Metus Contest's Winners

[Ral]

Come on. Why the bans? Of course the contestants would appeal to the judges (in this case the readers) with what they can (in this case the waifu, gl, sex, etc.). That is like the very basics of popularity contests like these. If you don't, then you don't get the reader's votes, simple as that. It is the contestant's own fault when they guarantee their own failure by not using these very basic tricks.

 

[jabathehut]

congratulations victors

 

[jabathehut]

To be honest, i would ban previous winners from participating again. You already have a significant reader base and you would skew the results.

I would also ban the use of covers and certain tags, to make competition fairer. And I would be a bit more serious with the contest themes because ...

Metus Contest
Life Craft - Pouring a lifetime worth of dedication to a single craft/skill. (after dedicating his life to cancer research, MC decides to dedicate his reincarnated life to having sex)
Halloween Aspect Theme - (Eldrich abominations, Horror).

I have nothing against the winner, but these metus "themes" are just weak.

Banning covers... thats so poggers

we should ban any words with more than 3 syllables so authors who have a wider vocabulary don't have an advantage

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

Banning covers... thats so poggers

we should ban any words with more than 3 syllables so authors who have a wider vocabulary don't have an advantage

Nice try. ^^

 

[Ral]

Oh. I forgot:

Congratulations to the winners!

 

[BenJepheneT]

To be honest, i would ban previous winners from participating again. You already have a significant reader base and you would skew the results.

I would also ban the use of covers and certain tags, to make competition fairer. And I would be a bit more serious with the contest themes because ...

Metus Contest
Life Craft - Pouring a lifetime worth of dedication to a single craft/skill. (after dedicating his life to cancer research, MC decides to dedicate his reincarnated life to having sex)
Halloween Aspect Theme - (Eldrich abominations, Horror).

I have nothing against the winner, but these metus "themes" are just weak.

Banning covers and tags is like banning the use of good racquets in a badminton match so that people who use sticks and fishing nets can compete.

But yeah, I can see why he suggested this. You know there's already a skewed balance to this competition, with an established reader-base, a bias towards certain genres, and the demographic of this site.

Get a judging panel. I've harped on this before and I will do so again. Letting the fickle public do the voting has proved time and time again to be """successful""". That's how Pitbull ended up in Walmart Alaska.

Not saying these results aren't great or worthy, but when there's such a similarity between the entries on pole position maybe it's safe to assume that there's a determined pattern to this that doesn't directly involve the craft of writing which, ironically, is the point of this contest.

Who the fuck knows, eh? Maybe the results would come back the same anyway. What do I know? I write furries beating the shit out of one another as a hobby.

By the way, read my shit. Yes I'm plugging it here. Yes, I'm shilling heavily. I'd stencil the link on your mother's butt plug if I could.

Caninstinct

Shiro believes he's been sent to the wrong school. Rormund Academy: home to only the best of the best. A school so exclusive even its name remains elusive to the public. An establishment where only the wealthiest, smartest, and most athletic students of the world reside. Shiro exhibits none of...

www.scribblehub.com

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

Banning covers and tags is like banning the use of good racquets in a badminton match so that people who use sticks and fishing nets can compete.

But yeah, I can see why he suggested this. You know there's already a skewed balance to this competition, with an established reader-base, a bias towards certain genres, and the demographic of this site.

Get a judging panel. I've harped on this before and I will do so again. Letting the fickle public do the voting has proved time and time again to be """successful""". That's how Pitbull ended up in Walmart Alaska.

Not saying these results aren't great or worthy, but when there's such a similarity between the entries on pole position maybe it's safe to assume that there's a determined pattern to this that doesn't directly involve the craft of writing which, ironically, is the point of this contest.

Who the fuck knows, eh? Maybe the results would come back the same anyway. What do I know? I write furries beating the shit out of one another as a hobby.

By the way, read my shit. Yes I'm plugging it here. Yes, I'm shilling heavily. I'd stencil the link on your mother's butt plug if I could.

