I mentioned this a few months ago, but it still bugs me. One of my stories (Afterschool Encounter) is my lowest rated, by far, and the one I consider the worst one I've posted - any yet - there it sits as my sixth most downloaded story. The story description is brief and not particularly illuminating, and the story codes aren't particularly noteworthy.
I wish I could figure out what the magic is, so I could use it on some of my better stories that are more or less ignored.
Maybe its position as the first story one sees when they click your name has something to do with it.
Never underestimate the power of 'location location location'.
I have no idea other than there is something that appeals to readers.
Your description is good in my opinion. Just enough to pull a reader in.
I haven't read the story, so no critic of content.
One of the things that I have noticed about the new stories listing is - most of the descriptions have little to no appeal to me. The majority sound like the same old crap that I have rejected before. As a result, when I start reading a story, I tend to read it to 'The End'. That may explain the high download count, if other readers are doing the same.
The low score indicates problems with the story. That often indicates the storyline wasn't developed adequately, grammar/structure flaws is making it difficult to read, and/or the content is not believable/appealing to the reader.
Another thing to keep in mind is the story has been posted for 20 years, so a download count of 15039 is not very high.
Yeah, that's likely a large part of it. For me, rereading these older, long favored stories, I tend the recall all the scenes which got cut most favorably, which reflects in my scores.
I understand the reasoning, yet I also have to admit, whenever I revise, I also end up removing the most memorable scenes as they just aren't as vital to the plot, yet every time I have, my readers have complained. Only, without a revision system, I have no comprehensive backups. (Well, I did, yet time does a number on most, as I've lost an awful lot of stories to hard and digital drive failures over the years. And once they're gone for good, I really have no desire to rewrite them from scratch, as they never turn out the same.
So in your case, the reads is the most important, as the scores are likely due to what's no longer in the story. So just let it go. Those scenes needed to go but don't blame your readers for preferring your originals. As that's a demonstration of your effectiveness as a storyteller. So honor that sentiment rather than lamenting it.
You made those changes for good reason, so buck up and accept the fallout and stand by, 'owning' your decision.
This is especially true for those who continually keep revising their stories, just to keep the in front of readers for the ratings. Each time I read one, I get further enraged than I was each previous time, as those 'unpopular' decisions have a cascading effect.
That's part and parcel with any revision or rewrites of older stories. Again, you either stand by your stories as they are, or you're publicly admitting they weren't that good to begin with. Which only insults for fans for their support. So these things need to be handled with kid gloves (the one's from goats, not children's winter mitts).
So these things need to be handled with kid gloves (the one's from goats, not children's winter mitts).
I never knew what that expression meant. Tks!
Another thing to keep in mind is the story has been posted for 20 years, so a download count of 15039 is not very high
Good point. My very first story has almost as many downloads.
I wish I understood what gets people to download stories, too. When I look at my stories I'm generally happy with the counts, but then I turn around and look at Janna Leonard's stories, and wonder why in the world they've got so few downloads? I mean, I like Charley and Claire, but, as fast as I'm concerned, there's no way it deserves more downloads than Nollie or Shirley Jean.
Again, often it's a matter of expectations rather than quality. So, if you're not expecting much, say from a new, novice author, readers would likely rate it higher simply because their expectations were lower to begin with. While with a long-time, author who latest work isn't seen 'as good' as their earlier version of the same story, readers exceptions were already too high to sustain for long.
Again, often it's a matter of expectations rather than quality.
In this case, though, Janna's stories (at least her longer ones) have better scores than mine — as they should. I'm just wondering why more people aren't reading hers.
That's an easy one, as they're all premiere access, and how many SOL readers actually have full Premiere access? It's hard to achieve high download numbers when readers can't access your stories.
As far as the lifetime download numbers (which presumably we can't fully access) that's a more difficult question to answer, though there's always been a male-dominated outlook to SOL stories (ex: the most successful women write the typical male conquest stories). There are variations on that, yet for most, they don't come to SOL unless they're interested in those types of stories.
