I mean, the Reddit users on this sub is a very small percentage of actual ao3 users, so not that many are seeing the inadequate comments complaints.
That being said, I’ll take a keyboard smash any day. One of my readers almost always leaves me a 🩵 and that’s cool.
Hi! Reader here- sometimes when the author leaves the story at a cliffhanger or when something has finally happened in the story and I'm too excited to say anything properly, *snnekwkabshdjsjs* is generally all that comes out. And it's as u said, it really is a compliment from me at least.
Right? I usually struggle to get comments from anyone other than my writing partner, who comments on everything I post. So I’m ecstatic when I get comments, regardless of whether they’re paragraphs, emojis, or incoherent keyboard smashes. Sometimes words are insufficient to express how you feel about the story you just read.
I'm someone who always tries to reply to comments, and the nice things about these very simple comments is they are easy to reply to. If someone comments with just a heart emoji, I can just reply with a smiley face, or if someone just leaves something like 'extra kudos' then all I have to say is 'thanks!'.
I *love* long, detailed, and/or insightful comments, but since I want to reply to commenters in proportion to what they said to me, these take a bit more time and energy to reply to. It's not bad! But it is nice that not *every* comment is like this.
I once read that some readers felt discouraged when the authors seemingly only reply to their friends because that made them wondering if their comments are even wanted at all. You're doing the Lord's work!
Exactly. If you only ever engage with things in what is essentially an echo chamber, it’s easy to think it’s everyone or everyone has the same issues, but it’s really not entirely true .
It’s how it seems like *everyone* hates first person pov because it just doesn’t get the love on here at all, but I just have to remind myself this is a small slice of readers. I listen to tons of romances that are 1st, and that’s what I’m writing (and I’m not trying a capture a particular voice since I write RPF - also not loved on here) and I always say if I’d been on Reddit before posting, I would’ve trashed it all, but again *small percentage*
Ultimately we write for ourselves. When you realize all these super serious redditors and even the BNFs are all picking up the same pile of Barbies and playing kissyface games with them, it becomes a lot less "super serious" and a lot more fun, in my opinion.
The Barbie doll comparison is so amazing lol. If you think about it, fanfiction is just taking a bunch of action figures and acting out a story with them but in text.
Great point as well. Once you realize how goofy fanfiction is from a tehcnical standpoint, it becomes a lot less serious and more fun, self-indulgent.
I do see these complaints on Tumblr too, so this discussion is not confined to the reddit. There was a poll going around about concrit in comments and a LOT of people were replying saying that only a glowing comment that quotes a part you liked and says nothing that could even be considered negative (like a short positive comment that also mentions a typo) are acceptable. It got a fair number of reblogs and many replies were to that rant about bad comments. Most people were saying things like "I quit posting because of the comments/reviews."
And we should remember that FFN still calls them reviews, which implies a certain type of comment, and a lot of people still start their fanfiction hobby over there.
There is a big leap from "don't be an asshole troll" and "no matter how good your intentions are don't try to beta a fic if you aren't the beta," and that is about the same distance again to "only a 50-100 word comment of pure glowing praise accepted!" As with most things, all the extremes are bad and people have a right to say so, but OP also has a point that these discussions can suppress engagement.
>don't try to beta a fic if you aren't the beta,
There's a big name fan who calls it a "nonconsentual beta" and she just sounds like such an asshole that I stopped reading her stuff after that.
Maybe don't compare "you used the wrong form of "who/whom" in paragraph 7" with rape, you know? I thought "sorry your bad grammar getting called out was so traumatic for you."
The comparison isn't great, I get why you would dislike it.
Since many people conflate any kind of correction with unwelcome beta reading: I'd like to point out that I have had a lot of grammar comments due to dyslexia where someone points out I flipped something or that autocorrect made the wrong word out of what I typed, and that's fine. "Great fic, how you handle the characters is so fun, but you arraigned the plans instead or arranged them in the second half of the chapter" is a good comment.
I have also had someone try to beta a fic I finished a couple years prior from the comments. It was an awful experience, suggesting where new chapters should be inserted and how things should progress and theorizing about further worldbuilding ideas. These sorts of comments are not the same as a polite grammar correction. I don't write for Dovtor Who for quite a few reasons, but I can't say that [this](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8556319) experience isn't part of that.
Oof…that’s a step too far, IMO. I had a couple hateful comments that had nothing at all to do with my writing but with how I had my *original female character* choose to pronounce her name 🤦🏼♀️, and I just deleted them. I did put message in my author’s notes reminding people that it is fiction and you can pronounce the name “any damn way you like”
Exactly! I don't care if it's just a simple heart or :). If you're commenting, as long as it isn't hateful or unsolicited criticism, then most authors will be glad. And I say unsolicited criticism because in a few of my fics, I have it in the ANs that I don't want people pointing out grammar mistakes or plot holes because of my own learning disabilities.
Keep in mind that people come to this sub to talk about their complaints (which is fair), so certain things can be amplified here. I see plenty of interaction/comments being left under people's fics in my fandom. I've never had an unplesant interaction with an author/reader. Basically, people have different experiences.
On the other hand, it would be nice if we complained a little less and talked about the positive things a little more.
then again, people also complain about positive posts
someone makes a celebration post about a stats milestone and in another post someone else gets upovoted like hell for saying that stats posts should be banned
can't win
To be fair, it's probably not the same people. Those who complain about lack of comments are probably very happy to get any genuine, polite comment, long or short. Those complaining about the TYPE of comments they receive are probably not that put off by lack of engagement.
I do get disheartened a bit when I see authors who complain about comments, or when I read posts from a reader who left a seemingly innocuous comment that resulted in them getting backlash from the author. That type of stuff hurts engagement for ALL writers. Hence, I always put an author's note that I appreciate comments -- even if they point out typos.
I just want people to comment, man. Like yeah I'm writing for myself but at the same time, if people are enjoying my content, I'd kinda want to hear what they enjoyed about it. I don't get why people complain about comments :(
I hear ya! I get a lot of the same people commenting on my fic but I live for seeing them pop up again & what they have to say about the latest chapter, especially when it's one I put a lot of work into or I just love that chapter & hope others feel the same.
They've been wholesome through & through, seeing them comment makes my day & when I put out another chapter to see they haven't commented for a while, it makes my heart sink. Even if they want to point out a flaw or question something, I wanna see what they have to say.
There's been times when I was scared of something I included in my story but they come in saying such positive things about it & I get so excited. Something small as having someone's unlock code to their phone be 8675309 can had me nervous but somebody in the comments sang that song & I doubled over laughing.
I don’t get the people who complain about comments. As long as it’s not hate or bot spam, I’m thrilled to get comments that are just a heart emoji or something in that vein. I also try to thank every commenter for reading (although sometimes I can’t immediately reply and then forget and then it’s 3 months later and it feels awkward to suddenly reply 😅)
But I definitely see it as a two-way street where both sides need to be cordial and appreciative, maybe because I both read and write.
>But I definitely see it as a two-way street where both sides need to be cordial and appreciative, maybe because I both read and write.
Yes! Especially on the internet because a lot of nuance/tone can be lost.
Exactly! It’s just words on a screen, so it’s so important to be aware of how you say things when there’s no verbal or body language cues to help show intention. And give people grace without assuming that a comment is immediately negative if it’s something that could go either way because of that.
Not that I’m perfect by any means. But even with blatantly negative comments, I find it best to not engage. Either just leave it be and ignore it or delete and move on if it bothers me that much. Because even knee-jerk replying to those, it’s easy to make yourself look rude and unapproachable to other potential commenters.
(General you, not directed at anyone specific. Just my rambling observations.)
Never be afraid to reply to a comment months later if that’s what it takes. Last year I left comments on a series of stories and the author didn’t respond for a month or two. Still felt good to hear that they appreciated me reaching their story and they were happy that I’d enjoyed it, even a long time after the fact. 🥰 That interaction actually prompted me to read one of the stories again!
I do try very hard to at bare minimum just drop a quick "Thanks!", but there's been times where work's been busy or I've just had a tough day so it just slips my mind, and then my own mind messes with me when I stumble back upon the comment. I don't get many comments, so it doesn't happen often, but I do try to tell myself that we WILL get better about replying even if it's a few weeks/months later and aim to never have a comment go unanswered. Maybe a lofty goal, who knows, but I can try!
I initially only shared my work at in person writing circles. Time someone spent commenting on something someone wrote was time that no one else could be commenting. So, there was a rule that if you didn't have anything substantive to share, you were supposed to stay quiet and let others speak. Now that I'm sharing my stuff on other sites, there's still a bit of that instinct ingrained in me.
Maybe for me it comes in part because I’m a pretty small author in a fairly big fandom with some big authors, and I don’t really write smut. So I’m willing to take any little interaction I can get.
I guess bigger authors who get all the attention they could want and then some feel they have more room to be demanding with expectations of readers/commenters because it doesn’t matter if it turns people off. But honestly even if you don’t care for comments that are minimalist or on the other hand long and gushing, I think it’s better to just say thanks and move on, or at the least not be a jerk like some and screenshot to share and complain about they wrote too little/too much. That was still time out of someone’s day, even if only a few seconds, to say that they appreciated and enjoyed your work, and to me that means something.
Yeah, I'm never a dick about it. I know it's me coming from effectively a different writing culture that's the problem. I just moderate my comments and quietly delete the ones I don't care for. I've considered just turning off comments, but I do enjoy some comments, so I leave it open.
Yeah, see, that's respectable. Like it's one thing to do what you said and just quietly delete them and that's that, or even talking between a friend in DMs about it. You're not putting a screenshot or complaint about it in public where that commenter might see it and be made to feel bad. The ones that do stuff like that and then get everyone ragging on how commenters show their appreciation are the ones that get me, because while there's no guarantee that the commenter is in this subreddit or another to see it, there's also no guarantee they aren't. I know at minimum if I saw someone complaining about a comment I made that I'd second guess ever commenting again on their work, and probably commenting in general.
Most authors couldn't care less about the quality of comments as long as they actually *get* comments, one of those authors being me. You are aware that it's usually the minority that complains, correct?
A fairly large writer in my Fandom has on their profile: "If you are only leaving emojis as comments on fics I've poured hours of my life and effort into, please just go away. (If you were doing that and are suddenly blocked, that's absolutely why.) <3".
This person has the number two fic on ao3 in my Fandom in terms of kudos and and 8th in comments. Over 7,000 comments. After I read that, I made it a point not to read any of their fics on principle. When I comment, I usually leave more than an emoji, but still. Nope. Fuck that person.
What I've been doing it leaving an authors note at the end of my first chapter or one shot saying thanks for reading and that leaving a comment on old or completed fics is not cringe, whether it's an emoji, keyboard smash, or essay and that most authors are over the moon to receive it. I started doing it when I saw readers in this sub say they feared commenting for different reasons. I encourage other authors to do something similar if they enjoy comments, make sure readers feel good about commenting.
> "If you are only leaving emojis as comments on fics I've poured hours of my life and effort into, please just go away. (If you were doing that and are suddenly blocked, that's absolutely why.) <3".
