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Lush's high standards

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I just realized that Lush is the only self-publishing resource [yes, I see it that way] that governs actual story quality.

Meaning, readers can find a higher quality of works here than they do at Amazon and other self-pub places. This occurred to me the other day when someone asked me 'where to go for quality stories' and Lush was the best venue.

Top honors, Nicola.
Unknown User
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OTOH, they publish me.

What I like about the standard is here is that it forces me as a writer to aim high with my writing.

=d>
Jayne33
Velvet-Voiced Titillator
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Quote by seeker4

What I like about the standard is here is that it forces me as a writer to aim high with my writing.


^This Exactly^

I wouldn't be half the writer I am today without the guidance of the moderating team, helpful friends and the examples of brilliant writing that can be found on this site.

I owe this site not only for giving me plenty of brilliant stories to read, but for helping me find something I love. It's helped me learn basic writing skills and pushed me to learn correct grammar.

I now strive to keep improving in the hope that I produce the best work I can.
LillyLush
Active Ink Slinger
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Quote by Metilda
I just realized that Lush is the only self-publishing resource [yes, I see it that way] that governs actual story quality.


Self publishing resource: I think it implies generality instead of quality, or a place for novices and amateurs. I also think that comparison of Lush with other story sites is inappropriate as in addition to the stories, Lush is also a adult social media.

Qualitative improvement is a continuous process and one of the method may be that after approval of a story, a team of distinguished mods grade and score that story. I think three shades can be worked out as Excellent, Good and Average. Stories with excellent and Good grading should remain visible to all and Average shade stories may only be visible to author or their friends. However, members may score stories as they like. In this way, quality stuff would remain in forefront !
I like the way you make me feel even when I'm nowhere near...
nicola
Matriarch
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Very nice of you to say Metilda! We do try...
overmykneenow
Active Ink Slinger
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Quote by LusciousLushie


Self publishing resource: I think it implies generality instead of quality, or a place for novices and amateurs. I also think that comparison of Lush with other story sites is inappropriate as in addition to the stories, Lush is also a adult social media.

Qualitative improvement is a continuous process and one of the method may be that after approval of a story, a team of distinguished mods grade and score that story. I think three shades can be worked out as Excellent, Good and Average. Stories with excellent and Good grading should remain visible to all and Average shade stories may only be visible to author or their friends. However, members may score stories as they like. In this way, quality stuff would remain in forefront !


This idea has merit but given the amount of butthurt some people get when their stories are scored with 4 or how they perceive awards are handed out, I don't think Lush is ready for this. From what I see on Lush, few authors improve their writing in a technical sense; the majority of improvement you see in authors is in a growing confidence in skills they already possess but haven't really used before.
Warning: The opinions above are those of an anonymous individual on the internet. They are opinions, unless they're facts. They may be ill-informed, out of touch with reality or just plain stupid. They may contain traces of irony. If reading these opinions causes you to be become outraged or you start displaying the symptoms of outrage, stop reading them immediately. If symptoms persist, consult a psychiatrist.

Why not read some stories instead

NEW! Want a quick read for your coffee break? Why not try this... Flash Erotica: Scrubber
principessa
Sophisticate
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Quote by LusciousLushie


Self publishing resource: I think it implies generality instead of quality, or a place for novices and amateurs. I also think that comparison of Lush with other story sites is inappropriate as in addition to the stories, Lush is also a adult social media.

Qualitative improvement is a continuous process and one of the method may be that after approval of a story, a team of distinguished mods grade and score that story. I think three shades can be worked out as Excellent, Good and Average. Stories with excellent and Good grading should remain visible to all and Average shade stories may only be visible to author or their friends. However, members may score stories as they like. In this way, quality stuff would remain in forefront !


While a good idea in theory, this would not be feasible for a number of reasons. Moderators have a difficult enough time keeping up with the stories in the queue without rating them. For now they look for technical and compliance issues, and leave the judgment to readers and their taste. They have the ability to award RRs and nominate EPs for quality and exceptional work respectively. There are many stories on Lush which would merit neither but are nonetheless popular with readers. Moderators get enough push back from writers regarding required edits to stories without adding this subjective judgment to their responsibilities. I frankly do not think writers here, whom I have been reminded are amateurs, would appreciate such a system.

(I should add that while I am no longer a moderator, I was one for about three years.)
prairiedogg
Active Ink Slinger
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Quote by LusciousLushie


Self publishing resource: I think it implies generality instead of quality, or a place for novices and amateurs. I also think that comparison of Lush with other story sites is inappropriate as in addition to the stories, Lush is also a adult social media.

