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Stop daily post from authors showing up daily news feed

throwaway8390 🚫

So this is more of a request; so watching new stories on a daily basis I have seen a lot of repeat garbage from the same same authors day in, day out...every day there is a post from them with a book advertised story.... how about making it so they can't grab the headline all the time, or set rules that they can't grab the headline daily...something along the lines of not rewarding folks that publish so frequently for literally publishing shit. If needed I'm happy to post a few authors names that I consider an example

Replies: Diamond Porter Pixy I zitqhile throwaway8390 ystokes throwaway8390

Diamond Porter 🚫

@throwaway8390

Add them to your Author Exclusions.

Replies: John D. Rodburn

John D. Rodburn 🚫

@Diamond Porter

Add them to your Author Exclusions.

That's part of the excellent premier level service.

Pixy I 🚫

@throwaway8390

So this is more of a request; so watching new stories on a daily basis I have seen a lot of repeat garbage from the same same authors day in, day out...

To be fair, or at least trying in a cack-handed way to be impartial, this tends to come about by a misunderstanding of the basic rules of selling/promoting.

If you look at 'guides', they normally espouse the regular posting of 'small' things to maintain visibility. Which, in its own way, makes sense. But it's easily misunderstood and misused, often leading to the complete opposite of the intention that was desired. Which is that people will ignore you and anything you write/post because they are sick of seeing 'you'* or your content.

It's a fine line. And like all fine lines, can only be successfully used by individuals who are aware enough not to walk the line in the first place.

Again, broken down as simply as it can be, it's "Quality over quantity".

*Just to be clear, when I say 'you' I don't actually mean you (throwaway8390) specifically.

zitqhile 🚫

@throwaway8390

Some authors I would also not need to see everyday, but then there are some top authors that finish writing their book/s and then post everyday. I find after a couple of days, authors I don't care that not for, I just scroll past them without reading.

throwaway8390 🚫

@throwaway8390

Thank you all, I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that way. It's just a shame that you have to pay good money to avoid the garbage... I mean it's good for the website and have no issues with that train of thought.... I suspect it's a fine line of allow an author to be creative and punishing those that just post drivel every day in the hopes to get someone to do the 'click bait' thing.

Replies: Pixy I

Pixy I 🚫

@throwaway8390

It's just a shame that you have to pay good money to avoid the garbage

Woah! Easy there, tiger!

It's very unfair and dare I say it, a little selfish, to demand a service you are not prepared to pay for (one way or another).

You get a lot here for free, but running the site costs money and those costs have to be paid for, somewhere, somehow.

Replies: throwaway8390

throwaway8390 🚫

@Pixy I

I think you're reading into that comment. I just meant it's no available by default. I have no issue with paying or the benefits you get... I mean the lights have to stay on somehow right? My angle was it's not available by default so everyday joes get spammed by the garbage daily. At no point do I think I'm entitled to anything.

ystokes 🚫

@throwaway8390

One rule I would like to see is that an author can't start a new story while having a number of other stories still ongoing. I am mostly talking about one author who keeps starting new stories while having 10 other stories unfinished even though they are finished on zbooks.

Replies: Pixy I Dinsdale

Pixy I 🚫

@ystokes

One rule I would like to see is that an author can't start a new story while having a number of other stories still ongoing

That would wipe out most of the content on this site. Including about 90% of my own content here 😂

Anyway, when does a story 'end'? Technically, no story has an 'end', just an ending of current hostilities. Sometimes, not even that. It's like saying, "When will the story of American history end?".

The secret, I suppose, is ending a chapter (which is basically what every story is) on a high. But even then, there will always be people who want to "Know what happens next....". You could kill the main character off, thereby ending 'the story', but there will always be people wanting to know what happened to the other characters...

The better you write, the worse the problem becomes.

Replies: Switch Blayde ystokes irvmull

Switch Blayde 🚫

@Pixy I

Technically, no story has an 'end',

All stories have an end.

Many stories on SOL just go on and on and on. To be honest, I don't know if they eventually have an end because I stop reading them.

ystokes 🚫

@Pixy I

What I am talking about is when an author has a number of stories "In Progress" that takes a month or more for an update while starting new stories in between. There is one author who has 14 stories on his page and 12 of them are still "In Progress" some for over a year. He will post a new chapter ever few months as click-bait to buy the finished story. Yet when you go to his zbook page their all "Finished"

Replies: Switch Blayde

Switch Blayde 🚫

@ystokes

There is one author who has 14 stories on his page and 12 of them are still "In Progress" some for over a year. He will post a new chapter ever few months

You have 3 choices:

1. Don't read stories by that author.

2. Wait until a story is completely posted before starting it.

3. Buy the book of the "in progress" story you want to read now.

You have full control.

Since I don't read "in progress" stories, I understand the frustration of all the serial chapter posts cluttering the new stories page. But I'm the exception. Most readers on SOL prefer reading stories that way.