Caninstinct

Shiro believes he's been sent to the wrong school. Rormund Academy: home to only the best of the best. A school so exclusive even its name remains elusive to the public. An establishment where only the wealthiest, smartest, and most athletic students of the world reside. Shiro exhibits none of...

www.scribblehub.com

I disagree on the covers and tags. Scribble has a standard cover that proves sufficient and so are limited tags. A poor craftsman blames the tools, and so does a poor author when covers and tags prevent your success. The playing field is the same for everyone.

 

[BenJepheneT]

I disagree on the covers and tags. Scribble has a standard cover that proves sufficient and so are limited tags. A poor craftsman blames the tools, and so does a poor author when covers and tags prevent your success. The playing field is the same for everyone.

But in this context, this contest literally hinges on public opinion. Hell, the way they judge this is by favourites and/or views (I don't know too much about the way they judge the contest). Covers and tags quite literally play a larger role in this. And, as I've said, considering the reader-base here, most generally don't care about the quality of the writing, so long as the cover image representing the chick is hot enough.

As much as it pains me to say, this contest isn't even about writing good. It's simply just how wide of a bait-covered net you can sew to catch the most fish. And these authors (barring ANY mention to their craft of writing) knows this to a tee. Hence the use to covers, titles and popular tags. Without them they can't just not compete, there won't even be an audience to judge this since most of them are pulled in by cover and tags.

The whole contest would just end up on the author's own personal reader-base. And who knows? Maybe the author plugged his story from his more popular title and funneled everyone in there instead. Maybe he even did something like "first to comment gets a free discord role" or something.

Bottom line is, banning covers and tags not only cripples these stories, it also cripples the actual base these stories gets judged on, and that's not even removing the notion that these authors already have a pre-established reader-base ready to flock onto them.

Honestly, my problem isn't with your solution but to the whole contest which is already a problem to begin with; that is, if the whole point is to judge a story's quality anyway. If the true meaning of the contest is how well an author can market and grab general audiences, then by all means, they've succeeded.

 

[Lacy]

Congrats to all!

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

But in this context, this contest literally hinges on public opinion. Hell, the way they judge this is by favourites and/or views (I don't know too much about the way they judge the contest). Covers and tags quite literally play a larger role in this. And, as I've said, considering the reader-base here, most generally don't care about the quality of the writing, so long as the cover image representing the chick is hot enough.

As much as it pains me to say, this contest isn't even about writing good. It's simply just how wide of a bait-covered net you can sew to catch the most fish. And these authors (barring ANY mention to their craft of writing) knows this to a tee. Hence the use to covers, titles and popular tags. Without them they can't just not compete, there won't even be an audience to judge this since most of them are pulled in by cover and tags.

The whole contest would just end up on the author's own personal reader-base. And who knows? Maybe the author plugged his story from his more popular title and funneled everyone in there instead. Maybe he even did something like "first to comment gets a free discord role" or something.

Bottom line is, banning covers and tags not only cripples these stories, it also cripples the actual base these stories gets judged on, and that's not even removing the notion that these authors already have a pre-established reader-base ready to flock onto them.

Honestly, my problem isn't with your solution but to the whole contest which is already a problem to begin with; that is, if the whole point is to judge a story's quality anyway. If the true meaning of the contest is how well an author can market and grab general audiences, then by all means, they've succeeded.

Therefore, I also proposed to ban already successful authors with a considerable reader base (200 - 300 upwards). I am well aware of these facts, but this is a competition. You are not forced to join, and you can even withdraw if you want. You are subjected to these rules on your won free will. In exchange, you have the prospect of winning the big prize, which seems like a fair exchange.

The purpose of this contest is to promote smaller stories and authors, and the contest fails at this spectacularly. Authors participate with already big noevls, and they blatantly cheat their way around the participation criteria just tos hove their harem story somehow into the themes.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Therefore, I also proposed to ban already successful authors with a considerable reader base (200 - 300 upwards). I am well aware of these facts, but this is a competition. You are not forced to join, and you can even withdraw if you want. You are subjected to these rules on your won free will. In exchange, you have the prospect of winning the big prize, which seems like a fair exchange.

The purpose of this contest is to promote smaller stories and authors, and the contest fails at this spectacularly. Authors participate with already big noevls, and they blatantly cheat their way around the participation criteria just tos hove their harem story somehow into the themes.

