Do you leave comments?

[VerbalAbuse]

Christ!
What questions!
Have a thread "do you leave comments?" and another one "why comment on what you don't like?"

 

[BgDaddy33]

Now, do I post comments? Not often. I don't personally think the world needs to know what I think. If I feel like a story merits a comment, I'll use the old-fashioned feedback option to address the author directly (I think that still works).

For a lot of us, the feedback (obviously hoping for it to be positive, but sometimes respectful criticism can be just as good) is our only motivator.
Imagine if everyone felt like you. These type of sites would fizzle very quickly.

I appreciate you taking the time to contribute your opinions here. I am curious why you would opt to taking longer steps to send the writer a DM versus just leaving a comment?

 

[BgDaddy33]

I leave a lot of comments. Shame there is not a lot of interaction, I’d like to hear from readers.

I would too! I would love to know who is reading my stuff and what about my writing kept them reading instead of skipping over to the next story.

Was it the style?

Was it the characters?

Was it some specific part that was written well (in their opinion)?

 

[BgDaddy33]

Thank you to all this responded on this thread. I'm going to try to make sure that I post a comment on the stories I read here from this point forward. I agree, that I look forward to getting responses on my work. But I also get disappointed when all it is is people being snarky and no help.

Sadly, I don't think the snarks and trolls can be avoided. It would be nice however if they could be statistically be made obsolete by a community that embraced it's contributors.

 

[susurrus]

For a lot of us, the feedback (obviously hoping for it to be positive, but sometimes respectful criticism can be just as good) is our only motivator.
Imagine if everyone felt like you. These type of sites would fizzle very quickly.

I appreciate you taking the time to contribute your opinions here. I am curious why you would opt to taking longer steps to send the writer a DM versus just leaving a comment?

I don't leave public comments because the only person who needs to know my opinion is the person I'm writing it to. The entire planet doesn't need to know.

And I'm an author, so I appreciate feedback, too. I just would rather not broadcast my opinion to all and sundry. Just a personal preference.

 

[submissa]

I comment if I really enjoyed it because it's easy to do so and I know I have appreciated when someone says something nice about one of my stories. If I dislike a story, I tend not to say anything as there's rarely any purpose to be served.

 

[BgDaddy33]

I comment if I really enjoyed it because it's easy to do so and I know I have appreciated when someone says something nice about one of my stories. If I dislike a story, I tend not to say anything as there's rarely any purpose to be served.

I think that seems to be the norm for most people who leave comments, which I think is fair.

Curious what would make more *want* to leave more comments then.

I don't think the lack of a comment indicative that the story was not generally liked though. Some authors here have popular stories with tens of thousand views but only a handful of comments.

 

[submissa]

@BgDaddy33 Perhaps there is a correlation between how popular the story's category/tags are and whether people feel the need to leave a comment. The reason I wonder this is because I'm somewhat picky and the category/tags that interest me are relatively narrow. This certainly makes me wish to encourage the author more than if supply could keep up with (my) demand as then I would be less invested in any given author continuing.

I also suspect the ratio of comments left to views decreases as comments/views increase.

 

[Mogrem]

I don't leave many comments. I try to leave some short and pleasant ones now and then, especially when its a newly published story from a new-ish author.

Why don't I leave many comments?

Because I am aware that on Literotica most authors either want affirmation or they want very gentle criticism. That's absolutely fine, different strokes for different folks.

However I originally came to Literotica to improving my writing, specifically to get over writer's block for more literary things by reverting to erotica. As such I like to have my stuff incisively and constructively taken apart and I like to do it for others, like a writers workshop. Once I published one or two pieces I realised that's just not the vibe here, especially given that its public and there's a lot of unpleasant commenters out there, so the authors understandably have their hackles up.

So never got or got around to the critique. Unless I know for sure the writer will appreciate that I stick to commenting on stories where I can truthfully say I loved it, then I say only that.

I suppose I should engage on these forums more, as they are the proper medium for workshopping. But by the time I'd discovered the forums existed I'd already published half a dozen or so stories on the main site and got used to Literotica being an outlet, not a workshop.

What would get me to leave more comments? Clear guidance on what the author wants in a comment, in the bio is fine. I always check the bio. If someone wrote, "tear me a new one, I can take it," then I'd know its fine to deconstruct the way the second act drags, the MC has no character arc, and how upset I was that they inexplicably left out my very specific sexual fetish.

 

[STrent]

As a writer, I had a rule until this week that I wouldn’t leave comments in response to those on my own work.

Over the last two days, I’ve broken that rule after some pretty obnoxious commentary from some anonymous and some forum users.

Today’s gem is about haphazard publishing. Since so much of my work has had to be edited and then published as and when, instead of a given order (given most times I have no idea when/if it will land), my chapters are not released in order of reading.

I have a feedback thread which gives the orders of reading, however.

It’s a shame that people tend not to go and look at the series, or click the link, for more information as they’d understand better what I’m going for.

 

[THBGato]

(long version)

I leave a lot of comments. Mostly these are anonymous, as I tend to read on my phone, and I don't log into Literotica there. Comments under my username have to be made from my PC. Sometimes I'll leave two comments - one as anon, the other under my username. This tends to mean that my anon comments are instinctive, emotional responses (the "oh wow, I'm in tears, that was so good, please write more" type) while comments under my username are more measured as I've had time to reflect and I can identify what is was about the story that I especially enjoyed.

