Please review stories

[foxeye1]

Just a plea to all who read stories on this site from a first time author. If you read a story and like it, please let the writer know. It does encouage the person concerned to continue.
I have recently posted my first story which has been read by 6,900 individuals, yet I received only three reviews and two direct e-mails. I had hoped for a better response.
Thanks anyway. A great site.

[Neopadinski]

No, it seems the only people that are good enough to get reviews are very well known people or people who write excruciatingly long stories. My first story only received one review, and that wasn't even a review. It was a comment. But hey, five responses IS good for a first-timer.

I've never figured out why people don't review. I mean, COME ON. Is it really THAT difficult? I mean, seriously. People want the opinions of their readers. Considering that people can read the stories on this site for free, it seems that a great deal of people can't even pay the price of their thoughts on a story. That's the way I see it, anyway. Meaning this is an opinion. I'm not preaching, this is an opinion.

[bambipaige]

Hey all,

I am so on bored with this ... it took me forever to get the guts to post a story (that I originally wrote for just my master) and, good or bad, I want to know what people think ... so PLEASE review stories that you've read.

Bambi

[teamster]

Actually my problem is that I've been so busy writing my own stuff that I haven't had time to review other people's work or even read much. But I do my best to review every story I read, unless I find it so unpleasant that I just cant find anything good to say about it.

[Alex Bragi]

Well, foxeye1, you’re not doing too badly. Three reviews and two feedbacks via e-mail, is more than many stories here ever get.

If you’re really keen for more, however, I would suggest you try adding a polite request/reminder for reviews at the end of your story. If it’s more feedback, as in constructive criticism, you’re after, I’ve seen some authors offer feedback for feedback. That a nice way to improve you writing skills and make a few new friends also.

Of course, I simply can’t let this past without asking, those who laments the lack of reviews, the pertinent question – how many reviews have you posted?

I wish you well with your writing.

Alex.

(Neopadinski, I have to like a man who says what he means, and means what he says -- as often as you do. )

[Neopadinski]

I've never been too shy about sugarcoating my opinion. Which, I admit, gets me in trouble from time to time.
But, er, yeah. What was I saying? Oh right. I put a desperate request for reviews in my profile, and people STILL fail to do so. Oh, I see how it is. You don't care about ME, you care about beating the meat to my stories...

(is that a bad or good thing? Hm...)

Erm, yeah. Go reviews.

[j]

There may be a problem there. You speak of 6,900 'readers'. Think again. I am a moderately assiduous LIBRARY reader; I probably 'read' most published stories, only a few authors and subjects are left untouched on the grounds of previous bad experiences. By 'read' I mean that I am surely counted as 'read', but IN FACT I scan them very quickly before I decide to download them for future perusal; maybe 5% make it to my HDD.

Now, of course I am making a negative decision about a great number of stories, and on very skimpy grounds. How could I be expected to comment on them on such skimpy grounds? Especially in a negative way. 'Hey, I read a few sentences of your opus and I realized your main characters don't shave their pussies, well that's a no-no-for me, bye'. Utterly useless for a writer.

There might be an additional query: 'if you scanned the story and decided not to read it, a few words of clarification on your decision would be appreciated. Enough feedback would earn you a limited membership to the art Gallery'

(listening to the uproar)

Just a plea to all who read stories on this site from a first time author. If you read a story and like it, please let the writer know. It does encouage the person concerned to continue.
I have recently posted my first story which has been read by 6,900 individuals, yet I received only three reviews and two direct e-mails. I had hoped for a better response.
Thanks anyway. A great site.

[Neopadinski]

I SHOULD be ranting and raving and saying a whole bunch of stupid things that would probably get me banned, but I actually agree with you. I never actually thought of it that way. But the only drawback to that is, out of 6900 readers, a LOT more than 3 people had to have actually read the story.

[Alex Bragi]

foxeye1,

Take heart, jeanne is not your average reader. I wouldn’t assume I am either, so I’m going to give you some stats about readers of erotica in general.

Erotic stories are, on average read by around 70% of the people who 'view' them. How do I know this? Simple, another erotic stories site (email me if you want the name of it) posts the percentages of readers that actually read their stories.

Now, how do they know that? Well, that’s simple too. They have a system whereby the first 500 words of a story are post on one page, and the remainder on a following page. A click on the first page registers as a view, and one on the second, a read.

Again, I wish you will with your writing.

jeanne,

'Hey, I read a few sentences of your opus and I realized your main characters don't shave their pussies, well that's a no-no-for me, bye'. Utterly useless for a writer.

You are right, it would be silly to try to review a story after only a couple of sentences. If a writer can't 'hook' a reader in the first few lines, then chances are they're not going to interested in the remainder of the story. Having said that, I've skimmed over parts of a stories that weren't quiet my cup of tea, and still enjoyed them. Particularly, if the writer has a style I enjoy.

Alex.

[j]

Well Alex, I agree but with two small caveats: (1) even in a very quick scan, I always make sure to sample a few pages in the 'body' of the story, as I know some delicious writers are slow starters; so I probably still would register as a 'read' in your other site;

and (b) I love nothing more than start a scan with a negative prejudice, and finding content which will fill my 'heart' with 'joy'. Like you, I can live with 'squicky' content if there are gems to be found in the 'mud'. I don't skip it though - it IS part of the reading experience.

Now to my real point - Love your 'signature' - Did Mae West actually quote a latin poet, or is it a back-translation?

foxeye1,

Take heart, jeanne is not your average reader. (...)

jeanne,

You are right, it would be silly to try to review a story after only a couple of sentences. If a writer can't 'hook' a reader in the first few lines, then chances are they're not going to interested in the remainder of the story. Having said that, I've skimmed over parts of a stories that weren't quiet my cup of tea, and still enjoyed them. Particularly, if the writer has a style I enjoy.

Alex.