How do you engage readers on Literotica?

[intim8]

Since most people here are hobbyist writers, I'd question the value of building a Literotica following, simply because the return on investment is low and mainly comes in "feel good" currency

I'm technically at the hobbyist level, but I aspire to more. Besides enjoying the writing and the subject matter, I'm writing here to up my skills in writing for an audience. That includes the more "marketing" type skills beyond the writing itself.

So the votes and comments, etc, serve two purposes. One is to gauge that effort. The other is that a big audience here might, indirectly, be somewhere along the route to monetization.

If I manipulate people into following, etc, that pollutes the value of the feedback on how I am doing on the first, and more important goal.

 

[intim8]

Because writing and submitting are not separate actions. They are inseparably linked. You are writing because you want to submit it.

OK, I'll just leave you alone from here out.

 

[AlexBailey]

The story is the information. It shouldn't need any more. Storytelling is explaining. If your explaining needs explaining then you didn't tell the story well enough. If you disclaim extra info about the story off the top, you are admitting to me that the story could have been told better. This is not an assumption. This is literally the message that you are sending about your craft.

You’re definitely making assumptions.

Again, I’m not providing more information out of concern about the quality of my work. Frankly, my novel has potentially controversial content and characters that aren’t introduced within the first 30k words.

I chose to provide a forward as a courtesy so someone who might be disturbed by some things would not invest their time in something thy might find disturbing.

Drugs, for instance. Part of my story includes an ecstasy party, the concept of which doesn’t come up in the first ~ 10k words . I personally know people who avoid any mention of drugs, so as a curtesy I mention drug use in the blurb. I did not do this as a concern for down votes, I did this out of respect.

I also provided a warning about social conflicts within the story. I did this so any reader who may be struggling with social issues regarding gender identity could make an informed choice before getting to a bashing that happens in part four.

You are literally saying what my intentions are. You are wrong. Your assumptions are yours, feel free to act on them, but understand that your projections are not fact.

 

[Voboy]

The story is the information. It shouldn't need any more. Storytelling is explaining. If your explaining needs explaining then you didn't tell the story well enough. If you disclaim extra info about the story off the top, you are admitting to me that they story could have been told better.

You're doing it again: you're presenting your opinions, to which you're entitled, as universal facts that everyone should acknowledge and follow.

That's never really worked, and it's not likely to start now. It's fine to let others be different than you. No need to piss in their cheerios. OP asked a simple question; someone answered in good faith, and now here you are taking mindless and undue issue with that response.

It's always tiresome.

 

[Bamagan]

You're doing it again: you're presenting your opinions, to which you're entitled, as universal facts that everyone should acknowledge and follow.

That's never really worked, and it's not likely to start now. It's fine to let others be different than you. No need to piss in their cheerios. OP asked a simple question; someone answered in good faith, and now here you are taking mindless and undue issue with that response.

It's always tiresome.

Someone out there has urine-soaked breakfast grains on their fetish bingo card, I bet.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

I chose to provide a forward as a courtesy so someone who might be disturbed by some things would not invest their time in something thy might find disturbing.

If drugs are a focal point then just put drugs in the tags. If you have a story that is far longer than 30k words (which you do) and drugs are only mentioned here or there or only involved in one scene, that shouldn't put anyone off enough to put down your story because people who are into reading novels expect that there will be scenes that go outside their lines. So that means that the only reason for the warning is paranoia of the downvote.

You are literally saying what my intentions are. You are wrong. Your assumptions are yours, feel free to act on them, but understand that your projections are not fact.

Ahh, the old 'you cant see inside m head therefore youre wrong' argument. Politicians use this all the time: 'you cant prove that Im lying, therefore Im not lying!' I don't need to see inside your head when the effect plays out before me.

You're doing it again: you're presenting your opinions, to which you're entitled, as universal facts that everyone should acknowledge and follow.

No. I don't do that as much as you want me to. I speak truth when I see it. You (particularly you) bitch when your ego doesn't like the truth. I never said that everyone should follow. You made that part up. I tell my observations and speak the truth. People ask for input on a subject and I provide mine and I'm still waiting for someone to start a topic and say "curious for everyone's input except psg's". You can be the first. Be my guest.

 

[AlexBailey]

Ahh, the old 'you cant see inside m head therefore youre wrong' argument. Politicians use this all the time: 'you cant prove that Im lying, therefore Im not lying!' I don't need to see inside your head when the effect plays out before me.

JFC!

Now you’re literally calling me a liar?

Okay.

Done with you.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

JFC!

Now you’re literally calling me a liar?

Okay.

Done with you.

Nope. I am not calling you a liar. You read what you want to read even if it's not there. Whatever suits your ego.

