Stories of Tie Up Games

I put "yes" but it is more a "kind-of" for me. Catchy titles definitely draw my eye first but it's not mega-important; the first pagraph or so determines if I keep reading, and I do get round to ones without catchy titles eventually.

No is not entirely correct, but I feel like "Yes" would be more wrong. I mainly look if a story is not mature, and if it's m/m. Some titles are interesting enough to make me curious, but it's more the exception, than the rule.

I voted for "yes", as in I'm much less likely to check out a story if it's something super generic like "kidnapped and tied up". Though I agree with [mention]ExcessivelyCurious[/mention] on one thing: there are so many stories in the M/M category that I read most of them anyway. So, at least in my case, a good title increases the chances of an early read and review more than anything. Also, I checked up a few F/F and F/M stories in the past because of intriguing titles even though the genres aren't usually my thing.

Speaking of which, I enjoy giving my stories "non-indicative" titles or ones that doesn't make it clear what sort of story the reader might expect. I like to think that this helps them stand out as works on their own even without the TUG elements but let's be realistic. If a reader is looking for a quick fix on a specific tie-up element like duct tape gags or hog ties, it's more likely that they'll be drawn to titles with those key words. Just something to keep in mind.

Tend to agree with [mention]FelixSH[/mention] but the author name (If it is an established one) is probably more important

DeeperThanRed wrote: ↑3 years ago If a reader is looking for a quick fix on a specific tie-up element like duct tape gags or hog ties, it's more likely that they'll be drawn to titles with those key words.

That has been one of my observations as well, my friend.
Tales with generic and cheesy titles (like the one showcased in my banner) seem to get a lot more views faster.

I've made the test about half a dozen times with my story titles (indicative vs non-indicative) and it seems like "indicative" wins every time.

Trying to assess whether this is grounded in facts or simply a case of mere coincidence.


The results of this poll will hopefully be of use to authors who want to maximize their views and reviews.

Xtc wrote: ↑3 years ago Tend to agree with @FelixSH but the author name (If it is an established one) is probably more important

Agreed.

Generally speaking, yes.

I look for 3 things when scrolling down the story lists.
1. I look to see what the title of the story is.
2. I look to see if it's M/F, F/M, F/F, or M/M
3. I look to see who the author is.

While none of those are a deal breaker and doesn't stop me from reading a story, those are what I usually look for 1st.

hmmm, I actually had to think about it and realized it does influence my first clicks.

After reading good titles and authors - I might go back and check out any M/M tagged story regardless of title. And more times than not I am very pleasantly surprised with the story.

Nah, the tag/category is more likely to influence me

Hmm, I am torn on this subject. I would expect good titles to do well, and I would love to tell me that I click on good titles while browsing. However, I doubt this is true in general. I agree with bondagefreak that indicative titles do better, but there is some sweet spot: any term to general (say, bondage, gagged,...) does not attract a lot of extra viewers. For whatever reason, the one time I used the word "babysitter" in a one-shot, it got many more views while the quality of the story was not significantly better than my other one-shots.

So let's test the hypothesis that good titles attract more views. The two most recent contests are a good datasets to start with as 1) the stories are about the same age. 2) there are almost no replies which distort the view count. A few observations:
1) Most stories amassed about the same number of views. Especially in the February contest, the differences are small with a few outliers.
2) M/M, M/F,...do about as well. So the viewership is about equal for those stories or the contests are a bad place to measure this.
3) Names and ranks do not influence the view count much. (Past) winners do not outperm in terms of views and even those who put the story in their story catalog have no extra views. This is also means that the contest results do not send people towards the winning stories.
4) Indicative stories are not overperforming massively. In the November contest, few stories without replies have indicative titles while there a few in the February contest. All did somewhat better and are among the more popular stories. Yet, many non-indicative stories are up here as well. So indicative titles are not necessary for success, but they prevent a story from "failing" (in terms of view count).

As I'm currently getting back "on" here more actively, I am, like many other seem to be as well, somehow divided.

