How do you not freak out over votes?

[jaF0]

As has been said earlier, by jaFO, in response to Katt2007 thinking 4.07 is so low a score it’s not worth continuing writing I’m in complete agreement.

I mean, seriously, most of my stuff is in the 3s. I have a few over 4, but I just don't pay that much attention to any of them. I don't try to create masterpieces. They're mostly quickees that I equate to the old Penthouse Letters or Variations type tales.

I'll never make a buck on them. Not even a penny.

 

[NotWise]

I've noticed that over time the view:vote ratio increases, which I suspect is due to people re-reading, but not voting on, stories they've read and voted on before. That's one of the reasons I think it's much more useful to look at 12 month figures than 1 month figures, which are far more subject to change over the long term.

The problem with using the 12-month list is that its edited data. In most categories it only shows results for the highest scoring stories.

On my stories, votes per view goes down over time (views per vote goes up). The graph below shows votes and views for my Nude Day contest story from last year.

The slope of the line at any point is the ratio of votes:view. It varies quite a lot. The average votes:view is the slope of the straight line from the graph origin to the last data point. That gets lower over time, even though the votes:view at the time is nearly constant.

For this story, the initial votes:view was very low (under 2.5 votes per 1000 views). I think that's common, because the story picks up a lot of views from people reading the New list who aren't necessarily interested.

The gaps in the data are the first few overnights. The story was visible on the I/T hub for three days, and the votes:view went up throughout that whole time. It got about 16 votes per thousand views on the last day, when the story was at the bottom of the I/T hub.

Votes:view has been fairly constant since the story left the I/T hub at about 3.7 votes per thousand views. There aren't clear-cut breaks for other events: falling off the New list, the contest closing, or the contest page being unlinked.

The average votes:view is a little over 6 votes per 1000 views.

The most spectacular change I've seen in votes:view came from publishing my second Romance story, which was fairly well-received. It funnelled a lot of interest to my first Romance story, which went from 16 votes per thousand views, to nearly 100 votes per thousand views while the newer story was on the Romance hub, then it dropped back to 19 votes per thousand views.

There's an obvious difference here between I/T and Romance. The highest votes:view the I/T story ever got was the same as the normal votes:view for the old Romance story before the new story was published.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I misspoke. It was favorites:1000 views that came out around 1. My median ratio of votes:1000 views is 8.8, and it ranges from 2 to 31. The distribution of that ratio isn't as clearly related to category as favorites:1000 views. All but one of my EC stories is below the median, but all of my SciFi and Romance stories are over the median. The I/T stories are widely distributed.

There is very little relationship between the score and votes:1000 views.

Faves, gotcha. I don't "metric" faves in my head when I do the quick maths, so I'm not sure how I compare to that. Probably much the same, knowing human behaviour.

 

[lovecraft68]

I think you're looking at too small a sample size. You can't take the scores seriously until you hit 80 or even triple digits. Things will start smoothing out then.

I post a story and obsessively go back and check the scores every hour. I realize that's not productive or helpful and the updates don't always hit right away. But you are allowed to freak out dipping .16 over a weekend. It's your right.

The story will smoooooooth out and voting will be accurate for how the masses feel.

Sometimes all it takes is the story being off the new list and out of view of the lazy trolls who only look at the stories for that day. Once its out of their site it will level off and creep up.

 

[katt2007]

As has been said earlier, by jaFO, in response to Katt2007 thinking 4.07 is so low a score it’s not worth continuing writing I’m in complete agreement. Without doubt everyone wants to see that magic red sign next to their story but it doesn’t always occur and it’s impossible for it to occur for every story. A story on 4.07 (mathematicians please correct me) means you’ve received more 5’s than other votes. As has been said before anything above 4 is a good score.

I’ve read the story and not only is it better than a lot of first stories I’ve read it’s better than many red stories I’ve come across.

https://www.literotica.com/s/test-of-faith

So the message for Katt2007 is get back to writing.

