Thanks for all the reads

My various stories and serials have today hit the dizzy heights of 8000 reads.

Now I know many authors have so many more reads, and have written so many more stories, but even so i am well chuffed and feeling rather pleased with myself.....and of course with all you lovely spankers and spankees out there.

Thanks

So how do all you other authors feel about the reads you get, are you counting them or aiming for a number?, about the favourites etc. We all love the comments I know I do. I dont mean this to be a thanks to the readers message...more how the authors feel when a read/favourite/comment takes place.

Congratulations on your LSF success HedgehOg! I have read most of your stories, and in due time will almost certainly read the rest. Keep writing!!

Let's see if I can make it a bit more then!

Thank-you for writing such good stories!

Congratulations HedgehOg. I come up with ideas for my short (letter style) stories from time to time. When I do, I write it down with the idea still fresh in my mind. Since all of my stories are quite short by most story length standards here, I can get it written within maybe 30 minutes. I make a quick check for grammatical errors, I don't catch them all, then submit. I have no goals as far as how many comments I get. I do enjoy seeing them when I do get them but I have no set number as to how many I would like to achieve. I write for my own tastes in scenarios and put them here hoping others with like minded taste will enjoy them as well.

Hi Hedgeh0g,

Congratulations on your milestone. As you know from reading and commenting (thanks!) on much of my stuff, I mainly write spanking poems. I find these easier to write since they don't take that long to compose. That being said, it does not appear that many on here like to read spanking poems. I don't really have readership goals,,,I'm happy that ANYBODY reads my stuff! I do sort of set an arbitrary number of 50 reads for each poem and a hundred for a story. If I achieve these then I'm pretty content. More than the reads however, I appreciate people commenting on my output. I try to comment on all I read here...I don't always comment, but I try to on most, and I love when people take the time to comment on my poems and stories.

Hedgeh0g, congrats. I don't really have goals for the number of reads/comments per story, or overall, which is not to say I don't appreciate (and even obsess over) reads. I get excited every time someone reads one of my stories. Since they usually don't comment, I'm always left wondering if they liked it, unless they read a bunch more of my stories, in which case I assume they liked something.

I will say that I sat at around 9,980+ reads for what seemed like forever waiting to tip the 10K mark, and it was kind of driving me crazy.

The one goal I have is to have at least one favorite per story. I'm not there yet, though I'm close if I exclude my long serial (which has no favorites, alas). It often surprises me which ones get favorited (especially some that have gotten multiples), and which don't. I know Februs will say that that isn't meant as feedback for the author, but rather as bookmarks for the reader. But since the information is made public (how many times a given story has been favorited) it's hard for most authors to completely ignore it.

Anyhow, for all the work I put into a story, and the work that someone puts into validating it, I'd certainly like it to get read, and hopefully enjoyed. I truly do write them first for myself, and then for sharing, but still, once I've put a story "out there" I do have a bit of self esteem tied up in how it will be received.

When I started submitting stories I looked at the little "medallions" that the experienced authors had on their profiles for x # of submissions, comments, favorites, etc. So I hoped that I could come up with enough stories that people liked enough that maybe I'd get something to pin on my chest one day. So there was an obsession about getting on the scoreboard until I finally started accumulating little ditty bops to make me look "established."

I used to worry about getting favorites, but as RosieRad pointed out that's a bit of a crap shoot; some stories just seem to resonate and others don't and there's no rhyme or reason why. I have a story with 20+ favorites that I have no clue why it was so popular; I'd like to know why so I could replicate it!

Now I'm more interested in the comments people have to make, good, bad or indifferent. I'll admit that a few of my characters have been total rat bastards and it's refreshing to hear the mob howling for their comeuppance. And I couldn't begin to count the number of sequels I'd never planned to write if it hadn't been for someone saying "wouldn't it be great if x happened?"

Congratulations and apart from you getting that many reads I must say that a lot of your production is really amazing. It is stories that sticks in my mind and inspires me to write, so it's wonderful to have dedicated people like you out there.

Regarding your question, I have to admit that for a long time I was completely obsessed with my ratings and checked my author's page on an hourly basis, almost around the clock, to see if I had caught another reader. I have matured somewhat since then, but it is extremely rewarding to read people's comments; both because they encourages me to improve (negative and positive comments alike) and also because it means that I actually managed to reach someone and that they took their time reading and commenting on my story. I'm just if I can make a little contribution to make someone's day a tiny bit better.

Well done Hedgeh0g!

Always nice to get reads, comments and favorites at any time. Over time all build up and one tends not to notice the numbers so much I find. One does hope the medals come and change to different colours although medals don't give you anything besides colored medals.

Used to think 150 reads and 8 comments meant my story was at least OK in the Library. Now with comments dropping almost monthly except for Challenge months I hope for 6. I also am a F/M writer for the vast majority of my stories so that is limiting as well, sad to say.

I know some say (have done so myself) to write for yourself and don't sweat the number count. Tried that for months, didn't work for me, I still like the numbers ... lol. That said I still write stories I like and fit my fantasy life, so nothing changes there.

Favourites are great, but no idea who does them for my stories or why. Are they just for future reading or did the reader really appreciate the story? At least with comments we as authors can get an idea. I would like to say thanks for favorites but not possible at the moment.

Keep on writing and do stories you want to write. One never knows when a story or series will get massive amounts in the numbers area and enjoy the success at least for a few days. That is until another author writes a story and then they are the favoured writer for a short time.

Have fun.

😎😁 CS

I thought favourites were so the reader could get back to the same story easily--but have since learned there are other routes to that.

Numbers are fun (and intriguing) but comments are best. Not enough people comment though. I've seen someone(s) read an entire serial at a sitting, so I imagine they enjoyed it, and no comment at the end. That's a shame, they must have a point of view.

Geoffrey Stirling.