Comments and compliments

It is sad that we are discovering this but all too often when we comment and compliment an author on a well written story, the response goes unanswered? An author will list and ask for comments and ratings but when they get them, no reply?

It is very easy to click on a story and read it and think it was very well written and erotic and then go about your business. It takes a little more effort to actual write up a response and praise the author, about as much effort as it takes the author to respond back with a simple "thanks" or "glad you liked it" or whatever. I am not trying to be petty and looking for vanity or engaging conversation. Just a little politeness and acknowledgement. Is that too much to ask?? The authors want comments and praise, don't the readers deserve a "Thanks" or are there some authors who just think that their stories are indeed awesome and everyone's praise is expected and not appreciated? I dont want to over think this and i know the world is full of all kinds.

Thoughts?????

DennisB said:

It is sad that we are discovering this but all too often when we comment and compliment an author on a well written story, the response goes unanswered? An author will list and ask for comments and ratings but when they get them, no reply?

It is very easy to click on a story and read it and think it was very well written and erotic and then go about your business. It takes a little more effort to actual write up a response and praise the author, about as much effort as it takes the author to respond back with a simple "thanks" or "glad you liked it" or whatever. I am not trying to be petty and looking for vanity or engaging conversation. Just a little politeness and acknowledgement. Is that too much to ask?? The authors want comments and praise, don't the readers deserve a "Thanks" or are there some authors who just think that their stories are indeed awesome and everyone's praise is expected and not appreciated? I dont want to over think this and i know the world is full of all kinds.

Thoughts?????

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In general, I don't respond to comments to my story. I typically post a general "Thanks for all the comments" after a while. I do respond to every PM I get.

To me, comments are for the readers to discuss the story. I think it's tacky when half the comments for a story are from the author replying to comments. On the other hand, if I start replying to one comment, shouldn't I reply to all the others? Where does one draw the line?

That's just me and my experience with the Incest category.

Lit does not have a "respond to comments" function. If you write me a comment, I can't reply meaningfully to it in a way that is going to alert you the same way it alerts me. Authors get notifications of new comments, but readers don't get the same in return.

Most writers probably start off trying to respond to readers with comments that start off "@DennisB", but that usually ends up feeling like talking to an empty room.

Personally, I always try to acknowledge every commenter, and I have yet to EVER have a reader come back and comment a second time.

Sorry, i forgot to add that my comments and compliments are always sent via a PM.

If we dont like a story, i do not comment or even rate it poorly. I too am an author and i know how much effort goes into writing, rewriting, editing, etc a story and it affects you when your hard work is dashed to the rocks by someone who compares your story to filthy red clay dirt.

Guess my mothers wisdom of praise in public and criticize in private comes out.

And the no reply extends to comments about nice avatars or whitty posts or whatever. We completely understand if you get 5,000,000 comments, it is hard to reply to everyone.

And yes, the thoughtful authors who do acknowledge their fans are among the elite. But on the other hand, ones that do not reply are NOT on the bottom. Just making a comment about commenting.

Deleted

I value comments and PMs and try to respond to them. Admittedly I don't always remember to do it right away.

There's no requirement for an author to reply to comments. In fact, I feel like I'm sucking up to do so on isolated comments of praise--and I don't get into arguments with those criticizing the stories. Once or twice I've thanked a reader for the encouragement after repeated comments that encourage (and seem to understand) my writing, but I think more than that cheapens the writer-reader connection. Beyond that, I have nearly 1,000 stories posted here, and they are all still in play, receiving comments and favoriting. I couldn't physically keep up with connecting to every comment a reader puts on my stories.

DennisB said:

It is sad that we are discovering this but all too often when we comment and compliment an author on a well written story, the response goes unanswered? An author will list and ask for comments and ratings but when they get them, no reply?

It is very easy to click on a story and read it and think it was very well written and erotic and then go about your business. It takes a little more effort to actual write up a response and praise the author, about as much effort as it takes the author to respond back with a simple "thanks" or "glad you liked it" or whatever. I am not trying to be petty and looking for vanity or engaging conversation. Just a little politeness and acknowledgement. Is that too much to ask?? The authors want comments and praise, don't the readers deserve a "Thanks" or are there some authors who just think that their stories are indeed awesome and everyone's praise is expected and not appreciated? I dont want to over think this and i know the world is full of all kinds.

Thoughts?????

Click to expand...

I see some authors make it a point to acknowledge comments generally, a few specifically (and they reply) but many not at all. I've seen some that made it a point to specifically address comments (2 I can think of) where a poster later came along and called the author "defensive" for strictly answering a question posed by a previous poster and those posters replying that way to author in my view were out of line because the author took the time to reply but someone took issue? That's sad.

