The now fully official Author’s Hangout Halloween 2025 competition support thread

[old_prof]

I know comparing and playing statistics is a surefire way to make yourself miserable, but I'm still morbidly curious - what is about the minimum number of votes and views to be competitive, in a setting like this?

Yes yes there is the 25 minimum, but how many votes do the "blockbuster" competitors have, in competitions like these?

50? 100? 10.000?

I don;t know if you would consider anything I do blockbuster, but I did win a prize in the Nude Day contest. I had roughly 140 votes at the end of the contest. (after sweeps before a new round of one-bombs for winning.) I generally don't write in the high volume categories like LW or T/I. The number of views (and votes or comments) is more dependent on category than anything else.

 

[Voboy]

I know comparing and playing statistics is a surefire way to make yourself miserable, but I'm still morbidly curious - what is about the minimum number of votes and views to be competitive, in a setting like this?

Yes yes there is the 25 minimum, but how many votes do the "blockbuster" competitors have, in competitions like these?

50? 100? 10.000?

The ones I've won have typically had between about 75 and 125 votes, probably. No idea on the views; I don't track those compulsively at all.

VERY few of my stories end up with more than 150 votes by the time a contest ends, and I like to enter on Day One. I would guess that a competitive story hoping for a top-three placing needs to be at or above about 4.86 when the final sweeps begin.

 

[Djmac1031]

I know comparing and playing statistics is a surefire way to make yourself miserable, but I'm still morbidly curious - what is about the minimum number of votes and views to be competitive, in a setting like this?

Yes yes there is the 25 minimum, but how many votes do the "blockbuster" competitors have, in competitions like these?

50? 100? 10.000?

I honestly have never really paid that much attention to what numbers are needed to win, or even place in one of these contests. Mainly because I already know I certainly won't come close lol.

My Halloween entry is currently sitting at 13.8K views, 186 votes. Not bad for only being up for 3 and a half days.

But my rating is only 4.47. Very respectable, but certainly not gonna win me a contest.

 

[SmilingLez]

If you have a Halloween themed poem/prose you wish to share, please do.

Poetry Feedback & Discussion ---> 2025 Halloween Poetry Challenge

 

[DEFCOM5]

VERY few of my stories end up with more than 150 votes by the time a contest ends, and I like to enter on Day One. I would guess that a competitive story hoping for a top-three placing needs to be at or above about 4.86 when the final sweeps begin.

I can only dream to achieve a rating >4.86.
This is my first entry in a competition. I did it because I heard it give you exposure.
I am happy with my entry quality wise (for me)
I have no expectation to win. I know my level!

I honestly have never really paid that much attention to what numbers are needed to win, or even place in one of these contests. Mainly because I already know I certainly won't come close lol.

My Halloween entry is currently sitting at 13.8K views, 186 votes. Not bad for only being up for 3 and a half days.

But my rating is only 4.47. Very respectable, but certainly not gonna win me a contest.

If you won't come even close, think of someone like me.

I have 5,650 views with 238 votes and a score of 4.67. Highest ever rating and number of votes.

I think the reason my ratings has not been bombed is because I am not a contender.

If I was one of those motherfuckers who bombs 1 to great writers, I would target @Djmac1031 , @EmilyMiller or @Voboy who have written great stories. I would not waste my energy on someone like me!

 

[EmilyMiller]

I know comparing and playing statistics is a surefire way to make yourself miserable, but I'm still morbidly curious - what is about the minimum number of votes and views to be competitive, in a setting like this?

Yes yes there is the 25 minimum, but how many votes do the "blockbuster" competitors have, in competitions like these?

50? 100? 10.000?

When I’ve narrowly not placed (three times now ) I’ve had between 150 and 250 votes and somewhere in the high 4.8x range before the final sweep. Winners often seem to get low 4.9x post sweep and pre the following Uruk-hai attacks.

 

[Djmac1031]

If I was one of those motherfuckers who bombs 1 to great writers, I would target @Djmac1031 , @EmilyMiller or @Voboy who have written great stories. I would not waste my energy on someone like me!

Hey don't give them any ideas lol

 

[Voboy]

Hey don't give them any ideas lol

Lol. My piece this time around is no threat to anyone.

I think there's a "police tax" my stories pay. My stories with cops don't seem to do all that well, by and large. Which is unfortunate, because they're fun to write. Ah, well.

 

[LitEroCat]

I feel your pain.

And if a writer as good as you is being downvoted, what chance have us regular folk got?

I've been downvoted several times for nothing but petty reasons. I do track my stats in a spreadsheet when I hoped to see which categories were most popular and how fast stories were viewed. I stopped tracking the scores, but do watch the views on 2 sites. Currently, I'm at just under 8 million views with my highest views by story at 220,000. I thought that was a lot until I looked at LIT stats. :'(
My H'ween story is finally done. Submitting now.

 

[BryanRichardson]

I’ve got three stories in Halloween:

https://literotica.com/s/lookalike-spouses-swap-clothes Husband and wife dress as each other for Halloween.
10/02/2025 in Crossdressing 4.58 / 360 votes; 24 likes, 21.8 views, 5 comments

https://literotica.com/s/one-night-stand-74 A blow job Bob will remember for the rest of his life.
10/03/2025 in Erotic Horror 3.94 / 52 votes; 3 likes, 4.6k views, 2 comments

https://literotica.com/s/dead-grass-in-the-morning What stalks the campus?
10/07/2025 in Mind Control 4.49 / 51 votes, 5likes 5.4k views, 5 comments
(This one is weird because the score seems to be falling, but I don’t think the votes are increasing.)

