Where is everyone????

Interesting thoughts about Deviantart there. It may be worthwhile to set up an SWM account on DA for galleries that links back to this main site.

ETA. God! It must be about twenty years ago that I found Conceptfan's site that led to the link for Supergirls Inc. which led to SWM as we know it today. Worth looking into.

koopa wrote: As a long time lurker and fan the genre from sginc days i'm pretty sure Deviantart is "stealing" a lot of contributors and ubergirl enthusiasts that are even not aware of SWM existence. Not sure how and even if SWM should compete with the deviantart powerhouse. What's really clever with deviantart is that the site constantly gives you notifications and new stuff to look at on a daily basis.

It's sad because the community here is really well-mannered, educated and above all very respectful.

So, we're like the Linux Users Group compared to the Windows or Apple users groups?

What I'm trying to say is that sometimes it's cool to be smaller and more specialized and deeper into the tech (genre) than the big groups. With fewer assholes too.

With the lack of advertising, nobody is getting rich here. So why not enjoy being smaller and more friendly with a sense of community. Put your feet up kind of cozy.

DeviantArt maybe many things, but cozy isn't one of them.

Shadar

Probably the lack of new stories, new stories is what I come here to read.

Is the lack of stories due to it being summertime, does this happen every year?

Maybe we need a writing competition? Or maybe a writing school? I don't know.

Or it might be competition from Deviant art. Deviant art has its downsides though, finding the right stories there is not as simple as here. It is hard to tell the image posts from the story posts there. Also they have every genre of story, so you might think you're reading an FMG or female superiority story, and then half-way through it turns into an adult diaper or fat fetish story.

Last time I checked Wattpad it was mostly high school students posting romances. So a totally different market from here.

Improving the site? I can think of one thing. I find the index here really cumbersome. +++ I'd really like to simply click on an author's name and see a list of all of his stories. (So, while reading a story, click on the author's name and be taken to a list of all his stories.) +++

Deviant Art has had the problem of every so often some activist or prude going through flagging stories they "find offensive".

That happened to Mr Grey Man and he almost gave up on the site.

In the end the prudes end up banned, but in the time it takes for that to happen authors and artists new to the site become discouraged or embarrassed.

Wattpad is, or at least was, even worse that way. Formerly, they just didn't have the ability to handle adult themes. Now all adult stories are filed together, using "mature" as the genre name, instead of as a flag added to the genre.

DtV is in a rut.

Saradas doesn't let authors edit their own stories unless they buy "points". They've lost at least one author to DA.

I just realized. They're being lost to Patreon. That is my best guess, and this should have been the first thing in my mind. DA is losing a lot of FMG authors to Patreon too.

The author starts a Patreon channel and charges something like US$4 to read each episode of their short story. It ends up being very expensive for readers, often US$20+ for a novella length story.

And Patreon takes a significant cut of every transaction.

I was talking to one author. He isn't happy that his move to Pateon means his readership has become so small, but he likes the money. He is hoping to release his stories to his regular fans for a lower fee, some period of time after his paying patrons get to see the story.

I'm not sure how long Patreon has been sucking authors into it, maybe slowly increasing over the past 2 years?

Patreon may take care of itself. It leadership is very SJW "trendy", that is to day authoritarian and bigoted. They've banned not just conservative journalists collecting money via their service, but also liberal journalists. I don't doubt they'd ban FMG authors if they noticed them.

Story websites with more mainstream genres have the issue of authors being sucked into Kindle Unlimited. Only a few FMG authors have discovered that outlet.

"I've rarely seen any comments on my stories here at SWM; in the last few years, it's been the same at AURG."

On most sites I comment regularly. But for a long while here there was a problem with the captcha. That problem is fixed, but my commenting habit hasn't returned.

"* Pictures are obviously more popular than prose, ..."

For me that is the problem with DA. I prefer prose, but on DA there is maybe 100 pictures to wade through to find on story.

Even in DA folders named "stories only" a third of the posts will just pictures, a third of the posts will be stories that have a picture as a cover -- and no easy way of telling them apart without loading them. (The other third is stories with no picture, easy to tell.)