I'm sorry for a stupid question, but how does this contest promote the contestants? I mean, except for the promotion to the winning novel.

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

I'm sorry for a stupid question, but how does this contest promote the contestants? I mean, except for the promotion to the winning novel.

Not much, but if you win, you win big time. ?

 

[Ruriha]

I mean, I just assumed metus was a popularity contest. Also, banning covers is counterintuitive in the fact that it's what appeals to most readers at first glance. You're not helping yourself as a small author by doing away with nothing, even if what you have were taken from waifulabs. Besides, seeing as how lax the restrictions are, I would doubt that the organizers were concerned about this.

If you want a serious competition, I would suggest the same as @BenJepheneT said.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Not much, but if you win, you win big time. ?

Then it's about promoting a story and an author rather than several ones. It is still bad that the author with more readers may cheat this.
The whole contest should be revamped in my opinion. I also have more than three hundred readers and wanted to write an r-18 novel with those themes. But in the end, decided against it. The prize isn't as big, and the rules, as well as the judging system, is bad.
Though, there is this thing, that if you don't compete with the more popular author, it means you have a handicap. And the quality would go down. Though the case when the story of a bigger author is bad, yet gets more views, may happen even without them, as the judging system is flawed. The contest is about catering to a larger crowd rather than writing a good story. So basically, the one who caters better would win, rather than a good author.
The third place was an original new story. And it got up there with the r-18 tag. While I remember at the beginning of a contest, there were a lot of novels, without such a tag. Yet they were buried deep down, and perhaps discouraged by the fact they would never win.
The tag itself isn't something that should be banned either. As the usage of r-18 stuff varies greatly. I understand this when half of the novel is r-18, but what about three chapters with r-18 content out of forty, three out of sixty?

 

[BenJepheneT]

Therefore, I also proposed to ban already successful authors with a considerable reader base (200 - 300 upwards). I am well aware of these facts, but this is a competition. You are not forced to join, and you can even withdraw if you want. You are subjected to these rules on your won free will. In exchange, you have the prospect of winning the big prize, which seems like a fair exchange.

The purpose of this contest is to promote smaller stories and authors, and the contest fails at this spectacularly. Authors participate with already big noevls, and they blatantly cheat their way around the participation criteria just tos hove their harem story somehow into the themes.

Or, as I've stated, get a judging panel. Maybe the mods, or an outsider or two. There's no telling about whether there's foul play or personal relations put into this, but at least it's better than a war in a battlefield where every nook and cranny is memorized by half the generals that already brought loyal soldiers by their side.

Yet again, war is never fair, isn't it?

Then it's about promoting a story and an author rather than several ones. It is still bad that the author with more readers may cheat this.
The whole contest should be revamped in my opinion. I also have more than three hundred readers and wanted to write an r-18 novel with those themes. But in the end, decided against it. The prize isn't as big, and the rules, as well as the judging system, is bad.
Though, there is this thing, that if you don't compete with the more popular author, it means you have a handicap. And the quality would go down. Though the case when the story of a bigger author is bad, yet gets more views, may happen even without them, as the judging system is flawed. The contest is about catering to a larger crowd rather than writing a good story. So basically, the one who caters better would win, rather than a good author.
The third place was an original new story. And it got up there with the r-18 tag. While I remember at the beginning of a contest, there were a lot of novels, without such a tag. Yet they were buried deep down, and perhaps discouraged by the fact they would never win.
The tag itself isn't something that should be banned either. As the usage of r-18 stuff varies greatly. I understand this when half of the novel is r-18, but what about three chapters with r-18 content out of forty, three out of sixty?

Basically this. There's no point in banning things that will end up actively handicapping the competition, and even more so if that's the goal in the first place.

 

[YuujiEveryleaf]

Congratulations to all the winners!

@lehur Sugoi! ^.^
Hope to see you too @Mihou ! you were a powerhouse last time.
A shoutout to @Saileri for writing such unholy amounts while managing another series + uni.
Also a shoutout to my biggest fan @Zeeksi !

