Is it bad form

[SirAeghann]

Is it bad form to reply to story comments in the comment section?

I realized I've been doing it occasionally when I feel there's a need to reply, but I don't respond to every comment. I haven't noticed other Authors commenting on their story comments either, so I wondered if it was an unspoken rule not to?

What's your preference or code of conduct regarding answering story comments?

 

[BgDaddy33]

Is it bad form to reply to story comments in the comment section?

I realized I've been doing it occasionally when I feel there's a need to reply, but I don't respond to every comment. I haven't noticed other Authors commenting on their story comments either, so I wondered if it was an unspoken rule not to?

What's your preference or code of conduct regarding answering story comments?

Apparently some authors rave about the practice as a way to build up your fanbase. I have responded to a few, but quickly learned that the OC is not notified, so there is very little chance they will see what you responded with (though some will say 'never say never')

As a rule of thumb, if the commenter posts a question that I think others may also wonder about, then I will tag and respond more for new readers to find.

Good luck with it. To answer your question, I have not been let to believe it is bad form at all, but a best practice.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Is it bad form to reply to story comments in the comment section?

I realized I've been doing it occasionally when I feel there's a need to reply, but I don't respond to every comment. I haven't noticed other Authors commenting on their story comments either, so I wondered if it was an unspoken rule not to?

What's your preference or code of conduct regarding answering story comments?

Well, I don't get that many comments in the first place, but anyway - it's probably good form to actually reply to most comments. If it's a positive review, a mere "thank you" may be enough, although you can probably think of more than that to say. For a a negative review, you may be able to come up with a counter-argument. Or you can just ignore it perhaps. If the comment is really insulting or off-topic, you may want to simply delete it.

In any case, it's rare for longer discussions to occur (I've seen that issue on other sites too). People will say their bit and then move on. P.S.: Building a "fan base" is not that easy. Even people who list you as a favorite may not be very reliable when it comes to voting and comments.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Is it bad form to reply to story comments in the comment section?

I realized I've been doing it occasionally when I feel there's a need to reply, but I don't respond to every comment. I haven't noticed other Authors commenting on their story comments either, so I wondered if it was an unspoken rule not to?

What's your preference or code of conduct regarding answering story comments?

No it's not bad form, but there's no guarantee the original commenter will see what you've said - unless they come back to the story.

Unless someone explicitly asks a question, I don't bother commenting. Unless a comment is so spectacularly stupid and I'm not feeling very charitable - but I usually delete such comments.

 

[nylonpunkie]

I sometimes reply to comments - I cannot see any harm in it.
Plus I like to put a 'Thank you for your comments' type response sometimes, perhaps this encourages anyone who wonders if their comments are seen and appreciated.

I will often send a private message, thanking a member for taking the time to comment.

 

[MediocreAuthor]

I reply to basically every comment, and I occasionally get responses. That said, my fans know that I respond to comments because I sometimes mention it in my forwards.

That said, even if they never read my responses, I feel like people are more likely to comment if they know the author reads the comments. Which, of course, everyone who reads my comment section knows, because they can see it easily.

And I do get quite a lot of comments, I think.

Example ←my story with the most comments

 

[ElectricBlue]

I reply to basically every comment, and I occasionally get responses. That said, my fans know that I respond to comments because I sometimes mention it in my forwards.

That said, even if they never read my responses, I feel like people are more likely to comment if they know the author reads the comments. Which, of course, everyone who reads my comment section knows, because they can see it easily.

And I do get quite a lot of comments, I think.

Example ←my story with the most comments

I'd comment, but my keyboard doesn't do diacritics, so you wouldn't be able to read what I said

 

[MediocreAuthor]

I'd comment, but my keyboard doesn't do diacritics, so you wouldn't be able to read what I said

Don't worry. I'll translate for you.