Thanks for the comments. When I was discouraged, shortly after writing it, it had a score <4, so it has gone up a bit since.

Maybe I should try continuing the story. It was intended to be a corruption story, but where the corruption happens because the main character is trying to do something good. As Kirkegaarde would put it, a teleological suspension of the ethical. I had quite a lot plotted out already, with her eventually becoming a stripper and then deeper and deeper down she goes.

 

[Emirus]

Thanks for the comments. When I was discouraged, shortly after writing it, it had a score <4, so it has gone up a bit since.

Maybe I should try continuing the story. It was intended to be a corruption story, but where the corruption happens because the main character is trying to do something good. As Kirkegaarde would put it, a teleological suspension of the ethical. I had quite a lot plotted out already, with her eventually becoming a stripper and then deeper and deeper down she goes.

You have used the phrase “Maybe I should try continuing the story.” Please change that to “I will be continuing with the story.” I’m sure whichever way you take the story it will be a good read.

So no “maybe.” Okay?

 

[NotWise]

I'm curious about this ... what drives views to stories once they're off the new list? Obviously views go way down after that, but I'm not sure where they're coming from at all. Tag searches, maybe? Or the 30 Day Best-Of view, if your story is highly rated enough?

There are two lists that you might call "new." One is the category hub, and the other is the actual "New" list. Your story is on the "New" list for seven or eight days. Its time on the category hub varies from category to category and may be as little as none at very busy times to weeks in slow categories.

After a story slips off the category hub, a few people will pick it off back pages of the New list, but the biggest driver of readers to your story is your next story. If people like your new story, then they'll dig into you catalogue.

Then there's the tag search, which they're trying to make better, the side bars like "similar stories" or "recommended for you." Being in the Hall of Fame can bring a lot of votes, and being on first couple pages of the all-time top list can produce a steady stream of views, but I don't think readers pay much attention to the 30-day and 12-month lists.

The site offers a lot of ways to get readers to older stories, but there are a lot of stories in that vault.

Edit: I forgot to mention that people can find stories on Lit directly with search engines like Google.

Edit2: I also forgot about contests. The contest page with links to your story stays live until the next contest starts, which is usually a few weeks.

 

[lovecraft68]

I'm curious about this ... what drives views to stories once they're off the new list? Obviously views go way down after that, but I'm not sure where they're coming from at all. Tag searches, maybe? Or the 30 Day Best-Of view, if your story is highly rated enough?

Tag searches, also sometimes the feedback portal which features recent comments can send people to the story.

People who have an author bookmarked who might not have read he story right away

The 30 day top list if the story qualifies for it

Some people do look past the first page.

 

[MelissaBaby]

I'm curious about this ... what drives views to stories once they're off the new list? Obviously views go way down after that, but I'm not sure where they're coming from at all. Tag searches, maybe? Or the 30 Day Best-Of view, if your story is highly rated enough?

In addition to what NotWise and Lovecraft mentioned, if you write series, each new chapter that you publish will cause a little bump in earlier chapters, particularly the first one.

 

[HollyLoriAnnalee]

My first score: yikes!

The scores for my first published story are in the mid-2's. I'm going to go with what Melissa said, though, and guess that maybe later chapters will bump that up. In the end, I don't mind--to me it's just super hot that people even read the piece, and somebody somewhere out there will get what I'm doing.

 

[Enchantment_of_Nyx]

The scores for my first published story are in the mid-2's. I'm going to go with what Melissa said, though, and guess that maybe later chapters will bump that up. In the end, I don't mind--to me it's just super hot that people even read the piece, and somebody somewhere out there will get what I'm doing.

I just checked, and your story's already up to 3.25. I don't know how many people have voted, but since it's brand new, I'm guessing it might not be many. You can't really tell much until you have more votes.

