What Makes a Favourite?

Campaign for real arses! I love it! Of more interest than warm flat ale anyway!

I would prefer a button where readers could just press "Good" or "Thumbs up" or "Kudos" (like in the contests but without scale). There are so many stories which are well written and I enjoyed to read them, but I really don't like to comment on all of them, because it's quite an effort for me. And most of this stories I will not read a 2nd time as long as I can choose between thousand new stories. So I don't mark them as favorites either. It would give the authors a better impression how many of the readers actual liked the stories and would reserve the comments to more meaningfull statements or discussions.

Speaking just for myself, I don't think a button would do much for me. I like to interact with the readers. I like to know what they thought, why they liked it or didn't.

So are you saying that you think the majority of beer drinkers are actually drinking real beer but the numbers don't show it due to multiple brewers? If so, I might have to disagree. While real beer is growing in popularity, the vast majority of what I see being toted out of the stores falls into the 'popular piss' category...of which there are also several brewers. And availability of good beer is nonexistent in most restaurants. Even the stores that sell good beer are fewer than the ones selling the mass-produced crap. (And I live in NJ where there is probably better selection than most places.)

As I drink my Canadian beer I wonder if there is a way a writer can tell "who" has read his stories besides those who comment. I know how many people read it but can I tell who has read it. I know if I look on the latest read listing I can see what happened the last couple of hours but it would be interesting to know more if the teckie stuff behind such info would not be a vast amount of work.

I do not like a button feature because I think it will only cause those who comment just a little to not comment at all but just push a button.

There are many pissy beers in Canada as well folks but at least there is a good stock of beer at the 5% factor all over the country and I have enjoyed every brand they have. I for one do not like piss regardless if someone has labelled it as ale or beer, its still piss

Oh, there is a formula, but is it magic?

Months ago njrick stated somewhere (I couldn't find the thread right now) that it is always good, if your title start with "babysitter". That is probably the best.

Beside this:
- F/M always gets more views per story as M/F
- Children, teens, schoolsettings get more views than adult stuff
- A title starting with "A" gets more attention than a title with "Z"
- No spanking gets less attention than a lot of spankings and many implements

To demonstrate this I will focus on the stories of flogmaster. He wrote many stories, has large variety and I assume that the quality of his stories is always the same.

His stories starting with "B" (25) have average views of 260.
Stories starting with "T" (32) have average views of 122.
Stories starting with "Babysitter" or involving children have over 500 views, stories with no actual spanking starting with "B" have only 116 views avg., starting with "T" 76 views avg.
In contrast a story with the Title "Boarding School" with 9 different implements reaches 828 views and accordingly 12 Favourites.
A similar story with 6 implements, teens involved, but starting with "T" gets 244 views only.

So the magic formula would be:
Main charakters spankers: Women and Men
spankees: Boys and Girls
Implements: All possible
Spankings: A lot
Title: Babysitter, Boarding-School, Academy, Annabell, Adam, All .....

(As for me, I'm not sure if I would read such a story)

So a perfect title would be 'Another 50 Red Bottoms at Sir Ashfield Academy' ??!! :P

Jools, you should try this!

I'd go with "About Fifty Girls' and Boys' Bare Bottoms Paddled, Strapped and Caned at the Babysitting Academy."

However, to second mati's suggestion, I'll leave it up to you to write the actual story--but with a title like that, it should practically write itself... --C.K.

When you think about it, it seems crazy that some titles attract more reads while others languish. I mean it's a SPANKING STORY LIBRARY. What do you think the story is about? Still, titles can invoke themes and some themes are definitely more popular than others. I agree with mati on many points. My non-scientific opinion is that the most popular themes are:
1. teenage/college girls spanked in a school or home or work setting
2. young women in a pre-existing domestic discipline, work or school discipline environment (meaning the disciplinary aspect is an up-front given)
3. stories about couples who are part of a DD "scene", e.g., they are "spankos"
4. F/M stories (a small, but very enthusiastic market)

The title should evoke visions of 1,2, or 3. Hence the popularity of "babysitter", "reform school" or "spanker's club"

A few other things:
short is better than long;
lots of action is better than a plot with only a little.

These are things that IMHO generate lots of reads and are, therefore, "popular". But just like the head cheerleader in high school, popular is not always "best", however you care to define it. But, The market always has the final say.

Unfortunately, LOL, I rarely write any of these(except F/M). My characters (or at least one of them) are first timers who fall into it. The fact that a spanking occurs results from the plot and who the characters are, not some preexisting arrangement, and whenever possible, I delay the "reveal"(e.g., somebody's getting spanked).