Replies: bolje

bolje 🚫

@Switch Blayde

@ystokes

There is one author who has 14 stories on his page and 12 of them are still "In Progress" some for over a year. He will post a new chapter ever few months

You have 3 choices:

1. Don't read stories by that author.

2. Wait until a story is completely posted before starting it.

3. Buy the book of the "in progress" story you want to read now.

You have full control.

Since I don't read "in progress" stories, I understand the frustration of all the serial chapter posts cluttering the new stories page. But I'm the exception. Most readers on SOL prefer reading stories that way.

Or:

4. Report the stories for failing to comply with section 17.a

17. a.
Book Sales: Any promotional links or text to sell your complete books are allowed only if they point to our book shop ZBookStore.com. Progress must be made at least bi-weekly until the work is complete on Storiesonline. You authorize WLPC to complete the posting on Storiesonline in case you are unable to do it yourself. [My emphasis]

In my opinion, authors who don't finish their stories on SOL are abusing the site. If this happens too often, they'll annoy readers, causing them to go elsewhere—to the detriment of the authors who follow the rules. That's why this kind of behavior should be stopped.

Replies: Switch Blayde

Switch Blayde 🚫

@bolje

authors who don't finish their stories on SOL are abusing the site.

I interpreted the OP differently. I read it as an author posting multiple "in-progress" stories with an ad for them on ZBookStore — but new chapters were being posted regularly. For a full-length novel, that could take a long time to be completed on SOL. But as long as new chapters are posted, they are following the rules.

Replies: bolje

bolje 🚫

@Switch Blayde

Switch Blayde 🚫
9/3/2026, 9:03:11 PM

@bolje

authors who don't finish their stories on SOL are abusing the site.

I interpreted the OP differently. I read it as an author posting multiple "in-progress" stories with an ad for them on ZBookStore — but new chapters were being posted regularly. For a full-length novel, that could take a long time to be completed on SOL. But as long as new chapters are posted, they are following the rules.

The words were

He will post a new chapter ever few months

That's not regular posting, and certainly not "at least bi-weekly" as posting rules requires.

Replies: awnlee jawking

awnlee jawking 🚫

@bolje

at least bi-weekly

From Google:

done, produced, or occurring every two weeks or twice a week.

What does bi-weekly mean on SOL? Is it twice a week or once a fortnight?

AJ

Replies: ystokes Switch Blayde

ystokes 🚫

@awnlee jawking

What does bi-weekly mean on SOL?

It means it goes both ways.

Replies: Diamond Porter

Diamond Porter 🚫

@ystokes

What does bi-weekly mean on SOL?

It means it goes both ways.

That still doesn't clarify the time frame. Does it mean that they do one male and one female every week, or that they do them on alternate weeks?

But posting new chapters at least twice a month seems reasonable, if they are already written and published elsewhere.

Switch Blayde 🚫
Updated:

@awnlee jawking

Is it twice a week or once a fortnight?

I would guess at least once a fortnight. Twice a week is awfully frequent.

(Although "fortnight" isn't a word Americans would use. At least not this American. I had to look it up.)

irvmull 🚫

@Pixy I

But even then, there will always be people who want to "Know what happens next....". You could kill the main character off, thereby ending 'the story', but there will always be people wanting to know what happened to the other characters...

The better you write, the worse the problem becomes.

And there, Pixy, you have illustrated the difference between "good writing", and AI-produced stuff. I have yet to see an AI that could make me care about the characters in the story. Usually, not even enough to finish reading the story.

Of course, there are some human writers who also cannot make readers care.

Replies: zitqhile

zitqhile 🚫

@irvmull

And then are a few authors who can make you care (weep) for a character that dies before the story even begins.

Dinsdale 🚫
Updated:

@ystokes

I am mostly talking about one author who keeps starting new stories while having 10 other stories unfinished even though they are finished on zbooks

Obviously not one of the authors I follow 'cos I've no idea who that could be. If that author was posting to an unrelated site, Lazeez would eventually step in and add the missing chapters. He does not do that with zbooks?

Replies: flightorfight

flightorfight 🚫

@Dinsdale

I guess Well Traveled Man isn't on your reading list.🤣

throwaway8390 🚫

@throwaway8390

OK so I'm the the OP so if you really need me to spell it out I'm going to give you an example. If I offend anyone it has nothing to do with the stories as I haven't read anything they posted.... it's the constant assault of updated that are are likely sub par. I am using this author as an example https://storiesonline.net/a/billmax.... 18 'books on Zstore'. Seems like he is abusing the advertising algorithm to get daily posts. He's posted 10 times in certain days

Replies: bolje

bolje 🚫

@throwaway8390

I am using this author as an example

They have 4 stories that are for sale and updated weekly. I see no problem with this at all.

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Stop daily post from authors showing up daily news feed

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