How do you deal with reader feedback?

[iwannadobadthingswithyou]

Hi all!

I'm very new here and still trying to figure out how this community works and what I want to get from writing stories.

I'm very interested in how more seasoned writers deal with reader feedback. Specifically, I received some comments on my stories with what readers expect to happen next and it wasn't where I saw the story going. It's not necessarily a bad direction, just one I hadn't thought of.

So my question is, how do you guys deal with this? Do you incorporate the feedback in the continuation of the story, give the public what they want? Or do you stick to your initial vision?

I'm not necessarily looking for advice, just curious what you did.

Thanks,
A.

 

[Ssbbw4u1974]

I have my ways of writing, and have a few readers/followers.. I get feedback about changing the way I should write or say in my audios at times..

I take it with a grain of salt.

 

[StillStunned]

I'm very interested in how more seasoned writers deal with reader feedback.

I'm getting salt-and-pepper in my beard, so I consider myself seasoned.

Write your own story. Don't hesitate to steal ideas and suggestions from wherever you can, and reserve the right to take your story in whatever new direction appeals most to you.

But it's your story. Nobody's paying you to write it, so write what pleases you. And remember that for every reader who comments, there are a thousand who are quite happy just to follow where you're going.

And in the end, your own story will feel more authentic than anything you write to appease your readers.

 

[Bazzle]

I celebrate every single piece of feedback.

The story hits a cord enough for there to be a response. Then our job as an author has been successful.

negative or positive, appreciate it and learn by it.

 

[NotWise]

I appreciate such feedback, then write what I damned well please.

 

[ElectricBlue]

So my question is, how do you guys deal with this? Do you incorporate the feedback in the continuation of the story, give the public what they want? Or do you stick to your initial vision?

This, always. It's your story, not theirs.

I've occasionally given money back and apologised that the story wasn't what they wanted, but the story I wrote. That depends on the degree of ass-hattedness there is in their comment, but mostly, it's just, "Meh."

 

[BobbyBrandt]

I value constructive feedback from someone who clearly comprehended what was written.

Reader feedback on four of my first chapter stories was the incentive for me to change them from single chapter submissions to single, longer submissions and not to post chapters any more. Readers overwhelmingly voice a preference for single submissions over individual chapters, and I listened to them. I see no problem with that.

 

[Kat90xx]

I’m far from seasoned (still fairly raw and marinading ) but make clear I know where my story is going. If I get feedback from readers that they enjoyed a particular aspect, I will try and keep that in for future instalments or flesh out a bit more - depends what it is and occasionally the truth is it’s a nice idea but it’s just not me, although I genuinely appreciate the input! In these cases people seem to appreciate being candid Sometimes the seemingly tiny, innocuous details strike a chord you wouldn’t expect as the writer! This has been a nice balance so far for me, trying to give the people what they want but also keeping true to my initial story

 

[iwatchus]

The MC in my latest was at least in part pandering to comments I have received on earlier pieces liking introverted characters. Or just write what you know.

 

[Voboy]

I routinely get comments begging for sequels.

I think of them as compliments, not commands.

Welcome! Good luck with your stories.

 

[Gamblnluck]

I'm getting salt-and-pepper in my beard, so I consider myself seasoned.

LOL Mine is full on white and has been for years.

Yeah, write your own story. In some of my longer, multi chapter stories, I see comments where they think the story should go (or they hope it will). I do the same. I see a person tell a story that logically can have one outcome.

In one of mine, many told me they thought I'd written myself into a corner. I was happy I had done a good enough job they were invested in my characters. My beta readers were wondering but they had advance notice of my intentions. I pulled the story out.
Most of the time, my beta readers and I are ahead of the game, but I love it when my readers tell me what they think should happen. In some cases, that is what I already decided.
I have used suggested plot lines though. Maybe not then but later.

 

[NotWise]

I routinely get comments begging for sequels.

I think of them as compliments, not commands.

Welcome! Good luck with your stories.

I used to look at demands/requests for sequels or continuations as compliments. Now I don't. If it comes on a story I meant to be done, then those comments may mean that I failed to close the story well. On the other hand, some readers are just going to want more no matter what you do. I think it's constructive either way, but the meanings are different.

You need to judge for yourself how to take those comments.

 

[Cagivagurl]

The important message, and I'm merely echoing other commenters.
The story is yours, and yours alone. Take it where you visualise it going.
You cannot please everybody. If somebody loves it. Somebody else will hate it...
The harder you try to please everybody, the more you lose of yourself.
It's your story. Tell it as you see it...
Do not pander to purposed fans...
Be yourself.

Cagivagurl

 

[Gamblnluck]

The story is yours, and yours alone. Take it where you visualise it going.

I've had comments though that made my stories better. That is why I use a couple of beta readers. One asked me a question and I said, "Damn! Now that is thread I had not really considered. Not in that regard anyway, another half page a possible answer in the next chapter. And it makes the story better.

 

[Cagivagurl]

I've had comments though that made my stories better. That is why I use a couple of beta readers. One asked me a question and I said, "Damn! Now that is thread I had not really considered. Not in that regard anyway, another half page a possible answer in the next chapter. And it makes the story better.

A revie I see as different to a commenter.
Random comments, some so opposite that trying to pander to them is impossible. Please one, piss off another.
Trying to please others steals from yourself...

Cagivagurl

 

[calmlikeabomb]

There are two ends of this spectrum.

1. The author serves the story
2. The story serves the author

In the first approach, the author puts their vision of the story and characters above all else. They share stories with editors and beta readers and they listen to feedback from readers.

