Hey Nathan, welcome to the forum.

Almost every author here has had problems with persistent trolls, myself included. There's not much that can be done about it, as the more attention you give a troll, the more they'll try to take from you. Now personally, I think you should just not worry about your story rating; that's the wrong reason to write. I've been lucky enough to have a few very successful stories, but the vast majority of my publications were a mere blip on the radar before they were voted off the "last 30 days" page. Don't write for everyone else; write for you.

But I get the frustration, and I certainly understand wanting as many eyes as possible to see the fruits of your labor, so I'll give you some pointers. I noticed that No Man's Land is a "user only" voted story. You might want to change that to allow all votes. User-only voting sounds tempting, until you realize how few account-holders actually use this site. You'll get five or six user votes if you're lucky (each user vote counts as four anonymous votes), then you'll inevitably get one negative, and your story will tank. I know that No Man's Land is good enough to make it to the "last 30 days page," and I'm sure the thousands of people who've viewed it would love to drop a positive, but you're not letting them. Open up voting so that your fans can buffer the scorn of one spiteful jackass.

 

I would agree with White Walls.

As well, nitpicky point - someone downvoting your story is not hacking it. Even a mass downvoting is not something I'd consider a hack. I've had contemporaries who have had their accounts legitimately hacked (or 'broken into') and the assailants would delete their stories from the inside.

I meant to check out No Man's Land. I'm glad it's here on the forum to remind me to look it over. Thank you.

 

As one who championed under 18 bonking on XNXX and for years until 2012 it was very common until the Moral Minority took over I heartily concur with your wish but if you want to guarantee getting banned that's the way to do it. There are other sites but not this one.

 

Yes, someone downvoting your story, or mine when I posted here, unfairly is a major pain in the butt but I can tell you it is wide spread and it it done by writers who's sole motivation is to have their story rate higher than yours.

In the long run the story will still score well, if not the 100%,we all know it so richly deserves.

 

Folks, I take pride in my craft. And for me, validation is important. At least it was when I first started to write. It was the voice of my incestuous mother screaming in my head - "You will never be a writer."

It's a long story.

The truth is I love to write. Above all else, I've always wanted to be a writer. Now I are one. ;-)

As a writer, it is my desire to know the minds of my readers, and frankly, their approval gives me pleasure.

I am enjoying the opportunity to get to know other writers who like to keep stories spicy.

"No Man's Land" is my first work of fiction and my second book.

"Becoming a Man in the Shadowlands" was my first book. I had never told a living person about being an abused kid until I wrote a book about my fifty-year-old secret. It's complicated.

 

All very good points my friend. Call it: "Market Research" Data helps when you pitch a book to a publisher.

I think the best erotica combines emotional realism, sensual pleasure with a real story which is in itself an adventure.

If I can create a virtual reality within the minds of my readers I have succeeded in my craft. I'm pushing at the outside limits of my ability as an author and I have grown enough as a writer to know this.

I don't know shit.

The world of erotic writing is a bit off my beaten path. I grew up as a preacher's kid and went on to become a church elder.

I like it here. You are good people. Either that or I'm doing way too much weed.

 

Thank you for a warm welcome. I'm looking forward to being a useful part of this community.

 

Thank you for a warm welcome. I'm looking forward to being a useful part of this community.

 

As a writer, I think it's perfectly valid and reasonable to want feedback, and to want that feedback to be legitimate. So I share your frustration regarding you and your stories being caught in the middle of an internet fight between two other parties, Nathan. I haven't been on this site for terribly long, but I can see that the rating system is important when it comes to getting exposure for your stories.

I absolutely agree with Loretta and White Walls when it comes to seeking validation though. Writing for writing's sake is ideal, but it's a hard mindset to get to. Is it enough to just know that your thoughts are on paper and your stories are out there for others to enjoy? For some, yes. For others, no. I certainly would't blame anyone if they enjoyed writing because they enjoyed praise or because it pays the bills.

I personally write because I have an overactive imagination, too much time on my hands, and a desire to improve my writing skills. Whatever path brings you somewhere, whatever motivates you, I think we can all appreciate that everyone's circumstances are different. No matter what those circumstances are, the writers forged by them all bring something new and unique to the table, adding to the great erotic lexicon that we're all a part of. I'm grateful that this community exists so that we can have these sorts of discussions.

