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You are here: Home > Forum > A Place of Safety > Literary Merit > Good stories
Good stories  [message #75425] Mon, 21 January 2019 05:47 Go to next message
luvtwinks is currently offline  luvtwinks

Likes it here

Registered: August 2018
Messages: 175



When I first discovered this site several months ago the dirty old troll part of me was looking for raunchy stories about teens doing dirty deeds. Happily I instead found (mostly) enjoyable and entertaining stories about teen love. Geron Kees is fast becoming a favorite author. I've also enjoyed the "Steven Roberts" series of short stories. My very favorite short story so far is "Ryan and the Gringott". No sex, but an amazing and heart warming story.
Re: Good stories  [message #75426 is a reply to message #75425] Mon, 21 January 2019 09:11 Go to previous messageGo to next message
timmy

Has no life at all
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13739



Over the years I've tried to curate excellence.  That does not mean that every reader will like every story, but the overall quality is high.

There is an odd side effect. Because our readers expect excellence they do not write to our authors with praise very often. A tale has to be particularly special to atttract email praise here. On sites like Nifty, even a good tale is so surprising that the authors receive an abundance of emailed praise.

[Updated on: Mon, 21 January 2019 09:14]




Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
Re: Good stories  [message #75427 is a reply to message #75426] Mon, 21 January 2019 20:20 Go to previous messageGo to next message
joecasey is currently offline  joecasey

Toe is in the water
Location: American Midwest
Registered: December 2017
Messages: 35



I would be interested to know how much feedback other writers on this site might receive; I have gotten maybe three or four responses from readers in the time that I've been here, and they've all been very nice.  It seems like one writes in a vacuum here, but maybe that's just me.  I used to write for the GayAuthors site and while I detested their point system, writers at least could usually depend on getting some responses to their work, as long as one submitted work regularly enough to keep it at the top of the queue.  Here, the only reliable feedback is what one receives if one submits a story during a challenge; of course, those are only "yes/no" clicks to a series of predetermined questions.

And, Nifty ... yikes ...
Re: Good stories  [message #75428 is a reply to message #75427] Mon, 21 January 2019 21:15 Go to previous messageGo to next message
luvtwinks is currently offline  luvtwinks

Likes it here

Registered: August 2018
Messages: 175



To be honest, I've never thought of contacting an author about their work. Back in ye olde days of print I can't think of anybody who wrote an author after reading a book they got from a library or book store. I suppose in today's world where one can find literature online with the the author's contact information readily available there is really no excuse. Perhaps readers are a bit shy about admitting to reading some of the material here? Having said that, I extend my appreciation to all of the authors who have shared their work here. Well done and thank you!
Re: Good stories  [message #75429 is a reply to message #75427] Mon, 21 January 2019 22:53 Go to previous messageGo to next message
timmy

Has no life at all
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13739



"joecasey wrote on Mon, 21 January 2019 20:20"
I would be interested to know how much feedback other writers on this site might receive; I have gotten maybe three or four responses from readers in the time that I've been here, and they've all been very nice.  It seems like one writes in a vacuum here, but maybe that's just me.  I used to write for the GayAuthors site and while I detested their point system, writers at least could usually depend on getting some responses to their work, as long as one submitted work regularly enough to keep it at the top of the queue.  Here, the only reliable feedback is what one receives if one submits a story during a challenge; of course, those are only "yes/no" clicks to a series of predetermined questions.

And, Nifty ... yikes ...

--

I think it is not so much that here is a vacuum, it is that other places are by no means all high quality. There are notable exceptions. Even as webmaster I cannot judge from emails whether I write decent stories. Some people email and others, when they email can be 'kind', which is not helpful. This is not a hint to email me and say I write decent stories!  It's just an observation.

I write to authors whose work interests me. Not all of that work is welcome here because of our niche, but that is ok.  Fewer than half reply.

The stories here tend not to be single handed friction, som the reader has to appreciate a plot, sometimes with huge sex scenes, other times with none at all.

