Are we allowed to talk about LE alternatives here?

[metropolinational]

Or will such a discussion get you banned? I have loved my time in LE and LW. However, as of Book 3, Chapter 5 of my story, I can't seem to get past the AI detector. I've tried resubmitting, it was reviewed, and rejected again after seven days. I refuse to rewrite it from scratch. That's absurd.

Would love to have a conversation with other frustrated authors about where to take my work, but don't want to start it unless it's allowed.

Any thoughts on this question? Thanks!

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Nothing is stopping you, as long as you don't link those other websites. Talking about them, comparing them, is perfectly fine.

 

[BlazonG]

There are alternatives but they are pretty bad if you are expecting a Lit-like experience.

Lushstories

Chyoa

Archive of Our Own

The others have such terrible interfaces you’ll suffer just looking at them.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

Others?

Blasphemer!!!!


Bow Now to the Temple of the Lit and Repent ye SINNER!!!!

 

[kallaikoi]

For me, these are the top three:

1. erotxt – Feels like a modern Literotica, even better in some ways, but it doesn’t have many readers yet.
2. Archive of Our Own (AO3) – A huge platform that’s decent overall, but not smut-focused, and the interface isn’t great.
3. StoriesOnline – Pretty much the same issues as AO3.

 

[metropolinational]

Lushstories

Chyoa

These two look really good. About the same as LE, maybe just a bit more modern? Are there some people here who crosspost their stories and could give us some insight into these alternatives?

 

[metropolinational]

erotxt – Feels like a modern Literotica, even better in some ways, but it doesn’t have many readers yet.

this one looks great! again, same question. anyone crossposting?

 

[PennyThompson]

this one looks great! again, same question. anyone crossposting?

I have been gradually uploading my library to erotxt, and I'll probably submit my upcoming story to Lit and there simultaneously, and see which one publishes first

Lit is still where the biggest and best reader community is, I'm not planning on leaving it, but I don't think it hurts to diversify!

 

[metropolinational]

@PennyThompson, have you found some of the same issues at erotxt and here? Are they botching their AI detection? Is the site responsive to author's needs? Is it substantially paywalled? Do you retain copyright?

 

[PennyThompson]

Are they botching their AI detection?

Their terms of service prohibit AI-generated text, I don't know what tools if any they use to enforce the policy. I haven't been flagged for AI there, but I haven't been flagged for it here either

Is the site responsive to author's needs?

The site owner seems to be pretty responsive, and is still actively developing the features of the platform. Recently they did a pretty cool re-design of the categorization system that I like quite a lot!

Is it substantially paywalled?

No monetization at all, at least so far!

Do you retain copyright?

Similar non-exclusive usage rights policy as Lit, you retain your copyright and are giving the site permission to host a copy of your content.

 

[EmilyMiller]

For me, these are the top three:

1. erotxt – Feels like a modern Literotica, even better in some ways, but it doesn’t have many readers yet.

It’s totally modeled on Literotica and it has no credibile plan to grow. It’s someone’s hobby at present. Without a marketing strategy and budget, it’s going to stay that way.

 

[crookedletter]

I'd be interested to see which of these is prepared for the hypothetical server barrage if and when Laurel and Manu decide they're sick of us and close up shop. All these hornballs need to go somewhere.

 

[THBGato]

Romance stuff goes down well on Wattpad. I like the ease of editing on there plus the ability to reply directly to individual comments (with the people you reply to getting notified).

 

[metropolinational]

Romance stuff goes down well on Wattpad. I like the ease of editing on there plus the ability to reply directly to individual comments (with the people you reply to getting notified).

This seems like a YA site? I don't think it would be right to publish erotica there. But yes, I guess an alternative for PG-13 romance stories.

 

[kallaikoi]

this one looks great! again, same question. anyone crossposting?

It’s totally modeled on Literotica and it has no credibile plan to grow. It’s someone’s hobby at present. Without a marketing strategy and budget, it’s going to stay that way.

I’ve worked with marketing teams for years, and based on that experience and on how I personally use these platforms, I don’t think online promotion would work. From my own habits, and from my sense that most readers are similar to me, erotic story readers tend to settle on one site they like and visit it daily. We don’t really search anymore.