Yes, it does somehow influence me on deciding if I'll read a story or not.
But then, it surely isn't the biggest part. Much more important are the included genders, and the author who is writing it (eg if I know the author writing a new story, it's much more likely that I'll read it.)

I clicked no, but that’s not entirely true. I first check the gender tag, before the title. I have a broad range of likes when it comes to tugs but have a solid need for m/m so the title doesn’t need to catch me to read it. That said there have at times been drawn to a title that has caught me eye.

I checked yes, but honestly the main influencer for me is the category and tag - I generally stick to the Adult section and male on male stories only. Still a catchy title may make its way to the top of my list sooner than others.

I went for 'no' as I think the title is quite low on the list when it comes to picking a story to read. Don't judge a book by its cover!

As others have said things like the author, gender tag and section have more impact.

Another big influence for me would be 'recommendation'. I've read quite a few stories because they have been commented on by other members who I know have similar interests.

I've also jumped on to stories following the banners/signatures of authors commenting on stories I've enjoyed.

Genreally speaking: yes. But I pay more attention to the gender tag.

I think that there is a big difference between short stories and longer ones in this matter. If the story is short or focuses on one event, then the title should be as close to the plot as possible. If the story is long, has many chapters, events and characters - a more... neutral title would be better.

While the title might perk my interest, and get me to the opening lines, it's the first paragraph or two, that should reach out, grab me by the neck, and shout "READ THIS STORY!!"

You have to get the reader's interest and attention within the first paragraph or two; three at best. If you don't, you lose your reader.

Drawscore

Must agree with [mention]drawscore[/mention]

[mention]drawscore[/mention]
That's basically a repeat of the second line on the opening post of this thread.

drawscore wrote: ↑3 years ago While the title might perk my interest, and get me to the opening lines...
Drawscore

I take it you voted "Yes" then.
Thanks for participating!

The title is the first thing to grab my attention, but there are other factors that play a huge role as well: who is the author? Is there a picture that I like? And who are the protagonists? What is the setting?

An interesting title could certainly help get my attention but that's usually an add on. Usually I check the genders involved (usually M/M), if it's an author I know and the first few paragraphs of the story. Based on that list, the title would be in fourth place

As others have said, there are many other factors to consider beyond simply what the title of the story is. That said, it is still the first means an author has to grab the attention of a potential reader, and is something that I personally like to pay attention to before reading a story.

I think another thing to consider is that there could be different ways of defining a 'catchy' title. Some titles might say exactly what the story is about (e.g. the types of characters or kinks involved), while others might try to peak the curiosity of someone browsing the forum without giving away much about the nature of the story. I would imagine that both types attract different groups of readers, and that there is merit to both of them.

Long story short - I like a good story title, but it's not the be all and end all.

Rtj65 wrote: ↑3 years ago As others have said, there are many other factors to consider beyond simply what the title of the story is. That said, it is still the first means an author has to grab the attention of a potential reader, and is something that I personally like to pay attention to before reading a story.

I think another thing to consider is that there could be different ways of defining a 'catchy' title. Some titles might say exactly what the story is about (e.g. the types of characters or kinks involved), while others might try to peak the curiosity of someone browsing the forum without giving away much about the nature of the story. I would imagine that both types attract different groups of readers, and that there is merit to both of them.

Long story short - I like a good story title, but it's not the be all and end all.

That basically sums up my feelings towards titles as well. While they're not absolutely vital to catching my interest, they definitely can tilt the scale as to whether or not I choose to check out a story (after the initial click, it's all down to the quality of the story itself).

I've made this suggestion before, but I think gender tags should be more descriptive, like M and F for 17+, and m and f for kids 9-16.

Drawscore

drawscore wrote: ↑3 years ago I've made this suggestion before, but I think gender tags should be more descriptive, like M and F for 17+, and m and f for kids 9-16.

Gender-tags have always (here and on every other website) been Capital letters for 18+ and small letters for 18-
The fact that some authors flout that (either knowingly or unknowingly) is a whole other issue that has virtually nothing to do with the subject of this thread.