Do you thank those...

[Dearelliot]

Should we leave a "Thank You" to the people who leave a comment on our stories? I'd like to thank them for taking the time to comment

 

[iwatchus]

I will thank people I know outside the comment system. (I just did that for someone.) If it is someone I know here on AH, I will use the forum DM mechanism. For others, I sometimes send them a message using the story side system. which uses their registered e-mail.

I know some people have thanked me so I am not alone in this practice. But I do not think it is the norm either.

 

[StillStunned]

I reply to comments. Mostly I try to give some substance in response to what the comment is about, but I always make sure to thank the commenter for reading and commenting.

Even if they never go back and see my reply, other readers will see it and they'll know I read and appreciate their comments.

 

[AwkwardMD]

I wish there was a way to direct replies, to thank everyone individually and let them know.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Even if they never go back and see my reply, other readers will see it and they'll know I read and appreciate their comments.

Which generates more comments, which is good. I’ve seen people dimiss this practice without even trying to think it through.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

Oh, I thanked them alrighty fersure.


In my own special way.

 

[PennyThompson]

I don't reply to every single comment, though some people do! But I do often come back a day or two after publishing, thank everyone for the feedback, and specifically address some of the comments that I feel could use commentary.

Sometimes that means a special thank you, sometimes an answer to a question, sometimes addressing a complaint.

Either way, replying to each or replying more generally, I do think boosts reader engagement. I think readers like to know that you're reading comments and that you care what they think!

 

[TheLobster]

Which generates more comments, which is good. I’ve seen people dimiss this practice without even trying to think it through.

I dismiss the practice as unethical gaming the system, since it unduly props up your story on the various 'most commented' lists.

 

[Gamblnluck]

I may make a blanket comment. Occasionally I will respond to a particular comment. Because i just ended a very long story,(65 chapters and almost 775K words) I am getting comments about the whole story. I am planning an overall thank you for their following the story. Several have PM'd me telling me they have read the whole thing multiple times (something I have not done myself except as sections while writing). That following makes me feel better than the overall numbers of 'followers'.
But some of my stories have had way too many comments to even begin to address individually.

 

[Gamblnluck]

I dismiss the practice as unethical gaming the system, since it unduly props up your story on the various 'most commented' lists.

I didn't even know there was such a list. I personally hate those type lists anyway and disregard them. It's another reason I have never participated in any contest or challenge, nor will I. Across categories, such contests are meaningless except to the authors who make it a game or who like the 'good feeling' it produces.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Either way, replying to each or replying more generally, I do think boosts reader engagement. I think readers like to know that you're reading comments and that you care what they think!

Precisely.

The site should have more author-centric capabilities. Absent those, make do with what is available.

 

[lovecraft68]

No.

If someone sends me a feedback I can respond to, I generally reply, but not comments.

As I've said before I think responding to comments, especially every comment looks desperate and needy.

We put up our hard work for free, their comment-I see-is a thank you to us, do we need to thank them for thanking us? Of course I think we're all talking about decent comments not trolls, and I don't reply to them either.

I've always been like this and I don't lack when it comes to following or attention.

Having said this, everyone can and should do what they feel is best for themselves, I just don't feel it matters. Let your stories do the talking and you lurk behind the scenes and work on the next one.

 

[Dearelliot]

Some write how much they like a story, and I would send a reply to them as a message rather than through a comment. Just not sure how I feel about it.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I dismiss the practice as unethical gaming the system, since it unduly props up your story on the various 'most commented' lists.

Why is that gaming any system? The comments attract people to your stories, it's no different to a movie poster advertising a movie.

Sure, if an author saturated the lists with comments that were blatant self-promotion, then I'd tend to think they could pull their head in a bit - but does anyone in fact do that? I don't know - I rarely look at the comments lists, but on occasion I've found good stories that way. Intelligent comments usually lead to intelligent stories, I've found.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

No.

If someone sends me a feedback I can respond to, I generally reply, but not comments.

Even if the commenter is asking you a question?

--Annie

 

[ChuckWolf]

I try to respond to comments, thanking them for reading and the occasional, "Sorry you didn't like the story".

 

[lovecraft68]

Even if the commenter is asking you a question?

--Annie

Not in a comment. If they ask through the feedback option and leave me a way to respond I usually will. I say usually because if its something like "Love your sister story, did you have sex with yours?" I don't bother.

 

[PennameWombat]

Should we leave a "Thank You" to the people who leave a comment on our stories? I'd like to thank them for taking the time to comment

I don't. Mainly because the comment system here isn't threaded and no notifications are issued to the account that left the original comment. They'd need to manually revisit the page to see anything. Notifications only come to us authors when a comment is left.

The couple of times I tried to use a DM to respond to comments, the accounts had all DMs blocked. So, shrug. I can take the hint. The comments were complimentary, so it wasn't to complain. But they clearly didn't want contact.

On occasion, I've added a comment on a story if I've posted a sequel or related story that isn't part of a 'series.' Just to let the reader know in case they're interested in the same characters.

 

[Dearelliot]

Thanks, some are anonymous, others have the commenters name...I thouht I could respond to the name...unsure if they get my message

 

[SissyBrandi19]

I wanted to respond to comments and thought in the past you could, so I did write a comment basically thanking commenters, universally.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I've answered a question that a commenter had and given a general "thank you" in the comments.

 

[iwatchus]

if it is not anonymous, you can respond to the name. Click on it, and it will bring up their home page, with a letter icon near the top.