Writers are different, but they go where visibility already exists, not to new platforms. That’s why I doubt promotion would achieve much. I don’t have many followers, but I told the few I have that I’d moved to erotxt and did the same on Reddit. That worked, and I gained readers there. I now have the most-read story on the site.

In my view, the project’s only real chance is for writers with existing audiences to promote it directly to their readers. Otherwise, as you said, it will likely remain a hobby, which would be a pity.

 

[TheLobster]

I have been gradually uploading my library to erotxt, and I'll probably submit my upcoming story to Lit and there simultaneously, and see which one publishes first

Lit is still where the biggest and best reader community is, I'm not planning on leaving it, but I don't think it hurts to diversify!

It does look nice indeed, but it's really small right now. The list of authors shows only 30 entries, and like 80% of it are familiar faces from Lit and AH.

But it definitely has much more usable interface, that's for sure, though I'm not a huge fan of all those fade-in/outs and other transitions while scrolling.

Also, I do see that every story there has a cover. Is this mandatory? Did you just use AI to generate yours?

 

[kokomoe1]

I feel your pain. AI panic has absolutely ruined this website.

 

[PennyThompson]

Also, I do see that every story there has a cover. Is this mandatory? Did you just use AI to generate yours?

I made mine in Canva using public domain and free licensed photos from Unsplash. Some authors are using AI images which aesthetically I don't love personally, but it's not against the site policies. There's an ongoing discussion there about how much or how little cover images should be featured on the front page.

 

[EmilyMiller]

In my view, the project’s only real chance is for writers with existing audiences to promote it directly to their readers. Otherwise, as you said, it will likely remain a hobby, which would be a pity.

Yeah - but the site doesn’t do much to retain such authors. Which, as you say, is the only way it can grow. It’s this lack of author supply which I think is going to put a ceiling on growth.

 

[TheLobster]

As for other alternatives, there is Theo Reads. They seem more focused on longer works (i.e., novels or thereabouts) and monetization, straddling the line between Lit and D2D/Smashwords.

 

[THBGato]

This seems like a YA site? I don't think it would be right to publish erotica there. But yes, I guess an alternative for PG-13 romance stories.

You have to mark your story as Mature. The site etiquette is also to tag your story sexually explicit and/or include smut warnings.

It's not the right place for strokers, but plot driven stories can get an audience there. However, you have to work at it - the way to get read is to read other people's stories and network.

 

[Erozetta]

As for other alternatives, there is Theo Reads. They seem more focused on longer works (i.e., novels or thereabouts) and monetization, straddling the line between Lit and D2D/Smashwords.

The owner of TheO likes to do zoom calls with authors, particularly if she likes your work. This prevented me from signing up for a long while, but I did a voice only call and that went fine.

They also accept shorter works and have a pay scale set up based on wordcount. I kept putting mine up for free and Parneet reached out to me with a "Your writing is good. Stop selling yourself short and set it to the minimum cost at least." Which was .50, so I have two up for free and two up for .50. She also regularly sends out newsletters and has featured a couple of my stories a few times.

 

[SouthernCrossfire]

For me, these are the top three:
2. Archive of Our Own (AO3) – A huge platform that’s decent overall, but not smut-focused, and the interface isn’t great.

Very well put. I have quite a few non-erotic stories on AO3 under a different username; it took a little while to learn the wonky interface but it's passible, and they allow a ridiculous number of tags/keywords that makes searches difficult, too. On the good side, if you do an edit, it's immediate (no 2 to 4 week delay), and it's relatively easy for the reader to navigate through a story. I've seen some VERY mature content in a couple of stories I was reading where I wasn't expecting it, so I suspect there aren't many (any?) brakes on content either.

Unfortunately, my traffic isn't very good on AO3 and getting people to comment is like pulling teeth so I haven't posted much there since I started on Lit.

 

[MrPixel]

[erotxt] Also, I do see that every story there has a cover. Is this mandatory?

More or less. If you don't submit one, your story gets a tasteful but plain generic cover with just the story name and your user name. Library listings are cover-oriented.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

These two look really good. About the same as LE, maybe just a bit more modern? Are there some people here who crosspost their stories and could give us some insight into these alternatives?

My stories seem to always be too long for Lush. It also appears that they have multiple moderators who provide no consistency where approving stories is concerned.