Or occasional PMs ( no not that sort of female crabbiness) I have several times considered leaving the site or stopping my posting here, but as quite a few readers have told me that my writing helped them in some way, I feel a need not to abandon them although I know plenty of readers have abandoned me.

I read very few stories here these days, I don't like superheroes or fantasy or much sci-fi, preferring stories of a form of real-life like Alyssa Plant's delightful tale of transitioning while of school-age. I read every comment or PM and although I admit I do notice kudos, it is anonymous and while I appreciate some people are paranoid over being outed, it is also almost automatic unless the author wrote something you don't like. The readership are different from when I first posted here, less committed, more selfish and harder to please.

Some authors are more popular than others, that I understand and I wish them luck, being British means I'm not as popular, again I understand as the cultures are different but I won't apologise for using British English or moaning about some stupid Americanisms which have obviously missheard the original expression but I could care less ( that expression doesn't make sense, it's I couldn't care less) and obviously I do care but I'm increasingly in a minority these days.

Giving a response to a story requires a lot more than a simple like or dislike take on the tale. As there are authors who really are world class writers, there are others who are stringing words together and not very well. There is the problem is most authors don't take criticism very well or not at all. There are readers who haven't a clue how to critique a story without slicing and dicing it along with attacking the author. Readers who didn't like the way the story plot was written as it wasn't the way they would have wrote it. Provided they could write a story in the first place.

The author went and gave birth to his or her child, the story, and posted it. Let's say it was good to excellent writing and a great story. Congratulation it's a pretty baby, comments are posted. Only a few authors on this site understand the next relationship between them and their readers.

She isn't the only one but I'm going to use Emma Anna Tate as a prime example. Readers who comment on her story receive a response from Emma herself. Think of it as receiving acknowledge from one's movie star, pop singer, or heart throb. The reader has been given an emotional boost they were acknowledge by one of the Great Writers. You can bet your last lucky dime the next story from said author is going to get a comment about his or her story. Comments are a two way street. Authors, you want comments, let your readers know you appreciate them.

Sadly, I come from an industry where response to submissions were never answered if the manuscript didn't fit in the genre of the stories published. Unsolicited manuscripts hit the trash almost faster than they made it in house. Even accepted manuscripts without a synopsis were tossed. If the author received a response, it was a postcard, NOT ACCEPTED.

BCTS is a godsend to all kinds of writers and I find I have landed in publisher's heaven. Virtually everyone gets to submit and have their story posted, no rejects that I have read about. Some of the finest writers to put ink to paper post on this site and I'm privileged to read their story. If a million dollars of push was behind them like all the writers who get notice on New York Times Best Seller List receive, they would headline that list. The game book critics and publishers play is blood thirsty and costs millions to play in their casino. Hillary Clinton is an excellent example. She was paid millions for a book her spook writer wrote, it sold a few thousand and the rest went to remainders and the dump. Welcome to the league of Dead Tree writing and publishing.

Thank God most here haven't been tainted by the world of politics in the world of publishing. A few tears, a few hurt feelings, a few broken hearts isn't like losing one's home, their life savings, their job, their family. The authors here didn't bet everything when they met the sharks massaging their ego telling them their manuscript was the best. All it needed was a little push, money, to be a number one best seller.

Instead they met one of the kindest, bestest, publishers in the world. Erin and the girls who keep BCTS open for all writers who want to share their story with anyone who would like to read it.
Hugs Ms Sephrena Lynn Miller
Barbie Jean