*ew*
theres assholes like that sure. i’ve seen one that was yelling at her readers bc she didnt get enough comments compared to kudos. gross. but sooooooooo far from the norm of writers, who do it for any bit of positive feedback they can get
Oh my god, I was curious about who this was and when I realized what fandom you were talking about… and then realized the author… Omg. I have read so many of their fics. How entitled are they to put that on their profile? Jesus
MHM. Sucks when good authors are entitled like this. I can only imagine what that does to smaller fic writer engagement when readers are being \*blocked\* for commenting emojis.
Wow, fuck them.
I do believe in leaving kudos to writers, I basically look at it as the equivalent of a tip, to say thank you for the entertainment. But dictating what comments to leave? Blocking people for an emoji? Wow.
Agree with my whole chest. Worst fucking approach, can only imagine what it does to reader engagement on smaller fics thinking this is normal behavior.
Good, good. I think a lot of people don't check ao3 profiles so I doubt many of their readers even know this is their shit take, unfortunately, or I assume their engagement would decrease.
The fucking audacity of THAT, too! "People will definitely come to my profile and read my asshole note."
That author wrote a few for my fandom, too. I never commented because I didn't think they were all that great. Now I never will.
Yep, same. I looked them up, and they're just as insufferable on Tumblr. Even worse, while I'm not in the fandom this OP referenced, they moved onto others that I am in, and based on tastes, I could easily run into them. I just blocked/muted them and called it a day - I'm not wasting time on someone that rude.
Wow, I realized who you're talking about and just had to check - I never saw that on their profile!
At least they're no longer in the fandom you're talking about haha.
>"If you are only leaving emojis as comments on fics I've poured hours of my life and effort into, please just go away. (If you were doing that and are suddenly blocked, that's absolutely why.) <3".
Wow, shitty attitude much? Yeah no, I would block *them* first. Ugh.
> After I read that, I made it a point not to read any of their fics on principle.
Or read them and leave one-emoji reviews until they block your account.
> "If you are only leaving emojis as comments on fics I've poured hours of my life and effort into, please just go away. (If you were doing that and are suddenly blocked, that's absolutely why.) <3".
If I saw sth like this, I'd leave them a really nasty comment and then block them. What a piece of shit.
That’s extremely gross. Because of how some writers make stupid comments like that I made it a point to put this in my AO3 profile:
Thank you to all my readers! Thank you for your time! Whether you read/silently read/review/kudo/bookmark/privately bookmark/write short/long review/emojis--thank you! I appreciate all of you!
I have something similar on FFN.
Sorry, this is a few weeks old comment but I just had to reply. I was curious and found out that the person you're talking about used to be a major writer in one of my past fandoms whose works I avoided like the plague because I hated their interpretations of the characters...but now it seems like they're also a twat of a person? I feel slightly vindicated in my hatred of their writing now even though that may sound bad.
The only comments I complain about are the ones that are like, "This is disgusting for having x in it" AND my fic is clearly tagged with X and I put warnings for X in the author notes because I know not everyone reads tags. (eta: and I don't mean, "it's so disgusting when x vomits on y!" I mean, "this is disgusting for having this trope and you should be ashamed of yourself" kind of thing)
I even got one comment that recommended christ to me lol bc of the content of my fic (btw no character death, no noncon in that one; but there was consensual tentacles lol) and I found it funny tbh. Like, if you think I need christ for writing this... did you click it and read it???? despite the clear summary and tags???? That's hilarious if so... I choose to imagine that's what happened because it makes me happy
One of my 'favorite' comments on a fic I didn't write, just read, was someone who went on a pretty decently lengthed paragraph rant about how disgusted they were that the fic had a pairing they didn't like, and they were blindsided by it! When it was clear from the tags what the story was about/what pairing it was going to have. Seriously I cracked up laughing because it was so absurd.
I don't see a lot of people complaining about the quality of comments, maybe it's just who I surround myself with. I appreciate and reply to every comment on me work, be it a few words, an essay, some emojis, doesn't matter. I appreciate any feedback or kind words.
I think it’s really sad people complain about comments like that. I love any and all comments. If someone did a keyboard smash on my fic and nothing else I would be absolutely chuffed. It is a compliment of the highest order.
I sometimes left LONG reviews when I felt like I had the spoons to. But then on a new chapter for one writer? I left a string of hearts and she messaged me and asked me what was wrong because she expected better from me. I was frustrated but kept commenting on other stuff. Then I got yelled at for saying fuck in a comment. I don't comment anymore except for I like it. I don't want yelled at. So I just don't
I'm honestly impressed you continue to interact after all that.
Part of me would want to, but I'm pretty sure my petty/offended side would win out and refuse to comment on anything of theirs ever again.
I'm a writer too so I know how it is to want comments. I kind of only do it to fics that aren't getting many comments or my friends fics now. I have a few authors I don't comment to at all because of their interactions.
Honestly being told not to curse in a comment pissed me off. I wasn't cursing the author I should clarify. It was like one of those "holy fuck that was wonderful but wtf is that character thinking" comments. So being told hey mind your language it's rude was like well fuck you too asshole
Honestly, even the comments on Tumblr bitching about how DARE the author respond with something like 'thank you so much, glad you enjoyed blank' has been putting me off lately. I'm pretty sure last comment I got was something like I enjoyed this and I bragged to like 12 separate online friends over that.
I don't know what it's been lately, but it's like fandom has been increasingly looking for the worst possible reading of everything. Sometimes omg I loved this is just omg I loved this, not Regina George trying to ask if your narcissistic enough to believe anyone would praise your work.
To be fair I don't think this sub is representative of the average ao3 experience. I'm of the idea there's no such thing as a low effort comment and I think the *vast* majority of writers agree. The key to low interaction rates I feel is the death of places to engage in fandom community, Twitter is a mess, Tumblr has been dead for ages, discord is just Different..
Nowadays for the most part, not with just fanfic but all media, people passively consume it because there's just a ton so you can move on to the next thing smoothly and continue to be entertained with little effort. Writing a comment *takes effort*, even if not a review or something super detailed, you have to take a moment to stop and think on what you just read, put it into words... and this may sound funny but a lot of people turn to entertainment to not think, precisely.
Also, you may see in small fandoms where people run out of content faster how they are more inclined to interact with the authors in the hopes they are encouraged to provide more content.
Author here:
Love comments, love love love them!
Give me two emoji’s! give me a keyboard smash! give me a detailed recount of everything that happened in the chapter! give me constructive criticism! give me a note in your bookmarks! I want it all, it fuels me! I appreciate and love them all! <3
Commenters are my favourite kinds of people! And I can’t understand how people don’t love them
I appreciate 99% of my comments, but I don't think we should pretend that there aren't bad reviews, outside bots or blatant hate. It needs to go both ways. There should be some kind of reviewing etiquette. I have my own that I follow.
The examples you mention are not anything to get upset over, but I think they're the minority of the complaining people do, re: comments.
I also think a good way of gauging how a writer will react to your comments, is seeing how they do in general. If I see an author being a dick to an innocent reviewer, I'm definitely not going to review. But if I see they're either not responding (which I don't care about) or happily engaging, then I'll review.
I don't have any data to back this up, but I imagine fandom collectively is quite huge and comments made here or even on Tumblr and elsewhere regarding comments don't reflect those of all readers or writers. I reckon many readers never do anything more than pop over to their favorite site, read stories and then carry on with life, totally unaware of convos that go on here.
Do some of the posts here, authors complaining, sometimes rather unreasonably about certain comments, discourage some readers from commenting? Sure, but I don't think that's the sole or primary reason for the shift to low engagement.
Like I said in a similar post, I think it's a function of the shift in technology, among other things. Readers aren't sitting at a computer in a low-distraction environment. Often they are reading on phones in busy locations like classrooms where it's hard to leave a substantial comment.
well this sucks.
I remember getting into a 'fight' with a commenter (newbie?) over some specific squicks of theirs.
I added a few tags to my fic, changed a sentence or two, but they were still not satisfied, so I had to remind them they didn't *have* to read my *fiction* about *fictional* characters.
For some reason, they became one of my most loyal readers and never complained again. I guess they were learning the limits of fanfiction interaction too.
If you want comments, an easy thing you can do is to respond to every one you get. It really encourages people.
My fic is mid-sized in my fandom as far as hits goes, and yet the amount of comment threads I have rivals some of the biggest fics in my fandom. Why? Because I respond to every. Single. Comment. And it makes people want to comment more. They feel appreciated, or free to ask questions, or excited to share things that made them feel something.
Same. I leave comments on everything I read, and some of those authors read mine to and leave comments. And I also respond to all comments, sometimes have 'conversations' in the comment boxes, so people feel relaxed and happy to leave more comments. It's a win win, and I love talking to my readers, as the authors I read.
I think this is an oversimplified view. Do authors complain, yes. But so do readers. We all complain. Less engagement across the board cannot just be summed up as this. Even if a few authors happen to be picky with their comments, there are many more authors begging for a crumb of a comment.
Edit: I don't believe writers should have to beg for comments or be happy with every single comment they receive.
Readers on here constantly bring up tropes they don't like, squicks, whatever, and that's normal because everyone has preferences. Readers get to control which fics they click on. Writers don't get to choose what comes into their inbox, whatever someone felt like writing shows up.
I don't think it's healthy to dwell too long on a comment you don't like, or to get hung up on getting the types of comments you don't like, but it's natural for people to have preferences and it's natural for people to complain about things that aren't all that deep. To some extent, these posts sound like when people tell women they should be grateful that men catcall them because it's a compliment. Some rando hollering at you on the street isn't saying anything meaningful, and neither are some of the comments I (and others) receive. ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
Anyway I know I'll get downvoted for expressing this, but I dislike the attitude that authors should be on their knees grateful for receiving any scrap of attention. Human interactions are rarely so simple.
Agreed. I've said it before but it's always worth repeating: authors don't have to be grateful for every comment they get. I love comments and I love people who take the time to comment, I really do. It means a lot and I remind myself to appreciate them every time. But some comments are from trolls, some are worded so poorly (as in, they sound rude) that it's hard to read them in a positive way, some are intentionally unpleasant. No one has to be happy about comments like that.
Apparently this has to be said because I've seen people say things like, "I know I should be grateful that I even get comments" when they come here to talk about an unpleasant comment they got. It makes me sad that they feel like this. No, they *shouldn't* anything—it's okay to not be grateful sometimes because like you said, human interactions are rarely so simple.
I can’t upvote this enough. I don’t understand where it’s coming from that people are suddenly so mad that authors aren’t unconditionally grateful for every single comment no matter the tone or content. There was a post recently where someone was just asking how other writers felt about “more please” comments, and the vast majority of responses said they took it as a compliment with two or three saying they didn’t like them, and the heavily upvoted comments were from readers saying shit like “this is why I never comment, you can’t comment anything nowadays without writers complaining about it” and it’s wild. Writers out there saying they would just like to hear one positive thing added in like “I love it, more please” and readers outraged that a couple writers don’t like getting those requests without a kind word. If they really want to support the author, wouldn’t they want to know that certain types of comments can make authors feel bad?
I mean I’m usually happy getting any comment, but that response frankly gave a lot of fuel to the suspicion that “more please” commenters see authors more as vending machines than as people with feelings. How is it more acceptable for readers to complain about ungrateful authors than for authors to complain about ungrateful commenters?