Another issue for you is that you're on the list of new stories right now. That's good in some ways and bad in others. It's mostly good, because it means you're getting the exposure. The downside is that in addition to showing up in the new list for your category, you're showing up in the main new list for all the categories. That means some people are going to read it without looking at what category it is, then give you low votes if they just don't like the category.

It sounds like you've got the right attitude about it, though!

 

[SimonDoom]

The scores for my first published story are in the mid-2's. I'm going to go with what Melissa said, though, and guess that maybe later chapters will bump that up. In the end, I don't mind--to me it's just super hot that people even read the piece, and somebody somewhere out there will get what I'm doing.

I read your story. The quality of the writing is far above what the score indicates. But it's such a disturbing story (not a judgment, just an observation) that it's no wonder its score isn't higher. Some people will be turned off by the subject matter no matter how well written it is.

Literotica is very category-driven, reader-driven. If you hit the readers' buttons the right way, you'll probably receive a good score, even if the prose is so-so. You've chosen to write something that's very edgy, so you won't enjoy the benefit of universal reader approval, and your scores will suffer. There's nothing wrong with that, though. Follow your muse.

And you are right, that if you keep publishing more chapters the readers who don't like the subject matter will drop off, and the remaining readers will be likely to give you a higher score.

My only recommendation for your story would be to concentrate on the characters and their motivation, because I was a bit confused about that. The nature of the relationship between the two of them wasn't entirely clear to me over the course of the story. As you go forward, it will be important for the nature of the relationship to come into focus more. What does each one want? What is the obstacle to each one getting what she wants? How does each one overcome that obstacle?

One other thing: I'm not sure if your story is in the right category. It seems to me to be a sadomasochistic relationship, rather than nonconsensual. It's borderline. But I think playing up the sadomasochistic angle probably will make for a better long-term story.

 

[HectorBidon]

... also sometimes the feedback portal which features recent comments can send people to the story.

The feedback portal isn't what it used to be, however. It used to update continuously, so that by the time you'd read through the 15 comments on the page, you could reload the page and there would often be new ones. I always thought the portal was a nice way to see what was going on in categories I didn't usually read---and what the readers in those categories were like. And I was sometimes led to good stories I probably wouldn't have found any other way.

But ever since they started checking comments for spam, the feedback portal is only updated a couple of times a day. The same 15 comments, good, bad, or irrelevant, will stay up for hours on end. It does still provide a snapshot, I suppose, but only a pretty sparse one over a single sitting.

 

[Escierto]

The ratings. I would like better ratings but I have come to understand why my stories get the ratings that they get. My two highest stories were both fantasies and my other nine stories are all factual. People hate factual stories that are actually true. There is a guy who writes stories in my category and he has had zero actual experience so his writing is all based on his fantasies. The guy gets sky high ratings and they are well written but the scenarios are ridiculous. People love that stuff. I write mainly to preserve my memories of my experiences and at this point, I don’t give a fuck if anyone reads them or anyone likes them.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I did not know anything about her, and watched the movie because Yo La Tengo played the Velvet Underground. LOL

I thought the movie did a good job of taking a truly fucked up character and making her understandable, if not sympathetic.

It's been a while since your post, but I decided to answer it because I just found it. It's probably Lili Taylor's best role that I've seen.

Possibly one of the reasons no one has heard of Solanas is because her timing was unlucky. She shot Warhol just three days before the Bobby Kennedy assassination, which threw her out of the news cycle. I was thirteen at the time, and there was massive coverage of Kennedy but I don't remember her at all.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Tag searches, also sometimes the feedback portal which features recent comments can send people to the story.

People who have an author bookmarked who might not have read the story right away

The 30 day top list if the story qualifies for it

Some people do look past the first page.

The views tend to drift upwards for a long time, years even, but the number of votes and comments level off - in about two or three weeks? - and then that changes very slowly, if at all.

People will find an old story sometimes and add it to their favorites, which is one way I know that it's still being read.

