Interacting with readers

[MrM]

On the Comments issue,

 

I have sinced activated the comment stream so now I can go in and check periodically to see if I got a new goodie. I even pressed the little star thingie next to the section title which gave me a handy dandy permanent 'bread crumb' to click anywhere when I get a wild hair to check for Comments for the 4th or 5th time in a day. Hehehehe!

 

None since Nov 1st.  I need a Comment fix soon! I'm JONESIN' here, Bruh!

[Hunter Thomson]

I think it's important to respond to comments. For someone like myself who is still a new author and honestly a hobbyist author at that, it's important to see what worked and what didn't work, or even just to see what people like in individual chapters or stories so that those ideas can be replicated and used in other appropriate situations.

 

Sometimes comments are less positive, but those are learning experiences too, and I'll admit I get a bit of a thrill out of addressing negative comments. Sometimes its to understand what the person was hoping for and explain why I went in a different direction, and sometimes its to defend my work.

 

But no matter what the comment says, the person took the time to read something I created, and for that they deserve some of my time to reply back to them.

[Comicality]

 

I try hard to answer all of he comments that I get fro anything that I write. It may take me a LONG time to finally respond, but I go through my emails and the like every single day of my life. Emails and reviews and message board posts. I don't always have time to answer everything, but I give out appreciation with every breath that I can muster. Believe me. I've even made a habit of 'liking' the comments on the newer chapters of stuff that I've posted over the past year or so. I don't always succeed, heh...but I try.

 

I think it's important to interact with the people who read our stories. There are times when I wish it was more of a balanced, symbiotic relationship though. Just saying. What folks are expecting from their comments, us authors are expecting the same thing. I mean...is this a blindspot for people?

 

We write a story...we WANT to be recognized! Someone writes a review for said story, they want to be recognized too. You'd think this would lead to a perfect harmony on both sides...but it doesn't. What happened?

 

 

[comicfan]

I try my best to answer everyone who comments. Good, bad, or indifferent because it allows me to see where I reached a reader and where I fell short. If someone took the time to read and comment, the least I can do is answer them.