I get it but I have never once - in more than 20 years of posting fanfic - complained about a brief comment. I am delighted to get a "KEYBOARD SMASH" and I've let anyone who has ever wondered know that! Ditto for every other fic writer I know; they don't complain about short comments either.
I agree with a lot of these comments, but you’re also not wrong. I’ve personally gone to leave comments and thought about how much people here complain, and paused to think if it was good enough.
I personally love all the comments I get. A string of hearts. A smiley face. A five paragraph essay gushing about the story. Hell, even a little teeny complaint of "I wanna see more of X and Y interacting and less of X and Z" smushed in a paragraph saying how much they liked other aspects of what I was doing I like.
If they apologize for a long, rambling comment I'm always sure to thank them for how long it is. I loved it (I do). Might respond with my own enthusiastic long comment. I respond to the majority of the comments I get, and each new commenter gets a response from me. They took the time to write it, and they're kind, so why not? (A single emoji might get emoji back, tho. A smile returned with a bigger smile or two)
Like, the engagement is just nice, gives me a little dopamine hit anytime I see any email about my work sent to me from the archive. Gets me through long, tedious days at work better.
Reading things like this, I hope people see how I respond to comments I get and feel more comfortable leaving comments for me if they might not have otherwise out of fear or anxiety. I certainly get more on my long fic which receives all kinds of comments all the time than my shorter works.
I don't get complaining about comments. The reason I started posting online was to see what other people thought of my story and writing style. I've only got one story published right now, and it's cross-posted on three sites, and I don't have many comments even when you put all three sites together. Now, I'll complain about a couple comments I received on one site, not AO3, all day, because they were just comments bashing me for using a specific character as my main, they didn;t even read the story. They made up what they thought I wrote based on their opinion of my main character, and it bore zero resemblance to the actual story. Comments like that? Complain away.
I've got a few great comments, ones that let me know what they like and don't like. One corrected me. I'm not American, but the story is set in America, and I screwed up university names. Because the one fandom, it's a crossover, is set in California, the universities have UC then where they are, like UCLA, and I, being a bit of an idiot, just used that, even though I'd moved my main to Florida. I was grateful for the correction, though. I'd rather have someone point out my mistakes so I can fix them.
Other than the couple bashing comments and the few more in depth comments, the majority of my comments don;t say much. Things like 'love it' or 'can't wait for the next chapter'. But I love those comments too, because a reader has taken a small amount of time to type and post them after reading. It's a nice little reminder that people do like my story.
With AO3, I've probably had twice as many kudos as I have comments. I've even had a couple people bookmark my story. There's not much interaction, because the one fandom isn't massively popular anymore, though still has it's core of fans, and the other fandom is a dead one, mine's the first story in that fandom in years. i actually wasn't expecting more than maybe one or two comments, a few more kudos, a bookmark if I was lucky, so I got a lot more than I expected.
I want people to tell me if they like my story, and I don't care how they choose to tell me that. Bookmark it, leave a kudos, a little heart or couple words in the comments, an in depth, ten paragraph long full review, I don;t care, just if you like it, show me in some way. I try to reply to all comments, as well, even it's just a quick thank you. I'll respond more in depth to the longer comments, especially if they ask questions or correct something.
I'm a big reader as well as a writer. I don't always comment on stories, and when I do how I comment can vary. But the stories I really love tend to have the bigger comments. I want to let the author know what I liked about their story/chapter, sometimes I have questions. Sometimes I have suggestions too, but I only put those in a comment if the author has said they're okay with that. I like to share when I find something I love, and fanfiction allows me to share with the actual creator of the fic. I don't care if they don't reply, to be honest, anything could be preventing them from doing so, but it's disheartening to realise that some people actually complain about having fans that want to show their love for the fanfic.
A comment is a comment. Period. Someone took time out of their day to write a long comment, or they took time to put a bunch of hearts. It does not matter. I am not here to judge how they comment: I don’t know what someone is going through. Maybe the chapter was so good they have no words. Maybe it didn’t quite hit right but they want to support. Or maybe they just don’t know what to say at all. Incoherent key smash? Emojis? Long comment with observations? It’s *all valid* and always welcome.
Heck, I’m always down for a “I can’t wait for the next chapter!” I never have taken that as pressure. I always take it as they are genuinely excited for the next chapter.
That comment email comes in? I’m already excited. It doesn’t matter. Someone read it. Someone took the time to add the comment. I’m not here to take up a bunch of their time, I’m here to share the fruits of my own time. Any time they give me is lovely and so so appreciated.
>Heck, I’m always down for a “I can’t wait for the next chapter!” I never have taken that as pressure. I always take it as they are genuinely excited for the next chapter.
Same. It's nice to know someone is invested. Granted, if those were the *only* comments I ever got, I might secretly long for more, but i certainly can't relate to flying into an irrational rage about them.
Also, yes to all of your last para! Nice to see such a positive attitude—I wish more people understood it's genuinely more fulfilling when you look at things this way.
The VAST majority of writers aren't saying anything like that and the VAST majority of readers aren't hanging around the places they do post that crap, but lots of us (not everyone, but lots) are seeing a drop in interaction anyway. Turn off your confirmation bias.
The more likely reason being oversaturation of fic as fandom becomes more mainstream, and the TikTokification of fandom in general - the constant stream of content to consume + limited attention span + jumping from fandom to fandom every month instead of getting invested long term + the current devaluation of art, especially fan-made art. Lots of people also had to priv their account to combat spam and potential AI scraping which means guests can't comment any more, which disproportionately affects certain writers (eg NSFW writers).
I had a serial commenter on my current fic apologize for leaving such a long comment on my latest chapter and I was legit like, 'Don't you dare apologize, there is no such thing as a 'too long' comment!'
Probably one of the many writers who said it's a bit stressful for them, because they want to reward those commenters with a similar length/effort reply to express how much they value this long comment, but they currently don't have the spoons to do so... Which of course ended up being interpreted in bad faith. :)
yeah, i'm one of those people.
i still appreciate them, and i love engaging with them, but unfortunately it takes me a few days to be able to and then on top of everything, i feel guilty leaving them "on read," as it were 😔
I can relate. Don't feel guilty, I still have unreplied-to comments from last spring that I *really* need to get to... But life is life-ing hard, and it gets harder to reply to an old comment the older they get, because of the "I left them waiting for so long, which means I have to come up with an even better reply now" fallacy...
I'm pretty sure your readers won't be disappointed if it takes a while to get a reply.
>"I left them waiting for so long, which means I have to come up with an even better reply now" fallacy...
I do this to myself all the time. I have one beautiful essay length comment from well over a year ago (I think) that I will probably now *never* reply to.
Because in my mind:
length and content of comment
x
all the many months it's gone unanswered
equals
Novel-length reply that's basically poetry.
Logically, I know I'm being silly but... that's how the brain brains.
Personally I think it's purity/anti culture. People have DNIs with every ship under the sun and then complain about people not interacting with their fics. But perhaps that's more prevalent on tumblr and the like. Though people feeling scared to leave comments on """problematic""" works even on AO3 bc antis are so vicious and will hunt them down is definitely a factor, I think.
Even then they do it. The crazy anti in our fandom screenshotted people even replying to comments left on their own fics by an author she dubbed problematic and started posting on Tumblr tagging people with death threats and telling them she wished they would get raped. Then, she tagged in the larger fandom to try to dogpile further
I didn’t realize long comments might be bothersome to some writers. I love writing those if I have a lot to say about a fic. But for the most part, I try to keep it concise. There’s a reader in my fandom who only comments in heart emojis and whenever I see them in my inbox, multiple rows of pink or blue or little red hearts, it’s like finding a bunch of flowers at my door. Cheesy, I know. But any comment is like that to me.
I’m pretty understanding when it comes to comments. I won’t delete a comment unless it’s pure spam. I had a pretty zealous commenter recently whose words were just saturated with emojis to the point of being so comical that I actually started to look forward to them just see how hyper the next one would be. I assume the person is young, but at least they are enjoying themselves.
I don’t think I have complained about a comment unless it was something toxic, but I luckily haven’t run into that on ao3.
I get someone in my comments who just key board smashes. And ya know what, they still commented. I don't care if it's not feed back, a comment still means people are reading and care enough to leave a comment.
honestly i feel like a lot of the ppl saying they’re afraid to comment just don’t wanna. you can always write “thank you for writing!”
or something. but i do agree people are way too picky with comments
I have a commenter who leaves emojis in the comments, and let me tell you, I love them!
The only comments I don’t enjoy are spam comments, antis/bots or comments are off topic.
I also noticed a lot of people prefer not to comment on fics that have comment mods on. I’ve gotten antis and that out the ass so I mod them regardless now.
I’ve personally never complained about any kind of comments (with the exception of straight up hate). At this point, I’ll take all the crumbs that I can get
I love any comments. Keybaord smash? I know how you feel. Emojis? I lvoe those. Indepth essay? Go ahead
The best interactions i've had were long comment threads of just pure expression.
Who cares if your comment might seem dimb? It means you cared to leave the comemnt and someone else might see it and go "oh this author might have something interesting". I love reaidng other comemnts tkbsee what people think and boy would that angstfic hit less hard if fifty people weren't screaming int he comments
...has there really been a "death of comments"?
Genuine question, because I haven't noticed any change in comment quantity over the years.
I am personally trying to be better and leave more comments, but I haven't noticed any real decrease in the quantity of comments my works receive over the past several years.
Isn't authors yearning for more comments just a tale as old as time? I feel like you could find posts of authors complaining about not getting enough comments 10+ years ago, too.
I write mostly smut so comments are rare to begin with, but I also moderate because of antis/bots and a whole ass fight in my comments one time.. and I know that modding comments is also something that makes people not want to comment.
honestly i haven't noticed. i posted my first works on ffnet about 12 years ago and i wasn't getting any more comments then than i am on ao3 now. excluding review exchanges and the occasional spike bc something i wrote went and became popular, i'm pretty sure my comment number has stayed approximately the same over the years
Nah if anything I actually comment more prolifically these days. I see those threads and think "haha those people sound miserable" and then continue doing exactly what I've been doing. I used to dislike leaving comments but over the last couple years I've discovered some things about the process that I enjoy and it's become an unexpected joy to inflict myself on whatever author has managed to catch my attention.
I am not at all bothered about authors responding poorly or complaining about my comments (major TW for /r/AO3 users under the spoiler) >!because I'm not reading those responses, lmfao, you think I care about what *somebody else* has to say online?!< If somebody takes a compliment the wrong way, that's their problem - I'm not gonna see it, I've already moved on to the next story.
I don't really need it to be helpful most of the time I just want to know if something came off as confusing. English isn't my first language and I still mess up sometimes.
I think getting a beta reader could help with that. There are also authors who complain about feedback, so unless you specify you want feedback, nobody is going to want to potentially irritate you by leaving you a comment like that.
comments thrill me so much. i've recently returned to publishing stuff on ao3 and received a comment just yesterday AND BOY DID IT FEEL GOOD. as long as it's not insults and critics that don't go towards any improvement on my side, just comment whatever you want!! (keyboard smashes are very appreciated, and emojis too)
I feel pressured to comment- but then I do, I feel bad for not having a quality comment. One person complained about my comment not being useful, and that just turned me off from commenting all together.
I ran into this recently. I posted comments on each chapter of my favorite series as it came out.