Now, on a couple of points that people brought up.

1. Banning waifulabs/picrew covers.
Why? Because it's clickbait? The authors that want their stories to be read will use any tool available to get attention to their story. People literally judge a book by its cover.
I assume you'd also ban commissioned covers then, right?
Unless I'm mistaken the limitations on covers were specifically to discourage the rampant art stealing. Not to punish the authors.

And you can make everyone use the default SH cover. If you want the participating authors to gain even fewer readers and exposure during those 3 months so that you can "fight da powa".
90% of Light Novel and Anime industry is powered by wish-fulfillment and/or hot waifus. On SH majority of readers prefer anime, waifus, wish-fulfillment.
By your logic, the participating authors should not only handicap their exposure by remaining on SH for the duration (100% fair), but also should be banned from accessing SH's core demographic? Do you want nobody to participate at all?

2. Limitations on tags/genres, banning tags.
Most certainly some genres dominate on SH. But I will also argue that harem/ecchi isn't necessarily the most OP for SH. It's just what was discovered to work and the rest followed the trend. And trends pass.
But I feel like people also forget one very important fact: the exclusivity to SH. For which Tony and @Ace_Arriande are paying 200$ total.

Sure you can put the writers abilities to the test by making the contest themes:
1. My life is the most boring ever.
2. I am an artsy prehistoric cave wall painter.
3. My sentient piece of shit can't possibly be this cute.

But SH also wants stories that people will want to read. And come back to again and again for the next three months. To SH. The only place where they can read them. Traffic to the site.

And when those stories expand to other sites they also add "X place winner in the writing contest on such and such site" for additional initial marketing of the story. And if that story is popular it again brings more attention to SH.
I will not go guessing whether that actually is Tony's intention, but the site most certainly benefits from the contest stories being as popular as they can possibly be.

But hey. Feel free to sponsor your own writing contest with the prize money out of your pocket and you can make whatever rules and limitations that you like.

TLDR: People with $$$ make the rules. I hope the contests continue to foster the growth of SH.

P.S. Major congratz to everyone who managed 40k words! Seriously, no small feat!

 

[BenJepheneT]

But SH also wants stories that people will want to read. And come back to again and again for the next three months. To SH. The only place where they can read them. Traffic to the site.

And when those stories expand to other sites they also add "X place winner in the writing contest on such and such site" for additional initial marketing of the story. And if that story is popular it again brings more attention to SH.
I will not go guessing whether that actually is Tony's intention, but the site most certainly benefits from the contest stories being as popular as they can possibly be.

But hey. Feel free to sponsor your own writing contest with the prize money out of your pocket and you can make whatever rules and limitations that you like.

TLDR: People with $$$ make the rules. I hope

As much as I don't want to admit it, this guy's right. At the end of the day, the longevity and traffic of the site takes priority first and foremost. As regular users, we don't really have much say as broke niggas compared to people who actually give out money for the contest itself.

The reality of the situation is that the site/traffic comes before the authors. Whether you consider that to be authors bending their artistry to suit the platform, that'll be up to you. I don't think inclusivity for authors of unpopular genres would ever be considered. Frankly speaking, there are so many more that can replace us in a snap of a finger. Why would they care?

At this point, any thought of personal ingenuity or craftsmanship is just willful ignorance to the truth. You're still free to stick to your guns; but don't complain when the numbers don't come. You know what you've signed up for already when you took a glance at that trending tab. This is reality. You don't call the shots; the readers do. It is the mass population that dictates your prestige; at least on your reputation in the market.

So long as the site benefits and the traffic comes, this is gonna be the status quo for contests to come.

 

[Alverost]

Congratssss @Saileri
later, i will give you hundreds of cuddles and kissu

Going to charge you for $50 afterwards,

Edit: just saw people's suggestion for the competition but this comment still stand.

 

[Sushirollw]

Going to charge you for $50 afterwards,

Edit: just saw people's suggestion for the competition but this comment still stand.

 

[Frostbird]

Congrats to the winners, writing 40k while balancing other things in life can be challenging especially if your in classes as well. I'm glad we were able to make it to the end ?