I’m surprised that Lookalike is doing so well, I didn’t know that category was as active as it is. Erotic Horror and Mind Control are just not very active, so I’m not surprised that they aren’t getting many views.

Of course they are all out performing:
https://literotica.com/s/my-first-year-on-literotica And my Survivor plans for the rest of 2025.
10/16/2025 in Reviews & Essays 5 / 3 votes; no likes , 128! Views, and 1 comment

I published another story in Reviews & Essays on 7/14/25 and it is only about halfway down the first New Erotic Essays page so I’m not surprised that so few people have seen the still “NEW” essay.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I've been downvoted several times for nothing but petty reasons. I do track my stats in a spreadsheet when I hoped to see which categories were most popular and how fast stories were viewed. I stopped tracking the scores, but do watch the views on 2 sites. Currently, I'm at just under 8 million views with my highest views by story at 220,000. I thought that was a lot until I looked at LIT stats. :'(
My H'ween story is finally done. Submitting now.

Good luck .

Can’t math your numbers, then we write in different categories.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I’ve got three stories in Halloween:

https://literotica.com/s/lookalike-spouses-swap-clothes Husband and wife dress as each other for Halloween.
10/02/2025 in Crossdressing 4.58 / 360 votes; 24 likes, 21.8 views, 5 comments

https://literotica.com/s/one-night-stand-74 A blow job Bob will remember for the rest of his life.
10/03/2025 in Erotic Horror 3.94 / 52 votes; 3 likes, 4.6k views, 2 comments

https://literotica.com/s/dead-grass-in-the-morning What stalks the campus?
10/07/2025 in Mind Control 4.49 / 51 votes, 5likes 5.4k views, 5 comments
(This one is weird because the score seems to be falling, but I don’t think the votes are increasing.)

I’m surprised that Lookalike is doing so well, I didn’t know that category was as active as it is. Erotic Horror and Mind Control are just not very active, so I’m not surprised that they aren’t getting many views.

Of course they are all out performing:
https://literotica.com/s/my-first-year-on-literotica And my Survivor plans for the rest of 2025.
10/16/2025 in Reviews & Essays 5 / 3 votes; no likes , 128! Views, and 1 comment

I published another story in Reviews & Essays on 7/14/25 and it is only about halfway down the first New Erotic Essays page so I’m not surprised that so few people have seen the still “NEW” essay.

I have, ‘Never publish in Erotic Horror again,’ stenciled on my pre-frontal cortex.

 

[WeShallUnclench]

I have, ‘Never publish in Erotic Horror again,’ stenciled on my pre-frontal cortex.

Can't resist to add a little update on my 'category saga' - maybe it's because my story hasn't attracted much attention so far, but the recategorization as EH (I submitted as First Time) didn't seem to have hurt me so far. It's actually (so far) one of my best rated stories ever, albeit with only a couple of votes.

Maybe I happened to hit on one of the clusters of tropes that EH fans actually tolerate.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Can't resist to add a little update on my 'category saga' - maybe it's because my story hasn't attracted much attention so far, but the recategorization as EH (I submitted as First Time) didn't seem to have hurt me so far. It's actually (so far) one of my best rated stories ever, albeit with only a couple of votes.

Maybe I happened to hit on one of the clusters of tropes that EH fans actually tolerate.

Good luck with it

 

[Voboy]

I have, ‘Never publish in Erotic Horror again,’ stenciled on my pre-frontal cortex.

It's been good for me before when I've written horror stories with other components included. I do worse when I find myself writing "other components" stories with horror included. If that makes sense.

 

[EmilyMiller]

It's been good for me before when I've written horror stories with other components included. I do worse when I find myself writing "other components" stories with horror included. If that makes sense.

Yeah - you know my style. I am bad at sticking to a genre.

My story is basically a Buffy homage. Not what EH is looking for IMO.

 

[LitEroCat]

Good luck .

Can’t math your numbers, then we write in different categories.

I dunno what 'math'ing means here? :O

 

[TheRedChamber]

Submitted mine this morning. Could have used more work, but with submissions as they are and only four more days left, it wasnt worth risking on the off chance I got another chance to sit down with it.

 

[Tenehua_Xochipoca]

Question, my story just went live, but it got put at the bottom with the initial submissions, should that have happened? -edit I feel dumb, I think it randomizes every time.

 

[old_prof]

Question, my story just went live, but it got put at the bottom with the initial submissions, should that have happened? -edit I feel dumb, I think it randomizes every time.

It appears to largely reorder the list every day, mostly randomly. At least that was what I have seen in the two contests I watched at all.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Question, my story just went live, but it got put at the bottom with the initial submissions, should that have happened? -edit I feel dumb, I think it randomizes every time.

Yes, the list is shuffled daily, to ensure some fairness.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Welcome to day 18 of The Halloween Competition

https://www.literotica.com/stories/contest.php/halloween-2025

 

[StillStunned]

Devil wings seem to work better than angel wings.

 

[Trionyx]

I retract what I said yesterday about AI doing better with drawing hands.

 

[DEFCOM5]

@EmilyMiller, thank you for making my day. I LOVE Emma Kruegger