DA also has a lot of poetry, which is more chaff for me to wade through.

What I like about SWM is how that I don't have to do much wading to find something I like. (Although the index search is very cumbersome.)

I'm sorry, I did not read all the topic so maybe someone already suggest this:
We could propose a commission platform directly on SWM (I don't really appreciate Patreon since this is not a one shot). The advantages:
- a part of the tarif could be given to SWM
- this could motivate the most talented writter (to know that people are able to pay for his writing style)
- That could contribute to maintain the new stories creation
- those who don't want to pay could still read freely the stories
- those who pay can have their fantasy put into a well written story..

IMC, I would be able to give some money (in a reasonable way )to read some of my fantasies under writers from here !

I'm pushing myself to complete the first half of a novella that I've been tinkering with for a while. The library has been a bit lonely since the last contest.

Here's the overview:

With the grittiness of Game of Thrones, yet based on a version of the AU hundreds of years in the future, I’m writing a novella about the struggle for survival on a distant Terran-seeded planet that is emerging from the desperate years of its founding.

The planet Glory has finally developed its rare ore Xinitite (Mithral) mining industry sufficiently to make it a prize for inclusion into either the Empire or the Enlightenment.

Jimmy Dickerson, a young and inexperienced reporter at the Daily Planet (not that one) finds himself caught between titanic forces as he works with the ace reporter at the Planet, a stunning yet aggressive woman named Cici, who happens to have some history with a Velorian. He and his companions discover a secret that could change life on Glory forever.

The first half, about 20,000 words, along with its companion images, should be ready to post this week.

This novella is being written specifically for SWM readers.

(Here’s a teaser picture of Jaz, the older daughter of the Enlightenment’s first ever Ambassador to Glory, who with her younger sister, has traveled to this new planet with her mother, even though it meant she had to drop out of Protector training back home. She and her younger sister find themselves working with Jimmy as they try to uncover a plot by the Empire and its agents who are trying to subvert Glory’s pivot toward the Enlightenment.

Jaz likes the leather jacket (they don’t have leather back home), that Jimmy gave her, so much that it's literally the only thing she ever wears. When she wears anything at all.)

So I will admit I LOVE this site, but I don't comment much large a product of my line of work. I'm a compliance officer for a firm which monitors its associates and what we call "reputation risk", so I hardly comment on Facebook or other social media. I agree with a prior comment about visuals, they help to a huge degree. I go to DA all the time and read stories off there as well. I know my comment isn't really a positive one, but perhaps there are others who read and review, just don't comment as much.

I rarely read the Supergirl stories on DA. They tend to be crude and short and don't do much for me. The one up now is about SG turning into a baby in diapers. I sometimes wonder if people post those stories there just to see them in print.

ace191 wrote: I rarely read the Supergirl stories on DA. They tend to be crude and short and don't do much for me. The one up now is about SG turning into a baby in diapers. I sometimes wonder if people post those stories there just to see them in print.

I would hope that members here would agree that not all stories appeal to all people. As long as they're just stories, it should be okay.

As for where is everyone, there are a few continuing stories that are on a bit of a hiatus. I hope activity picks up when there's more to talk about.

I mostly have problems figuring out how to submit a story here myself.

I keep forgetting that unfortunately, haha. ^.^;

I have done a few Patreon fundings. Paid for art on DA but generally have stuck to reading and thanking people here. I post interesting items as I find them. Love the site for the general lack of political angst and more positive vibes. Not into peril but so be it. Don't like it don't go ape poop on it. I pay for C4S clips, crowdfunding projects, and other mature vids. I send comments to the creators and I have commissioned vids. Give and take.

Not worried about site statistics drop. This is the best site for super powered female stories.

I used to worry about my identity being exposed but really don't care now. Just reading and watching what interests me. I get why anonymity is good here however.

Post comments, hit thanks, let content creators know what you like, make suggestions, keep civil and share information. Simple.

And I do like to seed costumes around a bit. Fantasy story outline in the back of my head around that. Had a thing for the tailor being 'roped' into making them for various empowered girls.

