Beautiful Feedback

[LivingUnicorn]

To all my very wonderful friends here on the Literotica boards, I have a question.

How do you respond to beautiful wonderful feedback? I receive such very wonderful comments on my story here and I'm never sure exactly what to say back to the person. I'm afraid I may come off as ungrateful or, heaven forbid, like I'm sending a form letter back. These people, who are so very kind and make me feel so very special, deserve better than what I'm able to give them. So what do ya'll do?

LU

 

[Whispersecret]

I usually try to acknowledge what they've said specifically about my story. Like if they said, "Your characters lived for me," I'll comment about the characters. If they talked about one particular scene, I'll touch on that particular scene. I usually do this by mentioning some trivial thing about the process I went through to write it, in the lines of a "behind the scenes" peek.

For instance:

Dear Mike,

Thanks so much for your wonderful feedback! I love hearing from people who enjoy what I write. It makes it all worthwhile.

I'm so glad that you thought my characters were so well-defined that they "lived for you." What higher compliment can a writer get? Rockwell's character actually changed on his own. I started out with the idea that he would be this nasty guy throughout, but he ended up changing right before my eyes as I wrote. Go figure. Maybe they are alive after all!

Anyway, thanks again for taking the time to write me. I appreciate it more than you know.

Fondly,

I'll also direct them to a story I have on another site. Sometimes I'll recommend other Lit authors whose work I admire.

I hope this helps.

 

[Axeltheswede]

Beautiful feedback

I try to do what Whisper does, mention something specifically from the feedback email.

I also acknowledge what a rare and thoughtful gesture it is to send feedback at all. That is not stretching the truth. Consider that one percent of readers vote. Some small percentage of those voters send email. Those few make the experience of posting stories worth the effort.

 

[Hitchhiker]

Well how about thank you for feedback thats what keeps us writers going.

Also if an admirer of yr work should do you a thread what do you say??????

But thank you I'm most honoured and how would you like a story written just for you?

Now thats inspiration

 

[wildsweetone]

wherever possible, if one is provided, reply using their name within the bulk. instantly your email becomes personal

 

[SexyChele]

I think all of these are great suggestions! Using the person's name, if they give one, is a great idea. Also, I try to pick something out of what they said to make it unique - as Whispersecret does.

It's going to be hard for it not to off a bit like a form letter - after all you are responding to an absolute stranger. I think just knowing the writer took time to respond to thank them for their feedback is more than some readers expect.

But I really think that something along the lines of "Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback to my story" will encourage a reader to continue with feedback.

 

[Whispersecret]

One way to make it seem less like a form letter is to try to let your personality come through. I try to sound friendly, use slang--that sort of thing to make it seem more like we're making a personal connection, which we are.

For instance: Thank you for providing me with valuable feedback. I appreciate it. Good feedback is a powerful motivation for me.

That sounds a little stilted and distant to me, even if the feelings behind it are genuine. Something like this can make you seem more like an equal to the fan and not someone on a pedastal.

Thanks a lot for writing me about my story. I really appreciate it. Hearing from people like you makes me want to write more!

 

[Gongonhama]

As mostly a reader - only write in portuguese, so I get little feedback - when I write one of those mails to an author I don't really expect much in return. Just a reply is fine. Don't need to get complements about my complements to the author. That's the fan's job.

Now when someone writes to me, I just say "obrigado" - thank you" - as often as I can, and, true, complement them on their complements to me. Confusing? Yes, that's what I thought!

Also try to leave the door opened for them to keep emailing me even when I don't post regularly. Ask something about themselves. I'm such a feedback lover I try to make it last.