 

@Nathan Wolf , I certainly understand your frustration. So far I absolutely agree with Loretta, White Walls, and Eupatrid. We all have the want for validation, yet we want to defend our work once it gets attacked. I went so far as to create a list of the names that showed up more than once voting negative on my or other writers' series stories. I utilized the 'people that I ignore' tab in my profile to eliminate the trolls that I have identified already. Just put in the screen name and supposedly it will block those folks from seeing your work.

Now, don't get me wrong, do I think that there are TROLLS still out there, absolutely. This is a world-wide site after all, so we'll never be able to stop all of them. I too, am very grateful for a place to practice my craft/hobby. Would I love to become a published mainstream author...of course!

I saw that you made mention of your published book "Becoming a Man in the Shadow Lands". My question is in regards to publishing....did you get picked up by a publisher or did you self-publish? I ask because I've been sent various emails from these small publishing houses that want to offer me their 'self publishing' services at a nominal rate. Personally, I think most of them a just looking for a way to generate income rather than do the leg work of finding real talent....but that's just an opinion. Sorry, if I went off the rails.

If you would like a copy of my list of TROLLS so far, just ask. I'll be happy to send it to you or anyone else via an alternative method (private email) rather than posting it on this website.

 

Hello,
I am new here, at least as a member and an aspiring writer. I tried three or four times to post my first story and it never shows up in the new story section. Anyone know what I might me doing wrong?

 

Welcome! If you just posted your story this morning, it may take a while to show up. I usually post at night and the stories don't become publicly visible for close to 12 hours. If it's already been that long or longer, you might need to message support.

 

Just be patient. It can take a while before they actually post your story. Once you hit submit, just wait. And don't hit submit again, it will push you to the back of the line.
It can take anywhere from overnight to over a week. I've even seen longer.
Bottom line, patience is a virtue my friend.
I'll be looking for your story

 

Thank you for the insight, they don't make that very clear. And I would appreciate any advice or criticism you may care to offer.

 

Thanks, Eupatrid,

Much appreciated. Reader feedback, while important, is not the only reason I write.

Since I started writing my book I have been using the public-at-large as if they are a BETA team. Reader feedback has provided me with the incentive and enthusiasm to improve my writing and in the process, I call "Writing Out Loud" I have become a better writer.

I use a subscription program called AutoCrit to help me edit my chapters.

AutoCrit Statistics
20,531,169 words analyzed 5,029 reports since December 28, 2016
92.38% Average Score -

When I started using AutoCrit my score started in the high 70s. Today, I will not release a chapter with a score of less than 90%.

For me, I use sites like SexStories.com for market research. My story is an unusual cross-genre tale (Romance, Adventure, Post-Apocalyptic Survival, Emotional Erotica) - because I refuse to write in a specific genre - it is useful to know if readers like my treatment of the subject.

So far, they have. To date, my book has received mostly 5-star reviews on Amazon, GoodReads, and Smashwords. It has been ripped off by dozens of websites around the world, and it has been downloaded more than a million times. Truth is - I've lost track of all the places my story resides.

Readers become fans and fans become customers. Exposure generates readers and a lousy score pushes me so far down in the weeds that I get lost in the clutter. Such is life.

Since this is the first book in a seven-book series, I'm not overly concerned about pirating because, in the end, people want a good book on their Kindle or e-reader. I hope to make some money from audio-books and subscription-based pod-casts.

Feedback and support from fellow authors is a treasure.

 

PABLO DIABLO,

I do not yet have a publisher. That is the next step in the process as soon as I finish Book-One in the series.

On another note. As soon as "No Man's Land" is completed, I will re-edit it to tone down the explicit scenes to mainstream standards to avoid the "erotica" rating and release the book under the title, "The Old Man and the Apocalypse" Many more potential customers.

 

That is my hope. Would you be willing to BETA read my story and prove me with your thoughts?

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-s4ub0binyqaYKoh1e1jTPE9mZYBDCXZjwxHE7BqE4I

 

If you're not the lead dog, the view never changes. ;-)

 

Because this is a worldwide website, it usually takes about 48-72 BUSINESS hours to post. Be sure to post it to the tab on the left that says "post new stories". Once you post it, you will get a thread of how it will look when it gets published. Just have patients.

BTW....welcome, I hope you enjoy this site.