E̷̛͓͒̅̃̎̏͆̀̐͋͂̌̊ļ̴̛̈́͐͋̄̈́̍̚̕̚͠ė̴̞͙̮̈́ĉ̵̛͈͌̅͛̃̍̉̂̈͝t̶͓̖͍̘̘̺̻̪̻̰̗̍̔̽r̸̨̢̡̪̥̭̼̹͇͐̈̈́́̔̂̆͒́̓̄͒͝ͅḭ̵̌͑͐̈́͛̈̎͂͌͒̃͒̈́͝c̴̘̓́̀̔̇̈͌̐͆͌͝ ̷̰̣̜͎̓̄̎̇̌͊͆͋̎͛̇̈́̂͊B̷̡̡͖͔̫̺̓̀̎̎̿̂ĺ̷̡͇̖̝̞͎̲̪̱̠̣̭͜ͅͅu̸̮̠̬̬̠̣͕͊̅̐̏ę̶̼͉̦͚͆̃̈́̔̐͘͘ ̸̧̲͍̳͚̔͛́̒̒͘ͅi̷̹͉̖̺̥̘̬̘͉̫̘̎̒͜s̴̨̺͍͇̙̙̮̞̝͕̳̿̎̐͊̈́̍̚͘͜ͅͅ ̸̛̦̬̜͂ḁ̶̙̥̙͓̼̞̳̜̗̳͎͚̜͂͌̃͛͜͠ ̸̼̮̱̬̬̫̀̇p̶̡̢̪̘̙̻͖̼̲̑͐̽̐͐̔ö̴̩̫̮̻̲̥̻̘̤͈͚̺́̄̈́͊ô̷̲̼͗̅̈́̋̇̇̈͒̚͜p̷̼̖̤̯̣̓͛͒͑̓͌̅̉̃͆̿͌̚͝͝ỳ̷͕̻̮̠͉͙̎̉̎̓̈́̽̍̚h̵͚̲͈̦̗̝̩͎̄̽͗͑̓͊̿e̴͎̖͆͑̄͒͊ā̸̧̧̩̹̼̦̺̜͖̫̻͚̮͝d̴͇̫̮̖̰̣̺͚̻̠͗̒̀͐̀́̑͐͂͐͋͘͝



That one says: "ElectricBlue is an excellent author."*

*Or something like that (ಠ ‿↼ )

 

[ElectricBlue]

Don't worry. I'll translate for you.



E̷̛͓͒̅̃̎̏͆̀̐͋͂̌̊ļ̴̛̈́͐͋̄̈́̍̚̕̚͠ė̴̞͙̮̈́ĉ̵̛͈͌̅͛̃̍̉̂̈͝t̶͓̖͍̘̘̺̻̪̻̰̗̍̔̽r̸̨̢̡̪̥̭̼̹͇͐̈̈́́̔̂̆͒́̓̄͒͝ͅḭ̵̌͑͐̈́͛̈̎͂͌͒̃͒̈́͝c̴̘̓́̀̔̇̈͌̐͆͌͝ ̷̰̣̜͎̓̄̎̇̌͊͆͋̎͛̇̈́̂͊B̷̡̡͖͔̫̺̓̀̎̎̿̂ĺ̷̡͇̖̝̞͎̲̪̱̠̣̭͜ͅͅu̸̮̠̬̬̠̣͕͊̅̐̏ę̶̼͉̦͚͆̃̈́̔̐͘͘ ̸̧̲͍̳͚̔͛́̒̒͘ͅi̷̹͉̖̺̥̘̬̘͉̫̘̎̒͜s̴̨̺͍͇̙̙̮̞̝͕̳̿̎̐͊̈́̍̚͘͜ͅͅ ̸̛̦̬̜͂ḁ̶̙̥̙͓̼̞̳̜̗̳͎͚̜͂͌̃͛͜͠ ̸̼̮̱̬̬̫̀̇p̶̡̢̪̘̙̻͖̼̲̑͐̽̐͐̔ö̴̩̫̮̻̲̥̻̘̤͈͚̺́̄̈́͊ô̷̲̼͗̅̈́̋̇̇̈͒̚͜p̷̼̖̤̯̣̓͛͒͑̓͌̅̉̃͆̿͌̚͝͝ỳ̷͕̻̮̠͉͙̎̉̎̓̈́̽̍̚h̵͚̲͈̦̗̝̩͎̄̽͗͑̓͊̿e̴͎̖͆͑̄͒͊ā̸̧̧̩̹̼̦̺̜͖̫̻͚̮͝d̴͇̫̮̖̰̣̺͚̻̠͗̒̀͐̀́̑͐͂͐͋͘͝



