Annoyed at "To Be Continued"
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Slammr (imported)
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Re: Annoyed at "To Be Continued"
Sorry, Bboy. I hadn't noticed that feature before, but had remembered you or Paolo posting stats before. I now know where to find them-Thanks.
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JesusA (imported)
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Re: Annoyed at "To Be Continued"
This is an argument that I feel compelled to wade into. I'm sure that nearly every reader of the Archive has been disappointed by stories which promised "to be continued," but which never were. Fortunately, they are relatively few.
As has been pointed out so many times here, the greatest reward that any author can receive is FAN MAIL! It's probably even more important than money for those authors who get paid for their work! If you like what you read, let the author know. We need to encourage everyone to contribute to the growing success of the Archive. How many stories were not continued because the author didn't feel that anyone cared? It's certainly discouraging to spend hours putting together a story and then see it sink without a trace once it's posted.
I would never expect anyone to write a note for every author who posts to the Archive, though everyone ought to write an occasional fan letter. I try to write occasionally to my favorite authors and to write notes encouraging first time authors who seem to have something new and creative to add to the mix. I would expect that EVERY author OUGHT to receive fan mail from some of the readers here if only a few more of the passive comsumers wrote to those authors they appreciated most!
More encouragement should mean fewer stories dropped midstream. It would also mean more total stories produced by authors who felt appreciated! Don't complain; write fan mail.
As has been pointed out so many times here, the greatest reward that any author can receive is FAN MAIL! It's probably even more important than money for those authors who get paid for their work! If you like what you read, let the author know. We need to encourage everyone to contribute to the growing success of the Archive. How many stories were not continued because the author didn't feel that anyone cared? It's certainly discouraging to spend hours putting together a story and then see it sink without a trace once it's posted.
I would never expect anyone to write a note for every author who posts to the Archive, though everyone ought to write an occasional fan letter. I try to write occasionally to my favorite authors and to write notes encouraging first time authors who seem to have something new and creative to add to the mix. I would expect that EVERY author OUGHT to receive fan mail from some of the readers here if only a few more of the passive comsumers wrote to those authors they appreciated most!
More encouragement should mean fewer stories dropped midstream. It would also mean more total stories produced by authors who felt appreciated! Don't complain; write fan mail.
Re: Annoyed at "To Be Continued"
Slammr ...
When you post your first story under the "registered submit" section, and are successful in logging in and viewing your stats page, let me know.
I will then associate your old stories with your userid and you will be able to see the stats for those as well.
FYI, the stats get tracked whether you use the registered submit or not. You just can't SEE them if you don't do it through that page because the scripts don't know that that story 'belongs' to you.
Once the stories are associated though, the stats you see go back to when the story was first posted, so they are accurate and up to date.
When you post your first story under the "registered submit" section, and are successful in logging in and viewing your stats page, let me know.
I will then associate your old stories with your userid and you will be able to see the stats for those as well.
FYI, the stats get tracked whether you use the registered submit or not. You just can't SEE them if you don't do it through that page because the scripts don't know that that story 'belongs' to you.
Once the stories are associated though, the stats you see go back to when the story was first posted, so they are accurate and up to date.
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Charlieje (imported)
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Re: Annoyed at "To Be Continued"
A couple of thoughts...
This will have to be brief because I am sitting in a hotel room on a VERY SLOW CONNECTION...
As an author I try to be aware of the readers' concerns. I know that some readers don't like "continued" stories. With that in mind, for my last submission, I waited until the entire thing, all 17 chapters, had been completed, then I flooded the archive with those chapters in very rapid fire.
Well, guess what? I got far less feedback, even far fewer hits than I had in previous submissions. I think perhaps readers were overwhelmed with all those chapters coming in rapid fire. Not only that, I think it was unfair to other authors because those readers who were interested in MY story were so busy reading that one, they had no time for the others.
I have been working on two new stories for several months, but I will NOT begin posting until they are complete. I will not "rapid fire" again - perhaps one chapter a week or so, but the story WILL be 99% done before anyone sees it. Hopefully that way I can strike some sort of happy medium.
I suppose it could be said that I should learn to write shorter stories, but I'm sorry, it's just not my style. I have done that once, only a few weeks ago, and guess what? I received lots of suggestions of a "what happened after that" nature. So it just goes to show ya can't please everyone.
