What makes you leave public comments?

[S-Des]

I'd trade it in a second

How do you even get that much feedback? I've had 5291 reads, 16 votes and 1 comment on one, and 2593 reads, 8 votes, and 1 comment on the other. Those are my new submissions.

My old ones were submitted before feeback, and have 14148 reads with 56 votes and 13010 reads with 25 votes respectively.

My first two stories were in Loving Wives and were controversy generators (one involved blackmail & revenge, the other was about forgiveness and a husband loving his daughter enough to take a chance on a wife who strayed). The comments and emails I got were incredibly flattering (and some were outright disturbing). Then I posted Hero's Reward in Romance and was shocked. Although the voting and comment ratio is high (and the score is higher than I ever thought I'd get on a story), I'd trade it in a second for more views. I love that story and wish everyone would look at it (even if it made the score drop like a rock).

I would give anything for the kind of views I got from my first story. I've been watching the hits and it's down to a few per day. Now it's off the new list and I don't expect it to change much from this point on (maybe I'll generate some more the next time I release a story). I know some authors self-promote (and I guess I am too because I try to mention it whenever I can), but I wonder how much interest that actually generates. I guess that's why a lot of authors stay in one category most of the time.

I have a lot of sympathy for really good authors who write in categories that don't get a lot of hits. You should write what makes you happy, regardless of how much attention you get. On the other hand, it is disappointing to see a story that you really believe in be virtually ignored by the masses.

 

[M-Y-Erotica]

How do you even get that much feedback? I've had 5291 reads, 16 votes and 1 comment on one, and 2593 reads, 8 votes, and 1 comment on the other. Those are my new submissions.

My old ones were submitted before feeback, and have 14148 reads with 56 votes and 13010 reads with 25 votes respectively.

As already stated, a lot of it is pure category that you have no control over, and a lot of it is pure luck - hittting New on the right day and getting near the top of the list. You can also do a little marketing. I think it is important to get that H as fast as you can - preferably on Day One. So, tell everyone you can think of that a new story is coming out and tell them that very day that it is published. I never ask anyone to vote or comment; I just tell them the story exists. The votes are not that important to me, but a highly rated story gets readers, and I publish for free online because I want readers. Of course, if I have been talking to someone in the past, it is because they once liked a story I wrote and so my new story has a shot with them. Hopefully, then you can build momentum through time. Get a few fans with Story 1. Then maybe they will like Story 2, so they give it an H rating. This then makes a few more people give it a try. For Story 3, you now have a bigger fan base, etc. I don't know if this works or not, actually. I have only put in three stories and the third has been very successful, but I also switch ed categories on that one to what turned out to be a very popular category. Was it the category or the advertising or the story? I don't know.

It's just the same as a marketing blitz for the release of a new book or whatever. And it has to happen immediately. If you can't get any momentum in the first week, the story's largely going to be ignored in the future except by slim chance and people browsing your profile. One thing I have also noticed is that successful later stories don't always bring older stories up in the ratings. In fact, my older ones have dropped in the last few weeks rather quickly from where they used to be. I assume it is because of new readers not thinking the old ones are as good, comparatively, as the new ones.

 

[janiexx]

I leave comments when I love the story

janiexx

 

[windstormy]

I like to leave public comments for several reasons. Primarily I see it as a way to support fellow Literotica authors so they know that their hard work is appreciated. I know what it's like to work on a story only for it to get one comment. I also tend to comment on the stories that had some impact on me whether it concerns the writing, descriptions, plot or characters ... I guess that goes along with the first reason. Finally, and this is a little selfish, I hope that when I comment the writers I responded to if they see a new story of mine will stop by and read it and leave a comment or some feedback. After all how are we supposed to get any better as writers if the only thing we have to judge our successes by is a number that appears after the story title.

J.Q.

I agree with you. And the only reason I would not leave a comment is if I don't like the story, construction, descriptions, etc. at all. I would rather not say anything than to drag a fellow author down. However, I have been known to send a private msg to the author to offer some help. But, I'll never publically deface a fellow author.

 

[S-Des]

That's a tough call

I agree with you. And the only reason I would not leave a comment is if I don't like the story, construction, descriptions, etc. at all. I would rather not say anything than to drag a fellow author down. However, I have been known to send a private msg to the author to offer some help. But, I'll never publically deface a fellow author.

Some of the most helpful comments I've gotten were the ones that made me grumble and curse. I don't mind a negative comment if the reader has read and thought about what I was trying to say. Capecodmercury and AverageJoe both made very insightful comments on my second story. I tend to write in slowly unfolding truths, often giving the reader a false impression intentionally (it's really fun to see who actually guesses what's coming up).

After Ch2 of 'After The Fact', a melee broke out on the board about the effects of alcohol on someone's decision making abilities. Several readers assumed I was going to say that the wife wasn't to blame for cheating on her husband because she was intoxicated (which was never the case). Instead of waiting a day to see what would happen, several began attacking me for 'excusing' her behavior, based solely on the assumption that the last chapter was going to go as they expected. Capecod & AJ both made great comments (Joe nailed virtually everything that was coming up), but both were critical in some of their assessments. I didn't mind a bit because they had excellent points.

When it comes to me making that kind of comment about someone else's story, I'm afraid I've been taking the coward's way out. Since you never know how an author or one of their fans might respond to something negative (even if it's just percieved), I've been reluctant to say what I think. Sending an email seems like a good idea, but I still need to be careful (I'm not the most diplomatic person when it comes to criticism).

Anyway, I'm never sure exactly how to handle that, and I expect that a lot of other authors feel the same (hence all the annonymous posts). It's easy to respond to something you like, especially if it really moves you. It's actually more helpful to the author if you respond when there's something you don't like. It's just a question of tact (like I said, not my strong suit).