#2. I'm not sure if Simon comes up with the greatest one-sentence blurbs for most of the stories. A different blurb that emphasizes the stage hypnosis more might help with bringing in readers.
Rookie mistake I am guilty of for my first submission as well. I think for some bizarre reason I thought it would non-objective to provide the summary of my own story. Of course that's ridiculous and it would be a huge chore for Simon to write summaries for every story, without even knowing the full context if it was a chaptered release. I recall someone ragging on the description that Simon wrote (likely unbeknownst to the poster) but again... there is certainly no blame to be assigned to anyone by myself. Lesson learned! Write your own summary!
Interesting... I honestly never thought about how the story would be listed and categorized. I set out to write about stage hypnosis, and thought this was an interesting direction for the story. I hope those who enjoy stage hypnosis will enjoy the story regardless of the gender dynamics. At least that's what I look for in a story... the characters come second to the mind control. Perhaps that's just me.
In addition to the above point, a vast majority of people that read the stories that are posted here are never going to say anything, so please don't take a lack of reviews as a sign that people aren't reading/enjoying.
Also, and while this certainly isn't an inherently negative quality of any story, stories/chapters that are over 10k words in length are a bit hard to swallow. The people that regularly review things here are likely reading through a lot of stories as is. For myself, there's a lot of stories that I'm interested in in this update that I likely won't have the time to read this week. While I was going to give your story a shot, 10k words is just a bit too much of a time investment for me.
I don't want to say that to discourage you. If you feel that the story justifies that length then by all means, the story comes first. Just be aware that around here, it may put people off. If the story can be broken down into smaller chunks, I would suggest doing so, and then space out when they are submitted.
I agree, break it down. As Shandra says, more people will give it a shot. But also bear in mind, not everyone comes on here every week, and if you publish it all out in one shot, you won't get any exposure beyond that and likely it will get missed in the shuffle. My stories tend to get updated like 4-6 months on here vs writing it all at once and publishing it in one shot, then being buried in the archive, which only grows larger by the week!!
Also Shandra is right to say that the vast, vast majority of people consume and say nothing at all. I just started publishing elsewhere that does record hits, allows comments, reviews etc. It has about 5500 views in less than a week and one comment. ONE. So, there's no point at all to write for feedback. It's nice to get some validation, but don't hold your breath...
the characters come second to the mind control. Perhaps that's just me.
No, Stageshow27, that's how I write as well. The characters come fiirst then I sort of follow them around and describe what they get up too: sometimes they surprise me!
The Mind Control comes second, as indeed does the erotic content: the drawback with this method of writing is that often the story just fades away as the characters stop doing interesting things... I have a file of twenty-plus unfinished stories on my computer including an MC hive novel that is stalled at 120,000 words and 80% complete...
You may have noticed, but the site is littered with unfinished and abandoned stories - something that I personally find to be very annoying. I will never post the first chapter until after the final one is written.
Actually, Stageshow said just the opposite of you, fyi
Okay first off, wow, I love discussion that erupted here!
1. Well, sadly, I must admit that I did in fact write my own synopsis. Don't blame Simon. I thought my synopsis should be brief, and not reveal any of the content. I realize I'm not actually selling copies of it, so it didn't occur to me that I should be trying to pique people's interest in the same way. This is definitely something I shall think about with my next book. (Though maybe on some level I was inspired by other synopses written by Simon, and I thought that style was preferred here?)
2. (And for others who addressed this concern.) I have actually received some wonderful private messages from people who enjoyed the story. I'm aware that most who read will never comment and I'm fine with that. I was simply referring to this particular thread and the people who like to post reviews every week. I don't visit this forum as often as I'd like to, but when I do, I always love to visit this particular thread and read what people are saying about the new stories. So, on a personal note, I was disappointed to find my story being passed over... specifically here. I have no disillusion over how my story is viewed.
3. I appreciate the tips on word count. I will have to keep that in mind, however I stand by this story and the length. It almost all takes place on stage "in real time" if you will. I could have split it up, but it still would be one very long first story and a very brief conclusion. I try to write self-contained stories as opposed to episodes... but I see why those are easier to consume.
All very valuable opinions. Thanks!
