"Follows You" Function

[wastelandwriter]

Hey,

Does anyone know if there's an actual function behind someone "following" you as an author? Do they get any kind of notification now if you post a new story? Or is it basically the same as favoriting an author & they just get put on your favorites list?

 

[RejectReality]

Your activity page lists newly posted stories and bio changes of authors you follow. ( New Control panel )

Follow and favorite are the same function, so everyone you've favorited is "followed" under the new control panel.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Hey,

Does anyone know if there's an actual function behind someone "following" you as an author? Do they get any kind of notification now if you post a new story? Or is it basically the same as favoriting an author & they just get put on your favorites list?

Yes, if they follow you, they will get a notification whenever you post a new story.

From what I can see, "favourite author" and "follow" are the same thing. I've got a small list of writers I have faved over a couple of years and I get a notification of any update to their profile page, and any new story they've posted. You have to use the new dash, obviously. Luddites who only use the old user page won't see the new functionality (but like as not will still moan that Lit doesn't make changes when changes are slowly happening).

 

[lovecraft68]

Yes, they get notifications for new stories and bio updates. Works well apparently as after I made an announcement on my home page several people immediately unfollowed me

The way it works really reminds me of twitter.

 

[sr71plt]

Yes, if they follow you, they will get a notification whenever you post a new story.

Ah, no wonder readers have been unfavoriting me as an author a bit more than usual--and I don't blame them. If they get notified every time I post a story, that means they are getting at least one notification a week on my file. I think that's nonsense and I hope there's a way to turn it off. I didn't ask for this.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Ah, no wonder readers have been unfavoriting me as an author a bit more than usual--and I don't blame them. If they get notified every time I post a story, that means they are getting at least one notification a week on my file. I think that's nonsense and I hope there's a way to turn it off. I didn't ask for this.

Your readers are turning it off, but I guess writers should have the option to turn it off as well. I don't think you can, but then I've not looked for the button - not being anywhere near so prolific as you, it's something I actually want. I suspect you're one of the few writers who doesn't want this feature - there've been several folk recently querying whether this exact capability is possible. It is now.

Like anything, you can please some folk all of the time, some folk none of the time. If you piss everybody off just a little bit, that's usually a sign of a successful compromise. But hey, it's a change. Change is good, right?

 

[LeandraNyx]

Deleted

 

[lovecraft68]

Ah, no wonder readers have been unfavoriting me as an author a bit more than usual--and I don't blame them. If they get notified every time I post a story, that means they are getting at least one notification a week on my file. I think that's nonsense and I hope there's a way to turn it off. I didn't ask for this.

Smashwords did this recently where if an a person bookmarks an author they will be notified whenever they come out with something new.

They give the option for the member to turn it off or not. I shut mine off because-at least in the beginning it was multiple e-mails per new title which was annoying.

 

[sr71plt]

Authors are pretty vain and needy to have to be thrown in people's faces every time they post a story here. Beyond that people need to get their noses out of their updating devices and notice that the real world is crumbling around them.

 

[LeandraNyx]

Deleted

 

[sr71plt]

I mean, email lists are a pretty important marketing strategy if you're looking to do well in self-publishing

Not into self-publishing, but naw, anyway. If you have a niche and are a half-way decent writer and keep them coming, you can just get it listed with distributors and move on to writing the next one, and you'll sell just fine. I think I have the experience with it to back that statement up.

 

[sr71plt]

A true reader follower is going to scan for favorite authors anyway. I don't believe in babysitting readers. It's supposed to be an adult site and we seem to have new generations of folks who need to someone else take care of them in all matters. Whenever I get signed up for frequent reminders that something is happening, I cancel the service. I don't really want readers who like to read my stories to have to suffer unsolicited push advertising.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Yes, if they follow you, they will get a notification whenever you post a new story.

It doesn't notify 100% though, I've just discovered. Unless there's a lag somewhere in the system - I'll find out soon enough.

 

[lovecraft68]

A true reader follower is going to scan for favorite authors anyway. I don't believe in babysitting readers. It's supposed to be an adult site and we seem to have new generations of folks who need to someone else take care of them in all matters. Whenever I get signed up for frequent reminders that something is happening, I cancel the service. I don't really want readers who like to read my stories to have to suffer unsolicited push advertising.

You're old school Pilot and I'm not saying that as an insult. I'm younger than you, but still old enough to have had to had learned and done things on my own and not been hand held and have everything at my finger tips.

Having said that, many people are these days. They're lazy, spoiled, entitled, and won't bother with anything requiring even minimal effort. So lit is moving with the times. Everything has notifications now so they're jumping on because these days its expected.

Some authors asked for this type of service, most didn't, but I don't think the site did it out of popular demand(when have they ever done that?) but again modernizing.

I don't want it and I'd prefer a way to shut it off, but I also follow only a few people and most sadly are gone these days. But for those here who are obsessed with votes/views/comments this is a good feature because it will bring people to their stories more and that's the point.

End of day, I don't care either way, but at least its the site doing something for the authors.

But personally I'll join you in a good fist shake and 'kids these days'

 

[lovecraft68]

Not into self-publishing, but naw, anyway. If you have a niche and are a half-way decent writer and keep them coming, you can just get it listed with distributors and move on to writing the next one, and you'll sell just fine. I think I have the experience with it to back that statement up.

Actually its not a matter of self pub or having a publisher with Smashwords. If you have a page there people can bookmark you and will get notifications whenever you put out a book. But there they have to request it, its not automatic.

I'm not big on these things myself. The worst thing you can do is be pushy and the net is full of pushy authors on social media. Twitter, FB, blogs "Buy me, read me, buy me! Here's a free book! Please please please!" annoying as all hell. And dumb in a marketing sense as people roll their eyes and move away, they can smell desperation.

But I have to admit that since SW came out with the notifications I have seen a bump in sales whenever I have something new. But the big difference is people can opt in and out so the only ones signing up are actually interested.

 

[SimonDoom]

I understand Pilot's point, in general, but I find the "following" feature to be useful, and the annoyance "cost" is minimal. It's not intrusive because you see the followed authors' stories appear only on the My Home page when you click on it. It's easy to ignore if you want to. Anything that makes it easier to navigate around the site and to find what you want to find is a good thing, in my opinion.

 

[49greg]

I just noticed the other day that there is a 'my followers' feature. Neat, I had no idea that I had that many.

 

[LeandraNyx]

Deleted