 

[oggbashan]

My stories do not have a popular appeal. Compared with many other authors my number of votes, and the ratings are usually low.

I'm not worried. Once a story is posted, I can forget it and move on to the next. It's over; done with. It can sink - or swim.

 

[JJA122]

I don’t think anonymous comments should be allowed. If you have a negative comment that you feel strongly enough to post, your screen name should be attached. Anonymous comments allow any coward to comment and trash someone’s story.

I think all my anonymous comments have been positive, and comments don't have as much as an effect on me personally. If the story I'm reading is exceptionally obscure I may check the comments first I guess.

 

[SimonDoom]

I don’t think anonymous comments should be allowed. If you have a negative comment that you feel strongly enough to post, your screen name should be attached. Anonymous comments allow any coward to comment and trash someone’s story.

If you don't like anonymous comments, you can delete them. Your objection to them is not a valid reason why they should be prohibited for everyone.

I like getting anonymous comments. If they were banned, I would receive perhaps only half the comments I get now. Most anonymous comments I receive are positive. Some are intelligent and insightful. It would be a big loss, as an author, if anonymous comments were prohibited.

People have good reasons why they don't want to attach their names to comments. It's not just a matter of cowardice.

 

[KeithD]

If you don't like anonymous comments, you can delete them.

This. The Web site gives about as balanced an approach to the issue as it could.

 

[Dave_Loves_Puss]

I don't worry a lot about votes. I write the story to excite me. Everyone is turned on by different words and dialogue. Some want fast and nasty, some want slow and detailed. Some want taboo and some want scifi. All readers are different and all readers look for something different depending on their own mood. That is why I just write to please myself. If I am not ready for a good stroke when I am done with the story, then I toss it away. At that point, if it's not good enough for someone, then too bad for them because I am getting myself off with it.

My stories are realistic and I try to keep them relatable to things that have actually happened to me, or the way I wish things would have gone in that part of my life with that certain person. That is just my style. I don't have a 9 inch cock and cannot fuck for hours straight four times per day. So I write what did or could have actually happened to me.

So my advice is this, don't try to measure up with people's critiques of your work. Enjoy it and use it as a release. It's art. Not everyone will get it. Same goes with visual or musical artists, the audience varies way too much to please everyone.

 

[Bramblethorn]

If you don't like anonymous comments, you can delete them. Your objection to them is not a valid reason why they should be prohibited for everyone.

I like getting anonymous comments. If they were banned, I would receive perhaps only half the comments I get now. Most anonymous comments I receive are positive. Some are intelligent and insightful. It would be a big loss, as an author, if anonymous comments were prohibited.

People have good reasons why they don't want to attach their names to comments. It's not just a matter of cowardice.

Yep. 99% of my anons are lovely. Plenty of legitimate reasons why somebody might not want to give their details to an erotica website.

 

[SimonDoom]

How do you delete Comments?

Good question. I've done it before, but in response to your question I looked over my story file, pulled up a story, looked at the comments, and I couldn't figure out how to delete one if I wanted to.

To everyone else: Has this function been changed from before? How does one delete a comment left on one's story?

 

[ElectricBlue]

Good question. I've done it before, but in response to your question I looked over my story file, pulled up a story, looked at the comments, and I couldn't figure out how to delete one if I wanted to.

To everyone else: Has this function been changed from before? How does one delete a comment left on one's story?

Go to Works, click on the story, click on the comments icon (the speech bubble doo-dad), there's the bin.

https://www.literotica.com/my/#/works/stories/published

 

[8letters]

Good question. I've done it before, but in response to your question I looked over my story file, pulled up a story, looked at the comments, and I couldn't figure out how to delete one if I wanted to.

To everyone else: Has this function been changed from before? How does one delete a comment left on one's story?

Go here. Scroll down to the story and click the comments icon (two speech bubbles). That will get you to the list of comments (if a comment isn't showing up on your story, you can see it here). Click on the trash can icon on the right to delete.