What if authors could be "Hot"?

[taytay4eva]

So in order for a story to be considered "Hot" it needs at least ten votes with a score of 4.5 or higher.

What if authors could be "Hot"? Like, maybe if an Author has written at least ten stories, and has an overall score (all votes tallied into one number) of 4.5 or higher, they could be considered "Hot"?

 

[KittyOfSteele]

...

Are you asking me to cam again to see if I can show up on the Lit Webcam Ads?

I am preparing myself for something that could put a lock in this thread too.

 

[MelissaBaby]

So in order for a story to be considered "Hot" it needs at least ten votes with a score of 4.5 or higher.

What if authors could be "Hot"? Like, maybe if an Author has written at least ten stories, and has an overall score (all votes tallied into one number) of 4.5 or higher, they could be considered "Hot"?

What do you mean, "if"?

 

[Kelliezgirl]

What do you mean, "if"?

Yeah! What she said!

 

[SimonDoom]

Oh what a terrible idea.

Just what we need: another completely contrived and misdirected mark of "quality." There's enough division over scoring and red Hs already.

We should be looking for more ways to bring us together as a community, not create artificial, meaningless distinctions.

 

[Bramblethorn]

If Lit were to do something like this...well, I'd rather they didn't, but if they did, it'd be better to base it on something like the author's ten best stories, rather than all their stories.

Otherwise it discourages authors from taking chances. Like, say I've just made my way up to "hot" status and I have an idea for an interesting LW story...but LW voters are a tough crowd, so it could still end up scoring low enough to drag my average down below 4.5. So if I'm trying to preserve my authorial H I shouldn't write that story, and maybe I should delete my other lowest-scoring stories.

I think that would be a shame. Writers in general already spend too much time worrying about their scores, and we shouldn't add incentives for them to delete stories in order to game things like this.

 

[EmilyMiller]

What if authors could be "Hot"?​

I’ve generally found that designation used in troublesome PMs.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Otherwise it discourages authors from taking chances. Like, say I've just made my way up to "hot" status and I have an idea for an interesting LW story...but LW voters are a tough crowd, so it could still end up scoring low enough to drag my average down below 4.5. So if I'm trying to preserve my authorial H I shouldn't write that story, and maybe I should delete my other lowest-scoring stories.

Or authors could just delete any story with a score below 4.50.

Here's a better idea. BRING BACK THE MONTHLY AWARDS

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Oh what a terrible idea.

Just what we need: another completely contrived and misdirected mark of "quality." There's enough division over scoring and red Hs already.

We should be looking for more ways to bring us together as a community, not create artificial, meaningless distinctions.

At least we'd have something new for people to complain about.

Imagine all the scintillating threads we're missing out on.

Who's the hottest new author in 2026?
Who's the hottest author never to win a contest?
Who do you think is the hottest author?

 

[SimonDoom]

At least we'd have something new for people to complain about.

Imagine all the scintillating threads we're missing out on.

Who's the hottest new author in 2026?
Who's the hottest author never to win a contest?
Who do you think is the hottest author?

My god, it makes me cringe to think about it.

Let's turn the Author's Hangout into an insufferable 80s teen movie. But probably with worse music.

 

[KittyOfSteele]

Or authors could just delete any story with a score below 4.50.

Here's a better idea. BRING BACK THE MONTHLY AWARDS

Ok, but where is the budget? WHERE IS THE BUDGET?

Why are you looking at me like you're my boss?

On a more serious note, why did the monthly awards stop though?

My god, it makes me cringe to think about it.

It makes me wet. I can just see all those questions and read it like a TV host who is about to drop the juiciest celebrity gossip.

But it also worries me as this could be just another way to put more division. I can already see petty rivalries, and authors accusing among themselves for one-bombing each other, even when neither is to blame for it. It's not a good thought experiment, hence the lock I mentioned. The padlock. The one that threads get? I feel it looming if we go down this road.

Please, let's just shitpost, please...

 

[taytay4eva]

Or authors could just delete any story with a score below 4.50.

Here's a better idea. BRING BACK THE MONTHLY AWARDS

You can delete stories?

 

[taytay4eva]

If Lit were to do something like this...well, I'd rather they didn't, but if they did, it'd be better to base it on something like the author's ten best stories, rather than all their stories.