That one says: "ElectricBlue is an excellent author."*

*Or something like that (ಠ ‿↼ )

Ah, that's where you forgot I have a daughter. That's what she wrote on my last birthday card, so my brain scanned it immediately!

But I'm touched that you took the time to write that - according to the "like" to "comment" gap, about two minutes.

 

[RejectReality]

Avoid any impulse to reply to negative comments in anger. That's more or less what trolls are hoping for, and as often as not, you make yourself look thin-skinned in the process. Give yourself a day or two to cool down, and if you can respond with a level head, still think carefully before you hit the send button.

Many times a completely wrong-headed and hostile opinion will be countered by other commenters, saving you from having to respond yourself. It's also a lot more satisfying to have someone else tell a troll they're a troll Then you know you're not alone in your opinion.

One of the stated goals for the site upgrades is threaded comments. So eventually you should be able to respond directly to the comment instead of jumping through hoops to identify who you're talking to.

 

[AchtungNight]

I respond to comments when they ask questions or when I want to appreciate praise and believe the sender will be notified directly. Other sites do allow the commenters to view responses. I usually just delete negative troll remarks.

 

[DoctorSmith8]

Is it bad form to reply to story comments in the comment section?

I realized I've been doing it occasionally when I feel there's a need to reply, but I don't respond to every comment. I haven't noticed other Authors commenting on their story comments either, so I wondered if it was an unspoken rule not to?

What's your preference or code of conduct regarding answering story comments?

If a reply button is available, I would say "why not use it"

 

[DoctorSmith8]

Is it bad form to reply to story comments in the comment section?

I realized I've been doing it occasionally when I feel there's a need to reply, but I don't respond to every comment. I haven't noticed other Authors commenting on their story comments either, so I wondered if it was an unspoken rule not to?

What's your preference or code of conduct regarding answering story comments?

Personally I love to get comments and any type of feedback. Mainly because I know someone at least took the time to read it.

 

[darkride]

Today a commenter asked what it was that 3 of my characters where doing whilst 3 other characters left the room (as the action followed them out of the room). It was something I'd really not given any thought to... but I was feeling a lil creative so I responded to the question with a few ad-libbed paragraphs explaining what was happening during the rest of the character's departure.

To answer the question more directly - I don't respond to every comment, but I do respond to some of them, or offer the occasional generic reply where applicable. I've had several people thank me for "engaging" with the readers, so I gather it's not a common option that writers here take. As noted above - I figure it can only help to grow your followers if they know that you're reading the comments, and may potentially answer their queries.

Why publish something on an internet forum if you don't want the chance to respond to your reader's comments?

 

[darkride]

Is it bad form to reply to story comments in the comment section?

I think it may have been "bad form" on my part, to address the anon feedback (so - not an open comment, but feedback sent to me privately) within my comment section... But hey, it made me feel better.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I think it may have been "bad form" on my part, to address the anon feedback (so - not an open comment, but feedback sent to me privately) within my comment section... But hey, it made me feel better.

Responding to anon feedback in a story comment string is fair enough, I reckon. It was an anon comment after all, so it's not like you're outing anyone or breaching anyone's identity.

It's your story, and comments are a form of promotion, so anons are fair game.

 

[SirAeghann]

Update: I've recently started responding to comments on my stories and it's been incredibly engaging and rewarding. If nothing else, it definitely helps give a nice community feel to the story and I think encourages people to engage which has gotten me some decent feedback in return. So, win-win-win all around.