As a writer, I have to say I've been really surprised at how much comments have affected me. I thought I was just writing for myself, but a few comments have really made me gulp and go "oh shit, I'm affecting others, that's a responsibility!"

The other thing about comments is the way they've surprised me. For example, after I'd published my second story, I'd half expected a comment or two asking about what became of a specific character. Zip. Nada. It would appear nobody cares. In contrast, another story that I felt was relatively complete and seemed to have a very clear conclusion resulted in several comments from readers wanting to know what happens next. (I've done both.)

(short version)

I comment. I love it when others do too. Readers, please comment on your favourite stories as it motivates writers.

 

[STrent]

Today’s response to a comment - am I being too harsh?

(Name withheld) 1 day ago
I've given up reading this series as I can't comprehend why you are releasing the chapters in such an utterly haphazard manner.

I may come back when you put them into some kind of chronological, or at least readable, order.

STrentabout 11 hours agoAuthor
Morning JusteenK. I can do nothing about it. The reason for the seemingly haphazard release is due to Lit’s publishing and acceptance formatting, not me. I’ve had chapters waiting for weeks at a time.

If you check out my feedback thread for Peta/Sam you will see there are suggested ways of reading the series in different orders, which includes the intended order, chronological, and as published.

I am disappointed you’ve given up (after one day) but thanks for stopping by to complain about things entirely beyond my control.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Today’s response to a comment - am I being too harsh?

Readers are always right, even when they're wrong.

They want to read a coherent story, and they've not seen nor will they care what trials and tribulations you've been through. What they see is, to them, a half baked dog's breakfast of a story that makes no sense. You've wasted their time. That's the harsh landing on this.

If I were you, I'd remove the first part of your reply and the last part. All you've done with the last part is fucked someone off, permanently. I doubt they'll ever open one of your stories again. I wouldn't, if I was JusteenK.

 

[BgDaddy33]

@BgDaddy33 Perhaps there is a correlation between how popular the story's category/tags are and whether people feel the need to leave a comment. The reason I wonder this is because I'm somewhat picky and the category/tags that interest me are relatively narrow. This certainly makes me wish to encourage the author more than if supply could keep up with (my) demand as then I would be less invested in any given author continuing.

I also suspect the ratio of comments left to views decreases as comments/views increase.

I think the site is a result of "giving people what they want" and what they want has been expressively promoted by their comments.

Someone commented on another post that Incest/Taboo was the site's largest category with BDSM and Loving Wives competing for second. Well just taking a quick gander at the I/T views to comments posted, you can see a healthy promotion. Similarly can be said for BDSM and LW (though we have all heard or read about how picky LW can be, the observation still applies.)

Clearly, the writers of those type of stories have heard what people like and don't like and have been encouraged to add more.

 

[STrent]

Readers are always right, even when they're wrong.

Service culture then: I hate this but accept your point.

They want to read a coherent story, and they've not seen nor will they care what trials and tribulations you've been through. What they see is, to them, a half baked dog's breakfast of a story that makes no sense. You've wasted their time. That's the harsh landing on this.

If I were you, I'd remove the first part of your reply and the last part. All you've done with the last part is fucked someone off, permanently. I doubt they'll ever open one of your stories again. I wouldn't, if I was JusteenK.

Okey doke, I will delete it.

It feels unfair, mind - is it really so difficult to do some research on the writer and the background to the stories?

 

[ElectricBlue]

Service culture then: I hate this but accept your point.

Okey doke, I will delete it.

It feels unfair, mind - is it really so difficult to do some research on the writer and the background to the stories?

We here in the AH know what you've gone through, but a random reader has no idea. They've just clicked in on a story and want to be entertained. It would never occur to JusteenK to think, "Oh, that's right, this is one of those guys caught up in that AI thing." She probably has no idea there is an AI problem on the site.

It's not so much about service culture though, more about, do you want someone to read your story? It's marketing 101, not kowtow.

 

[STrent]

We here in the AH know what you've gone through, but a random reader has no idea. They've just clicked in on a story and want to be entertained. It would never occur to JusteenK to think, "Oh, that's right, this is one of those guys caught up in that AI thing." She probably has no idea there is an AI problem on the site.

It's not so much about service culture though, more about, do you want someone to read your story? It's marketing 101, not kowtow.

My apologies, I meant to reach out and say thank you yesterday for your thoughts. So - thank you. And it was most helpful to talk this through.

We can get so caught up in the authorship of it that you forget people are looking inwards on the little worlds we create, without the context of how we arrive there.

 

[groaningbump]

Instead of whining and complaining that my latest story has received zero comments despite the warm score reception, I like to ask instead:

For those of you that DO leave comments: What motivates you to leave a comment? Do you focus on the technical, the overall experience, the constructive critique?

For those of you who DON'T usually leave comments: First of all no hate your way (please people, maybe we can learn something) - what would help turn that around? Is there any reason (experienced or heresay) that would keep you from commenting? For example, someone once told me that they didn't leave comments so that others wouldn't be able to see what he was reading and judge him for it. Thoughts?

Thanks in advance for your replies (now watch this get no replies - )

I usually leave comments for one of two reasons; either I really like the story a lot (NoTalentHack is an author who I always enjoy and give feedback), or a story was good but the author either left out some crucial details or didn't build the characters up enough to make it have an impact. If I didn't like a story, I just walk away.