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I'm totally thrilled! The first chapter of my story The New Job just reached 6,000 hits!
The only thing that confuses is that almost no one who read it more than a year after it was published (it's three years old here on Big Closet) left a comment. What's that about?
Comments
Get used to it
I have 13000 hits on the first part of Bike but just 13 comments, the last being 8 months ago. Some of the episodes only have a handful of comments and haven't had any new ones since around the time of posting.
The matter of comments, or lack of them comes up quite regularly and the truth is that the vast majority of readers prefer not to comment or offer a kudos. There's little you can do about it and once the story is part of the archive, it's only exceptional readers who make a comment or offer a kudos, yet one assumes some of them enjoyed the experience of reading it.
Write for yourself and the core of readers who tell you they enjoy your offerings, and let the rest look after themselves because very few will look after you.
Angharad
Angharad
Your dead right
Your absolutely right Angie.
We all acquire a coterie of loyal readers and we in turn are only loyal to a small group of writers. That seems to be the way of it. And yes, it's often disappointing when a story you thought was good only seems to receive mediocre reviews.
Ho hum, as you say, get on with it.
Bev.
Growing old disgracefully.
Personally, if the story is
Personally, if the story is old, unless I feel _very_ strongly, I don't comment. I might send a PM, however. You see, the older the story gets, the less likely even the author will be to read the comments section. So the feeling might be that it's not worth adding a comment that won't be read by anyone.
Comments, like eggs, are freshest in the first three days.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Old Story, New Comment
If you are commenting on on old story and you wish to also catch the author's attention then maybe put the author's name or the story name in the subject line so it will catch the author's attention and some fans even when you make a comment.
Keeping Track of Comments
I go to the "My Stories" daily to check for comments for all of my stories. It takes only a few seconds to scroll through everything you have written and you will know immediately if there are new comments. There is an advisory in blue linking you to any new comments. You do not have to go to the comments section of each submission to see if there are new comments. There have been several times (thank you Bailey Summers, Gwen, Andrea Ribiero) where new readers have gone to some of my older stories and left comments. Frankly, the age of the story should have nothing to do with leaving a comment or not. If the story strikes you in a particular way, let the author know what you feel. The stories are not like bananas. For a new reader, they are fresh words. Of course PM's are good, especially for the more negatively critical comments. Bottom line - make comments.
Portia
Portia
I am going to comment:
I've saved this story to my permanent collection on my own hard drive. I've read parts of it, if not the whole story, about twice a year. It's that good a story for me! I really do enjoy your writing. Thank you.
No comments?
Thanks girls for your comments! You all say things that are very true and that I know. Still. . .
Kelly, here's my new comment.
Kelly, here's my new comment. As an author myself, I should know we look back at comments to our stories. You write a wonderful, mesmerizing Story so well, that I'm a little jealous, and in awe.
Biggest Hugs,
Karen