Otherwise it discourages authors from taking chances. Like, say I've just made my way up to "hot" status and I have an idea for an interesting LW story...but LW voters are a tough crowd, so it could still end up scoring low enough to drag my average down below 4.5. So if I'm trying to preserve my authorial H I shouldn't write that story, and maybe I should delete my other lowest-scoring stories.

I think that would be a shame. Writers in general already spend too much time worrying about their scores, and we shouldn't add incentives for them to delete stories in order to game things like this.

Or only stories with ten votes or more.

<I have a simple google sheet with all my stories on it that I try to keep up to date with the scores so I can see what stories and where are doing well so I can see what works in my writing and what doesn't. Or at least, so I can attempt to see what works and what doesn't. Like, what people respond to and what they don't>

 

[MelissaBaby]

You can delete stories?

HOW DO I REMOVE A WORK THAT I'VE PUBLISHED ON LITEROTICA?

 

[taytay4eva]

HOW DO I REMOVE A WORK THAT I'VE PUBLISHED ON LITEROTICA?

Huh! And now I know.

 

[OddLove]

It's an interesting idea, but I could imagine it backfiring.

Mainly in the 'quality' department like Simon mentioned.

If an author can get a 'Hot' symbol and it turned out to be useful for attracting readers to their stories, then it would be chased. And there would be situations where one author has 9 total stories over a couple years, all with red H's on them.

Then another author with 500 total stories, and only 10 of them have red H's on them.

The author who heavily focused on productivity and pumping out as much stories as possible is the 'Hot' author. So it incentivizes some writers to throw shit at the wall until something sticks, and it potentially punishes or disadvantages those who don't chase the threshold required to obtain the precious 'Hot Author' symbol.

I think if they were going to do any sort of 'Hot Author' thing it would be better to just do a Hall of Fame or something. That can give recognition to some higher level writers without creating a system that encourages quantity over quality.

 

[ADirtyPerv]

I think if they were going to do any sort of 'Hot Author' thing it would be better to just do a Hall of Fame or something. That can give recognition to some higher level writers without creating a system that encourages quantity over quality.

A Hall of Fame from the powers that be would be cool, but it would require them to do other kinds of general awards. Up and coming, to recognize newer authors. Maybe a best submission per category every year? It's an interesting idea, but it would require there to be more than just Laurel and Manu on the Lit pantheon. And there would be a thousand new questions about how those awards are given out...

 

[Kelliezgirl]

My god, it makes me cringe to think about it.

Let's turn the Author's Hangout into an insufferable 80s teen movie. But probably with worse music.

We could be the straight to video remake of Empire Records!
You totally get the Ethan Embry part!

 

[ThatNewGuy]

What if authors could be "Hot"?

I, for one, long for the day when we can stop arguing about how broken the all-time Hall of Fame story lists are and start arguing about how broken the all-time hottest author lists are.

 

[anthrodisiac]

Ooh! Maybe the hottest authors on Lit can do a sexy calendar. I have my bikini around here somewhere... Polka dots or stripes...

What do you mean I wasn't invited to do the calendar? The audacity! Invent a new month and stick me on it!

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Ooh! Maybe the hottest authors on Lit can do a sexy calendar. I have my bikini around here somewhere... Polka dots or stripes...

What do you mean I wasn't invited to do the calendar? The audacity! Invent a new month and stick me on it!

We'll have the usual suspects alternating between crying the voting to be on the calendar was unfair, and crying about objectifying women.

 

[old_prof]

Ooh! Maybe the hottest authors on Lit can do a sexy calendar. I have my bikini around here somewhere... Polka dots or stripes...

What do you mean I wasn't invited to do the calendar? The audacity! Invent a new month and stick me on it!

Surely they'd give you the month of Anthrober.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

 

[dirk2024]

So in order for a story to be considered "Hot" it needs at least ten votes with a score of 4.5 or higher.

What if authors could be "Hot"? Like, maybe if an Author has written at least ten stories, and has an overall score (all votes tallied into one number) of 4.5 or higher, they could be considered "Hot"?

What do you mean by, "if?"

 

[anthrodisiac]

View attachment 2600863

Is there really only one woman on Lit worthy of being on this calendar, just in different outfits and wigs? What about...

Oooooo, December!