Open letter to Authors and Readers

[The Story Lover]

First to all of the writers who post here and other sites on the net a Great Big Thank You and a HUG for the entertainment and enjoyment you have provided! I do know how hard it is to write a convincing story.

 

Second to all of the readers out there who have never responded or posted thanks to an author get off your &^%'s and do it now. Our thanks and comments are the only way authors know if they have reached anyone and if people like their stories. I have been guilty of this in the past and have seen authors quit writing due to lack of response from the readers. I have also seen stories continued and changed due to an outpouring of response from readers like you and me.

 

If your excuse is privacy get a Yahoo or MSN email address, but respond to the authors whose stories you enjoy. If there is something you don't like let them know that also, be tactful and tell them why you don't like it.

 

Now on to the Authors again when you ask for readers comments please reply with at least a comment saying thank you for writing, if you get too many replies to respond to at least say thanks in your next chapter or even post an open thank you letter. We readers really do want to know that you received our comments and what you do think about them. If you ask for critical comments than be mature about those you do receive and think about your response don't just send out a knee jerk biting response as I can guarantee you that response will be posted all over the net. I am not saying you have to sugar coat your words but at least thank them for taking their time to read and respond to your story.

 

Please do the authors a huge favor when emailing them please place the title of the story in the subject line. This will help make sure they read the email.

 

Thanks for reading this and thanks again for all the stories and the many hours of enjoyable reading.

 

 

TSL

Edited January 30, 2005 by The Story lover

[Myr]

Well said. I'd like to note that I reply to everyone that sends stuff to me. If for some reason you didn't get a reply, that means I didn't receive what you sent.

[The Story Lover]

Well said.  I'd like to note that I reply to everyone that sends stuff to me.  If for some reason you didn't get a reply, that means I didn't receive what you sent.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Myr,

 

You have replied here or by email,

 

 

Thanks,

TSL

[JulienGregg]

I respond to every email I get from readers about my stories, or at least I try to. I have received many wonderful comments about Storyville, Dustin and I, Vampire, and the feeling I get when I read an email from a reader that tells me how much my story touched them in one way or another is just incredible.

 

I've received a few negative emails from a few readers, and although I was polite in my response to them, one in particular just wouldn't let go of an issue. That's the reason why some authors don't reply to some of the emails they receive. Now, when I open my inbox, if there is an email from the person I was talking about, I just delete it and go about my day.

 

I have enough negativity in my life without reading huge emails from a guy who clearly doesn't like my writing. I'm not complaining here. I'm just giving a reason for why I wouldn't answer an email from a reader.

 

Reader feedback is amazing, and it is the only way that we know when our writing is reaching anyone. So, to the readers out there, keep the emails coming, but remember, not everyone likes every different kind of story.

 

 

Julien

[Crackerwriter]

It's curious why such a person who is so negative, would bother continuing to read your stuff then! Perhaps that's how he gets off, by complaining about it.

 

If the fellow was so negative about your writing, he'd just ignore it surely? You're right to delete this type of email! Constructive critisism even if negative is sensible at least, but destructive is not. Carry on disregarding!

[The Story Lover]

[DomLuka]

I also try to respond to everyone who's written to me. If I don

[Bill W]

One point that would be helpful is if all emails had the story title in the subject box. I've written many stories and sometimes I have no idea which one the writer is referring to. The other thing is, when it gets caught in the spam folder, I can easily tell it isn't spam and respond to it.

[The Story Lover]

One point that would be helpful is if all emails had the story title in the subject box.  I've written many stories and sometimes I have no idea which one the writer is referring to.  The other thing is, when it gets caught in the spam folder, I can easily tell it isn't spam and respond to it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

BW,

 

You have a very good point and I do try and put the title in the subject and defintely in the body of the message. And I thank you for responding to responding to my emails regarding "Castaway Hotel" I do hope you continue to write your wonderful heartwarming story.

 

I will edit my earlier post to include the suggestion about the story name.

 

Thanks for all the feed back ,now where are the readers?

 

TSL

[Mikkiwriter]

i always send at least a thank you email to all readers who take the time to respond to my stories.But like other writers have said i might forget to check my spam folder so if anyone has sent me an email and i havent replied i apologise but i probably didn't get it

 

I always respond to the people who complain about my writing and ask them if they could do any better why dont they write a story that usually shuts them up hehehe

 

[boy on a string]

OK, I will butcher his name, but Louie La Moure, is an auther who wrote a lot of westerns.

 

He is one of the best loved story tellers of the western gerene.

 

I had an older cousin who was an enlish teacher. He loved these books, but had a really hard time, because Louie had poor grammer, and my cousin would find himself wanting to correct the grammer in these books. He finally realized that this was taking away from his enjoyment of reading the stories, and that he wasn't Louie's english teacher. So the decided to just enjoy the stories.

 

If someone has poor grammer, but a good story, and they are telling it well, then I will keep reading it.

 

However, if the story is one big paragraph, and I can't follow it, then I drop it.

 

Boy on a String

[Guest AF1]

OK, I will butcher his name, but Louie La Moure, is an auther who wrote a lot of westerns.

 

His name is written Louis L'Amour, in case you ever want to look it up. But pronounced just as you wrote it.

[miguelsanchez55]

Story Lover,

You said a mouthful dude. I do reply to every email I get from my readers, even the bad ones. Sorry though, I don't do flames, they just get deleted.

