Forum: Author Hangout

Couple of questions for author moving from ASSTR

wandrer 🚫

Hi all! I've been kicking around the internet for a long time (...a long time), with a story page over on ASSTR for...jeez, that can't be right. I'm not that old, am I?

Anyway - ASSTR seems to be finally giving up the ghost (can't seem to log in any more, and my site suddenly reverted to one from several years ago, and etc. etc.), so I'm looking for a new place to hang my hat. You all seem nice so I thought I might squeeze in.

A couple questions as I'm setting up:
- The site says "no advertisements". Is it OK to include a link to things like a Patreon in my bio? (That also has links to some comics that I sell to fund more comics...trying to achieve perpetual motion and all that).
- Depending on the answer to the above - is any linking to Patreon or other sites? (It says not in the blog and not in stories, so just trying to figure that out...)

Thanks!

Replies: Ross at Play awnlee jawking Switch Blayde

Ross at Play 🚫

@wandrer

A couple questions as I'm setting up:
- The site says "no advertisements". Is it OK to include a link to things like a Patreon in my bio? (That also has links to some comics that I sell to fund more comics...trying to achieve perpetual motion and all that).
- Depending on the answer to the above - is any linking to Patreon or other sites? (It says not in the blog and not in stories, so just trying to figure that out...)

Send your question to the webmaster, top right of your home page.
You may find, even if the answer you get is not what you want, that the level of service you receive is enough to justify you coming here.
It is run as commercial business. The manager must make some choices, to protect its profits, some would prefer were not so. I have a few minor issues like that, but I accept those choices are justified to product users' long-term interests of having a site with fabulous service.

awnlee jawking 🚫
Updated:

@wandrer

- Depending on the answer to the above - is any linking to Patreon or other sites? (It says not in the blog and not in stories, so just trying to figure that out...)

Other authors seem to get in plugs for eg Patreon without any problems. I suspect it's only a clickable link that would be an issue.

One thing you need to be VERY aware of is that SOL is hosted in Canada and subject to Canadian laws about child pornography. If you have any stories with sexual situations involving characters under fourteen, you should adjust their ages and physical characteristics.

AJ

REP 🚫

Stick around and chat. A fresh POV is always welcome.

Vincent Berg 🚫
Updated:

As Ross At Play indicated, the issue isn't mentioning your site, it's including links that take readers to other sites (partially because it's seen as advertising competing sites, and partly readers' fear of 'click traps', the same reason why ASSTR doesn't allow graphic links).

Several of us publish, so we mention were to find our books, as well as websites. For the latter, we typically list the address, without the active link. For the former, we simply say "available on Amazon" or whatever is appropriate.

I think you'll find this a constructive site. It's a friendly (for the most part) site where the readers tend to provide more feedback than I ever got on ASSTR.

As for ASSTR, they're not dead yet. They had a server failure (it's located in CA, while the staff lives on the East Coast, so no one ever tested that the backups were actually functional, and when the server died, they couldn't do much. They're currently running on an ancient backup, though they're hoping to restore the current database, but are unsure when they'll manage to accomplish it. The latest info is available in another thread in the Authors' Forum.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. The posting restrictions aren't quite as liberal as on ASSTR (less formatting options and the age-restriction thing).

Switch Blayde 🚫

@wandrer

I gave up on ASSTR years ago. I never deleted my author page there, but it's all old stuff. And the stories I migrated to SOL have been revised to my new style of writing.

I heard ASSTR was supposed to be back up around Sept 1, but I still think it's dying.

Replies: Vincent Berg

Vincent Berg 🚫

@Switch Blayde

I heard ASSTR was supposed to be back up around Sept 1, but I still think it's dying.

I'm not sure they're financially strapped (i.e. unable to upgrade), but the admins are all older, and they've made NO attempt to recruit new talent to fill in and take over. Thus, we're likely to continue seeing one crisis or another, like this, to continue indefinitely.

Replies: Ross at Play

Ross at Play 🚫
Updated:

@Vincent Berg

I'm not sure they're financially strapped (i.e. unable to upgrade)

The acknowledgements of donations received, the only thing admin manages to do at some times, is pitifully small.

wandrer 🚫

Thanks for the kind welcome and all the notes! Very much appreciate it.

All of my characters tend to be 18+ (or "18+ish"). My stuff does occasionally have other weirdness (bestiality, etc.) but I think all seems acceptable for SOL...

Ross at Play 🚫

Just so you know, there are two companion sites, finestories.com and scifistories.com.
Finestories is for stories parents are not likely to be concerned about their kids reading.
As I understand it, premium membership here comes with extended services on those sites too.
You may have some other stuff that could be posted on those sites as well.

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Forum: Author Hangout

Couple of questions for author moving from ASSTR

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