MyLot: Choose The Wrong Topic And Your Post Will Bomb
By M.-L.
@MALUSE (69413)
Germany
April 26, 2020 2:02pm CST
Everyone who's been on a writing site for some time knows the puzzling fact that posts for which the member has done a lot of research and into which they have poured their hearts and souls may attract only a number of reads if any at all.
On the other hand, a discussion written on the fly and in passing in order to reach the payout limit may be the great hit and lead to unexpected riches.
The minds of the community members are fickle.
Yet, there seems to be one constant, namely: book reviews bomb. The number of reads I get for my posts is usually a double digit. My record is 90 reads (sadly, this was a singular occurrence). I've got it for a myLot related topic, of course. I call posts dealing with the site proper "navel gazing". From what one can see when skimming through the lists this is the fave pastime of myLot members.
My book reviews have got 9.6 reads on average. Well.
In contrast to some members who delete their posts after some weeks (WHY? I'll never understand it.) I've saved all my posts from all the sites I've been on over the twenty years I've been online. All my old book reviews are long, some have between 1.500 to 2.000 words. The comments they've got show that people read them.
I would be crazy to post them here (I could do it because the sites have all disappeared). I would send the members of the community into a coma. I've just read a comment accusing the writer of a post that it was too long. It was not IMO!
What is the topic/are the topics you‘re interested in most?
What is the ideal length of a post in your opinion?
22 people like this
23 responses
@Torunn (8609)
• Norway
26 Apr 20
My only problem with long posts is that I feel I should answer with a long post, and I can't always think of that much to write. I wouldn't bother writing a post complaining about a post being too long though.
Although if I wrote posts complaining about other posts, that would give me a lot to write.
I'm not quite sure what topics I answer the most. I haven't researched my own mylot behaviour :-) I tend to go for posters rather than topics I assume, chosing people I know answer something more or less understandable.
3 people like this
@Torunn (8609)
• Norway
26 Apr 20
@MALUSE Well, for me that's a bit pointless, unless I "know" the poster and I don't know that many posters here. To be fair, if I don't know the poster, I probably won't finish reading the post if it's about problems or family etc. So I won't come til the short comment.
If my answer can't start some kind of discussion, I normally just go on. That's because when I get very short answer that doesn't make it easy to answer back, I get a bit annoyed myself. So I usually don't do that.
@cmoneyspinner (9221)
• Austin, Texas
27 Apr 20
What is the topic/are the topics you‘re interested in most?
Interested? Uumm … I've never been much of a conversation starter. So I just look at the Top-Rated or Interesting discussions to see if there is something people are talking about that I can throw in my “two cents”.
What is the ideal length of a post in your opinion?
I prefer short posts at MyLot. I guess that's about 5 to 10 sentences. I usually pop into MyLot if I found something I want to share like a nice image or music or … any old thing that stuck my fancy.
I also pop in because MyLot has become my “mountain top” where I can come and SHOUT IT OUT!! The therapeutic value of this site is priceless!
As for book reviews? I have a friend who just started a YouTube channel doing book reviews. When it comes to Blogging or Vlogging about books, you may think people are not paying attention, but it could be they are just not commenting. You already gave a good or bad review. If it's good they probably put it on their reading list and move on.
It's weird. I don't excited about leaving a comment about a book review. But if it's a movie, especially a book adapted to film, I might want to discuss that content a little further.
Now that you mention it, I never notice a book review in the Top Rated or Interesting discussions.
2 people like this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
2 May 20
Yes I agree again with you. Posts on book reviews, film reviews,and religion get the thumbs down from me and I feel no shame in admitting that! Some posts need to be of a decent size to describe something. I do not like the "I had cornflakes for breakfast " or "I had sausages for dinner". So what. We all have to eat but if it is accompanied by a description of why they cooked a certain dish, how they sourced the ingredients, if it was for the first time and whether it bombed or was a success is far more interesting rather than "I had pizza for lunch"!
2 people like this
@paigea (35669)
• Canada
26 Apr 20
I have no ideal length in mind. But I don't like reading a couple posts about one topic. Just put it in one post.
What I enjoy are discussions. Some back and forth, a little fun.
I also enjoy reading things like book reviews but they don't lead to discussions for me.
2 people like this
@m_audrey6788 (58485)
• Germany
26 Apr 20
It really depends on what I want to read on the day. I always want to participate if I understand what the writer is pointing at and I can share what I can share 
1 person likes this
I also do a bit of work during my confinement.
@Tampa_girl7 (48908)
• United States
27 Apr 20
Pertaining to you in particular I love reading about your discussions on your life, especially your childhood, Germany and your travels.
@MarshaMusselman (38645)
• Midland, Michigan
2 May 20
I don't mind longer posts since I tend to ramble so mine are probably too long more often than not.
I think I prefer hearing about what makes everyone here tick. But the title doesn't always let you know the topic but like you said topics will draw people in.
I'm lucky if I've ever gotten twenty five responses but I'm not here a lot so I'm not concerned about that. When I retire, hopefully if I have more time to be here more will visit with me too.
My tulip/daffodil post provided more reads than usual for me. I've had that many before but not on a regular basis.
@MarshaMusselman (38645)
• Midland, Michigan
2 May 20
@MALUSE hopefully two years. A lot depends on my husband's since I'm his insurance as I'm working full time so he is covered. He thinks he will get the government's m med plan in two years and if that happens then I can either retire or drop down in hours and mostly run the window businesses unless I have help for that too.
@thelme55 (76476)
• Germany
26 Apr 20
I read long and short posts as long as they are interesting to me. I don't mind reading a long post but here on Mylot, I know that most are not fond of reading a long post that is why I write just not too short and not too long. However, I don't really like reading just 2 sentence post but I do read and comment to them when they have commented to my posts first.
@LindaOHio (155961)
• United States
26 Apr 20
I'm interested in anything my MyLot friends have to say. If they find it important, I find it important. I will read posts long and short; but I do tend to labor over those that are more than a few paragraphs long (depending on the subject). I do tend to shy away from those that make dozens of short, rambling posts in a day and will not comment on each one. I like to hear what's going on in people's lives...I get to know them better this way.
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
26 Apr 20
I've just come back after a very long hiatus, so don't really have a routine, or favorite type of post to read, etc. I just scroll through until something catches my eye, with no real rhyme or reason.
@17gracemalealea (252)
• Maseru, Lesotho
27 Apr 20
It is a tricky matter indeed. Yes the subject matters, but I think presentation of the subject also contributes. I have been trying to get the hints too but I haven't succeeded.
@1creekgirl (40488)
• United States
27 Apr 20
I like unusual topics, sometimes food topics, personal stories, really just whatever catches my eye. I don't care for "good morning" or "good night" posts especially. I admit my eyes glaze over when it's very long and I know that's subjective.
@Traceyjayne (1763)
• United Kingdom
29 Apr 20
I don't have a favourite topic....there are certain bloggers that I will search out their posts and then I look for quirky titles from other people ….the posts are usually interesting or amusing.
@alexjessi (1033)
• Hanoi, Vietnam
27 Apr 20
i feel so sad that the article is so long that most people are often uninterested in it, maybe it has a very intensive vocabulary that the writer put wholeheartedly into it.
they feel lazy to understand, people often like what's influential, interesting, funny, about food, ...