But they ultimately choose to go with what they think or feel is right for the story that they want to tell. Usually that means being very discering about whose feedback you listen to, and figuring out how best to incorporate bits and pieces of that feedback while keeping to the core of the story.

In the second approach, the author has a goal that the story is a part of (eg: I want to be the most read author on lit). In this approach, once again, the author will listen to feedback, but modify the story enough so that it fits the genre and trends in order to maximize readership.

But even in this approach, the author has to be very discering about what and whose feedback to incorporate. In this case, you might end up re writing entire chunks of the story because a particular feedback opened up a new path you hadn't originally thought of.

Most authors fall somewhere on this spectrum, and listen to everything your readers say can be as useful and useless as listen only to your vision because it is your story. Truth is, most authors, especially new authors, don't have a clear idea of the story they want to write. They do have a very clear idea about the "kind" of story they want to write, but can use help in getting there.

In addition, a good rule of thumb in consumer behaviour is that consumers are usually right about "what" is working or not working, but usually they don't themselves understand "why". A reader may say "i didnt like X because Y", and he absolutely right about X, but completely wrong about Y.

Since you are starting out, my advice would be to start by trusting your gut as much as you can and make mistakes if you need to. Through trial and error, you will get better not just at the mechanics of writing, but also develop the skill needed to understand the feedback.

 

[SamBomb]

If it's a good idea or better than my plans, I will steal it, or think about it at least. It's usually not, so I just think that's a cute theory.

 

[THBGato]

So my question is, how do you guys deal with this? Do you incorporate the feedback in the continuation of the story, give the public what they want? Or do you stick to your initial vision?

I haven't included reader's ideas... yet. I wouldn't rule it out completely, but given my stories are usually complete by the time I post them, suggestions in comments/feedback are too late to be incorporated.

It's cool to get them though!

I do often change my drafts based on beta-reader feedback.

@DawnDuckie is writing a story at the minute where she is explicitly soliciting reader suggestions as to what happens next, which seems fun.

 

[WaxPhilosophic]

I have incorporated reader suggestions on a few occasions. Mostly it was a comment from a regular reader on an on-going series, and usually in the form of "wouldn't it be a hoot if...?" In those cases it can be fun, like a writing challenge.

For example: https://www.literotica.com/s/amber-from-marketing-domestic-nirvana starts with my author's note:

This little slice of life story with Amber and Dani comes from two suggestions. One was for Amber to relive a 60s art craze involving paint and naked bodies. The other was for Amber using her culinary talents with some seductive bare-assed baking. I think I've captured both of these ideas, but possibly in a way not anticipated.

But if it's a case of "so-and-so character should have done this, not that," I take it as a lesson in constructive feedback and think about how I could have dropped more hints or obvious foreshadowing.

And then there's the whiners. "I didn't like the XYZ part, because I don't like XYZ." In those cases, I fully agree with all the folks here who've stated, "it's my story, piss off."

 

[THBGato]

For example: https://www.literotica.com/s/amber-from-marketing-domestic-nirvana starts with my author's note:

I Amber!

 

[NotWise]

I had an interesting feedback experience on Unlikely Angels. Readers started predicting or requesting the arc of the story from the very first chapters. They were universally wrong. They didn't know the story would be a novel, and their suggestions tended much more to the carnal than the spiritual.

I decided that I was not going to complete the story for Lit, and I was in the midst of writing the last chapter I would post when a reader's comment successfully predicted the story's major plot point and much of its arc.

That final published chapter then seemed like a natural and predictable stopping point. I could wait after the last chapter posted then take the story down without leaving too many readers feeling jilted.

I could have thanked that reader for giving me the confidence to leave the story in peace, but they were anonymous.

 

[WaxPhilosophic]

I could have thanked that reader for giving me the confidence to leave the story in peace, but they were anonymous.

Similar thing happened to me with the story chapter I linked above. I got some wonderful, lengthy feedback from an anonymous reader. I would've liked to thank them personally.

 

[Foxed]

I’m an author with six published novels and one on the way. There are as many different ways to look at feedback, as there are writers.

I read reviews, which generally are quite good, and I listen and talk about feedback. I have taken a couple of points onboard, but basically I don’t write by committee. If someone disagrees with my work, then they are probably reading from the wrong author.

 

[talemestories]

I have to say that the anonymous comments really got me the first time around. Seeing the amount of moderation and time for posting, I expected too much of anon comment moderation.

Once I figured out you could turn that off (thanks unknown moderator/editor/email responder person), I came back much happier.

I like comments from those willing to create an account. While it doesn't stop the really stupid comments, it certainly limits many of the just plain shitty ones.

I certainly appreciate everyone that takes the time to write something about my works. Good, bad, or ugly, it may give me pause for reflection. Does it mean it's going to be done their way? Unlikely. Is it going to fork one of my stories? Perhaps.

I do miss some of the anon comments but on the whole it's better without it. I can't really think of any major forums that have anon commentary enabled so it's an odd feature here.

Then again, I can still add an ICQ to my profile ...

Still an awesome place with some very interesting quirks, for sure.

 

[SinclairGroupLLP]

It depends. There have been times when I have taken feedback, including guesses as to where the story goes and have gone that way even if I hadn’t intended to do so. Then there have been times when I have had people make suggestions that were completely out of character for the characters and I’ve ignored it.

I am never above a bit of fan service if it can make the story better and gives folks something they’ve asked for, but if it’s out of left field or contradicts something I’ve done or planned, I just ignore it.

Interesting to see what others do.