Newbie question about views

[PapaRomantic]

Far as I know there's no way for that to affect views, as story length isn't visible until you click into the story.

Not true at all. Look at the example she posted on the first page.

 

[NotWise]

How do I know that in advance?

The contest support thread is helpful. You can also watch the New list to find out when and how many stories are posting to the contest.

 

[YmaOHyd]

Not true at all. Look at the example she posted on the first page.

I thought you meant word count rather than views. I am more likely to read an 8000 word story than a 1500 word one, and word count is something that can't be seen. Views don't factor into my decisionmaking as a reader at all.

 

[PapaRomantic]

I thought you meant word count rather than views. I am more likely to read an 8000 word story than a 1500 word one, and word count is something that can't be seen. Views don't factor into my decisionmaking as a reader at all.

My mistake.

 

[FrancesScott]

Genre within categories matters.

Hi @THBGato

As someone who has read and commented favorably on my story (as well as having been kind enough to beta other of my works), I’d value your opinion on what I could have said in the title and subtitle that would have been an improvement. I don’t think titles are my strong suit.

I’m at least adequate at writing, but have no clue about marketing.

 

[Statius]

For the record. It is NOT witch craft.

It's WITCHY craft.

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

 

[Britva415]

The ‘series’ you refer to is an anthology one, not episodic

Doesn't someone have to read them to find that out, though?

Do you think that the perception of it being a series could affect readers?

I sure do.

 

[Britva415]

2k words (and the content of the story) didn’t seem to merit over-tagging.

The only "over-tagging" would be sticking on tags which aren't relevant to the story. All justifiable, relevant and truthful tags help people find stories. Doesn't matter how long or short it is. If there genuinely isn't enough content to suggest a full variety of diverse 10 tags, use synonyms or near-duplicate tags. There are a lot of those, and you can never be sure which of them a searcher is going to be using.

 

[Statius]

Doesn't someone have to read them to find that out, though?

Do you think that the perception of it being a series could affect readers?

I sure do.

Ding ding ding. That's the bell. Fact.

 

[AwkwardMD]

The only "over-tagging" is tags which aren't relevant to the story. All justifiable, relevant and truthful tags help people find stories. Doesn't matter how long or short it is. If there genuinely isn't enough content to suggest a full variety of 10 tags, use synonyms or near-duplicate tags. There are a lot of those, and you can never be sure which of them a searcher is going to be using.

Excellent advice I myself often forget, and I've been preaching about tags for 7 years

 

[THBGato]

Hi @THBGato

As someone who has read and commented favorably on my story (as well as having been kind enough to beta other of my works), I’d value your opinion on what I could have said in the title and subtitle that would have been an improvement. I don’t think titles are my strong suit.

I’m at least adequate at writing, but have no clue about marketing.

Oh don't ask me that - I suck at good titles/short descriptions. Ask @redgarters or @SugarStorm - they are far better. The three of us have similar publishing pedigrees and follower numbers, yet they both get way more views than me!

But that wasn't my point. My point was the type of story you wrote was never really going to get a lot of views. Not because it was a bad story (far from it) but simply because it isn't the type of story readers go to LS for. And that was clear from the short description.

 

[AwkwardMD]

Oh don't ask me that - I suck at good titles/short descriptions. Ask @redgarters or @SugarStorm - they are far better. The three of us have similar publishing pedigrees and follower numbers, yet they both get way more views than me!

But that wasn't my point. My point was the type of story you wrote was never really going to get a lot of views. Not because it was a bad story (far from it) but simply because it isn't the type of story readers go to LS for. And that was clear from the short description.

They love that first time straight spaghetti

 

[FrancesScott]

Doesn't someone have to read them to find that out, though?

But the person who was #4 on the new LS list had a story that was obviously a chapter in a series, and they got more views than me.

 

[FrancesScott]

it isn't the type of story readers go to LS for

I guess I don’t know what that is…

 

[FrancesScott]

They love that first time straight spaghetti

Is this the male readers of LS, or everyone. I tend to think of myself as writing for the female readers first and foremost. I guess this is born out by people like @redgarters (honorary lesbian), @THBGato, @onehitwanda et al liking at least some aspects of my work.

 

[YmaOHyd]

Is this the male readers of LS, or everyone. I tend to think of myself as writing for the female readers first and foremost. I guess this is born out by people like @redgarters (honorary lesbian), @THBGato, @onehitwanda et al liking at least some aspects of my work.