 

L'Amour is probable one of the best western writers of our time. You really can get lost in one of his stories for hours (I mean lost as in totally enjoying).

 

I agree withyou and BW that the reader should put the title onthe story in the subject line otherwise I sometimes think it's junk mail.

 

Take care

Mike S. :sword:

[The Story Lover]

Story Lover,

You said a mouthful dude. I do reply to every email I get from my readers, even the bad ones. Sorry though, I don't do flames, they just get deleted.

 

L'Amour is probable one of the best western writers of our time. You really can get lost in one of his stories for hours (I mean lost as in totally enjoying).

 

I agree withyou and BW that the reader should put the title onthe story in the subject line otherwise I sometimes think it's junk mail.

 

Take care

Mike S. :sword:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Mike,

 

Sorry about the mouthful and it was directed at mostly readers this time. You notice how many authors have replied versus readers? And yes you have responded every time I wrote to you.

 

I also read Louis L'Amour's stories while growing up many a chore didn't get done as a result.

 

At least my missive provoked some heartfelt discussion among us I only hope it increased reader response as well.

 

TSL

[miguelsanchez55]

TSL,

Time will tell dude. I'm sorry I haven't been around much over the last several months but I've been writing a new story that was supposed to be a short story but has grown into a two book mini-series.

 

Take care,

Mike Sanchez :sword:

[zero78245d]

Okay, okay, TSL. I get the message. I have been busy reading the stories but I have not been so diligent in sending compliments (or other) to the authors. BTW, I saw several in this string to whom I owe bunches. Can I consider myself caught up with this post, pleeeease?

 

[Patrickgay17]

I am about to post my first story hopefully in the next month or so and I'm very nervous and I just want to say if I suck please let me know so I can work on it or give up if that's what is requested. Thanks.

[Aleric]

I am about to post my first story hopefully in the next month or so and I'm very nervous and I just want to say if I suck please let me know so I can work on it or give up if that's what is requested.  Thanks.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Heya Patrick, I am working on my first story too - since 18 januari now.

I keep going back and EVERYTIME I find grammar errors and worse

 

In the beginning I wrote 1000 words per day, but now I spend almost all

my time on fixing what I already wrote in the past - and I haven't added

anything new for days

 

The fact that just one chapter takes me 2 months of hard work makes me

feel nervous too: what if nobody reads it at ALL?! heheh.

 

Where are you going to post your story? What do you think will reach most

people?

 

Aleric

Edited February 17, 2005 by Aleric

[The Story Lover]

I am about to post my first story hopefully in the next month or so and I'm very nervous and I just want to say if I suck please let me know so I can work on it or give up if that's what is requested.

[Patrickgay17]

I started my story in March of last year and I just started the second book. My editor (who is a great editor might I add) has the book and he's working on it but I am talking to Myr and trying to get the first few chapters done.

[Aleric]

I started my story in March of last year and I just started the second book.  My editor (who is a great editor might I add) has the book and he's working on it but I am talking to Myr and trying to get the first few chapters done.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Woah! You wrote a whole BOOK already!

 

Huh... I thought about 'publishing' my first chapter

online as soon as I finished the first chapter heheh.

The story itself won't be finished then - I have no

clue actually what I will write after the first or second

chapter (vague ideas that I'll probably forget again

before I get to it).

 

Aleric

 

PS I had printed out a part when i was visiting my

parents (to correct it there), and my dad read it...

He liked it and he wanted to know how it would

continue heheh. I told him that I'd put it online for

him (it is, I'm just not giving you guys the url

which is actually NFS linked to my home directory

where I am working on it. So, every change can

immediately be read.

 

In the meantime he has mailed me already four

times that he wants to know how it continues (and

that the parts that I added are good too )

 

Well - my dad is NOT a boy-lover, or gay, so if he

already likes it this much, then maybe maybe others

will think its a good story too? )

 

Not withstanding, I told my dad that he couldn't read the sex scene

once I started to write them - that would hold me back

 

(And yes, I am 100% out to my parents and brother) :king:

Heh, my mother knew already that I was gay, and then

after I returned from a holiday and told her beaming about

meeting a boy on the camping in france who turned out

to live in the same city (after that we were inseparable for

many years ) ... well, you know how to talk and act

when you are in love... And then my new friend called

me, asking if I was at home... Oops. Something about

his voice made my mother ask THE question

Fortunately they never made a problem of it and we've

been very good friends, inseparable as I already said, so

either I did eat dinner at his house (his parents liked me too,

I am a nice person *giggle*) or he was eating at our house

Yeah, my (and his!) parents rock! )

Edited February 18, 2005 by Aleric

[Patrickgay17]

I actually have a lot of time to write. I wake up in the morning and the first thing I do (that is after my morning bathroom break) is sit down and write I can't help my self I'm always thinking about writing I'm obsessed, not that that makes me a good writer but I did have a book published at fifteen. (and no it wasn't a gay novle although the main character was gay it didn't have sex scens and stuff).

 

I love writing it's my passion and the book isn't completly done my editor has it working on some chapters.

 

But I have started on the second book and I have high hopes for it.

 

P.S. Just so everybody knows the first chapter of my new book is posted in the library. The story is called Into His Own and just so you know the first chapter is very graphic and harsh so it might not be for the weak stomach. I probobly shouldn't be saying this but most of the events are actual and did happen to me although the names have been changed.