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Lush Stories: review of the erotic story social network
lushstories.com
Review checked on
- Reading
- Free
- Community
A comment under a story can become a conversation with its writer on Lush Stories. Around 90,800 English stories fill the free library, with contests and community spaces alongside it. You can share your own writing, talk with other members and tip authors whose work you follow.
Lush Stories
lushstories.com
| Type | Social network built on erotic writing: stories, forum, groups, gallery and chatroom |
|---|---|
| Library | 6,057 pages, fifteen stories per page and three on the last, 90,843 stories, archives since 8 December 2006 |
| Sections | 57 by subject, plus six selections including Editors' Pick, Legendary and Winners |
| Free or paid | Free library without an account, free registration, paid Gold and Platinum with prices visible after login. Separate exclusive content is paid in Lush Coins, with no publicly specified format |
| Authors | Tips in Lush Coins, convertible into membership or cashed out as money |
| Contests | Several a year, 150, 100 and 50 dollars for the top three |
| Moderation | 23 named story moderators, reports handled within 24 hours |
| Age verification | Where the law requires it: bank card, photo holding a sign or ID through Yoti |
| Languages | English |
Stories with a community around them
Lush Stories combines a library with an adult social network. You can meet writers in the comments, on the forum, in interest groups or in live chat.
The gallery holds members' photos. An associated webcam service is a separate activity alongside reading.
The archives go back to December 2006. You can finish a library story without making an account, then sign up for free if you want to comment or submit your own work.
Picking a story you will enjoy
Story cards show a summary, opening lines, tags, length and reader reactions. You can pick a piece of microfiction or a longer chapter to fit the time you have.
Categories include first encounters, couples and swinging, as well as historical fiction and science fiction. BDSM means bondage, discipline, dominance, submission and sadomasochism and is one of the available themes.
Finding writers through curated lists
Editors' Pick features the team's choices, Recommended highlights recommended reading and Winners collects prize-winning texts. Audio is where you find stories to listen to. From any selection, you can visit an author's profile for more of their work.
A submission longer than 10,000 words may be returned to its writer to split into chapters.
Supporting Lush Stories writers
Writing contests have a theme and a submission window. Wherefore Art Thou awarded $150, $100 and $50 to its top three authors. You can find distinguished entries in Winners.
Profile badges highlight editorial picks and notable series. They offer a route to writers you have not read, whose story comments you can also explore.
Lush Coins
Lush Coins are the site's virtual currency. You buy them to tip someone under a story or on their profile. Authors can turn coins into money, membership or contest prizes. Coins also pay for exclusive content, separately from stories in the open library.
The forum and groups give you places to discuss writing. Live chat brings members together in real time, and these spaces have moderators.
Free accounts and optional upgrades
Reading and a basic Lush Stories account are free. Gold and Platinum are paid upgrades with prices visible only after you log in. They renew automatically, so you must stop the payment before cancelling the service, after which your account drops to the free tier. Leaving a payment active means further charges with no refund for those debits, so checking your cancellation confirmation matters.
| Lush Stories | Literotica | CHYOA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | Free library | Free, no account | Free, some stories need an account |
| Library | Around 90,800 texts | Over 900,000 English texts | Over 26,000 stories |
| Format | Stories, forum, groups, chat room | Stories, audio, games | Branching stories |
| Paid plan | Gold and Platinum | None | None |
Age checks and publishing
In some countries, you need to prove your age with a small card payment, a photo holding a sign or an identity document sent to age-check provider Yoti. The site keeps a record of the completed check.
Lush Stories rejects sexual references to minors, rape and non-consensual acts. You must have written any text you submit yourself, and reports are reviewed within 24 hours.
Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
- Complete library stories without registration.
- Comments, a forum, groups and live chat.
- Contests and selections of prize-winning writing.
- Author tips that can be cashed out.
Weaknesses
- Upgrade prices visible only after login.
- Reading and publishing in English.
The best alternatives to Lush Stories
Literotica
A large library of reader-written erotica, with topic rankings, audio stories and eight languages.
- Reading
- Free
- Community
Verdict
Who it suits
- Commenting and talking with writers
- Publishing and entering contests
- Supporting authors you follow
Who should skip it
- Reading mainly in another language
- Choosing a subscription without an account
Sharing your first stories feels less solitary when readers respond and other writers are nearby. On Lush Stories, you can publish, enter contests and comment with a free account. Gold or Platinum makes sense when you have identified a particular feature you want, checked its benefits and seen its price inside your account.
Lush Stories is a four out of five pick for the conversations around its writing. You can publish, receive feedback and enter contests with a free account. Reading and discussion take place in English.