Story Updates

[Talo Segura]

9 minutes ago, Brayon said:

If an Author wants more readers, and viewers, then self-promote.

This is getting off topic, but I wanted to answer your point. I think a lot of authors are gentle retiring types, who sit lonely at their keyboard typing their story. It may have taken a big effort simply to join the site and put their work on here. You see self-promotion everywhere, "You like my book and I'll like yours."

You have a valid point, you preferred the new presentation, but just be aware not everyone out there is a pushy go get it personality. A lot of authors do simply rely on that side bar and sit there waiting for someone to read, like or comment their story. It's for that reason I like to give new stories, new authors, a read when I see them appear. One little word of encouragement can mean a whole lot to someone, you know, make someone's day, make them feel good.

I'm not criticising what you said, you are right about putting yourself out there, but there is always the flip side of the coin!

[Brayon]

8 hours ago, Talo Segura said:

This is getting off topic

I agree to disagree. It boils down to promotion, self vs automated. The Story Updates Side Bar, List New Stories (or Updates) First, and Story Updates Activity Feed are all automated promotions. Add into that following an Author and/or Story you get automated notifications that something was posted. That's four different promotions that happen automatically. Side Bar is just one aspect.

Self-Promotion takes initiative. Self-promotion is also required to be a Promising, Signature, and Classic Author. Doing what I outline above can all be done at the same time as you are posting a new story, and or chapter. And of course being active in the community.

[Myr]

If we are wandering into use of promotions... Put a link to one of your stories in your Signature...

[Cia]

Or a link to all of them. Basically, the sidebar is one area where the site is helping promote authors and stories, members and blogs, clubs and topics, etc... to the community. As far as this topic being on topic, an author, representing other author(s) who then agreed, didn't like that their stories were being promoted for a shorter time frame due to the number of stories on the site that update frequently and how that impact their reads. The members want that lack of reads fixed (by putting the sidebar back to the same length as before). But, unfortunately, we as the site staff, have a reason to shorten the sidebar that is valid and necessary. So another member suggested alternate ways to improve readership that will require activity and interaction on the author's part instead of the site staff... and it's called off topic. 

Not really. It's two sides of the same coin. We help you, but you have to help yourself. 

I've said the exact same thing to many site authors when they joined and asked me for advice on how to be successful on GA. Authors cannot put their book on a shelf in a bookstore and expect readers to just find it. You cannot just put your story on this site and expect readers to find it either. Making use of the multiple features available to authors to help promote themselves is the way to gain readers and keep them. It takes work. Then, yes, you can get a little lazier about self-promotion... (sorry to all my readers, my life is crazy and admin, author, mom, educator roles often mean author slips to last). 

In the end, you have to decide what's important to you. Gaining more readers by making a little effort or being happy with what the site can do for you. 

[Talo Segura]

1 hour ago, Cia said:

The members want that lack of reads fixed (by putting the sidebar back to the same length as before). But, unfortunately, we as the site staff, have a reason to shorten the sidebar that is valid and necessary.

Now you've completely lost me. When I started this thread it was because I noticed STORY UPDATES on the FORUM page had been reduced to 5 listed updates. Now it has been put back to a list of 14 listed updates, just as it was before the change. I have done nothing, you must have put it back as it was before?

[Cia]

Did you notice other sidebar widgets aren't there? And Myr made the changes. I'm more for the "Authors really do the best when they are proactive in achieving their own success" camp. I like cross-featuring multiple forms content on the site with the widgets and automatic features and notifications, but I like to think if you're proud of your work and want others to enjoy it, you make an effort to get it out there as well.