This will have to be brief because I am sitting in a hotel room on a VERY SLOW CONNECTION...
As an author I try to be aware of the readers' concerns. I know that some readers don't like "continued" stories. With that in mind, for my last submission, I waited until the entire thing, all 17 chapters, had been completed, then I flooded the archive with those chapters in very rapid fire.
Well, guess what? I got far less feedback, even far fewer hits than I had in previous submissions. I think perhaps readers were overwhelmed with all those chapters coming in rapid fire. Not only that, I think it was unfair to other authors because those readers who were interested in MY story were so busy reading that one, they had no time for the others.
I have been working on two new stories for several months, but I will NOT begin posting until they are complete. I will not "rapid fire" again - perhaps one chapter a week or so, but the story WILL be 99% done before anyone sees it. Hopefully that way I can strike some sort of happy medium.
I suppose it could be said that I should learn to write shorter stories, but I'm sorry, it's just not my style. I have done that once, only a few weeks ago, and guess what? I received lots of suggestions of a "what happened after that" nature. So it just goes to show ya can't please everyone.
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Slammr (imported)
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Re: Annoyed at "To Be Continued"
Bboy:
I tried sending you an email telling you that I was already using the enhanced submission method, but it was returned. Four or five of the first stories that I wrote were submitted using the regular method, but not since then.
If I've neglected to tell you that I appreciate all your hard work on this archive, I apologize, because I do.
One other comment on readers showing their appreciation, then I'll leave the subject alone:
It's a two way street. The authors should respond to emails and posts about their stories. I know, if I sent an email to an author expressing appreciation for his story, and never got a response, I probably wouldn't write next time.
If I've failed to respond to anyone sending me an email, I'm sorry. Some of my replies were returned to my mail box for one reason, or the other.
Readers are under no obligation to respond to my stories-or anyone's, but those responses are, at least, part of our pay for writing them. The better we're paid, the harder we work.
I tried sending you an email telling you that I was already using the enhanced submission method, but it was returned. Four or five of the first stories that I wrote were submitted using the regular method, but not since then.
If I've neglected to tell you that I appreciate all your hard work on this archive, I apologize, because I do.
One other comment on readers showing their appreciation, then I'll leave the subject alone:
It's a two way street. The authors should respond to emails and posts about their stories. I know, if I sent an email to an author expressing appreciation for his story, and never got a response, I probably wouldn't write next time.
If I've failed to respond to anyone sending me an email, I'm sorry. Some of my replies were returned to my mail box for one reason, or the other.
Readers are under no obligation to respond to my stories-or anyone's, but those responses are, at least, part of our pay for writing them. The better we're paid, the harder we work.
Re: Annoyed at "To Be Continued"
Hmmm. I can send myself an email. Someone send me one to test.
Maybe with a cute young guy or a penectomy story attached.
:tongueout
Maybe with a cute young guy or a penectomy story attached.
:tongueout
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veracity (imported)
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Re: Annoyed at "To Be Continued"
Hope you don't mind a newbie jumping in here, but here's my two cents.
I LOVE long multi-chaptered stories- the longer the better. Remember THe Lycian Prince? Wow! I hoped it would never end. There are so many talented writers working for nothing to bring us these great storied- it just seems churlish to complain. Seems to me that the people who do the most complaining are the ones who never contribute.
Granted, there have been very promising stories that have never been finished. For instance, I still hold out hope for more of The Wish by Pueros & Razor - it's two chapters were really hot. There was another story by Razor (same guy??) called The Erotic Perils of Seffen that really got me worked up. but was never continued.
The fact is, there are lots of reasons why some stories are never continued, and most of us will never know those reasons. But if people are abandoning their stories because they aren't getting any positive reinforcement, well I am pledging here and now that from now on I am going to let authors know that they are appreciated, and I hope everyone else will too.
I LOVE long multi-chaptered stories- the longer the better. Remember THe Lycian Prince? Wow! I hoped it would never end. There are so many talented writers working for nothing to bring us these great storied- it just seems churlish to complain. Seems to me that the people who do the most complaining are the ones who never contribute.
Granted, there have been very promising stories that have never been finished. For instance, I still hold out hope for more of The Wish by Pueros & Razor - it's two chapters were really hot. There was another story by Razor (same guy??) called The Erotic Perils of Seffen that really got me worked up. but was never continued.