Qualitative improvement is a continuous process and one of the method may be that after approval of a story, a team of distinguished mods grade and score that story. I think three shades can be worked out as Excellent, Good and Average. Stories with excellent and Good grading should remain visible to all and Average shade stories may only be visible to author or their friends. However, members may score stories as they like. In this way, quality stuff would remain in forefront !


I like this idea. If nothing else, it could be an extra filter to help make sure that good quality work gets noticed.
prairiedogg
Active Ink Slinger
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Quote by principessa


While a good idea in theory, this would not be feasible for a number of reasons. Moderators have a difficult enough time keeping up with the stories in the queue without rating them. For now they look for technical and compliance issues, and leave the judgment to readers and their taste. They have the ability to award RRs and nominate EPs for quality and exceptional work respectively. There are many stories on Lush which would merit neither but are nonetheless popular with readers. Moderators get enough push back from writers regarding required edits to stories without adding this subjective judgment to their responsibilities. I frankly do not think writers here, whom I have been reminded are amateurs, would appreciate such a system.

(I should add that while I am no longer a moderator, I was one for about three years.)


I understand your point, but the RRs are way too subjective and usually reflect the interests of the Mod who awards it, rather than a work which is technically superior. Just my opinion.
Frank_Lee
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Quote by prairiedogg


I understand your point, but the RRs are way too subjective and usually reflect the interests of the Mod who awards it, rather than a work which is technically superior. Just my opinion.


Great technique is not what makes a great story. It can even be a liability at times.
sprite
Her Royal Spriteness
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Quote by LusciousLushie

a team of distinguished mods grade and score that story.


*stares at you in terror* while, in theory, this is kind of a cool idea. in reality, though, the first time we score less than a 5 on someone's story, all hell starts breaking loose. very bad idea - and trust me, a large percentage of the stories i mod here, if i were to give an honest score, would garner 3s.

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.

prairiedogg
Active Ink Slinger
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Quote by Frank_Lee


Great technique is not what makes a great story. It can even be a liability at times.


Possibly, but a story with glaring grammatical errors and punctuation mistakes has no business being approved for publication, much less being rewarded with a RR. Just my opinion, but it seems that quantity, rather than quality, is becoming more frequent here. How else can you explain a submission to publication time of under 10 minutes on a story with over 3,000 words?
Evie
Blackbird Supernova
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Quote by prairiedogg


Possibly, but a story with glaring grammatical errors and punctuation mistakes has no business being approved for publication, much less being rewarded with a RR. Just my opinion, but it seems that quantity, rather than quality, is becoming more frequent here. How else can you explain a submission to publication time of under 10 minutes on a story with over 3,000 words?


I don't think Frank was saying that at all. As for the quantity over quality issue, you should see what all doesn't make the cut. By far, we return more stories than we approve. Your last question can be answered simply enough. We have some dedicated mods that read fast and know how to do their work. Sometimes errors slip through because we're not infallible. There is no perfect method of moderation. We do the best we can.
sprite
Her Royal Spriteness
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Quote by prairiedogg


Possibly, but a story with glaring grammatical errors and punctuation mistakes has no business being approved for publication, much less being rewarded with a RR. Just my opinion, but it seems that quantity, rather than quality, is becoming more frequent here. How else can you explain a submission to publication time of under 10 minutes on a story with over 3,000 words?


I've been doing this for 4 years. i've been a senior mod for over 2. i know most of the authors here, having read, modded, or senior modded over their stories. i know which stories i need to read thru carefully, and which i can move through at a fairly quick rate. at one point in time in my career here i was modding 15-20 stories a day - the mod crew was that small at the time. now, i do less. i would say that, on average, we get 50-60 new submissions a day here. it's as simple as this - when that happens, i can jump in and move those stories out very quickly - i am damn good at what i do, and, i may miss a typo here and there while doing it, but i assure you that 99% of the time the stories i mod are clean.

so, to answer your question, yes, i can publish a 3000 word story in 10 minutes. i don't actually read it, but i know what to look for as an editor - there are little tricks i'm learned on how to do that. and, since my name is attached to each and everyone of them, i make SURE nothing goes through that shouldn't.

hope that answers your question for you.

PS - i am probably one of the stingiest mods when it comes out to handing out RRs, too, btw - if you're hoping for one, i would suggest you request someone else to mod your story. smile

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.

Verbal
Gravelly-Voiced Fucker
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Quote by LusciousLushie


Qualitative improvement is a continuous process and one of the method may be that after approval of a story, a team of distinguished mods grade and score that story. I think three shades can be worked out as Excellent, Good and Average. Stories with excellent and Good grading should remain visible to all and Average shade stories may only be visible to author or their friends. However, members may score stories as they like. In this way, quality stuff would remain in forefront !


