Shameless (Self-) Plug - "Dem Bones"

It's been a while since I've done any intensive Shameless Plugging, so it's time for me to get back on that horse. In deciding WHAT to plug, I realized it was pointless to plug a certain story with 379 views, "favorited" 9 times, and commented upon 41 times. So I looked at my 11 stories that to date have received fewer than 100 views apiece (a common fate of older stories that date back to the "Bottom Lines" days), to see what may have been overlooked by readers.

The choice to me was obvious. "Dem Bones" was one of my own favorites when I wrote it a dozen or so years ago, a favorite when it got loaded on Bottom Lines, and is still a favorite today. It's sexy, romantic, a bit funny, with well-deserved spanking. Yet, with only 90 views, it is my third least-viewed story.

What stands out (to me) about those 90 views, however, is that those 90 views have produced 4 "favorites," at a rate of 4.4% of the views. That may not seem like much, but the two most favorited stories here in the Library, two very fine tales by ChardT ("A Deal's a Deal" and "The Talk"), with their 900 views each, have percentages of 3.4% and 3.1% respectively. I'm not saying that "Dem Bones" is a better story than either - shear numbers have to mean SOMEthing - but the 4.4% favorited rate has to mean something as well.

In an earlier Shameless Plug post, I mentioned the 'unfortunate title' for "Dem Bones," so a few comments in explanation are in order, as follows:
1) It's a double entendre
2) A song I used to sing in church camp as a kid had the refrain of "Dem bones gonna rise again."
3) The setting of the story is a paleontological dig
4) The story is rather sexy
5) Connect the dots

And so, folks in order to humor me, or at least shut me up, please consider reading "Dem Bones" and telling me what you think.

- Rick Marlowe

You are way too long winded. A simple "please consider reading "Dem Bones" " would have been enough.

I can't HELP myself.

I have found that I have already read that story and it is in my favs list; so I can vouch that is a great story.

I am considering your request and will get back to you once I have decided whether to or not

I have to agree with anitalyn... that is a very long post that could just have read... please humour me and read Dem Bones

I think he likes to hear himself talk or he just has WAY to much time on his hands. I have already read this story, and highly recommend it.

Why should I waste time writing NEW stories when I can waste time plugging OLD stories?


Thank you. Much appreciated.

You sure? Maybe it's the other way round and the 4 favorites have produced 86 views? If one person reads the same story every day you would have an always decreasing percent-rate views/favs, but still the same number of persons who like your story.

That's a good point, and I've sure that IS part of the equation. I find it hard to believe, though, that a large share of the reads on any story are re-reads, 'favorite' or not. Of course, I've been wrong before.

There is an old English saying:
"Self-praise is no recommendation."
Perhaps we Brits are too self-deprecating but I really couldn't see myself shamelessly plugging any of my stories.