That's been slowly changing, yet that too is a huge obstacle to overcome quickly, as it's a matter of replacing the vast majority of the 'old guard' to effectively change the nature of the sites stories. Lazeez has no issues with opening the doors to other new writers, yet overall use tastes take a bit longer to overcome.
That say, Romance stories are a LOT more hard core—and much longer and more involved—than they once used to be under the 'old guard' Romance publishers. As their sales have also risen as a result, with more and more publishing independently, as well as some significant new alternative publishers popping up to meet that ever-growing demand.
As far as the lifetime download numbers (which presumably we can't fully access) that's a more difficult question to answer
And relatively meaningless because of the recent change in how downloads are counted.
AJ
Nonsense, that's all about weighted scoring, which has NO effect on total downloads.
Although I'm not actively publishing anymore, my total downloads are actively climbing and also further promoting my other works. Despite my recent inactivity, my scores continue to climb, scores be damned, in that regard, at least.
You appear to have missed this change, which means newer stories may appear to have fewer downloads than older stories because the counter was made more accurate.
AJ
No, that was about its counting 'pre-loaded pages' (i.e. when you download a single page, the system then automatically downloads several subsequent pages, whether they're ever used or not. That's clearly a flaw in the design, but doesn't reflect the older works, before that flaws first implementation (another example of Lazeez's 'preemptive strikes', only he was fixing something else, and it took a while for that 'but' to expose itself.
You're always quick to moan and whine, and then rabidly attacking anyone countering you, without ever studying or even asking about the changes in question. Which again, is WHY I do despise online forums.
You appear to have missed Laz's early observation that
I deployed the change a couple of hours ago and as far as I can tell, the stats show a marked decrease in story download counts. Almost 50% down.
Older stories will still have inflated download counts.
AJ
That's an easy one, as they're all premiere access, and how many SOL readers actually have full Premiere access? It's hard to achieve high download numbers when readers can't access your stories.
Her stories only went behind the paywall earlier this year — they were out there for years for everyone to read.
One of the reasons I chose to compare it to Charley and Claire is that story is simply F/F. While that's a focus of most of her stories, a lot of them have male elements as well. I've been a bit surprised at the number of downloads for my story, given that it skips guys pretty much altogether.
Again, given SOL's main client base, that's perfectly understandable, as for most men, lesbians are the ultimate male fantasy. However, two lesbians with no men (i.e. male romantic partners) doesn't do nearly as well.
They can do well, still the driving force in their higher download counts IS that quintessential male fantasy, regardless of how many lesbians actually read those stories.
However, two lesbians with no men (i.e. male romantic partners) doesn't do nearly as well.
Right. I was a bit worried about that with my story, as it's just the two ladies, but it still seems to have been well received. Coming up on 25,000 downloads, so at least people are taking a look at it.
Then check your completion rates under your "Weekly Download" numbers. As that'll identify where you're losing them, if you are, that is.
I mentioned this a few months ago, but it still bugs me. One of my stories (Afterschool Encounter) is my lowest rated, by far, and the one I consider the worst one I've posted - any yet - there it sits as my sixth most downloaded story
Your title explains the attraction and the high download count. I say this without having read either the description or the story itself. The title pitches the story.
Well, a nice theory, anyway. I just read the description and the story doesn't go the way I thought it might.
OK, I've read the story. It's well-written ( I gave it a 10) but the story it tells is nasty. The narrator is an asshole, which he doesn't really seem to understand, and gets what he deserves from her. I don't know what the next episode of the relationship might've been, but unless it involves some sort of penance and reconciliation. It's not going to be much of an improvement.
One kind of weak point is his change of heart from rescuer to rapist, but not impossible. I think the low score comes from readers not liking the story, and perhaps feeling misled from the tags. In today's day and age what he did was rape. I think it was pretty much rape in 1959 as well.
Sorry but when I think of "Afterschool Encounter", my mind immediately leaps to "Afterschool Alien Encounter". But maybe that's just me. ;)