is all.

 

[rgraham666]

You forgot money.

Actually, it would be either the 300 PCs or 600 comments. Like dr_m I like knowing I touched my readers.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Which would you prefer:

a) 500,000 reads [as opposed to views]
b) W
c) 300 public comments
d) 600 feedbacks with return emails
e) E
f) No 1 on the top list
g) H
i) No 1 on the favourites list
j) anything I forgot insert here_________

All of the above is not an option [greedy bastard]!

Why not? Greed is good.

 

[Tom Collins]

I'm going with dr.m and rob. The 300 PCs or the 600 feedbacks with return adresses. I like the good votes and am on top of the world being at #3 in my catagory right now , but I'd like a better idea from my readers what is good and bad in my story. Besides, it makes you feel good knowing that someone was affected enough positively or negatively to actually take the time to write something out for you and not being able to respond is frustrating.

 

[oggbashan]

Some of these come to those who have been around a long time and have stamina.

For about an hour and a half I was number 1 on the Top List. That is a statistical anomaly which is possible for many stories. 10 votes of 5 before the rating becomes visible to everyone means that the story will be Top - for a while. That story now doesn't have an H.

I have an E and now a W. The E meant that the story was voted down in the contest for which it was entered. The W was for an Essay on Free Speech, not really a Literotica high point.

What really makes me happy is making an impact on an individual. These PCs show what I mean...

Anon on 'Bagged at the Opera' (Rated 3.50 with 18 votes)
"I'm a married female in her 30's, currently on anti-depressants that made my sex drive go fron 55mph to maybe 5 at best. (With my husband using every trick in the book--so to speak--at once).
That was well written, imaginative, and sexy. Plus, I think someone just FLOORED the gas pedal to the metal. Thanks. I needed that. Writer? Try to publish! You can do it."

Extract from PC on 'The Worst Chain Story Ever Chap. 01': (Rated 4.67 with 12 votes)
"...I was laughing so much I had to send my husband a link to the story, as he was wondering why I was giggling so insanely on an erotica site..."


Og

 

[impressive]

Lit scores/wins/accolades are all nice, but they're like icing. What truly strokes me is REACHING the reader(s) -- evoking the desired emotions, whether arousal, shame, elation, fear, hope, love, passion, despair ...

This applies, for me, to both poetry and prose.

 

[Tom Collins]

Some of these come to those who have been around a long time and have stamina.

For about an hour and a half I was number 1 on the Top List. That is a statistical anomaly which is possible for many stories. 10 votes of 5 before the rating becomes visible to everyone means that the story will be Top - for a while. That story now doesn't have an H.

I have an E and now a W. The E meant that the story was voted down in the contest for which it was entered. The W was for an Essay on Free Speech, not really a Literotica high point.

What really makes me happy is making an impact on an individual. These PCs show what I mean...

Anon on 'Bagged at the Opera' (Rated 3.50 with 18 votes)
"I'm a married female in her 30's, currently on anti-depressants that made my sex drive go fron 55mph to maybe 5 at best. (With my husband using every trick in the book--so to speak--at once).
That was well written, imaginative, and sexy. Plus, I think someone just FLOORED the gas pedal to the metal. Thanks. I needed that. Writer? Try to publish! You can do it."

Extract from PC on 'The Worst Chain Story Ever Chap. 01': (Rated 4.67 with 12 votes)
"...I was laughing so much I had to send my husband a link to the story, as he was wondering why I was giggling so insanely on an erotica site..."


Og

Yup! That's what makes you fly, eh, Og? Makes you feel powerful to affect someone that much!

 

[Selena_Kitt]

Makes you feel powerful to affect someone that much!

For me it's not about powerful feeling so much as making a connection...

had a friend once who said, "I have three people on speed dial who 'get me'... you're one of them." That kind of simpatico is what I want readers to feel... and those are the connections I value the most.

And for the record, two weeks ago, I probably would have said a "W"... learned my lessons there and thankfully didn't burn any bridges this time

 

[Salvor-Hardon]

OK I will admit up front that I am weird but.....

The ones I wrote trying to be arousing, wanting people to moan or whimper or squeeze their thighs or the read my stuff and couldn;t keep their hands off themselves.

