Mann Ramblings

I think you're on the right track so far. Making announcements to update and encouraging discussion by review and forums is a good place to start. And the big one is to respond in reasonable time to all reviews. This is one site that thrives on interactions between the author and reader. Accept criticism graciously, even if it's not favorable and take it as an opportunity to fine tune your writing. (Nobody wants to read the work of a snotty bitch. LOL) Update as often as your schedule allows or if possible, make a schedule for the sake of your readership to know what to look forward to. If there is too long a break between installments, some readers can drop off. Sometimes the response is a slow build and other times you catch the right group at the right time. Good luck!

I think when you are a new author to GA, a little allowance has to be made. Other sites don't function with the kind of interaction that GA has and it sometimes takes a bit to realize how important that is. However once you discover that, it hardly seems appropriate to backtrack to old reviews that are no longer current, so there may be gaps in the early stages. Lambasting someone for early errors hardly seems fair. If they fail to learn the lesson is another story. The best thing to do is chalk it up to experience and move forward, responding as often as humanly possible to the people who take the time to comment and hopefully encourage others to do so as well.

I'm glad to see something's happening. Rath's spent all his time depressed and brooding, Sethus is trying to uphold the laws of the land of top and underworld separation, and Shawn has no idea how to get back. I'm actually getting a little excited that everything is coming together.

I think sometimes a lot of members aren't active past the point of reading and many aren't officially members as well. That still doesn't stop me from responding to almost every review I get. I still feel like it needs to be an interaction. I know it has to be hard for prolific readers to respond to everything they read; there's so much out there. Some of it can be the story line. A nice dramatic romance in a high school or college age setting seem to grab a great deal of attention but I don't plan on writing in that genre unless it really is the story I want to tell. My numbers have been good and improving as I go along, so I'm quite pleased with that, but I wish I could maintain the feedback I often get from the start. That would be the only thing I'd like to find a way to improve on. At this point, with the time I have, I'm promoting as best I can and it seems my readership is growing slowly, but it is growing. I feel like I haven't been doing this very long and I'm shocked at times how successful I've been.

Chapter 21 is now live! Read and let me know what you think! https://www.gayauthors.org/story/mann-ramblings/solittlemagicleft/21 And remember the Reader's Choice Awards voting is coming to an end this week! I've been fortunate enough to be nominated in three categories! Make sure to vote for your favorites!

This is a good, solid story that a reader can get into without over-investing time with lots of surprises throughout. A nice treat inside the Premium Section.

It makes me want to write a story using nothing but screwed up similes and metaphors. That was a special favorite of mine too LOL

That's a much better showing this week Go Proms! and, uh... nice work Signature Authors!

Gratz, Mark! I don't think too many of us will see that kind of number anytime soon. Nice work!

I've heard the term before, but I don't quite understand what "passive writing" means. Can you fill us in so we can be sure we're not doing it? LOL

The grim reaper prompt was one of my absolute favorites. The idea popped in my head and I knocked it out during a slow period at work. Glad you liked it!

There weren't a lot of reviews on this one because it initially posted in the forums rather that in a compilation of stories like I have now to keep them easily accessible. Prompts are announced every Friday on the site's main blog post. Comicfan keeps new ones up every week to give anyone who would like to participate an opportunity to exercise their writing skills. There are specific forum thread for each one so everyone can get involved. You don't have to be an author. Take a look at the threads or shoot me a PM. I'm a huge advocate for them.

I'm so glad you're enjoying my work. It's only recently I've had to drive/discipline to write completed works and the response has been wonderful. I should have done this ages ago!

As long as it's not my naked ass on the screen, I'm pretty sure he doesn't care. We are talking about the man who has bought me porn for Christmas in the past because I asked for it.

I wish I had some kind of wisdom to share, but this whole situation just sucks.

I would buy any product that was ballsy enough to make that their tagline just on principle alone.

ZOMG, Thorne! That's so awesome!

James has a wonderfully unique take on the prompt. Well worth taking a look. Nicely done!

I don't care that it's a lube ad. The rest of it is very touching.

perhaps...

Some people just require a bit of discipline

You're a special breed, Louis. That why we love you so much.

Apparently Dan's being keeping secrets from his best friend.

Thanks, Ron! But who said for sure it's an ending?

Thanks! I felt a sudden need to write one. Glad you liked the continuation.