The Official (Mostly) Literotica April Fool's Day Contest Support Thread!!!

[MediocreAuthor]

Well I don't wanna step on any toes. So I'll just hush.

And while I'm not certain I'm getting uno-bombed, it is super frustrating to watch your numbers slowly climb, just to have them drop drastically the next time you check. Lol

 

[Duleigh]

Well I don't wanna step on any toes. So I'll just hush.

And while I'm not certain I'm getting uno-bombed, it is super frustrating to watch your numbers slowly climb, just to have them drop drastically the next time you check. Lol

Yeah, it happens. I sent you a DM.

 

[panaflora]

WELCOME TO DAY OF SUBMISSIONS!
WE NOW HAVE ENTRIES!

Has anyone received any "interesting" comments yet? I received one from a sad, sorry reader that was so upset with what happened in Saturday Morning that he quit reading before the joke was revealed and missed the joke entirely... or he has no sense of humor. He claims to be from England, the land that gave us Monty Python, Benny Hill, and Australia so he should have a sense of humor.
​

This contest is a real challenge. Readers seem to have their own expectations of what an AF story should be about. I have nine positive comments and one complaining that the AF prank was lame. But I also had 220 votes in a little over a day, 16 Favorites, and a bunch of new followers, so I guess I'll get over the comment eventually ;-)

 

[Duleigh]

This contest is a real challenge. Readers seem to have their own expectations of what an AF story should be about. I have nine positive comments and one complaining that the AF prank was lame. But I also had 220 votes in a little over a day, 16 Favorites, and a bunch of new followers, so I guess I'll get over the comment eventually ;-)

This is exactly what you found, a challenge to overcome, new followers, and favorites, that's the real reward to participating in these contests. I like the author organized challenges better the contests, I never participate in April Fools Day and National Nude Day, My participation in Halloween is taking pictures of the grandchildren, and the wife and I despise Valentines day, so coming up with a story is a true challenge for me.

But the challenges - Geek Pride, On the Job, AI, 750 Word stories, there's a challenge based on an old TV show (Amorous Goods) and one based on an author's style of writing (Mike Hammer) As a writer those are all challenges that inspire me and get me to want to write.

 

[MediocreAuthor]

This contest is a real challenge. Readers seem to have their own expectations of what an AF story should be about. I have nine positive comments and one complaining that the AF prank was lame. But I also had 220 votes in a little over a day, 16 Favorites, and a bunch of new followers, so I guess I'll get over the comment eventually ;-)

Yeah, I get the same feeling. I've gained a few more followers, 21 favorites, and 187 votes. (Plus, several people have went back and looked at my older stories, which is always nice)

I haven't had any negative comments on my AF story yet, but the overall score has dropped down below the ever-popular 4.5 mark (it's 4.45 atm).

So obviously, some people are taking issues with my story, but no one is explaining quite why. That's annoying, but it's all part of the joys/sorrows of publishing your stories.

 

[Duleigh]

Yeah, I get the same feeling. I've gained a few more followers, 21 favorites, and 187 votes. (Plus, several people have went back and looked at my older stories, which is always nice)

I haven't had any negative comments on my AF story yet, but the overall score has dropped down below the ever-popular 4.5 mark (it's 4.45 atm).

So obviously, some people are taking issues with my story, but no one is explaining quite why. That's annoying, but it's all part of the joys/sorrows of publishing your stories.

one of my stories is right on the edge at 4.5, now 4.49, now 4.51, now... ad infinium...

 

[NoTalentHack]

one of my stories is right on the edge at 4.5, now 4.49, now 4.51, now... ad infinium...

I have two that are like that, and it's maddening.

 

[GrantBricksly]

I am very surprised at the low number of views/votes I have gotten so far. only 6k/51. I thought perhaps that it might garner a better following, given that it is a follow-up to my Valentines Day Story...but oh well.

 

[yowser]

So here's a couple questions, maybe somebody can provide data or explanation.

I don't do many contests, for both good and bad reasons, and everyone says one of the benefits is increased views, etc.

So my just entered piece is being viewed plenty, but early scoring is low and dropping fast. I didn't even put a 'April Fool's' note at the front (do many of you do this? Is that a good idea?) so maybe that's the issue, someone reading an EC piece, not getting the AF angle and displeased there is a prank involved.

Or, as Capt. D says, is it just my 'fan club' speaking?

Or maybe (and perhaps this is the biggest thing) there is the whiff of MM sexual contact as part of the prank?

Lit Readership, an eternal enigma.

 

[GrantBricksly]

So here's a couple questions, maybe somebody can provide data or explanation.

