Comment Timing

[jaF0]

Yay! Another thread about comments!!


Have you ever paid any attention ot when comments are left? I've been watching the AG stories trickle in, only about one a day. But that's another thread. What I've noticed is that most comments come in within the first few days after a story appears. After that, they drop off to nothing or stop altogether.

If you pay attention to them, do you see them come in weeks or months after a story is posted?

 

[SimonDoom]

I check for comments almost every day. The frequency of getting them more or less tracks how many views the story gets so after a while comment numbers fall just as views do. I do enjoy getting the occasional comment on an old story. It happened today and that was nice to see.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Yay! Another thread about comments!!


Have you ever paid any attention ot when comments are left? I've been watching the AG stories trickle in, only about one a day. But that's another thread. What I've noticed is that most comments come in within the first few days after a story appears. After that, they drop off to nothing or stop altogether.

If you pay attention to them, do you see them come in weeks or months after a story is posted?

Pretty much like views and votes, the first few days are busy, then maybe a couple more that week, then it slows to a trickle unless something happens to draw readers to the story. Posting a new chapter will sometimes do it. Now and then I get a new reader who works their way through my stories and comments on a lot of them - that's always nice.

 

[SpindleTop]

Here’s my very recent experience:

My latest story was published on early on Friday 16th and by the end of the first day had three comments. A further six were left on the Saturday at which point I posted a ‘thank you’ comment (bringing the total to ten). Two further comments were left on Sunday and I replied to one of these. No comments have been made since then - so a total of 13. (I’ve also received one message through email.) Voting has been positive (4.83-4.85), but numbers of votes (and readers) are now falling off as the story moves down the list on the hub.

The story is here: https://www.literotica.com/s/meaningful-meaningless-sex

Many wise heads on this forum will say that the best way to promote a story is to write another. That certainly seems to be true in my case, as one of those who posted on my most recent story, has since read through back catalogue and has posted on almost every chapter in the series that I completed in May. (A second poster has left an additional comment on the final chapter.)

I have received one or two comments out-of-the blue, at times when I hadn’t recently posted a new story or chapter. But I think for the most part, reader interest in my older material has coincided with a new story being published.

A question from me now: When do authors think it’s best to write a ‘thank you’ to commenters? In my case I waited until eight people had written comments, which seemed about right at the time. (All my work has been in the First Time category, which doesn’t appear to receive a huge volume of comments, compared to others.)

All my stories: https://www.literotica.com/stories/memberpage.php?uid=5133214&page=submissions

 

[ElectricBlue]

If you pay attention to them, do you see them come in weeks or months after a story is posted?

Steady state, roughly one comment per thousand views. If the comment ratio is higher, I know I've got a successful story. Folk comment on old stories fairly regularly, which means they're trawling through my back catalogue.

 

[sirhugs]

I don't get a lot of comments, and when I do, they are on the new or newish stories.

I have been here long enough to notice a decline in my already dismal trickle of comments since Favouriting was added.

Like SD, I do get a little thump in my hear when an old story pops up in my feed as having a new comment. Like him, I check daily. Usually one of the first things I do.

 

[SimonDoom]

Steady state, roughly one comment per thousand views. If the comment ratio is higher, I know I've got a successful story. Folk comment on old stories fairly regularly, which means they're trawling through my back catalogue.

You get comments at a much higher rate than I do. For me it's about one comment for every six thousand views, but it varies a lot from story to story.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

You want a lot of comments... write in LW. I still get a bunch every week on stories that are three or four years old. Same for some of my Sci-Fi stuff and whoa, my incest stuff.

 

[ChasPHX]

A question from me now: When do authors think it’s best to write a ‘thank you’ to commenters? In my case I waited until eight people had written comments, which seemed about right at the time. (All my work has been in the First Time category, which doesn’t appear to receive a huge volume of comments, compared to others.)

I have set a "rule" where I jump in with a response to any comments once the story is no longer technically "new." This allows me to see the majority of comments that are likely to be made on the story and respond in bulk. If a comment appears later, I would only respond if the comment seemed to warrant a response, not just to say "thanks for your comment." I would think that later commenters would see my original "thanks" comment and assume it applied to them too, or at least it would tell them that I do in fact pay attention to comments, and that their comment will get seen.

 

[KeithD]

I get comments now and again on stories more than a decade old. Makes it sort of laughable when the comment is that they can't wait to see the next installment on what was a one-shot story posted thirteen years ago.

 

[ElectricBlue]

You get comments at a much higher rate than I do. For me it's about one comment for every six thousand views, but it varies a lot from story to story.

Penguins, Simon. They just want more feathers. My readers seem to take the time to make quills and find ink .

 

[SimonDoom]

Penguins, Simon. They just want more feathers. My readers seem to take the time to make quills and find ink .

Penguins need to get their kicks, too. But I take your point. I have no doubt that on average your readership is more selective and more engaged.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Penguins need to get their kicks, too. But I take your point. I have no doubt that on average your readership is more selective and more engaged.

And smaller. But then, you know I don't equate bums on seats with anything else but bums on seats .