The fact is, there are lots of reasons why some stories are never continued, and most of us will never know those reasons. But if people are abandoning their stories because they aren't getting any positive reinforcement, well I am pledging here and now that from now on I am going to let authors know that they are appreciated, and I hope everyone else will too.
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mounds (imported)
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Re: Annoyed at "To Be Continued"
We live in a world of instant gratification dont we? The Tales of the City books by Armistead Maupin were originally a series of columns in a San Francisco newspaper. Every day the column would unfold further and reveal a bit more of the story. It was kind of a soap opera on paper. We have that type of opportunity here at the archive. I look forward to the stories as they unfold, the twists and turns, and the anticipation of what comes next. The Archive is a place with room for the long and the short (and the missing) and has become a glorious tapestry in our odd little community.
With regard to the stories that have remained unfinished for a long period of time, perhaps another author could continue them. This is not entirely without precedent. There have been many other books that have been finished by ghostwriters.
With regard to the stories that have remained unfinished for a long period of time, perhaps another author could continue them. This is not entirely without precedent. There have been many other books that have been finished by ghostwriters.
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Tomas (imported)
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Re: Annoyed at "To Be Continued"
Mal originally started this thread commenting about SHORT stories that were not posted complete but either broken into tiny pieces or never finished. ("
I agreed with him and again specified SHORT stories in my response.
Neither of us mentioned serialized LONG stories as being a problem, in fact in the original post (see quote above) long or involved stories were mentioned as logical to serialize . . .
Most every other response has "disagreed" by saying LONG stories are OK to publish in chapters.
To restate my opinion, again, a SHORT story makes much more sense to be published in one piece when it is finished, rather than being published a thousand words at a time.
A LONG story makes perfect sense as a serialized release.
Both stories that I wrote to authors about because of their very high quality happened to be serialized longer stories.
(To be continued . . . )
")mal (imported) wrote: Sun Sep 29, 2002 2:12 pm In my opinion, only really LONG or involved stories should be continued. Everyone else should finish their stories before posting them.
I agreed with him and again specified SHORT stories in my response.
Neither of us mentioned serialized LONG stories as being a problem, in fact in the original post (see quote above) long or involved stories were mentioned as logical to serialize . . .
Most every other response has "disagreed" by saying LONG stories are OK to publish in chapters.
To restate my opinion, again, a SHORT story makes much more sense to be published in one piece when it is finished, rather than being published a thousand words at a time.
A LONG story makes perfect sense as a serialized release.
Both stories that I wrote to authors about because of their very high quality happened to be serialized longer stories.
(To be continued . . . )
Re: Annoyed at "To Be Continued"
I promise not to mention the Ryder Cup:tongueout
I also agree with everyone in this thread, which is unusual for me and especially as I'm one of the main breeders of 'To be continueds'!
Additionally, I thank 'Veracity' for his kind comments about 'The Lycian Prince' & 'The Wish'. Alas, as regards the latter, my co-author seems to have disappeared. We drafted but never finalised a chapter 3 & I've not heard from him since, despite my despatch of several e-mails begging for contact.
As I was relying on Razor to provide what was basically his storyline, I find it difficult to continue, particularly as the mythological background and direction was all coming from his great imagination. All I was doing, at his request, was just trying to put his thoughts into words.
If anyone knows or has been in touch with Razor, I'd appreciate it if they could let him know how concerned I am for his welfare & how much I'd appreciate it if he contacted me.
I promised not to mention the Ryder Cup and my word has always been good!
PUEROS
:tongueout
I also agree with everyone in this thread, which is unusual for me and especially as I'm one of the main breeders of 'To be continueds'!
Additionally, I thank 'Veracity' for his kind comments about 'The Lycian Prince' & 'The Wish'. Alas, as regards the latter, my co-author seems to have disappeared. We drafted but never finalised a chapter 3 & I've not heard from him since, despite my despatch of several e-mails begging for contact.
As I was relying on Razor to provide what was basically his storyline, I find it difficult to continue, particularly as the mythological background and direction was all coming from his great imagination. All I was doing, at his request, was just trying to put his thoughts into words.
If anyone knows or has been in touch with Razor, I'd appreciate it if they could let him know how concerned I am for his welfare & how much I'd appreciate it if he contacted me.
I promised not to mention the Ryder Cup and my word has always been good!
PUEROS
:tongueout