I don't do many contests, for both good and bad reasons, and everyone says one of the benefits is increased views, etc.

So my just entered piece is being viewed plenty, but early scoring is low and dropping fast. I didn't even put a 'April Fool's' note at the front (do many of you do this? Is that a good idea?) so maybe that's the issue, someone reading an EC piece, not getting the AF angle and displeased there is a prank involved.

Or, as Capt. D says, is it just my 'fan club' speaking?

Or maybe (and perhaps this is the biggest thing) there is the whiff of MM sexual contact as part of the prank?

Lit Readership, an eternal enigma.

I've only done 3 contests so far. This being the third. But let me tell you what I've seen.

This has been my lowest scoring contest so far. (still doing decent, but low) And from what I have been told, it sounds like that is just how April Fools goes...

I have started adding a disclaimer in my contest stories letting readers know that it is part of a contest, encouraging them to vote. Does it help? Not sure...but I still do it.

I will say that if there is Male on Male or even the hint of it in your story, without warning, some readers are going to not like that. And that will likely reflect in the votes. When it comes to any kinks at all...I have found that some people just don't like being surprised.

 

[Duleigh]

I've done every contest for the past year and this truly is the lowest scoring.

 

[GrantBricksly]

I've done every contest for the past year and this truly is the lowest scoring.

Yea, But I still had fun writing my story. And I hope that by the end of the month things will pick up some.

Plus, for me, my story is just another step in building my world for Grant and Isabelle. (I wonder if my note at the beginning suggesting the read the other story is hurting me?)

 

[alohadave]

I've done every contest for the past year and this truly is the lowest scoring.

It's my second contest, and lower of the two, but I did it because it gives me a goal to work to, rather than my other WIP where I finish them whenever and I can pick at them slowly.

I know it's not great writing, but I like it.

 

[MediocreAuthor]

Or maybe (and perhaps this is the biggest thing) there is the whiff of MM sexual contact as part of the prank?

Lit Readership, an eternal enigma.

I have always held to the notion that the tags are incredibly vital to prevent readers from revolting. Sometimes that means spoiling your joke in the tags, but anyone who checks the tags is aware that they might be spoiling things for themselves.

Tx Tall Tales wrote a great How To called Love Your Readers: Categories about categorizing your stories, and he listed 3 topics that you HAVE to warn readers about, unless you want to upset them.

Incest, Noncon, and Gay Male.

If you surprise your readers with any of those 3, (even a tiny bit, as a joke) you will probably see negative feedback and ratings as a result.

You can call people prudish if you like, for their inability to deal with a prank... but the reality is: we authors write whatever we want, and readers vote however they want.

 

[NotWise]

So here's a couple questions, maybe somebody can provide data or explanation.

"April Fools" is the lowest scoring contest. As of last night, the median score for contest stories was less than 4.4. That's consistent with last year's results. The median score on other contests is usually close to 4.5, and rises over that after the sweeps.

I don't think readers care much for twist endings. The way the twist is done may change that. I found some "how to end your story" guidance on line, and one point they made about twist endings is that there should always be clues about how it will end. The readers' reaction shouldn't be "Huh? Didn't see that coming," which is a pretty unsatisfied reaction, but "Wow! Why didn't I see that coming?"

I'm not in this year. My story last year had a note at the beginning that it was an April Fools story, but the joke wasn't on the reader (that probably had no affect). Then I foreshadowed the ending so that people would either say "Saw that coming," or "I should have seen that coming." It was well-received.

Given that gay male content is polarizing, including even a whiff of it in a surprise ending will probably get a negative reaction from a lot of readers.

 

[Duleigh]

I have always held to the notion that the tags are incredibly vital to prevent readers from revolting. Sometimes that means spoiling your joke in the tags, but anyone who checks the tags is aware that they might be spoiling things for themselves.

Tx Tall Tales wrote a great How To called Love Your Readers: Categories about categorizing your stories, and he listed 3 topics that you HAVE to warn readers about, unless you want to upset them.

Incest, Noncon, and Gay Male.

If you surprise your readers with any of those 3, (even a tiny bit, as a joke) you will probably see negative feedback and ratings as a result.

You can call people prudish if you like, for their inability to deal with a prank... but the reality is: we authors write whatever we want, and readers vote however they want.

I wish you had told me that before I wrote a twincest story.

 

[MediocreAuthor]

I wish you had told me that before I wrote a twincest story.

Even with multiple heads up, I've still gotten complaints and downvotes from readers upset about the noncon featured in my stories.