 

[AchtungNight]

When I ask for feedback, it's out of hope, not projection. But I understand that it can be seen another way. Really, perception of a person is the audience's choice. Ultimately, please believe this truth- I'm too simple, unselfish, and disgusted by evil to sincerely want to be an exploiter, abuser, or any other sort of hypocrite. I also have enough trouble maintaining one face sometimes what with depression, anger, fear, and disappointment, why would I want to try for two?

Enough, though, I know that with some people everything you say can never be enough. And I may not have the right to speak to you either.

Either you enjoy my stories or you don't. Those who honestly do enjoy are the sort of readers with whom I want to engage.

 

[AlexBailey]

Nope. I am not calling you a liar. You read what you want to read even if it's not there. Whatever suits your ego.

One last time:

Please explain how the statement from you below is not calling me a liar. What “effect is playing out” before you?

Ahh, the old 'you cant see inside m head therefore youre wrong' argument. Politicians use this all the time: 'you cant prove that Im lying, therefore Im not lying!' I don't need to see inside your head when the effect plays out before me.

 

[Malcolm_79]

Aside from sending pictures of my boobs (and other body parts) and participating in sex chats -- both of which I am not interesting in doing -- how do you engage readers? Or do you take a laissez-faire attitude and just post stories, only engaging if and when they initiate the contact (comments and/or private messages). I am very interested in what others are doing to build their readership. Thank you!

Iv been wondering the same lol. And I haven't figured out how to post pics yet either lol.

 

[Voboy]

No. I don't do that as much as you want me to. I speak truth when I see it. You (particularly you) bitch when your ego doesn't like the truth. I never said that everyone should follow. You made that part up. I tell my observations and speak the truth. People ask for input on a subject and I provide mine and I'm still waiting for someone to start a topic and say "curious for everyone's input except psg's". You can be the first. Be my guest.

As I said,

It's always tiresome.

Look, it's no skin off my nose; lack of self-awareness is not a crime, and I'm hardly surprised if you think you're as awesome as you purport to be. But many people call you out on that, and I would hope that at a certain point you'd start to connect the smoke with the fire.

OP can add intros and outros if she wants, and she doesn't have to if she doesn't want to. It's her choice, and there's nothing wrong either way despite you telling her there is.

 

[Britva415]

How do you engage readers on Literotica?

Title, description and tags

 

[pink_silk_glove]

Done with you.

I knew that you weren't.

Please explain how the statement from you below is not calling me a liar. What “effect is playing out” before you?

Very simple. I explained how politicians use the technique to cover their lies, which you used to try to debunk my logic. Same technique, different intent. Big difference.

OP can add intros and outros if she wants, and she doesn't have to if she doesn't want to. It's her choice, and there's nothing wrong either way despite you telling her there is.

I never told anyone that they were wrong for it. That's your imagination. I merely explained the effect that it has. I know that you hate me for all the truth that I point out, you've attacked me and deliberately misconstrued me several times to suit your ego. I fully expected that you would here too, so I was right again. You've been a particular asshole to me on a number of occasions but unfortunately for you, I don't give a fuck what you think of me.

 

[lovecraft68]

Look, it's no skin off my nose; lack of self-awareness is not a crime, and I'm hardly surprised if you think you're as awesome as you purport to be. But many people call you out on that, and I would hope that at a certain point you'd start to connect the smoke with the fire.

This is interesting. On one hand, does anyone ever win an argument? Especially on the internet, rare is the case where someone says I'm wrong and although its always worth defending your stance, its not worth constantly going back and forth on it.

On the other hand, the prevailing thought from a couple people here is PSG is wrong. Many things here are not so much a direct right and wrong as right and wrong for each person, but then we get into that not being enough and trying to force your right onto another.

I tend to agree with PSG more often than not. Maybe because we're a bit similar in the sense of fuck your feelings this is what I think, or maybe I just tend to see it their way. Some people here-and I am not saying you-enjoy playing passive aggressive victim, or flat-out victim, so when they're part of a spat, I tend to disagree with them on principle.

 

[Flybynite1892]

Aside from sending pictures of my boobs (and other body parts) and participating in sex chats -- both of which I am not interesting in doing -- how do you engage readers? Or do you take a laissez-faire attitude and just post stories, only engaging if and when they initiate the contact (comments and/or private messages). I am very interested in what others are doing to build their readership. Thank you!

I've had these same questions! I'm still new here, but as a past journalist/comms person, I've had the engagement stuff seared into my mind, and I've also seen weird, seemingly random results on some of my stories - stretches of time when it seems like tons of people are commenting and reading, and then periods when seemingly no one is. I wasn't sure if there was any rhyme or reason to that, or if it's all just catching lightning in a bottle.