Patreon takes a big cut and has a minimum limit for donation amounts. Also they've got a heavy artsy (SJW) political bias, and don't seem to like traditional liberal, conservative or even socialist ideas. Deviant Art is a mess when it comes to finding stories. Wattpad seems tailored to HS students.

I think luchodemeyer has a good idea to bring back and encourage authors.

I had to take LTD and then retire early. No way can I afford $5 an episode for a single 3 episode novella. But I do pay $10 a month for Kindle Unlimited (KU).

So SWM would take donations and keep 20%. Every six months the rest would be split between the authors, based on number of chapters/pages/words read, and reader ratings, during that 6 month period.

Authors wishing anonymity, either could specify a charity or a company* as recipient. Or maybe make the payment via Bitcoin or Amazon gift card.

Readers could read free, or make a donation.

I'm overthinking it here. But the idea is, authors with more reads, and authors with more stars, get a bigger slice of the pie.

SWM gets more money because this brings in more stories, more stories bring in more readers, and more readers bring more donations.

what luchodemeyer replied:
"... We could propose a commission platform directly on SWM (I don't really appreciate Patreon since this is not a one shot). The advantages:
- a part of the tarif could be given to SWM
- this could motivate the most talented writter (to know that people are able to pay for his writing style)
- That could contribute to maintain the new stories creation
- those who don't want to pay could still read freely the stories
- those who pay can have their fantasy put into a well written story..
IMC, I would be able to give some money (in a reasonable way )to read some of my fantasies under writers from here !"

Reading Starfury's comment. How can we make donations anonymously? Or at least so the credit card payee doesn't have a name that wives and girlfriends will question us on?

I had lots of trouble logging in. gave up for quite a while.

Regarding the idea of a paetron style system for authors (and artists) here, thats actually not a bad idea. I don't think the technical skills required to implement such a system are beyond Fats.

Peace.

/K

P.S. This caught my eye also

I used to worry about my identity being exposed...

You're not Superman in real life by any chance Sarge? Or Supergirl?

I can't speak for all the authors, but it takes hours and hours to write these stories and there is just no real good way to compensate the authors with anything close to the minimum wage. I think most writers here are motivated by hey, if I write a story and post it here maybe another writer will read and enjoy it and then write a story for me to read and enjoy.

My one thought on compensation from this site would be a fund for workshop winners to commission an illustration of their story that would be posted in the library with their winning story.

ace191 wrote: I can't speak for all the authors, but it takes hours and hours to write these stories and there is just no real good way to compensate the authors with anything close to the minimum wage. I think most writers here are motivated by hey, if I write a story and post it here maybe another writer will read and enjoy it and then write a story for me to read and enjoy.

My one thought on compensation from this site would be a fund for workshop winners to commission an illustration of their story that would be posted in the library with their winning story.

The payment for stories is called A Thoughtful Comment. It's the most powerful currency for any author. It alone has the power to generate more and better stories, Guaranteed.

Shadar

Amen to that!

It's been mentioned time and time again that it is quite demotivating for authors if there's little to no feedback. It was also mentioned that something similar is true with the workshops and voting along that.

And the solution to that should be taking money for SWM and then distributing it among the writers based on feedback? That's not going to work. Back in the day I was jealous of authors who received tons of comments for any new installment they posted or needed only their name to win a workshop. I don't see anybody be more motivated by throwing money into the mix.

Why does it have to be an either/or with regards to the stories?

Whats to stop a system where an author can be commissioned to write a story and get paid for it? They can still have their stories read for free if they choose. They can still write commissioned stories for free. Or they can charge for some stories and give some stories for free.

Same with illustrators. They can have their work displayed for free, or they can choose to charge for them. Or they can choose to have some for free and some you need to pay to see. They can do commissions for free, or they can charge.

The point is, the artist (whether writer or illustrator) chooses themselves how they wish to distribute/craft they art.

At the moment, its all free.

I'm not saying one way or another is "better" per se. Just that options never hurt.

I'm not a writer, I don't really read many of the stories tbh, just not my thing. I'm just looking at it from a practical, neutral standpoint.

Just my 2 cents as always.

Peace.

/K