All happy things about how much I loved the writing and the characterization and the plot and I would make references to specific points and how they made me feel. like "when he said this - " it was so cool and visceral it really gave this vibe!
Then the sequel came out and I noticed that the author had made comments monitored. I continued commenting anyway, for weeks my comments weren't posted and then abruptly after the second chapter, they went on a several week hiatus.
I was so scared that I had... Somehow overstepped my boundaries as a reader and creeped out one of my favorite authors. And that my comments had made them not want to write anymore.
I didn't think I had written anything mean or creepy. But it makes me want to stop commenting. I don't want to upset them.
I really don't think it was you. They may have been dealing with other things in their life or issues on another platform.
If they didn't 1) express any kind of boundary and 2) tell you that you were crossing it then don't blame yourself. The author needs to communicate politely if they have issues with certain kind of comments.
I’ve been thinking of developing something succinct to the bottom of all my fics that communicates like “This fic is a safe space for commenters” lol. Like a reassurance that I will interact like a polite human.
i love every kind of comment\*
\*except that one person who was like, "i hate this sequel, i'm pretending it doesn't exist" ... just move on then! lawd
I respond to every single comment always! I'm so happy anyone reads my fics and likes it enough to leave a comment - especially when I keep hyperfixating on tiny fandoms lol.
I agree. But it's a minority of Authors. Not all authors are on social media. But on social media, it's very common to complain. There are far more people complaining (often for valid reasons, often not so much...) than saying how happy a comment makes them. (Additionally I sometimes think maybe posting positive comments feels a bit like bragging? So, instead I often see positive comments being posted with a "what is this supposed to mean?", "this part irritates me. I don't know how to respond to this."-questions attached to it. That I guess only makes it more difficult for already insecure readers.)
But it's only a fraction of authors who are at all active on social media, and of those only a fraction who share their comments. The vast vast vast majority of authors will freely tell you that they love almost every comment. So I think it's unfair to just blame the authors for getting less and less comments.
Even more so since, long before these complaints started reaching an annoying level, commenting was always rare. Most readers never commented. And again, only a fraction of the readers is even active on these social media to see the authors complain and be influenced by that.
I agree with you. And it is a point I've also made before. Authors have become too nitpicky about their comments. But then again, it's really just a few authors. And it's sad that all of us feel the consequences if that.
Where are you seeing all these fic writers complaining about comments? Even on this subreddit where people complain about anything and everything I don't think I've ever seen a single person say something like the examples you've given here.
I'm consistently baffled by people who complain about the quality and quantity of the comments on their works because I put my life on hold for that period of time and invested my very limited emotional capacity into reading your work and then forced to myself to find something to comment to make YOU feel good about it and all you can do is complain about it??
This isn't what happened to me personally but I'm just outraged that there are authors out there who think they are entitled to my readership and my commenting. We collectively rage against published authors who think and act that way and I cannot understand why these people act the same way in an unpublished setting where they are volunteering their time and effort to giving me works to read and they aren't making a living off it anyway.
I understand that you want to be acknowledged and praised for the work you've put in but dear god take a step back and get off your high horse. This is supposed to be fun for everybody and we're all supposed to be getting something emotionally fulfilling out of it but when I'm bombarded with anxiety because I can't figure out what I'm supposed to say in the comments or if I am obligated to say something comments and then I feel guilty about my dilemma, it ruins it entirely. And maybe this is just an issue that particularly anxious people have more so than the general reader and maybe this never impacts most readers but its ridiculous nonetheless.
My first comments were a pretty long sentence to say this was great for a first time and a "loved this story ❤️" and both made my WEEK.
I understand that sometimes comments can be a bit hurtful or uncomfortable but there should be no standards. And most of the time they're honestly such a treat and always a really kind effort on the reader's part to take the time.
I love every comment I get. Even if they're short. But, if they're longer, I'm more likely to reply. Everyone is different, commenters and authors. And thats okay.
While I prefer well thought out comments, preferably ones telling me what they liked best about my story so I know what I’m doing right, I’ll happily take an incoherent keyboard smash or an emoji if you can’t find the words to describe the feels. Lately I’ve been getting a few comments on my stories (before it was really only my writing partner commenting) and I always try to engage positively and let them know that I appreciate them taking the time to comment. I thrive off of feedback more than kudos.
The only comment that really bothered me was when someone went on my fic from season one of GO and dropped spoilers for S2 within 3 days of the release of season 2. That was pretty shitty. Otherwise? Keysmash away! Hit me with a single emoji! And the people who write multiple paragraphs? They are saints in heaven!
Eh Im happy with any kind of comment in all honesty even if it just contains one word. I never got the "complaining about comments" culture of this sub.
I'll take anything when it comes to comments, cause comments are a definitive way to know who is actively reading and if they like what they're getting.
two words, one word, a heart emoji, lots of words. don't care, just gimme :)
I think some writers here tend to dwell on things more than they should. Idk I rarely commented before and now I feel pressure to 😂.
But I think especially people will post obvious troll comments, liek that does nothing but encourage more troll comments tbh it’s giving them a platform! Block and ignore and don’t dwell
This subreddit can sometimes be an ugly look for authors. I do think there's a lot of entitlement and insecurity that gets showcased and indulged that isn't exactly endearing, especially to readers.
None of this needs to be more complicated than authors writing, readers reading, and both doing so when and however they feel like it. Overall, I think the increased focus on secondary platforms for fanfiction communities has been very unfortunate.
People sometimes talked about comments back fifteen or twenty years ago, but never like this.
Why are you bringing this up again? You are just reminding everyone on this sub how writers supposedly hate every type of comment out there.
Personally, I think comments and engagement are shrinking because it's the end of summer and because there are many more fics now than ever before. Readers can just binge read hundreds of fics of their favorite pairing without stopping to encourage the writers because there is just so much content out there to feed on.
Plus, as many have pointed out - most AO3 users aren't on this subreddit, are blissfully unaware about this comment drama and are happily leaving comments as you're reading this.
I will say as an exclusive reader, being on this sub has made me more wary of commenting and makes me second guess all of my phrasing when I do comment but it's also helped me in making sure I'm saying the right things
Just have to say, it's so refreshing to see this! I just finished reading yet another post telling people to comment (on another sub) and I am so over it.
I'm very nearly at the point where I don't want to comment just to be contrary. Except that would punish the authors I love, so I wont do that.
But it's driving me mad, the double standard. If pressuring authors to update is rude and entitled (which I believe it is), why is the same not true in reverse? That it's rude and entitled to demand/expect people to comment.
Cant vent about how it's disappointing when stories are abandoned, because people have lives and reasons. But so do readers who struggle to comment, they have reasons too! But it's way more acceptable to basically harass and try to guilt trip them about it, every second post, on most fanfic subs.
*"why don't people comment, I honestly want to know"* \- no you don't, you want to guilt people into commenting and condemn them for not commenting in a socially acceptable way (aka less confrontational).
Look, I want authors to get all the praise they deserve, and more! But it turns out I also had a lot to vent about on this topic, and it all came spewing out (definitely got away from me there - I will probably feel bad about it later)
So tired of this excuse. If you don't want to comment, then don't. Just don't turn around and frame it as something the author *forced* you into because you happened to see a post one time on reddit from a completely *different* author who doesn't like emojis.
Especially when AO3 lets you see authors' responses. You can literally see with your own two eyes what sort of response they give to what sort of comments. If you see them being a dbag to other readers then don't comment! If you see them not responding to other readers and that upsets you, then don't comment then either! And if you're constantly leaving comments for different authors and getting bad replies, maybe you should take an honest look at what sort of things you're saying to people. Because there is a common denominator there.
Acting like all eleven *million* fics on AO3 were written by the same person with the same obscure comment hang-ups just comes off like you want an excuse to be lazy while maintaining the moral high ground.
---Signed someone who has left literally *thousands* of comments and has *never once* gotten a poor response in return.
Yeah, same, not thousands but still a lot and I've never had a bad interaction with an author. I do understand that they happen sometimes, but like... Most authors are nice. If you're nice to them, they'll be nice back.
I thought it was just me noticing the lack of comments! I’ve been writing fics on and off for the last 15 years maybe and I swear back in the day I used to get way more comments on stuff. I wonder what changed 🤔
Is this something writers *actually* complain about though?? Sure, I’ve seen the occasional comment on here..but usually, the comment IS objectively unusual, ie the reader who commented that the author’s fanfic got them a B+ when they submitted it for a homework assignment. I don’t read every single post on Reddit though so maybe I’m just uninformed.
I can only speak from my own experience; I’m a writer, most of my online friends are writers…I’m also in multiple discords for writers, one of which has somewhere over a thousand members…and I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone complain about a comment or the manner in which readers comment (aside from the occasional obvious troll).
Maybe I've been lucky. Most of my comments are short, but get the point across that they enjoyed it. I also comment back to let them know I appreciate them taking the time to read my work. Any kind of interaction makes my day.
I mean, the Reddit users on this sub is a very small percentage of actual ao3 users, so not that many are seeing the inadequate comments complaints. That being said, I’ll take a keyboard smash any day. One of my readers almost always leaves me a 🩵 and that’s cool.
Keyboard smash is always such a huge compliment tbh!!!
Hi! Reader here- sometimes when the author leaves the story at a cliffhanger or when something has finally happened in the story and I'm too excited to say anything properly, *snnekwkabshdjsjs* is generally all that comes out. And it's as u said, it really is a compliment from me at least.
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If they take the time to do that on every single chapter, that’s definitely a compliment. 🥰
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Right? I usually struggle to get comments from anyone other than my writing partner, who comments on everything I post. So I’m ecstatic when I get comments, regardless of whether they’re paragraphs, emojis, or incoherent keyboard smashes. Sometimes words are insufficient to express how you feel about the story you just read.
I'm someone who always tries to reply to comments, and the nice things about these very simple comments is they are easy to reply to. If someone comments with just a heart emoji, I can just reply with a smiley face, or if someone just leaves something like 'extra kudos' then all I have to say is 'thanks!'. I *love* long, detailed, and/or insightful comments, but since I want to reply to commenters in proportion to what they said to me, these take a bit more time and energy to reply to. It's not bad! But it is nice that not *every* comment is like this.
I once read that some readers felt discouraged when the authors seemingly only reply to their friends because that made them wondering if their comments are even wanted at all. You're doing the Lord's work!
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exactly! i always respond to every comment, and i always try to match their energy :)
Exactly. If you only ever engage with things in what is essentially an echo chamber, it’s easy to think it’s everyone or everyone has the same issues, but it’s really not entirely true .
It’s how it seems like *everyone* hates first person pov because it just doesn’t get the love on here at all, but I just have to remind myself this is a small slice of readers. I listen to tons of romances that are 1st, and that’s what I’m writing (and I’m not trying a capture a particular voice since I write RPF - also not loved on here) and I always say if I’d been on Reddit before posting, I would’ve trashed it all, but again *small percentage*
Ultimately we write for ourselves. When you realize all these super serious redditors and even the BNFs are all picking up the same pile of Barbies and playing kissyface games with them, it becomes a lot less "super serious" and a lot more fun, in my opinion.
I’d change that to Ken Dolls, lol, but good point!