Also, in terms of preambles, I always throw one on my stories, but that's because I'm usually writing in the fetish/BDSM world, and I like to just give people a heads up on what the story is about specifically, so they don't waste their time on something that really isn't interesting to them. It's a little more nuanced than just tags. Plus, I kind of like it when other writers do that; I'm always curious about writing process and how a given writer really feels about a story.

My question would be if anyone has noticed more views if they publish a slew of stories close together or not. I know sometimes, in other settings, publishing a lot of stuff close together can bury certain pieces, but I don't know if we'd have that problem here, given that stories do take a while to get published after submission.

 

[Britva415]

Since most people here are hobbyist writers, I'd question the value of building a Literotica following, simply because the return on investment is low and mainly comes in "feel good" currency

Maybe that's 100% what OP is looking for.

 

[AlexBailey]

Very simple. I explained how politicians use the technique to cover their lies, which you used to try to debunk my logic. Same technique, different intent. Big difference.

Oh, I see. Our miscommunication is even worse than I thought.

I was not using any particular “logic” to imply that you are incorrect about my motivations. I simply know what my motivations are that your assumptions are incorrect.

But yes, I am done considering anything you have to say to be true or reasonable on face value. You have earned a new and lower status than you had before in my opinion.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

Plus, I kind of like it when other writers do that; I'm always curious about writing process and how a given writer really feels about a story.

Totally disagree. When writers do this, more often than not the message that they are sending is "I wrote this, and now make sure that you read it a certain way, or from the right perspective." If I the reader is not allowed the freedom of my own perspective, my experience is already limited before I start. Why do writers do this. Generally because they want to make sure that you understand how good they think that they are or want to be, rather than how good they actually are. The writer wrote it with zero input from me, so the writer can leave me alone to read it. A writer can't look down on his audience any more than when he says "now make sure that you read this properly to understand it's greatness." IF a disclaimer smacks of telling me HOW to read like that, of course I'll be a bit put off. Doesn't mean that I won't read it, but now you;ve just put me in "ok Mr Ego, impress me" mode.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

But yes, I am done considering anything you have to say to be true or reasonable on face value. You have earned a new and lower status than you had before in my opinion.

Doubt it, but whatever.

 

[AlexBailey]

Doubt it, but whatever.

Really?
What part of my last message do you doubt?

 

[lustychimera]

We're on a roll with these threads lately.

 

[Cagivagurl]

Aside from sending pictures of my boobs (and other body parts) and participating in sex chats -- both of which I am not interesting in doing -- how do you engage readers? Or do you take a laissez-faire attitude and just post stories, only engaging if and when they initiate the contact (comments and/or private messages). I am very interested in what others are doing to build their readership. Thank you!

I'm not sure about how you actively seek to engage readers.
For me, I do nothing but post stories...
I do respond to email feedback, but I don't respond to comments unless somebody says something which irks me...
From a readers perspective. I don't read footnotes, or lead ins.... I tend you ignore it and go straight to the story.
If the writing is good, I will go back and read the writers Bio...
I'm a bit fatalistic. Readers will read good stories...
If you're worried about the number of comments or feedbacks you get. you're focusing on the wrong thing...
Those are things which are (IMO) Outside your sphere of influence. Focus inwards, enjoy writing, enjoy the characters you create. The worlds you create. Let your mind and imagination enjoy what you have built...
I think what I'm trying to say is (Sorry, it was a twisted path I wandered down)
Enjoy the writing. If you are getting enjoyment and a little fulfilment from that. Then you are already successful. If you extract joy from what you are doing. That will flow into your stories and perhaps that will help grow your readership...
Maybe...
I'm no expert and only a novice myself.

Cagivagurl

 

[pink_silk_glove]

Really?
What part of my last message do you doubt?

The fact that you've told me how much you're done with me, proven by how many times that you keep responding to me since.

If you don't think what I say has any value then why are you so adamant on trying to tear it down?

 

[AlexBailey]

The fact that you've told me how much you're done with me, proven by how many times that you keep responding to me since.

If you don't think what I say has any value then why are you so adamant on trying to tear it down?

Oh my.

The only thing I’m not going along with is your projection and accusations about my motivation for providing an informative blurb. I stated my motivations, for some unknown reason you said those were not my motivations.

Before this interaction, I gave your posts the benefit of the doubt, just as I give it to everyone else who I believe to be posting in good faith. You have lost that benefit here by basically saying that I am lying about my motives.

When I said I’m done with you I meant that I’m done believing in you. You are not to be taken seriously.

It’s okay. We can coexist. This is a place of fiction, after all.