I think and this is just a guess that there are a lot of people who come to the LS category for a story of awakening to their sexuality and another group who come to LS for stories about romance. When you advertised your story as being about "a lesbian couple" you're telling both of those groups not to bother because they're not going to get what they want. This isn't a comment on your story, which I'm sure is good and worth reading.

 

[SmilingLez]

Is this the male readers of LS, or everyone. I tend to think of myself as writing for the female readers first and foremost. I guess this is born out by people like @redgarters (honorary lesbian), @THBGato, @onehitwanda et al liking at least some aspects of my work.

NGL - as a lesbian, when I read a story in lesbian sex, I do check out the author's profile first. I tend to ignore cis heterosexual male authors. YMMV

 

[FrancesScott]

I think and this is just a guess that there are a lot of people who come to the LS category for a story of awakening to their sexuality and another group who come to LS for stories about romance. When you advertised your story as being about "a lesbian couple" you're telling both of those groups not to bother because they're not going to get what they want. This isn't a comment on your story, which I'm sure is good and worth reading.

Hmm… I guess I just think about what I’d like to write about. And of course people having awakenings or meet-cutes are part of that sometimes (hetero also in my case). But other life events also loom large.

But CAOT is difficult to categorize without totally giving away the whole point of the story. Maybe someone who has read it could opine on a way to square the circle.

 

[FrancesScott]

I tend to ignore cis heterosexual male authors. YMMV

My list of authors in LS is kind of a who’s who of the genre. With the exception of @redgarters it’s mostly women.

 

[YmaOHyd]

Hmm… I guess I just think about what I’d like to write about. And of course people having awakenings or meet-cutes are part of that sometimes (hetero also in my case). But other life events also loom large.

But CAOT is difficult to categorize without totally giving away the whole point of the story. Maybe someone who has read it could opine on a way to square the circle.

No, that's fine. 's no biggie, I'm not telling you to write differently. I'm just looking at the subtitle: "A lesbian couple revisits an old haunt," or something like that. "A lesbian couple" tells me: it's not a meet-cute, it's not a sexual awakening, it's not a how-they-got-together (even if it actually is about how they got together!). "an old haunt" tells me they've been together for a while, too; that makes me think that they're going to be together at the start and together at the end.

I think also -- the category is Lesbian Sex, right? When you specify that the couple is a lesbian couple in that category... maybe it comes off a bit male-lesbian-fetishization? Maybe it doesn't! I don't really know. I just can't 100% rule it out, you know?

 

[FrancesScott]

that makes me think that they're going to be together at the start and together at the end.

Kind of… but I’d ruin the whole story if I explained further. It’s only 2k words, why not read it and tell me how you would have marketed it. I’d like to learn.

I think also -- the category is Lesbian Sex, right? When you specify that the couple is a lesbian couple in that category... maybe it comes off a bit male-lesbian-fetishization?

I honestly took zero time to adjust what I’d scribbled initially as a subtitle. I should have changed it when the story took a different direction, but I forgot. I simply forgot. This is a learning for me.

One thing the story doesn’t do is fetishize anything.

 

[old_prof]

Doesn't someone have to read them to find that out, though?

Do you think that the perception of it being a series could affect readers?

I sure do.

I disagree here. Her stories are not named to indicate they’re part of a series and the UI does not make that obvious. And the stories were in different caregories

Unlike most series, her views went up significantly with some stories, notably the two in LS. It seems completely contrary to people perceiving it as part of a series

 

[Britva415]

I disagree here. Her stories are not named to indicate they’re part of a series and the UI does not make that obvious. And the stories were in different caregories

Unlike most series, her views went up significantly with some stories, notably the two in LS. It seems completely contrary to people perceiving it as part of a series

I didn't look at them.

 

[FrancesScott]

I disagree here. Her stories are not named to indicate they’re part of a series and the UI does not make that obvious. And the stories were in different caregories

Unlike most series, her views went up significantly with some stories, notably the two in LS. It seems completely contrary to people perceiving it as part of a series

Yeah - the series angle seems unlikely to be a factor to me.

 

[YmaOHyd]

Kind of… but I’d ruin the whole story if I explained further. It’s only 2k words, why not read it and tell me how you would have marketed it. I’d like to learn.

I'm terrible at writing them! I can analyze but as soon as someone asks me how I'd do better I fall flat. This is the rule of audiences: good at knowing something's wrong, very bad at fixing it.

One thing the story doesn’t do is fetishize anything.

I completely believe you! But only people familiar with you know that prior to reading.