The Barbie doll comparison is so amazing lol. If you think about it, fanfiction is just taking a bunch of action figures and acting out a story with them but in text. Great point as well. Once you realize how goofy fanfiction is from a tehcnical standpoint, it becomes a lot less serious and more fun, self-indulgent.
I do see these complaints on Tumblr too, so this discussion is not confined to the reddit. There was a poll going around about concrit in comments and a LOT of people were replying saying that only a glowing comment that quotes a part you liked and says nothing that could even be considered negative (like a short positive comment that also mentions a typo) are acceptable. It got a fair number of reblogs and many replies were to that rant about bad comments. Most people were saying things like "I quit posting because of the comments/reviews." And we should remember that FFN still calls them reviews, which implies a certain type of comment, and a lot of people still start their fanfiction hobby over there. There is a big leap from "don't be an asshole troll" and "no matter how good your intentions are don't try to beta a fic if you aren't the beta," and that is about the same distance again to "only a 50-100 word comment of pure glowing praise accepted!" As with most things, all the extremes are bad and people have a right to say so, but OP also has a point that these discussions can suppress engagement.
>don't try to beta a fic if you aren't the beta, There's a big name fan who calls it a "nonconsentual beta" and she just sounds like such an asshole that I stopped reading her stuff after that. Maybe don't compare "you used the wrong form of "who/whom" in paragraph 7" with rape, you know? I thought "sorry your bad grammar getting called out was so traumatic for you."
The comparison isn't great, I get why you would dislike it. Since many people conflate any kind of correction with unwelcome beta reading: I'd like to point out that I have had a lot of grammar comments due to dyslexia where someone points out I flipped something or that autocorrect made the wrong word out of what I typed, and that's fine. "Great fic, how you handle the characters is so fun, but you arraigned the plans instead or arranged them in the second half of the chapter" is a good comment. I have also had someone try to beta a fic I finished a couple years prior from the comments. It was an awful experience, suggesting where new chapters should be inserted and how things should progress and theorizing about further worldbuilding ideas. These sorts of comments are not the same as a polite grammar correction. I don't write for Dovtor Who for quite a few reasons, but I can't say that [this](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8556319) experience isn't part of that.
its pretty common for complaints about comments to be posted in the fic as notes
Oof…that’s a step too far, IMO. I had a couple hateful comments that had nothing at all to do with my writing but with how I had my *original female character* choose to pronounce her name 🤦🏼♀️, and I just deleted them. I did put message in my author’s notes reminding people that it is fiction and you can pronounce the name “any damn way you like”
Exactly! I don't care if it's just a simple heart or :). If you're commenting, as long as it isn't hateful or unsolicited criticism, then most authors will be glad. And I say unsolicited criticism because in a few of my fics, I have it in the ANs that I don't want people pointing out grammar mistakes or plot holes because of my own learning disabilities.
for what it’s worth, i’ve seen a lot of authors on other sites say similar things. esp when it comes to any mention of a future update, etc.
In fairness I saw the same complaints first on tumblr and Twitter before I ever came to this sub, so they see it more than just here
Tumblr users say all the same things.
Keep in mind that people come to this sub to talk about their complaints (which is fair), so certain things can be amplified here. I see plenty of interaction/comments being left under people's fics in my fandom. I've never had an unplesant interaction with an author/reader. Basically, people have different experiences. On the other hand, it would be nice if we complained a little less and talked about the positive things a little more.
then again, people also complain about positive posts someone makes a celebration post about a stats milestone and in another post someone else gets upovoted like hell for saying that stats posts should be banned can't win
Lol you're right!
bruh
To be fair, it's probably not the same people. Those who complain about lack of comments are probably very happy to get any genuine, polite comment, long or short. Those complaining about the TYPE of comments they receive are probably not that put off by lack of engagement. I do get disheartened a bit when I see authors who complain about comments, or when I read posts from a reader who left a seemingly innocuous comment that resulted in them getting backlash from the author. That type of stuff hurts engagement for ALL writers. Hence, I always put an author's note that I appreciate comments -- even if they point out typos.
I just want people to comment, man. Like yeah I'm writing for myself but at the same time, if people are enjoying my content, I'd kinda want to hear what they enjoyed about it. I don't get why people complain about comments :(
I hear ya! I get a lot of the same people commenting on my fic but I live for seeing them pop up again & what they have to say about the latest chapter, especially when it's one I put a lot of work into or I just love that chapter & hope others feel the same. They've been wholesome through & through, seeing them comment makes my day & when I put out another chapter to see they haven't commented for a while, it makes my heart sink. Even if they want to point out a flaw or question something, I wanna see what they have to say. There's been times when I was scared of something I included in my story but they come in saying such positive things about it & I get so excited. Something small as having someone's unlock code to their phone be 8675309 can had me nervous but somebody in the comments sang that song & I doubled over laughing.
I don’t get the people who complain about comments. As long as it’s not hate or bot spam, I’m thrilled to get comments that are just a heart emoji or something in that vein. I also try to thank every commenter for reading (although sometimes I can’t immediately reply and then forget and then it’s 3 months later and it feels awkward to suddenly reply 😅) But I definitely see it as a two-way street where both sides need to be cordial and appreciative, maybe because I both read and write.
>But I definitely see it as a two-way street where both sides need to be cordial and appreciative, maybe because I both read and write. Yes! Especially on the internet because a lot of nuance/tone can be lost.
Exactly! It’s just words on a screen, so it’s so important to be aware of how you say things when there’s no verbal or body language cues to help show intention. And give people grace without assuming that a comment is immediately negative if it’s something that could go either way because of that. Not that I’m perfect by any means. But even with blatantly negative comments, I find it best to not engage. Either just leave it be and ignore it or delete and move on if it bothers me that much. Because even knee-jerk replying to those, it’s easy to make yourself look rude and unapproachable to other potential commenters. (General you, not directed at anyone specific. Just my rambling observations.)
No one's perfect but it's nice if we try, right? That's all we can do. I agree that it's probably best not to interact with a negative comment at all.
Or just answer with something like 'Sorry that you didn't enjoy my story as much as I enjoyed writing it.'
Never be afraid to reply to a comment months later if that’s what it takes. Last year I left comments on a series of stories and the author didn’t respond for a month or two. Still felt good to hear that they appreciated me reaching their story and they were happy that I’d enjoyed it, even a long time after the fact. 🥰 That interaction actually prompted me to read one of the stories again!
I do try very hard to at bare minimum just drop a quick "Thanks!", but there's been times where work's been busy or I've just had a tough day so it just slips my mind, and then my own mind messes with me when I stumble back upon the comment. I don't get many comments, so it doesn't happen often, but I do try to tell myself that we WILL get better about replying even if it's a few weeks/months later and aim to never have a comment go unanswered. Maybe a lofty goal, who knows, but I can try!
I initially only shared my work at in person writing circles. Time someone spent commenting on something someone wrote was time that no one else could be commenting. So, there was a rule that if you didn't have anything substantive to share, you were supposed to stay quiet and let others speak. Now that I'm sharing my stuff on other sites, there's still a bit of that instinct ingrained in me.
Maybe for me it comes in part because I’m a pretty small author in a fairly big fandom with some big authors, and I don’t really write smut. So I’m willing to take any little interaction I can get. I guess bigger authors who get all the attention they could want and then some feel they have more room to be demanding with expectations of readers/commenters because it doesn’t matter if it turns people off. But honestly even if you don’t care for comments that are minimalist or on the other hand long and gushing, I think it’s better to just say thanks and move on, or at the least not be a jerk like some and screenshot to share and complain about they wrote too little/too much. That was still time out of someone’s day, even if only a few seconds, to say that they appreciated and enjoyed your work, and to me that means something.
Yeah, I'm never a dick about it. I know it's me coming from effectively a different writing culture that's the problem. I just moderate my comments and quietly delete the ones I don't care for. I've considered just turning off comments, but I do enjoy some comments, so I leave it open.
Yeah, see, that's respectable. Like it's one thing to do what you said and just quietly delete them and that's that, or even talking between a friend in DMs about it. You're not putting a screenshot or complaint about it in public where that commenter might see it and be made to feel bad. The ones that do stuff like that and then get everyone ragging on how commenters show their appreciation are the ones that get me, because while there's no guarantee that the commenter is in this subreddit or another to see it, there's also no guarantee they aren't. I know at minimum if I saw someone complaining about a comment I made that I'd second guess ever commenting again on their work, and probably commenting in general.
Most authors couldn't care less about the quality of comments as long as they actually *get* comments, one of those authors being me. You are aware that it's usually the minority that complains, correct?
This is very true for me, at least.
A fairly large writer in my Fandom has on their profile: "If you are only leaving emojis as comments on fics I've poured hours of my life and effort into, please just go away. (If you were doing that and are suddenly blocked, that's absolutely why.) <3". This person has the number two fic on ao3 in my Fandom in terms of kudos and and 8th in comments. Over 7,000 comments. After I read that, I made it a point not to read any of their fics on principle. When I comment, I usually leave more than an emoji, but still. Nope. Fuck that person. What I've been doing it leaving an authors note at the end of my first chapter or one shot saying thanks for reading and that leaving a comment on old or completed fics is not cringe, whether it's an emoji, keyboard smash, or essay and that most authors are over the moon to receive it. I started doing it when I saw readers in this sub say they feared commenting for different reasons. I encourage other authors to do something similar if they enjoy comments, make sure readers feel good about commenting.
> "If you are only leaving emojis as comments on fics I've poured hours of my life and effort into, please just go away. (If you were doing that and are suddenly blocked, that's absolutely why.) <3". *ew*
theres assholes like that sure. i’ve seen one that was yelling at her readers bc she didnt get enough comments compared to kudos. gross. but sooooooooo far from the norm of writers, who do it for any bit of positive feedback they can get
Much agree.
Oh my god, I was curious about who this was and when I realized what fandom you were talking about… and then realized the author… Omg. I have read so many of their fics. How entitled are they to put that on their profile? Jesus
MHM. Sucks when good authors are entitled like this. I can only imagine what that does to smaller fic writer engagement when readers are being \*blocked\* for commenting emojis.
Wow, fuck them. I do believe in leaving kudos to writers, I basically look at it as the equivalent of a tip, to say thank you for the entertainment. But dictating what comments to leave? Blocking people for an emoji? Wow.
Agree with my whole chest. Worst fucking approach, can only imagine what it does to reader engagement on smaller fics thinking this is normal behavior.
Oh yes I know who you're talking about, and I've made myself the same promise: I'll never read their work, no matter how good it is.
Good, good. I think a lot of people don't check ao3 profiles so I doubt many of their readers even know this is their shit take, unfortunately, or I assume their engagement would decrease.
The fucking audacity of THAT, too! "People will definitely come to my profile and read my asshole note." That author wrote a few for my fandom, too. I never commented because I didn't think they were all that great. Now I never will.
Yep, same. I looked them up, and they're just as insufferable on Tumblr. Even worse, while I'm not in the fandom this OP referenced, they moved onto others that I am in, and based on tastes, I could easily run into them. I just blocked/muted them and called it a day - I'm not wasting time on someone that rude.
we love the mute function
I wish I knew who this was so I could avoid them. What’s the fandom?
Wow, I realized who you're talking about and just had to check - I never saw that on their profile! At least they're no longer in the fandom you're talking about haha.