When I get feedback saying "I came twice" or "I read your story and had to go ravage my SO" those are the ones that make me proud of my little fevers.

That or someone sending naked pictures.

 

[shereads]

(J) I'd prefer a story category called "Unfinished," and a "Best Paragraph Without A Context" contest; failing that, I'd prefer that elves discover my paragraph and add enough words to make a story.

 

[rainyguy]

Which would you prefer:

a) 500,000 reads [as opposed to views]
b) W
c) 300 public comments
d) 600 feedbacks with return emails
e) E
f) No 1 on the top list
g) H
i) No 1 on the favourites list
j) anything I forgot insert here_________

All of the above is not an option [greedy bastard]!

d) 600 feedbacks with return emails

 

[drksideofthemoon]

My Opinion...for what it's worth...

...would be J, all I need is one comment, one email from a reader that tells me that my story meant something to them, that it reminded them of someone, somewhere, some place in time...that what I had written mattered to them, and made a difference.

Just that from one person makes all the work worthwhile.

Brian
drksideofthemoon

 

[Munachi]

not sure. I would like one of those E's as I don't have one, how do you get them? I mean, is that just decided when you enter a story, or do you have to send them to specific persons to apply for that?

Um, anyway, no, what I would really like best would be an H for a specific story of mine because it is just the one that is most important to me myself, but then, it doesn't even really get any views except in the first one or two days after I submitted it, but I guess that is normal for a non-erotic story.

In the end, I guess what matters most is that I myself am happy with a story. Or that someone whose opinion I value (like someone whose stories I like) tells me they like my stories ...

 

[Munachi]

one thing i am wondering about though, is the most read category. every click counts as a read, doesn't it? so if your story is on top of that list, it might not even mean anyone likes it, they just like the title - or maybe not even that, they just enter the most read list thinking it has the best stories, thus keep clicking on your story there, then realizing maybe they don't like it, but by clicking leaving it up there? just something that occured to me, when i stumbled upon the most read list in german lit - but then, i think german lit is a thing for itself anyway...

 

[Evil Alpaca]

A little red "H" is nice, but especially if accompanied by honest (and hopefully positive) public comments.

 

[Varian P]

Well, if I can't be a greedy bastard about it, for different reasons, c&d, and also j: compliments from fellow authors who've taken the time to read and offer their critiques in the SDC or elsewhere.

Getting reader feedback saying someone got off on a scene, or that they're gripped by a story and that they're emotionally invested in a character is terribly gratifying, because it makes me feel as though I've accomplished something in creating something that brings pleasure.

When authors whose writing I admire and whose opinions I respect, and who may not even like the sub-genre of stories I write nevertheless think I'm doing something well--dialogue, characterization, etc.--I feel encouraged that I'm becoming a better writer.

-V

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

For me it's not about powerful feeling so much as making a connection...

had a friend once who said, "I have three people on speed dial who 'get me'... you're one of them." That kind of simpatico is what I want readers to feel... and those are the connections I value the most.

And for the record, two weeks ago, I probably would have said a "W"... learned my lessons there and thankfully didn't burn any bridges this time

Selena, your av makes me want to lick some - candy cane.

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

I admit to wanting to finish at the top of the toplist one month, because I am competitive by nature and can't help myself. But the real satisfaction comes from PCs and emails. Plus of course the pure joy of creation. When I wrote my first story six months ago I did so 95-percent for that last reason, because I had never heard of Lit or votes or PCs, etc., and suspected that any emails I got would most likely be from creeps whom I would have preferred keep their raincoats buttoned. I first posted on another big site (Nifty), and was flabbergasted when I started getting grateful emails from nice, normal (but horny) folks who really appreciated my work. Now I am a total feedback and PC whore, ready to flop onto my back and spread for any reader with a few glib words of praise.

 

[MnRider]

I'm new and sometimes a bit odd, but having one of the authors here take the time to tell me my story kinda sucked. [laughing] Well he did think enough of my writing to tell me what he felt I was doing wrong and offered a few thoughts on how to improve.

(OK, I really love having people tell me they like my stories too!)