Even when I'm posting in the noncon category, I generally use one of my 10 tags to mark the story "noncon." I don't want anyone surprised by the content.

But when my story is clearly labeled, and in it's proper category... and I still get complaints?

 

[KeithD]

Yes, formerly good advice gets obsolete here, so it's a good idea to look at the posting date. Under sr71plt I have a How To on e-publishing and catching the wave in e-publishing of erotica ("Some Whys and Hows of E-Publishing"--https://www.literotica.com/s/some-whys-and-hows-of-e-publishing) that did real well coming out of the gate, including getting a Green E, and has continued to do real well. But it was post 13 years ago. That there wave in erotic e-publishing has come and gone and there's an ocean of erotica out there on offer now. The why and how of publishing erotica is very different now than it was then. Realities change.

 

[MediocreAuthor]

I'm just going to put this out there because TBH I'm tired of hearing about it. The vaunted TTT love your readers How to does have some good info, but at this point its over a decade old and some reader bases have shifted.

The other thing is, these are guides, they're not bibles and some people take these things that they have to do what's in there. There is something to be said for taking chances in categories and seeing what happens. I'm not saying to stick incest in romance, or anything that drastic, but you don't know until you try.

I wrote a fairly popular how to for incest back in 2014, some tips to hit the sweet spots there, and some pitfalls to avoid. It still stands up today, however in the years since I wrote it I've written stories that fly in the face of everything I put in there and they still did just fine.

Be your own writer sometimes, its amazing how much fun it can be, and when you botch something up you learned the lesson for yourself which is better than never trying because so and so said not to.

I'm honestly curious. Which one of TTT's guidelines do you think it's best to ignore?

I agree that they're just guidelines, (heck, I think the guide itself even mentions that they aren't set in stone) but all of the info within seems pretty reasonable to me.

Is there some advice within that you think is erroneous or outdated?

 

[Duleigh]

Even with multiple heads up, I've still gotten complaints and downvotes from readers upset about the noncon featured in my stories.

Even when I'm posting in the noncon category, I generally use one of my 10 tags to mark the story "noncon." I don't want anyone surprised by the content.

But when my story is clearly labeled, and in it's proper category... and I still get complaints?
View attachment 2219008

Because one word:

My lowest rated story is non-con. I have to be honest and admit that I didn't do a good job with it, the whole concept was a personal challenge that didn't turn out well. Your choice is clear, keep with non-con until you find a style that works, or move on to something else.

 

[MediocreAuthor]

My lowest rated story is non-con. I have to be honest and admit that I didn't do a good job with it, the whole concept was a personal challenge that didn't turn out well. Your choice is clear, keep with non-con until you find a style that works, or move on to something else.

Oh, I'm not considering abandoning noncon. I'm just complaining because I can. The vast majority of my stories (both noncon and otherwise) are popular enough.
I just wanted to rant about a mindset that I can't begin to understand. I'm sure if I wrote romance, I'd get complaints that it was too romance-y. If I wrote inter-racial, I'm sure I'd get racists complaining that mixed-race couples are icky. Lmao. I have literally seen people complaining about the use of mind control, in mind-control erotica... like WHAT THE FUCK did you expect to find?!? Hahaha

I guess some of it is intentional trolling, but I still find it very strange nonetheless.

 

[KeithD]

I guess some of it is intentional trolling, but I still find it very strange nonetheless.

Oh, really? You don't use the Internet much then, I take it.

One of the marvelous features of this Web site, which is not found at most story sites, is the delete comment button that can be used at the author's discretion. Potentially can save a whole lot of heartburn.

 

[Duleigh]

One of the marvelous features of this Web site, which is not found at most story sites, is the delete comment button

Greatest button ever made!
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I try to keep its use down to ad hominem bitching, but yeah, when the comments get so far out in left field that you're wondering where they're coming from it's *click!* ...serenity...

 

[MediocreAuthor]

Oh, really? You don't use the Internet much then, I take it.

Lol, yes I've been around the internet for a few minutes.

That still doesn't make illogical behavior any easier to comprehend.

And yes, when comments stray away from "critiques" into the land of "insults" I also make use of that delete button

 

[Djmac1031]

I haven't had any negative comments on my AF story yet, but the overall score has dropped down below the ever-popular 4.5 mark (it's 4.45 atm).

Doing better than mine lol.

36K views. 657 ratings. And it's sitting at a 4.09.

This despite 24 glowing comments.

Worst complaint was it's "too short."

4.09 is respectable. "Good," but not "Great."

I suppose it's better than getting truly trashed lol.