Some authors will state that they're writing several stories at once, so I don't feel one way or the other if they reply and that's probably the best way to approach it--so if they reply with a thanks and addressing your comment...that's gravy. You can opt to send them feedback personally rather than post a general comment and include your email if you would like a better shot at a personal reply, but still, I would count that a luxury rather than a necessity. Even if you're inside the boards here and an author requests feedback on a story in here, out on the story side or not, realize there can be a lot of messages to wade through and unless someone subscribes to the thread, they won't necessarily see it, at least not immediately.

If somebody sends me non-creepy feedback, I will almost always reply, but it can take a while; I have a lot on my plate and I don't catch up with my Lit email daily. Some readers seem to want an extended correspondence and although I'd love to do that, I just don't have the time.

I don't usually respond to individual comments posted on my stories. It's hard to think of fifty different ways to say "thank you for your lovely comment!" without seeming like I'm fishing for praise, and authors who argue with bad reviews are just digging a hole for themselves. If somebody's asking a question that I can answer, or pointing out a mistake in the story, I'm more likely to respond.

But in general, I assume that readers who've commented on the story aren't refreshing the page to see if I've replied.

Denny

I also notice my comments back to a commenter go unanswered. I actually thought the commenter would receive a notice but that would be silly.

I get very few comments and many are anon telling me I'm not a writer. Still I reply and thank anyone for taking time to read and comment.

I am learning how to write better but that's not the object of my stories. I don't want perfect English. I just want to share a bit of our real life as it happened.
Already I loose browny points because very few want the truth, even fewer believe the truth, and not many think there are actually loving wives.

Our biggest thrill are the comments from members who remember and have lived things we write about.

DennisB said:

It is sad that we are discovering this but all too often when we comment and compliment an author on a well written story, the response goes unanswered? An author will list and ask for comments and ratings but when they get them, no reply?

It is very easy to click on a story and read it and think it was very well written and erotic and then go about your business. It takes a little more effort to actual write up a response and praise the author, about as much effort as it takes the author to respond back with a simple "thanks" or "glad you liked it" or whatever. I am not trying to be petty and looking for vanity or engaging conversation. Just a little politeness and acknowledgement. Is that too much to ask?? The authors want comments and praise, don't the readers deserve a "Thanks" or are there some authors who just think that their stories are indeed awesome and everyone's praise is expected and not appreciated? I dont want to over think this and i know the world is full of all kinds.

Thoughts?????

Click to expand...

I often respond (and am always grateful), but I know some frown on it, and assume the commenter won't see their response.

I took the question to be on comments put directly on the story. I do respond to a comment I receive by PM or email unless it's just hate mail. I don't ask for response on my posted stories, so that part of the OP isn't something I'd need to consider.

Wow, lots of good comments! I have learned one thing from these interactions, writers of erotica are genuine, personable, and cool people!

Yeah, we would hang out with you all, lol. Meet ya in that pub up the street and im buying the first round.

ok I'm not good at spelling but I'm wondering why it has to be a blonde with the perfect body all the time how about just an average women next if its a hand job story why do writers need to drag out the slow useless story line with the unwanted details like [ like she was laying on a satin sheeted bed ] stuff like that I read a story about this boy broke his hand or wrists skateboarding an his mom had to help him in the shower or sponge bath good story but man it was dragged out to hell

huckey01 said:

ok I'm not good at spelling but I'm wondering why it has to be a blonde with the perfect body all the time how about just an average women next if its a hand job story why do writers need to drag out the slow useless story line with the unwanted details like [ like she was laying on a satin sheeted bed ] stuff like that I read a story about this boy broke his hand or wrists skateboarding an his mom had to help him in the shower or sponge bath good story but man it was dragged out to hell

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Truly one of the great moral dilemma of our time

huckey01 said:

I'm wondering why it has to be a blonde with the perfect body all the time

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Yeah, I much prefer that it be a blond with a perfect body.

Denny

sr71plt said:

Yeah, I much prefer that it be a blond with a perfect body.

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Coincidentally my wife is a blonde. Since we try to write true stories I'll admit the perfect body is long gone.

In reality, some of my stories are about a thin redhead with small tits and other normal women with hair of normal blacks, browns, and maybe bleached pink. We discovered satin sheets are cold and slippery.

Yeah, but I was doing a riff on "blonde" and "blond."

huckey01 said:

ok I'm not good at spelling but I'm wondering why it has to be a blonde with the perfect body all the time how about just an average women next if its a hand job story why do writers need to drag out the slow useless story line with the unwanted details like [ like she was laying on a satin sheeted bed ] stuff like that I read a story about this boy broke his hand or wrists skateboarding an his mom had to help him in the shower or sponge bath good story but man it was dragged out to hell

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From the writer's side: I find it really hard to judge how much detail to include. I don't want to give just enough for them to understand what's happening; I want them to care about it, and sometimes that means fleshing out the story so they feel more involved. But different readers have very different preferences about detail.

sr71plt said:

Yeah, but I was doing a riff on "blonde" and "blond."

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I got it, and chuckled

I think that particular distinction came up in an AH thread a few months back, otherwise I may not have noticed.