My eggs aren't getting enough clicks and views.

[mistresshuette.livejournal.com]

I started playing this game with my children, so that is why I post so many eggs and hatchlings. But my children being typical children have lost interest and have gone on to other games, leaving everything to me to maintain. Sigh. I suppose I should abandon most of their accounts, but I have grown to love each one and the perspective that my kids originally gave to each. Sigh.

What is really bothering me right now is that a friend of mine started playing the game recently. Her eggs, which she got around the same time that I returned from vacation, are about as old as mine. However, her eggs have gotten over 500 views and are cracking, while most of mine have less than 200 hits and are still as smooth as the day they were laid. I don't understand this. What am I doing wrong? I thought that my stories would attract attention to my eggs and hatchlings, but it seems to be doing the opposite. I love my story-telling and find it a very creative outlet for me. I also enjoy playing the Dragon Cave game and watching the eggs and hatchlings grow and mature. But it seems that when I try to do both, I find myself in a lose/lose situation. I don't know what to do. Do any of you have any thoughts or advice to give me?

Comments

[gypsy-nightfire.livejournal.com]

I have a little advice here, dear. Your stories are a good idea. A very good idea. The problem is, I think, that they are longish and have nothing to do with dragons. Try drabbles, a hundred words or so. One shots, so that if someone misses a day, they aren't going to be confused. Also, ask your friend where and all she's posting her eggs. She may well have more places to put them...

~Nightfire.

[scary-being-me.livejournal.com]

thedcfansite.com and sotidragon.net are great places to post your dragons.

[llyoung.livejournal.com]

You might also want to post the dragons outside a cut and the story behind the cut.

[mistresshuette.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the advice. My story is an epic one, not a series of short stories. Several of the major characters are dragons, one of whom just made a brief appearance and will return soon, along with another dragon. It is true that my heroine isn't a dragon. This is my first writing experience and I am totally surprised that I have maintained this story as well as I have.

Here is the community that I set up and posted the entire story on. As you will see, dragons have and will continue to be part of this story.

http://community.livejournal.com/freedonia_story/calendar

[mistresshuette.livejournal.com]

I haven't tried them yet. I am currently on Dragonspan2, the Hatchery, Hatchmyegg and lightdragons. Up until recently, I haven't had such problems. My friend is on the same four communities as I am.

[mistresshuette.livejournal.com]

I suppose so. Although I cannot do so on Dragonspam2 which requires all eggs, etc to be under the cut.

[trystan830.livejournal.com]

i was going to mention putting the eggs out side the cut and the story under, as llyoung suggested above....

i post here, dragon_pens, hatchmyegg, lightdragons, random_dragons, titanicdragon, unicreatures, dc_clickers, dragondaycare AND dragonspam2... and i post dragons, unicreatures and magistream critters.....and each one has their own rules and what can be posted, too. (which is always fun, i have to stop and think about where i'm posting sometimes)

i usually don't post new sprites - if the time starts with 6 days. i start posting them at 5days and change (5d23h is the earliest) and when they're at 4 days and change left i'll put them outside a cut until they hatch.

but i just copy all my sprites and paste them along, taking out what needs to go out, and adjusting the cuts as i go. i've kinda gotten it down to a science now.

also, what browser do you use? if it's firefox, IE7+ or something that can open your comms in tabs, i do that too. once i've posted and viewed the comm, i close the tab and move on. i've got it pretty streamlined so it doesn't take me that long. the_hatchery is my comm, so i'll post all my eggs outside a cut here and do my initial coding and tweaking in this comm, and then have to add cuts in my later posts in later comms. it's easier than it sounds, actually... :)

[ahavah]

I find that posting behind cuts makes them get less views. Some people just won't put forth the extra effort. Now I come through the community several times a day and refresh a few times to give folks extra views. Sometimes while I'm cleaning, I'll leave it on auto-refresh every 5 minutes or something and let them rack up views for an hour or so. While I do yours in the morning and at night when I post, they're probably not benefiting from the extra views I do like that.

Also, I make sure to post mine in more than one community. I post here, in dragonspam3 (which hardly has any active members), and I'll often post straight to my LJ if they don't seem to be getting enough views. No LJ cut. Eggs don't need clicks to hatch anyway. If I just have them on my list, then all my hundred and something friends will give them views with no effort at all every time they load up their f-list.

If your kids aren't playing anymore, I'd retire their scrolls or not let on that you play more than one *yourself* now. Especially if you're active in the forums. They're (TJ & mods) militant about that and I hear it can get all of your scrolls burnt. Apparently it happens way more than necessary, imo.

[ahavah]

I just want to chime in - I love the stories. Drabbles work better with fanfic, where the characters are already established. If they were separate stories, drabbles or flash fiction every day, I would probably not be reading along.

I DO believe she should post her dragons outside the lj-cut, and the stories inside. I think that would help a lot.

[ahavah]

There was quite a time there when I noticed people were no longer clicking mine. Since it was explained that they don't really need clicks, I don't care so much anymore. I think it's just that some comm. members may stop clicking if they don't get "Clicked" comments (I rarely comment, though I do go on sprees) or perhaps they only click their friends. But yeah, there was a definite drop-off after I'd become a regular member. Like the novelty wore off or something.

[sprtwrid.livejournal.com]

I use soti, and its really annoying at first when you dont know how to do it.

Go o the site, on the left you will see something that says add dragons (it used to say listings). Then choose either nest (eggs), nursery (hatchlings) or ER. for the first two, it will ask your scroll name, hit do scroll thing and it will pull up all the eggs/hatchys on your scroll. Put the codes in the little white boxes, and hit the confirm button (forget the wording here).

ER will only ask the code, so in theory you could ad any ers you see.
I try to leave the 5 second refresher up for at least an hour a day to make up for me only using that for my dragons. If you are interested in giving views, just go to the viewer button on the left, pick a refresh rate and forget about it :P