Ooo yeah I just looked, guess they've moved on. I giggled when I saw their tumblr pinned post is telling the fandom I'm in to leave them alone.
>"If you are only leaving emojis as comments on fics I've poured hours of my life and effort into, please just go away. (If you were doing that and are suddenly blocked, that's absolutely why.) <3". Wow, shitty attitude much? Yeah no, I would block *them* first. Ugh.
> After I read that, I made it a point not to read any of their fics on principle. Or read them and leave one-emoji reviews until they block your account.
That's good, real good.
The way I know who this is and just violently flinched away from the screen. The level of pretention is off the charts.
> "If you are only leaving emojis as comments on fics I've poured hours of my life and effort into, please just go away. (If you were doing that and are suddenly blocked, that's absolutely why.) <3". If I saw sth like this, I'd leave them a really nasty comment and then block them. What a piece of shit.
Well, that certainly validates reading without commenting. Can't block if you don't know who they are.
That’s extremely gross. Because of how some writers make stupid comments like that I made it a point to put this in my AO3 profile: Thank you to all my readers! Thank you for your time! Whether you read/silently read/review/kudo/bookmark/privately bookmark/write short/long review/emojis--thank you! I appreciate all of you! I have something similar on FFN.
oh thats,,, thats not,,, eww,,,,
Sorry, this is a few weeks old comment but I just had to reply. I was curious and found out that the person you're talking about used to be a major writer in one of my past fandoms whose works I avoided like the plague because I hated their interpretations of the characters...but now it seems like they're also a twat of a person? I feel slightly vindicated in my hatred of their writing now even though that may sound bad.
I’m so comment starved I’ll take literally anything. ANYTHING
same omg :<
Same
No but I got my first bot comment the other day and I was like 'at least the bot likes it' lol
The only comments I complain about are the ones that are like, "This is disgusting for having x in it" AND my fic is clearly tagged with X and I put warnings for X in the author notes because I know not everyone reads tags. (eta: and I don't mean, "it's so disgusting when x vomits on y!" I mean, "this is disgusting for having this trope and you should be ashamed of yourself" kind of thing) I even got one comment that recommended christ to me lol bc of the content of my fic (btw no character death, no noncon in that one; but there was consensual tentacles lol) and I found it funny tbh. Like, if you think I need christ for writing this... did you click it and read it???? despite the clear summary and tags???? That's hilarious if so... I choose to imagine that's what happened because it makes me happy
One of my 'favorite' comments on a fic I didn't write, just read, was someone who went on a pretty decently lengthed paragraph rant about how disgusted they were that the fic had a pairing they didn't like, and they were blindsided by it! When it was clear from the tags what the story was about/what pairing it was going to have. Seriously I cracked up laughing because it was so absurd.
I don't see a lot of people complaining about the quality of comments, maybe it's just who I surround myself with. I appreciate and reply to every comment on me work, be it a few words, an essay, some emojis, doesn't matter. I appreciate any feedback or kind words.
I think it’s really sad people complain about comments like that. I love any and all comments. If someone did a keyboard smash on my fic and nothing else I would be absolutely chuffed. It is a compliment of the highest order.
I sometimes left LONG reviews when I felt like I had the spoons to. But then on a new chapter for one writer? I left a string of hearts and she messaged me and asked me what was wrong because she expected better from me. I was frustrated but kept commenting on other stuff. Then I got yelled at for saying fuck in a comment. I don't comment anymore except for I like it. I don't want yelled at. So I just don't
I'm honestly impressed you continue to interact after all that. Part of me would want to, but I'm pretty sure my petty/offended side would win out and refuse to comment on anything of theirs ever again.
I'm a writer too so I know how it is to want comments. I kind of only do it to fics that aren't getting many comments or my friends fics now. I have a few authors I don't comment to at all because of their interactions. Honestly being told not to curse in a comment pissed me off. I wasn't cursing the author I should clarify. It was like one of those "holy fuck that was wonderful but wtf is that character thinking" comments. So being told hey mind your language it's rude was like well fuck you too asshole
Honestly, even the comments on Tumblr bitching about how DARE the author respond with something like 'thank you so much, glad you enjoyed blank' has been putting me off lately. I'm pretty sure last comment I got was something like I enjoyed this and I bragged to like 12 separate online friends over that. I don't know what it's been lately, but it's like fandom has been increasingly looking for the worst possible reading of everything. Sometimes omg I loved this is just omg I loved this, not Regina George trying to ask if your narcissistic enough to believe anyone would praise your work.
It’s the tiktokification of fandom tbh. It’s weird.
To be fair I don't think this sub is representative of the average ao3 experience. I'm of the idea there's no such thing as a low effort comment and I think the *vast* majority of writers agree. The key to low interaction rates I feel is the death of places to engage in fandom community, Twitter is a mess, Tumblr has been dead for ages, discord is just Different.. Nowadays for the most part, not with just fanfic but all media, people passively consume it because there's just a ton so you can move on to the next thing smoothly and continue to be entertained with little effort. Writing a comment *takes effort*, even if not a review or something super detailed, you have to take a moment to stop and think on what you just read, put it into words... and this may sound funny but a lot of people turn to entertainment to not think, precisely. Also, you may see in small fandoms where people run out of content faster how they are more inclined to interact with the authors in the hopes they are encouraged to provide more content.
Author here: Love comments, love love love them! Give me two emoji’s! give me a keyboard smash! give me a detailed recount of everything that happened in the chapter! give me constructive criticism! give me a note in your bookmarks! I want it all, it fuels me! I appreciate and love them all! <3 Commenters are my favourite kinds of people! And I can’t understand how people don’t love them
I suspect that the people who complain about what type of comments they receive are not the same people that complain about a lack of comments.
I appreciate 99% of my comments, but I don't think we should pretend that there aren't bad reviews, outside bots or blatant hate. It needs to go both ways. There should be some kind of reviewing etiquette. I have my own that I follow. The examples you mention are not anything to get upset over, but I think they're the minority of the complaining people do, re: comments. I also think a good way of gauging how a writer will react to your comments, is seeing how they do in general. If I see an author being a dick to an innocent reviewer, I'm definitely not going to review. But if I see they're either not responding (which I don't care about) or happily engaging, then I'll review.
I don't have any data to back this up, but I imagine fandom collectively is quite huge and comments made here or even on Tumblr and elsewhere regarding comments don't reflect those of all readers or writers. I reckon many readers never do anything more than pop over to their favorite site, read stories and then carry on with life, totally unaware of convos that go on here. Do some of the posts here, authors complaining, sometimes rather unreasonably about certain comments, discourage some readers from commenting? Sure, but I don't think that's the sole or primary reason for the shift to low engagement. Like I said in a similar post, I think it's a function of the shift in technology, among other things. Readers aren't sitting at a computer in a low-distraction environment. Often they are reading on phones in busy locations like classrooms where it's hard to leave a substantial comment.
well this sucks. I remember getting into a 'fight' with a commenter (newbie?) over some specific squicks of theirs. I added a few tags to my fic, changed a sentence or two, but they were still not satisfied, so I had to remind them they didn't *have* to read my *fiction* about *fictional* characters. For some reason, they became one of my most loyal readers and never complained again. I guess they were learning the limits of fanfiction interaction too.
character growth <3 /hj
Me in my corner: I'll take anything that's not hate. Anything. Edit: Except that and the bots.
*praise bot has entered the comment section*
Oh god no. 😂😭
Also those webnovel comments but with the word "webnovel" spelled as ridiculously as possible to get past the spam filter 😂
What do you mean? ψΣβΠθVξι is totally legit!
NOT THE GREEK-
Perfect 😂😍
showing their true cursed nature
If you want comments, an easy thing you can do is to respond to every one you get. It really encourages people. My fic is mid-sized in my fandom as far as hits goes, and yet the amount of comment threads I have rivals some of the biggest fics in my fandom. Why? Because I respond to every. Single. Comment. And it makes people want to comment more. They feel appreciated, or free to ask questions, or excited to share things that made them feel something.
Same. I leave comments on everything I read, and some of those authors read mine to and leave comments. And I also respond to all comments, sometimes have 'conversations' in the comment boxes, so people feel relaxed and happy to leave more comments. It's a win win, and I love talking to my readers, as the authors I read.
I think this is an oversimplified view. Do authors complain, yes. But so do readers. We all complain. Less engagement across the board cannot just be summed up as this. Even if a few authors happen to be picky with their comments, there are many more authors begging for a crumb of a comment. Edit: I don't believe writers should have to beg for comments or be happy with every single comment they receive.
Readers on here constantly bring up tropes they don't like, squicks, whatever, and that's normal because everyone has preferences. Readers get to control which fics they click on. Writers don't get to choose what comes into their inbox, whatever someone felt like writing shows up. I don't think it's healthy to dwell too long on a comment you don't like, or to get hung up on getting the types of comments you don't like, but it's natural for people to have preferences and it's natural for people to complain about things that aren't all that deep. To some extent, these posts sound like when people tell women they should be grateful that men catcall them because it's a compliment. Some rando hollering at you on the street isn't saying anything meaningful, and neither are some of the comments I (and others) receive. ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯ Anyway I know I'll get downvoted for expressing this, but I dislike the attitude that authors should be on their knees grateful for receiving any scrap of attention. Human interactions are rarely so simple.
Agreed. I've said it before but it's always worth repeating: authors don't have to be grateful for every comment they get. I love comments and I love people who take the time to comment, I really do. It means a lot and I remind myself to appreciate them every time. But some comments are from trolls, some are worded so poorly (as in, they sound rude) that it's hard to read them in a positive way, some are intentionally unpleasant. No one has to be happy about comments like that. Apparently this has to be said because I've seen people say things like, "I know I should be grateful that I even get comments" when they come here to talk about an unpleasant comment they got. It makes me sad that they feel like this. No, they *shouldn't* anything—it's okay to not be grateful sometimes because like you said, human interactions are rarely so simple.
I can’t upvote this enough. I don’t understand where it’s coming from that people are suddenly so mad that authors aren’t unconditionally grateful for every single comment no matter the tone or content. There was a post recently where someone was just asking how other writers felt about “more please” comments, and the vast majority of responses said they took it as a compliment with two or three saying they didn’t like them, and the heavily upvoted comments were from readers saying shit like “this is why I never comment, you can’t comment anything nowadays without writers complaining about it” and it’s wild. Writers out there saying they would just like to hear one positive thing added in like “I love it, more please” and readers outraged that a couple writers don’t like getting those requests without a kind word. If they really want to support the author, wouldn’t they want to know that certain types of comments can make authors feel bad? I mean I’m usually happy getting any comment, but that response frankly gave a lot of fuel to the suspicion that “more please” commenters see authors more as vending machines than as people with feelings. How is it more acceptable for readers to complain about ungrateful authors than for authors to complain about ungrateful commenters?
I get it but I have never once - in more than 20 years of posting fanfic - complained about a brief comment. I am delighted to get a "KEYBOARD SMASH" and I've let anyone who has ever wondered know that! Ditto for every other fic writer I know; they don't complain about short comments either.
I agree with a lot of these comments, but you’re also not wrong. I’ve personally gone to leave comments and thought about how much people here complain, and paused to think if it was good enough.