I'm not really sure the Challenge feedback is to be taken hugely seriously. I am certain that some folk really do not understand the questions! I try with the questions to get folk to offer helpful insights. Mainly, the challenges are intended to encourage folk out of their comfort zones. Recovery, absolutely, and the following one about consent, most definitely

I won't criticise any other site. Some are crude, others have poor layout, others have poor ethos, and there are good and great ones, too. Authors decide where to submit. And that's a good thing.

[Updated on: Mon, 21 January 2019 22:55]




Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
Re: Good stories  [message #75430 is a reply to message #75428] Mon, 21 January 2019 23:20 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Pedro

Toe is in the water

Registered: March 2014
Messages: 93



"luvtwinks wrote on Mon, 21 January 2019 21:15"
To be honest, I've never thought of contacting an author about their work. Back in ye olde days of print I can't think of anybody who wrote an author after reading a book they got from a library or book store. I suppose in today's world where one can find literature online with the the author's contact information readily available there is really no excuse. Perhaps readers are a bit shy about admitting to reading some of the material here? Having said that, I extend my appreciation to all of the authors who have shared their work here. Well done and thank you!

--

With a print book, authors have feedback at various stages along the way: professional editors, rejection or acceptance by publishing houses and last but most importantly sales figures and hopefully lots and lots of royalties.
Apart from acceptance/rejection by the site host, on-line authors at sites like this have no idea how well their stories are received unless readers contact them or comment on forums like this. 

Feedback varies between sites. Some will have more forum traffic others more contact by email. Fwiw the lack of feedback also exercises the minds of authors and hosts on other sites.

I would say that on average I get two or three emails when I post a new story and at least one of those will be from another author. However I am not good about sending comments myself. 



Pedro
icon7.gif Re: Good stories  [message #75431 is a reply to message #75427] Wed, 23 January 2019 03:24 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Geron Kees is currently offline  Geron Kees

Likes it here
Location: USA
Registered: February 2016
Messages: 147



When I first startied posting here, I got some nice mails. 'New kid on the block', maybe. I haven't gotten but a handful of mails from Iomfats readers in the past year. If I wrote just to get mails, I'd be disappointed. But I write because I love it, so it doesn't matter. I aso know that Tim has a loyal group of readers here, and that they just accept that what they find posted here will be readable. I do get a nice comment or two in the forum now and then, too. So I think if other authors are in the same state, it's an indicator of acceptance. 

If you don't get hate mail, you're doing well!

[Updated on: Wed, 23 January 2019 03:24]

Re: Good stories  [message #75432 is a reply to message #75431] Wed, 23 January 2019 04:02 Go to previous messageGo to next message
joecasey is currently offline  joecasey

Toe is in the water
Location: American Midwest
Registered: December 2017
Messages: 35



Mr. Kees:

If I could "like" your post, I would.  I've always written for myself and I probably always will; if others happen to enjoy it, then so much the better.  
Re: Good stories  [message #75435 is a reply to message #75432] Wed, 23 January 2019 05:27 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Teddy is currently offline  Teddy

Really getting into it
Location: USA
Registered: October 2006
Messages: 484



I've a small handfull of stories on the net on three different sites. I generally receive two or three responses over the first several months that a story is up and then rarely anything thereafter. I don't base my selfworth or my assessment of readership numbers or reader appreciation on the feedback I receive. I write becasue I love the creative process. Obviously, I don't have access to the traffic statistics for IOMFTS but I've seen them for another site that was once somewhat popular but now defunct, and I know that the traffic statistics for sites and for individual story pages are not reflected by the amount of feedback an author receives, with the feedback being much, much lower.

[Updated on: Wed, 23 January 2019 05:28]

Re: Good stories  [message #75436 is a reply to message #75435] Wed, 23 January 2019 08:41 Go to previous messageGo to next message
timmy

Has no life at all
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13739



The statistics do not reflect anything at all except the number of visitors over time.

As an example, here are two sets of data for Joe Casey since 30 November 2017, when his tales first appeared here.

