or do you think it's more often a case of "people won't read it without the pr0n!"

I think people tend to slot themselves as "I read x and y, but not z." Which is limiting. Which is sad because good gen and Bob has been some of the best stuff I've read. Honestly, some of the most adult in theme too.

And, really? If I want to read something hot? I am not going to read a whole long tome just for one half-assed smut scene.

There's just no way of organizing newsletter and such by categories like: Good, 'My head iz pastede on yay' AU, pre-series that ignores canon and OMGJustReadThisAndThankMeLater. Unfortunately.

oh dear. Mom walked by while I was looking at Misha/Leeloo pics and said, "that looks like one of your people." erm, yeah?

OMGJustReadThisAndThankMeLater

From certain people, I will absolutely do this, though. And from crack_impala, usually. It's actually my favorite thing, because it makes me read things I haven't.

"that looks like one of your people." erm, yeah?

::pumps fist in air like a dork::

She's just written Winchester mafia D/C piece that's completely sans her brutal angst.

Ooh, I read that! I don't know that I agree with one of her comments that there should be more mafia AU's, but I definitely want more of this one.

And, really? If I want to read something hot? I am not going to read a whole long tome just for one half-assed smut scene.

I think the other side of this is that, for me, the hot smut (when well done) is hotter if surrounded by a build up and plot. I want the whole shebang. Sometimes I'm in the mood for PWP, but other times, the most demure unexplicit sex is way hotter when preceded by Story. For instance, "Freedom Hangs Like Heaven" by aesc. The most non-graphic and brief love scene EVER, but the chapters of emotion building up to that made it so powerful in a dam-breaking way.

Oh from the right recs list, I absolutely take the advice.

I just don't know how you can do that on a newsletter or initial publishing of a story or in a bigbang. Those are just listings.

I think the other side of this is that, for me, the hot smut (when well done) is hotter if surrounded by a build up and plot. I want the whole shebang. Sometimes I'm in the mood for PWP, but other times, the most demure unexplicit sex is way hotter when preceded by Story. For instance, "Freedom Hangs Like Heaven" by aesc. The most non-graphic and brief love scene EVER, but the chapters of emotion building up to that made it so powerful in a dam-breaking way.

Yes, but then I want the whole story to be good. And for the smut to make sense in the story. Not feel jammed in just so the author can say it's an NC-17 story.

I just don't know how you can do that on a newsletter or initial publishing of a story or in a bigbang. Those are just listings.

You can't. And they're awesome to even do the newsletter in the first place. The one thing I wish for is an AU category, or a note next to the fic the way they do the pairings, but like I said, it's nice enough they collate it all in the first place.

Yes, but then I want the whole story to be good. And for the smut to make sense in the story. Not feel jammed in just so the author can say it's an NC-17 story.

Definitely this.

In the DCBB fics I've been bitching about, they pasted on the relationship, and not even any smut. So it's pandering of the not even sexily satisfying sort.

I'm a shipper, but I'm not insane. I don't need them to be together to enjoy the story--I need them to be well-written.

I don't know that I agree with one of her comments that there should be more mafia AU's, but I definitely want more of this one.

I was trying to think of which AU scenarios I do want more of, and I realised I don't really care. I'm pretty easily pleased by student AUs, and like the idea of well-written criminal AUs, but seriously? Just write it well, and they could be vet's assistants for all I care.

Now, I don't do newsletters, mostly because I didn't know about them, and for the most part am finding plenty of fic to explore on my own, between swingset and exploring authors that I'm finding I like pretty consistently. And poking through the genre tags on deancastiel. I tried playing in whatever the supernaturalfic community is on lj, but their tags suck balls. It's just authors, no genres, no pairings or focus characters. There's no way to avoid the wincest there.