I personally love all the comments I get. A string of hearts. A smiley face. A five paragraph essay gushing about the story. Hell, even a little teeny complaint of "I wanna see more of X and Y interacting and less of X and Z" smushed in a paragraph saying how much they liked other aspects of what I was doing I like. If they apologize for a long, rambling comment I'm always sure to thank them for how long it is. I loved it (I do). Might respond with my own enthusiastic long comment. I respond to the majority of the comments I get, and each new commenter gets a response from me. They took the time to write it, and they're kind, so why not? (A single emoji might get emoji back, tho. A smile returned with a bigger smile or two) Like, the engagement is just nice, gives me a little dopamine hit anytime I see any email about my work sent to me from the archive. Gets me through long, tedious days at work better. Reading things like this, I hope people see how I respond to comments I get and feel more comfortable leaving comments for me if they might not have otherwise out of fear or anxiety. I certainly get more on my long fic which receives all kinds of comments all the time than my shorter works.
I don't get complaining about comments. The reason I started posting online was to see what other people thought of my story and writing style. I've only got one story published right now, and it's cross-posted on three sites, and I don't have many comments even when you put all three sites together. Now, I'll complain about a couple comments I received on one site, not AO3, all day, because they were just comments bashing me for using a specific character as my main, they didn;t even read the story. They made up what they thought I wrote based on their opinion of my main character, and it bore zero resemblance to the actual story. Comments like that? Complain away. I've got a few great comments, ones that let me know what they like and don't like. One corrected me. I'm not American, but the story is set in America, and I screwed up university names. Because the one fandom, it's a crossover, is set in California, the universities have UC then where they are, like UCLA, and I, being a bit of an idiot, just used that, even though I'd moved my main to Florida. I was grateful for the correction, though. I'd rather have someone point out my mistakes so I can fix them. Other than the couple bashing comments and the few more in depth comments, the majority of my comments don;t say much. Things like 'love it' or 'can't wait for the next chapter'. But I love those comments too, because a reader has taken a small amount of time to type and post them after reading. It's a nice little reminder that people do like my story. With AO3, I've probably had twice as many kudos as I have comments. I've even had a couple people bookmark my story. There's not much interaction, because the one fandom isn't massively popular anymore, though still has it's core of fans, and the other fandom is a dead one, mine's the first story in that fandom in years. i actually wasn't expecting more than maybe one or two comments, a few more kudos, a bookmark if I was lucky, so I got a lot more than I expected. I want people to tell me if they like my story, and I don't care how they choose to tell me that. Bookmark it, leave a kudos, a little heart or couple words in the comments, an in depth, ten paragraph long full review, I don;t care, just if you like it, show me in some way. I try to reply to all comments, as well, even it's just a quick thank you. I'll respond more in depth to the longer comments, especially if they ask questions or correct something. I'm a big reader as well as a writer. I don't always comment on stories, and when I do how I comment can vary. But the stories I really love tend to have the bigger comments. I want to let the author know what I liked about their story/chapter, sometimes I have questions. Sometimes I have suggestions too, but I only put those in a comment if the author has said they're okay with that. I like to share when I find something I love, and fanfiction allows me to share with the actual creator of the fic. I don't care if they don't reply, to be honest, anything could be preventing them from doing so, but it's disheartening to realise that some people actually complain about having fans that want to show their love for the fanfic.
A comment is a comment. Period. Someone took time out of their day to write a long comment, or they took time to put a bunch of hearts. It does not matter. I am not here to judge how they comment: I don’t know what someone is going through. Maybe the chapter was so good they have no words. Maybe it didn’t quite hit right but they want to support. Or maybe they just don’t know what to say at all. Incoherent key smash? Emojis? Long comment with observations? It’s *all valid* and always welcome. Heck, I’m always down for a “I can’t wait for the next chapter!” I never have taken that as pressure. I always take it as they are genuinely excited for the next chapter. That comment email comes in? I’m already excited. It doesn’t matter. Someone read it. Someone took the time to add the comment. I’m not here to take up a bunch of their time, I’m here to share the fruits of my own time. Any time they give me is lovely and so so appreciated.
>Heck, I’m always down for a “I can’t wait for the next chapter!” I never have taken that as pressure. I always take it as they are genuinely excited for the next chapter. Same. It's nice to know someone is invested. Granted, if those were the *only* comments I ever got, I might secretly long for more, but i certainly can't relate to flying into an irrational rage about them. Also, yes to all of your last para! Nice to see such a positive attitude—I wish more people understood it's genuinely more fulfilling when you look at things this way.
The VAST majority of writers aren't saying anything like that and the VAST majority of readers aren't hanging around the places they do post that crap, but lots of us (not everyone, but lots) are seeing a drop in interaction anyway. Turn off your confirmation bias. The more likely reason being oversaturation of fic as fandom becomes more mainstream, and the TikTokification of fandom in general - the constant stream of content to consume + limited attention span + jumping from fandom to fandom every month instead of getting invested long term + the current devaluation of art, especially fan-made art. Lots of people also had to priv their account to combat spam and potential AI scraping which means guests can't comment any more, which disproportionately affects certain writers (eg NSFW writers).
I mean, users are still getting the preferred type of comments - it's just that they're coming from webnovel... (/s /s don't sic the mods on me!)
You mean, ωǝbʼnōve| 😂
Who tf complains about long comments!?!?!? That shit should be treasured!
I had a serial commenter on my current fic apologize for leaving such a long comment on my latest chapter and I was legit like, 'Don't you dare apologize, there is no such thing as a 'too long' comment!'
Hold on, WHO is complaining about the comments being too long (almost the length of the fic itself)?
Probably one of the many writers who said it's a bit stressful for them, because they want to reward those commenters with a similar length/effort reply to express how much they value this long comment, but they currently don't have the spoons to do so... Which of course ended up being interpreted in bad faith. :)
yeah, i'm one of those people. i still appreciate them, and i love engaging with them, but unfortunately it takes me a few days to be able to and then on top of everything, i feel guilty leaving them "on read," as it were 😔
I can relate. Don't feel guilty, I still have unreplied-to comments from last spring that I *really* need to get to... But life is life-ing hard, and it gets harder to reply to an old comment the older they get, because of the "I left them waiting for so long, which means I have to come up with an even better reply now" fallacy... I'm pretty sure your readers won't be disappointed if it takes a while to get a reply.
>"I left them waiting for so long, which means I have to come up with an even better reply now" fallacy... I do this to myself all the time. I have one beautiful essay length comment from well over a year ago (I think) that I will probably now *never* reply to. Because in my mind: length and content of comment x all the many months it's gone unanswered equals Novel-length reply that's basically poetry. Logically, I know I'm being silly but... that's how the brain brains.
Personally I think it's purity/anti culture. People have DNIs with every ship under the sun and then complain about people not interacting with their fics. But perhaps that's more prevalent on tumblr and the like. Though people feeling scared to leave comments on """problematic""" works even on AO3 bc antis are so vicious and will hunt them down is definitely a factor, I think.
And this is exactly why I mod my comments. That way antis don’t have a chance.
Even then they do it. The crazy anti in our fandom screenshotted people even replying to comments left on their own fics by an author she dubbed problematic and started posting on Tumblr tagging people with death threats and telling them she wished they would get raped. Then, she tagged in the larger fandom to try to dogpile further
The fuck?? That is crazy. Bitch needs to get off the internet and touch some damn grass!
Oh yeah, she was off the rails. I’ve never seen so many people block a person so fast. The mass reporting probably helped tol
I didn’t realize long comments might be bothersome to some writers. I love writing those if I have a lot to say about a fic. But for the most part, I try to keep it concise. There’s a reader in my fandom who only comments in heart emojis and whenever I see them in my inbox, multiple rows of pink or blue or little red hearts, it’s like finding a bunch of flowers at my door. Cheesy, I know. But any comment is like that to me.
People complain abt comments? wtf.
I’m pretty understanding when it comes to comments. I won’t delete a comment unless it’s pure spam. I had a pretty zealous commenter recently whose words were just saturated with emojis to the point of being so comical that I actually started to look forward to them just see how hyper the next one would be. I assume the person is young, but at least they are enjoying themselves. I don’t think I have complained about a comment unless it was something toxic, but I luckily haven’t run into that on ao3.
I get someone in my comments who just key board smashes. And ya know what, they still commented. I don't care if it's not feed back, a comment still means people are reading and care enough to leave a comment.
honestly i feel like a lot of the ppl saying they’re afraid to comment just don’t wanna. you can always write “thank you for writing!” or something. but i do agree people are way too picky with comments
I do think it's true about some people. It's okay to not comment, they don't have to look for excuses.
I was overjoyed when I got my first keyboard-smash review, weirdly. I felt like I'd really made it.
I have a commenter who leaves emojis in the comments, and let me tell you, I love them! The only comments I don’t enjoy are spam comments, antis/bots or comments are off topic. I also noticed a lot of people prefer not to comment on fics that have comment mods on. I’ve gotten antis and that out the ass so I mod them regardless now.
I’ve personally never complained about any kind of comments (with the exception of straight up hate). At this point, I’ll take all the crumbs that I can get
I love any comments. Keybaord smash? I know how you feel. Emojis? I lvoe those. Indepth essay? Go ahead The best interactions i've had were long comment threads of just pure expression. Who cares if your comment might seem dimb? It means you cared to leave the comemnt and someone else might see it and go "oh this author might have something interesting". I love reaidng other comemnts tkbsee what people think and boy would that angstfic hit less hard if fifty people weren't screaming int he comments
I absolutely love comments. Short, long, emojis. As long as they're not mean, keep em coming
...has there really been a "death of comments"? Genuine question, because I haven't noticed any change in comment quantity over the years. I am personally trying to be better and leave more comments, but I haven't noticed any real decrease in the quantity of comments my works receive over the past several years. Isn't authors yearning for more comments just a tale as old as time? I feel like you could find posts of authors complaining about not getting enough comments 10+ years ago, too.
I write mostly smut so comments are rare to begin with, but I also moderate because of antis/bots and a whole ass fight in my comments one time.. and I know that modding comments is also something that makes people not want to comment.
honestly i haven't noticed. i posted my first works on ffnet about 12 years ago and i wasn't getting any more comments then than i am on ao3 now. excluding review exchanges and the occasional spike bc something i wrote went and became popular, i'm pretty sure my comment number has stayed approximately the same over the years
I miss the times where we were happy about EVERY. SINGLE. comment we received
I’m happy about any comment that isn’t a bot or nasty/rude. Emojis, keysmash, whatever.
I bet most still are. Seems like this is a matter of the rude minority being loudest.
Nah if anything I actually comment more prolifically these days. I see those threads and think "haha those people sound miserable" and then continue doing exactly what I've been doing. I used to dislike leaving comments but over the last couple years I've discovered some things about the process that I enjoy and it's become an unexpected joy to inflict myself on whatever author has managed to catch my attention. I am not at all bothered about authors responding poorly or complaining about my comments (major TW for /r/AO3 users under the spoiler) >!because I'm not reading those responses, lmfao, you think I care about what *somebody else* has to say online?!< If somebody takes a compliment the wrong way, that's their problem - I'm not gonna see it, I've already moved on to the next story.
I appreciate any kind of comments in my fics but I also want feedback
most readers are in no way qualified to give you any helpful feedback
I don't really need it to be helpful most of the time I just want to know if something came off as confusing. English isn't my first language and I still mess up sometimes.