I like that the readers, and not the mods, decide what rises to the top and what doesn't. The mods make sure they are grammatically correct and makes basic sense, but (with the exception of RR and EPs) how much visibility a story gets is up to the community. I think the crowd knows things that individuals don't. I have one story that wildly out-performs the others. I don't think it is my best story on here, but it is the only one that goes beyond the 15-20 comments I usually get. I don't exactly know why, but I trust there is some quality it has that the others don't. I like that it is essentially crowd-sourcing that chose the one story to stand out, and not a small group of readers like the mods. They have enough to do.
Guest
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Quote by sprite


*stares at you in terror* while, in theory, this is kind of a cool idea. in reality, though, the first time we score less than a 5 on someone's story, all hell starts breaking loose. very bad idea - and trust me, a large percentage of the stories i mod here, if i were to give an honest score, would garner 3s.


Understood Sprite, that would be a NO WIN position that no one in their right mind would want any part of doing.
Guest
Lurker
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Quote by sprite

i would say that, on average, we get 50-60 new submissions a day here.


May I interrupt this thread for a quick time out and give all our wonderful mods some love? Without you giving up your valuable time to read through all our endless submissions this site wouldn't be the unique place many of us call home. Thank you.
Verbal
Gravelly-Voiced Fucker
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Quote by playsit


May I interrupt this thread for a quick time out and give all our wonderful mods some love? Without you giving up your valuable time to read through all our endless submissions this site wouldn't be the unique place many of us call home. Thank you.



Hell yes. Big Love for the mods. I know I couldn't do what they do. Thank you mods!
Buz
The Linebacker
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Quote by prairiedogg


I understand your point, but the RRs are way too subjective and usually reflect the interests of the Mod who awards it, rather than a work which is technically superior. Just my opinion.


The strength of the RR system IS the subjectivity. To become a story moderator one has to have already proven their ability. Therefore they are qualified to make choices. With each story mod comes a unique perspective of different tastes that covers our wide variety of story genres. Certainly a story can be technically superior with perfectly placed punctuation and perfect grammar yet be totally boring and drab with a weak plot and characters. The mods choose a Recommended Read story that each feel is great based on as many factors as possible. The best of the best get nominated for an Editors Pick. That story is then voted on by a highly qualified panel. I don't know what percentage is awarded but I would give a rough estimate in the 50% range, maybe slightly higher.

This is a site where amateur writers can learn and expand their ability and knowledge.

I originally joined Lush because the story quality is superior to ALL other erotic story sites, the site is organized much better, it is easy to navigate, plus Lush offers fantastic social interaction.
Smoocher
Active Ink Slinger
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Quote by sprite


*stares at you in terror* while, in theory, this is kind of a cool idea. in reality, though, the first time we score less than a 5 on someone's story, all hell starts breaking loose. very bad idea - and trust me, a large percentage of the stories i mod here, if i were to give an honest score, would garner 3s.


SPRITE may not remember this, but she badgered / browbeat me into improving a submission and then scored it less than a "5". However, she DID take a moment and explain herself. I remain very proud of her comments. Other mods (and former mods) have been helpful also. I applaud them for the job they do, and especially so when they go that extra step.
sprite
Her Royal Spriteness
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Quote by asleep


SPRITE may not remember this, but she badgered / browbeat me into improving a submission and then scored it less than a "5". However, she DID take a moment and explain herself. I remain very proud of her comments. Other mods (and former mods) have been helpful also. I applaud them for the job they do, and especially so when they go that extra step.



I remember it well, Rick. I think i called you several rude names, punched you in the face and threatened to kill your dog if you didn't fix several typos. Lucky for you, i was in a good mood that day. smile

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.

prairiedogg
Active Ink Slinger
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First of all, I want to thank those of you who responded to my posts. Your honesty impresses me, really it does.

I don't want anyone to think that I am in any way denigrating the excellent work that the mods do here. I have never had a problem with a mod and I believe that out of 69 stories and poems I have had approved only two came back for any kind of revision. Believe me, that makes me very happy. It tells me that I must be doing something right.

My beef, if you want to call it that, is all about the RRs. I don't like them, even though I received one for a poem I didn't think deserved it. I just don't think that it should be in the hands of one person.

As for sprite, no, I'm not angling for a RR at all. Like I said, I'm not a fan of them. Just getting approved is good enough for me.
sprite
Her Royal Spriteness
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Quote by prairiedogg
First of all, I want to thank those of you who responded to my posts. Your honesty impresses me, really it does.