Sorry, they make us scroll horizontally, but compressing the graph will lose legibility

http://forum.iomfats.org/?t=getfile&id=5048&private=0


If you compare the spikes to Joe's index page you can see the effect of publishing new items. New publication drags visitors in. But, as you can see below, the stats are subtly distorted by his index page:

http://forum.iomfats.org/?t=getfile&id=5047&private=0

The stats are a bit of s sledgehammer to crack a nut. You can see the massive distortion the index page itself brings. I can't make them show just his stories and all his stories, if you follow me

I look at the column 'Average Time on Page" which tells me whether people are reading or clicking in and away. I compare the tie I know it takes to read a page with the average time. It looks as if those who arrive read to the end.

One can do a further analysis on a serial. It shows that not all the people who read chapter 1 read chapter 2, and there is often a drop off between chapters.  Readers will read a chapter or two to see if a take is to their taste and drop out at various points. This is true with printed books too. I'm not going to do that here. 

Oh, there are always oddities.  I have no idea why Second Skin appears twice, once with 1247 visits and once with 24.

[Updated on: Wed, 23 January 2019 08:43]




Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
Re: Good stories  [message #75437 is a reply to message #75436] Wed, 23 January 2019 15:02 Go to previous messageGo to next message
joecasey is currently offline  joecasey

Toe is in the water
Location: American Midwest
Registered: December 2017
Messages: 35



Looks rather like a brain map of a typical day for me ... great start in the morning followed by a dramatic drop throughout the day punctuated with brief fits of activity ...
Re: Good stories  [message #75438 is a reply to message #75437] Wed, 23 January 2019 20:04 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Teddy is currently offline  Teddy

Really getting into it
Location: USA
Registered: October 2006
Messages: 484



That's about what I would expect to see based on my own experience with website statistics for a website where I was the web admin for several years. And I'm sure that Joe did not receive anwhere near that level of feedback to his published stories, deserve it though he may. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on one's point of view I guess, the vast majority of readers simply pop in and read then pop out again without giving a thought to providing feedback to the authors.

Btw, Joecasey, I like your work Smile



“There's no grays, only white that's got grubby. I'm surprised you don't know that. And sin, young man, is when you treat people as things. Including yourself. That's what sin is.” - Terry Pratchett
Re: Good stories  [message #75439 is a reply to message #75438] Wed, 23 January 2019 20:47 Go to previous messageGo to next message
timmy

Has no life at all
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13739



Authors forget one thing. Each author here has, already, one big tick in the box, one big email (if you like) of praise. It comes from me. I do not publish everything I'm sent, and not every piece from a regular author here is accepted. I hope that is seen as an accolade and appreciation of their work.



Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
Re: Good stories  [message #75511 is a reply to message #75425] Sun, 10 February 2019 02:34 Go to previous message
cole parker is currently offline  cole parker

Toe is in the water
Location: California
Registered: July 2018
Messages: 34



     Good topic!  I got a lot more mail when I started writing than I do now.  It would be easy to think very few people read my writing these days.  The other view, one I like better, is that fewer people bother to write.  I never have gotten much mail, but I do find it interesting that what I get now almost all comes from people who've been writing me for a long time.  I guess you can call them regulars.  Thank goodness for them, or I really would believe I was writing in the vacuum mentioned earlier.

     Like others, I write because I love writing.  I love the creativity needed, I love the challenge every story presents in one form or another, or more usually, several forms.  I also write because I have a patriarchal 
fondness for gay teens and very much want them to survive.  I began writing when so many were killing themselves.  Things have improved, but there are still so many that can use all the succor our stories can give them.  Back then, I did get mail from people who identified themselves as teens.  I don't get that any longer.  They all have cellphones now, I guess, and much more to occupy their time than writing authors.  I hope they aren't so occupied that that don't read our stories anymore.  That would be a bummer.

     I don't post often on this site, but when I do, I do get some mail from people who haven't written me before, and I assume most of that is from IOMFATS readers.  I want to heartily thank you.  It really does make my day to hear how happy someone is with what I wrote.  And it does make it easier to sit down at the keyboard one more time.
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