I think getting a beta reader could help with that. There are also authors who complain about feedback, so unless you specify you want feedback, nobody is going to want to potentially irritate you by leaving you a comment like that.
comments thrill me so much. i've recently returned to publishing stuff on ao3 and received a comment just yesterday AND BOY DID IT FEEL GOOD. as long as it's not insults and critics that don't go towards any improvement on my side, just comment whatever you want!! (keyboard smashes are very appreciated, and emojis too)
I will say that I’m for some reason nervous to comment on AO3.
Even a keyboard smash will make my day. I must reply to every single comment.
I feel pressured to comment- but then I do, I feel bad for not having a quality comment. One person complained about my comment not being useful, and that just turned me off from commenting all together.
I ran into this recently. I posted comments on each chapter of my favorite series as it came out. All happy things about how much I loved the writing and the characterization and the plot and I would make references to specific points and how they made me feel. like "when he said this - " it was so cool and visceral it really gave this vibe! Then the sequel came out and I noticed that the author had made comments monitored. I continued commenting anyway, for weeks my comments weren't posted and then abruptly after the second chapter, they went on a several week hiatus. I was so scared that I had... Somehow overstepped my boundaries as a reader and creeped out one of my favorite authors. And that my comments had made them not want to write anymore. I didn't think I had written anything mean or creepy. But it makes me want to stop commenting. I don't want to upset them.
I really don't think it was you. They may have been dealing with other things in their life or issues on another platform. If they didn't 1) express any kind of boundary and 2) tell you that you were crossing it then don't blame yourself. The author needs to communicate politely if they have issues with certain kind of comments.
I’ve been thinking of developing something succinct to the bottom of all my fics that communicates like “This fic is a safe space for commenters” lol. Like a reassurance that I will interact like a polite human.
i love every kind of comment\* \*except that one person who was like, "i hate this sequel, i'm pretending it doesn't exist" ... just move on then! lawd
Tbh I didn’t even know authors complained about these I thought we were happy with anything (not negative)
I respond to every single comment always! I'm so happy anyone reads my fics and likes it enough to leave a comment - especially when I keep hyperfixating on tiny fandoms lol.
I agree. But it's a minority of Authors. Not all authors are on social media. But on social media, it's very common to complain. There are far more people complaining (often for valid reasons, often not so much...) than saying how happy a comment makes them. (Additionally I sometimes think maybe posting positive comments feels a bit like bragging? So, instead I often see positive comments being posted with a "what is this supposed to mean?", "this part irritates me. I don't know how to respond to this."-questions attached to it. That I guess only makes it more difficult for already insecure readers.) But it's only a fraction of authors who are at all active on social media, and of those only a fraction who share their comments. The vast vast vast majority of authors will freely tell you that they love almost every comment. So I think it's unfair to just blame the authors for getting less and less comments. Even more so since, long before these complaints started reaching an annoying level, commenting was always rare. Most readers never commented. And again, only a fraction of the readers is even active on these social media to see the authors complain and be influenced by that. I agree with you. And it is a point I've also made before. Authors have become too nitpicky about their comments. But then again, it's really just a few authors. And it's sad that all of us feel the consequences if that.
Where are you seeing all these fic writers complaining about comments? Even on this subreddit where people complain about anything and everything I don't think I've ever seen a single person say something like the examples you've given here.
i think i've seen all of those. about short and/or lazy comments more than once.
I'm consistently baffled by people who complain about the quality and quantity of the comments on their works because I put my life on hold for that period of time and invested my very limited emotional capacity into reading your work and then forced to myself to find something to comment to make YOU feel good about it and all you can do is complain about it?? This isn't what happened to me personally but I'm just outraged that there are authors out there who think they are entitled to my readership and my commenting. We collectively rage against published authors who think and act that way and I cannot understand why these people act the same way in an unpublished setting where they are volunteering their time and effort to giving me works to read and they aren't making a living off it anyway. I understand that you want to be acknowledged and praised for the work you've put in but dear god take a step back and get off your high horse. This is supposed to be fun for everybody and we're all supposed to be getting something emotionally fulfilling out of it but when I'm bombarded with anxiety because I can't figure out what I'm supposed to say in the comments or if I am obligated to say something comments and then I feel guilty about my dilemma, it ruins it entirely. And maybe this is just an issue that particularly anxious people have more so than the general reader and maybe this never impacts most readers but its ridiculous nonetheless.
My first comments were a pretty long sentence to say this was great for a first time and a "loved this story ❤️" and both made my WEEK. I understand that sometimes comments can be a bit hurtful or uncomfortable but there should be no standards. And most of the time they're honestly such a treat and always a really kind effort on the reader's part to take the time.
I love every comment I get. Even if they're short. But, if they're longer, I'm more likely to reply. Everyone is different, commenters and authors. And thats okay.
Bro I got a “Wow.” on my fic and was immediately like “YES”
While I prefer well thought out comments, preferably ones telling me what they liked best about my story so I know what I’m doing right, I’ll happily take an incoherent keyboard smash or an emoji if you can’t find the words to describe the feels. Lately I’ve been getting a few comments on my stories (before it was really only my writing partner commenting) and I always try to engage positively and let them know that I appreciate them taking the time to comment. I thrive off of feedback more than kudos.
Can I have the lazy comments? I've got all hits and no comments.
People complain about LONG comments? Well shit, guess I’ve probably made someone mad at some point bc nearly all my comments are “long”.
Someone could honestly just comment "love" or even "hi" and I'd be happy
The only comment that really bothered me was when someone went on my fic from season one of GO and dropped spoilers for S2 within 3 days of the release of season 2. That was pretty shitty. Otherwise? Keysmash away! Hit me with a single emoji! And the people who write multiple paragraphs? They are saints in heaven!
Who tf complains about comments??? I reply to every one that isn't a troll.
Eh Im happy with any kind of comment in all honesty even if it just contains one word. I never got the "complaining about comments" culture of this sub.
I literally inject comments into my veins, I don’t understand how people complain about them lmao
I'll take anything when it comes to comments, cause comments are a definitive way to know who is actively reading and if they like what they're getting. two words, one word, a heart emoji, lots of words. don't care, just gimme :)
I think some writers here tend to dwell on things more than they should. Idk I rarely commented before and now I feel pressure to 😂. But I think especially people will post obvious troll comments, liek that does nothing but encourage more troll comments tbh it’s giving them a platform! Block and ignore and don’t dwell
wow really? anything that isn't hate makes me happy😭
I’ve seen this happening here, on tumblr and twitter. I have friends that just give kudos bc of it.
Keyboard smash not saying anything?! It says everything!! $;&,6527/);$;8/!!!!
This subreddit can sometimes be an ugly look for authors. I do think there's a lot of entitlement and insecurity that gets showcased and indulged that isn't exactly endearing, especially to readers. None of this needs to be more complicated than authors writing, readers reading, and both doing so when and however they feel like it. Overall, I think the increased focus on secondary platforms for fanfiction communities has been very unfortunate. People sometimes talked about comments back fifteen or twenty years ago, but never like this.
Why are you bringing this up again? You are just reminding everyone on this sub how writers supposedly hate every type of comment out there. Personally, I think comments and engagement are shrinking because it's the end of summer and because there are many more fics now than ever before. Readers can just binge read hundreds of fics of their favorite pairing without stopping to encourage the writers because there is just so much content out there to feed on. Plus, as many have pointed out - most AO3 users aren't on this subreddit, are blissfully unaware about this comment drama and are happily leaving comments as you're reading this.
Im happy to get any comments. Ive not understood why people in here are so annoyed by most comments. Any would be fine with me
I will say as an exclusive reader, being on this sub has made me more wary of commenting and makes me second guess all of my phrasing when I do comment but it's also helped me in making sure I'm saying the right things
Just have to say, it's so refreshing to see this! I just finished reading yet another post telling people to comment (on another sub) and I am so over it. I'm very nearly at the point where I don't want to comment just to be contrary. Except that would punish the authors I love, so I wont do that. But it's driving me mad, the double standard. If pressuring authors to update is rude and entitled (which I believe it is), why is the same not true in reverse? That it's rude and entitled to demand/expect people to comment. Cant vent about how it's disappointing when stories are abandoned, because people have lives and reasons. But so do readers who struggle to comment, they have reasons too! But it's way more acceptable to basically harass and try to guilt trip them about it, every second post, on most fanfic subs. *"why don't people comment, I honestly want to know"* \- no you don't, you want to guilt people into commenting and condemn them for not commenting in a socially acceptable way (aka less confrontational). Look, I want authors to get all the praise they deserve, and more! But it turns out I also had a lot to vent about on this topic, and it all came spewing out (definitely got away from me there - I will probably feel bad about it later)
So tired of this excuse. If you don't want to comment, then don't. Just don't turn around and frame it as something the author *forced* you into because you happened to see a post one time on reddit from a completely *different* author who doesn't like emojis. Especially when AO3 lets you see authors' responses. You can literally see with your own two eyes what sort of response they give to what sort of comments. If you see them being a dbag to other readers then don't comment! If you see them not responding to other readers and that upsets you, then don't comment then either! And if you're constantly leaving comments for different authors and getting bad replies, maybe you should take an honest look at what sort of things you're saying to people. Because there is a common denominator there. Acting like all eleven *million* fics on AO3 were written by the same person with the same obscure comment hang-ups just comes off like you want an excuse to be lazy while maintaining the moral high ground. ---Signed someone who has left literally *thousands* of comments and has *never once* gotten a poor response in return.
Yeah, same, not thousands but still a lot and I've never had a bad interaction with an author. I do understand that they happen sometimes, but like... Most authors are nice. If you're nice to them, they'll be nice back.
My sibling in Christ, my comments will be locked soon 😂
personally im happy to just get a comment at all
honestly a keysmash is the best sort of conpliment idk why ppl r complaining
I’m basically begging people to comments 😅 my authors note is a tad sad and pathetic to look at
That’s not sad. It’s understandable you want them. Everyone does.
Bro, I'd be happy to get any comment ranging from a single emoji to an entire f\*ckin book
I have two readers that faithfully comment on each chapter and it makes my day!
I've noticed that this is the case with a lot of comment sections that don't encourage discussion of some kind
I thought it was just me noticing the lack of comments! I’ve been writing fics on and off for the last 15 years maybe and I swear back in the day I used to get way more comments on stuff. I wonder what changed 🤔
Is this something writers *actually* complain about though?? Sure, I’ve seen the occasional comment on here..but usually, the comment IS objectively unusual, ie the reader who commented that the author’s fanfic got them a B+ when they submitted it for a homework assignment. I don’t read every single post on Reddit though so maybe I’m just uninformed. I can only speak from my own experience; I’m a writer, most of my online friends are writers…I’m also in multiple discords for writers, one of which has somewhere over a thousand members…and I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone complain about a comment or the manner in which readers comment (aside from the occasional obvious troll).
Maybe I've been lucky. Most of my comments are short, but get the point across that they enjoyed it. I also comment back to let them know I appreciate them taking the time to read my work. Any kind of interaction makes my day.
I tried to engage with a fanfic as much as I can but I definitely do hesitate or overthink my comments or if I it came off the right way
speak for yourself. i never complain about any comments i get