I wanted to say in verse,
That things were getting worse;
Comments it would seem
Are few and far between
And readers are kudos averse.
The only way writers can plot
If stories are hitting the spot
Is if readers just jolly well say:
It's not as if they must pay
To read here don't cost a jot.
On behalf of the writers, this plea
If stories you come here to see;
Please give us a vote
Or a comment of note,
And you'll make us all very happy.
Angharad.
Comments
Where's the Kudo button on
Where's the Kudo button on this thing?
Darn, I can't give a kudo on a blog post. But I do give kudos early and often. Only one per story or episode of course, I don't try to stuff the ballet box.
I'll admit I haven't been making many comments, so I will try to do more.
Kris
Kris
{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}
I know
I get a little depressed at the number of comments and kudos too. I don't know if I am getting through.
Love,
Paula
Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.
The Coda
Chapterhouse: Dune
Paula
Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.
The Coda
Chapterhouse: Dune
Well said!
Personally - I find comments very helpful/encouraging - in the main. That said, it's easy for a comment to have quite the opposite result. Imagine you write something, and your comments are universally "Thanks, but I wish you'd written more of XYZ."
Angharad, thank you for making this point. It was made in a very enjoyable way.
Anne
my readership
I don't know. It seems that my stuff falls on the second tier of what wants to be read. If there is nothing else new, then people will go read my stuff. In the end i can estimate 500-600 people will read a chapter of Finding Jenny. Take tonight for instance. I have 150 reads on my latest post. There is a story that posted after me that has 300 and another that has 400, sometimes it gets discouraging, but I know my story is something of quality. I had to just accept that just because the quality is high, doesn't mean it will be widely accepted and popular. That's why South Park is still on the air. It is low quality and highly popular, we live in a world that doesn't always reward quality.
That said, I say so what to comments. Eventually I know Stanman will write something, and I might respond so that's two. I also know that there really is much to comment on in the current chapter, unless it's going to be a religious debate. But I also know that there is high drama coming, and then there's going to be the day when people demand I get banned. There will be tons of comments then. I had one post on Old BC that had 48 comments and I expected that because of content. I see some stories here that have high comments, but the comments aren't about the story but something about the commenter (like, I had a car like that, I like that show, whatever). What's really important is what I feel about my work, and I feel it is awesome.
K.T. Leone
Retarded Genius at Large
Katie Leone (Katie-Leone.com)
Writing is what you do when you put pen to paper, being an author is what you do when you bring words to life
Love your tag at the end-I thought I was alone!
Oh, how right you are. I can't even predict how my stuff will go over. I can see the truth in the idea that series stories seem to lose readership. I wonder if people wait for the end of a story before they read it? No wonder Angh is complaining!
Wren
steady readership
I can usually count on over 500 reads in 2 days. It gets a little disappointing when something gets 1000 reads in 4 hours, but my cynicism tells me that some loser keeps hitting the reload button ever few seconds (the benefit of being a New Yorker is you only feel good when you hate someone).
I know why Jenny doesn't get the reads other stories do. It's depressing. God Bless the Child has been put on the banned for reading list by the National Association For the Prevention of Suicide (NAPS) and has been actually handed out to death row inmates so they quit trying to appeal. Though it is a TG story, the Jenniverse isn't your common fair (boy finds girl, boy loses girl, boy finds girl's panties, boy fits into girl's panties, boy finds a boy that thinks he's a girl, repeat). These are three emotionally involved stories that really don't revolve around parading around in a party dress and hoping one passes. That said, I think the reason I get the 500 hits in 2 days is because the story doesn't revolve around parading around in a party dress. There are people out there who can't wait to see what happens to Jenny and probably curse me under their breath as I make the poor child go through another horror. But in the end, after they dry their eye with their 4th kleenex, they love me for it.
K.T. Leone
Anyone can tell you how beautiful a butterfly is, but only I can make you cry about a Gatorade bottle (Muhahahahaha)
Katie Leone (Katie-Leone.com)
Writing is what you do when you put pen to paper, being an author is what you do when you bring words to life
You got it Angh!
Cool poem! I know I'm an attention whore-I just don't make enough to get off my corner!
Wren
Owed Tu Rhywin
Is that Welsh enuf? Cadel Evans. That's a Welsh name, innit? Heh-Heh!
But, seriously, your plea is a worthy one, Angharad. Readers seem to be Kudo challenged, let alone comment-queasy. putting that finger to the small button at the bottom of the story or chapter is a major effort. The oxygen which we breathe and we are only awarded it in measly sniffs from Scrooge's pocket. It's little enough reward for free reading and hopefully, a modicum of enjoyment. We are begging...begging...begging...you to be a teensy-weensy bit more generous with a single finger,
Joanne
It's a bit of a pig
All authors love comments in particular and kudos are the icing on the cake as far as I am concerned.
I know that if I just get a few comments, I get a bit down to say the least.
The problem I think is that BCTS is now so popular, many people have not got the time to read let alone comment on a story. The fact that to record approval of a story is as easy might make one think that every story will get at least a reasonable number of kudos, but that doesn't seem to the case.
I know for a fact that at least a few authors have been put off writing new stories due to the lack of any real response and that is a pity.
I myself have finished off some of my series due to the fact that I wasn't getting much response.
It's not about inflated ego or the need for praise (although that is nice!)It's about the acknowledgement that we have pressed a few buttons for you or that we have struck a cord or excited your interest or even perish the thought, written a load of old crap and need to be put in our place.
We don't ask for payment. All we like is an acknowledgement that you have read the story and either like or even dislike the story.
Ang has written a huge number of chapters for her story and the qualty remains high and every time I look, a similar number of comments and kudos appear. It's nice to have a loyal following, but it is also very nice to have new input from those who have not commented before.
We don't ask for much, just an occasional comment and kudo to show that you all care about the things we write. But maybe we are banging our heads against a brick wall of indifference and apathy. I don't know, but I sincerely hope not.
Hugs
Sue
Good Heavens Woman !
I am not sure what to make of this poem, though it is fun and good for a laugh or two.
The Epi of Bike you put up yesterday has 78 votes, and 12 comments. Can you explain to me how that is not supportive?
Gwendolyn
Anti-bike
If you're anti-bike are you pro unicycle?
K.T. Leone
My fiction feels more real than reality
Katie Leone (Katie-Leone.com)
Writing is what you do when you put pen to paper, being an author is what you do when you bring words to life
Not necessarily
You could be anti-bike but pro trike (I used to ride a racing tricycle - it needs a little TLC right now) :)
Actually, for the crime of rhyming 'see' and 'happy' I'm tempted not to offer Ang a kudos for the next episode of 'Bike' :)
Just kidding, honest.
Robi