I don't want anyone to think that I am in any way denigrating the excellent work that the mods do here. I have never had a problem with a mod and I believe that out of 69 stories and poems I have had approved only two came back for any kind of revision. Believe me, that makes me very happy. It tells me that I must be doing something right.

My beef, if you want to call it that, is all about the RRs. I don't like them, even though I received one for a poem I didn't think deserved it. I just don't think that it should be in the hands of one person.

As for sprite, no, I'm not angling for a RR at all. Like I said, I'm not a fan of them. Just getting approved is good enough for me.


EPs are done by committee - the RRs are as much for the mods as for the writers - the mods nominate stories for EPs and that's the end of it for them - they wanted a chance to reward stories that excelled, but didn't quite make the EP cut - i have, myself, several times RRed stories that were really good but i knew wouldn't make the EP vote cut. if we were to do it any other way, we'd have to have an RR committee as well, for one. for another, it takes away what i consider to be a perk for being a mod. smile

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.

prairiedogg
Active Ink Slinger
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Quote by sprite


EPs are done by committee - the RRs are as much for the mods as for the writers - the mods nominate stories for EPs and that's the end of it for them - they wanted a chance to reward stories that excelled, but didn't quite make the EP cut - i have, myself, several times RRed stories that were really good but i knew wouldn't make the EP vote cut. if we were to do it any other way, we'd have to have an RR committee as well, for one. for another, it takes away what i consider to be a perk for being a mod. smile


Thank you, sprite, for making clear a subject which I obviously didn't understand completely. While I may not like the RRs, I now understand the rationale behind them. Thank you, and thank you to all who responded, for clearing this up.
Poppet
Cheeky Chick
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Honestly, if it were not for some of the mods here, I'd not be where I am today as a writer. I've learned and grown so much in the two and a half years I've been here. There are about four, maybe five mods, who hold a very close place in my heart for helping me, not coddling me, but pushing me, because they saw my potential and didn't give up on me.

I never whined or complained when a story was failed. I read the notes they left for me and I grew from them. I learn to edit, and edit again, and edit some more. I know I'm by no means perfect, no one is, but I have improved tenfold since October 2012, which was when I first submitted a story here.

I do hope to one day, possibly become a mod, to help and guide other authors like the other mods have. Many people tell me I wouldn't want the job, but they are wrong. It would mean a great deal to me. It would be an honor.

Anyway, I can see why this site does so well. It is one of the finest sites like this and that is why it does so well.
ChuckEPoo
Chuckanator
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Quote by sprite


EPs are done by committee - the RRs are as much for the mods as for the writers - the mods nominate stories for EPs and that's the end of it for them - they wanted a chance to reward stories that excelled, but didn't quite make the EP cut - i have, myself, several times RRed stories that were really good but i knew wouldn't make the EP vote cut. if we were to do it any other way, we'd have to have an RR committee as well, for one. for another, it takes away what i consider to be a perk for being a mod. smile


Thanks for explaining this. I was wondering how it worked. I know there are also a ton of resources here I didn't see mentioned. I have copied them and use them as I write. I should have paid more attention during creative writing in college. I'm still trying to understand all the different forms of poetry. Like many here I appreciate the honest feedback from the mods and readers. For instance, SF gave me some helpful advice today about watching my run-on sentences. I find it rewarding when I can read my first stories and see the improvement to where I am now. The standard and the Mods on lush are a big part of it. Including the hard assed ones like Sprite.
sprite
Her Royal Spriteness
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Quote by ChuckEPoo


Thanks for explaining this. I was wondering how it worked. I know there are also a ton of resources here I didn't see mentioned.


Yep, we have things like Clum's punctuation guide and Chrissie's everything you should know about Commas in the writer's resource forum. Also, there is my own: How to Survive a Beating by Sprite for Making Too Many Typos - suggested reading if you want to make it to 2016! biggrin


Quote by ChuckEPoo



Including the hard assed ones like Sprite.


My ass is as soft as a pillow, just ask anyone.

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.

Buz
The Linebacker
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Quote by sprite
My ass is as soft as a pillow, just ask anyone.


Yes it is, and I was sleeping so good until you woke me up and gave me a spanking for snoring.
Liz
Scarlet Seductress
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Quote by prairiedogg
Possibly, but a story with glaring grammatical errors and punctuation mistakes has no business being approved for publication, much less being rewarded with a RR.


I agree.

We try our best.
Guest
Lurker
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Well, that's me fucked. I don't even know the difference between a clause and a phrase.

I'll get bang on it.