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You know, since I began here at BCTS, I have seen a gradual changeover of the readership. It's in the tastes of the types of fiction that they like. We went from one day being a site that had readers starved for fiction, to one where now something barely even gets read much less commented on.
The authors here are not demanding anything for their works except that occasional kudo and comment. It cannot be that hard to comment. What about that story made you feel good? Or bad? Anything? |
But the sad truth of the matter is that we have already lost authors due to a lack of commenting. We have lost giants in the field of TG Fiction. They went out our door and began to self publish. While I wholeheartedly support that for them, another part of me is crying that they left us.
So what I am trying to say to our readership is please please please... comment! Say something to our authors who come here daily to publish.
If you don't say something now, they will not be here tomorrow.
...And neither will we.
Sephrena
Comments
Comments
The fact that this post has garnered no comments itself pretty much speaks volumes.
Melanie
I Think It Mostly Says...
...that the note had only been up for 34 minutes when you commented.
Eric
I feel stupid
just saying "I liked it." That's what the kudos are for. I'll comment if I have something meaningful to say. Maybe authors should look at kudos as well as comments?
Kudos
I love kudos, and it's always neat to see them tick upward. But a comment, even if it only says, "Hey, thought this was cool", totally makes my day. Every time.
Why the difference you may wonder? Well, a kudos updoot is anonymous - we have no idea who did it. A comment though puts an identity to someone out there appreciating our writing, and therefore feels more 'real'. Yes, identities through the internet are also anonymous...but a handle can be spotted on other comments / blogposts and recognized. It's different, even if just from a psychological viewpoint. :)
So don't ever feel stupid for simple comments like those. Please! They're worth so much more than the kudos counter going blip.
I apologize
I’m too much of just a reader, although I try to give almost everything I read a kudos.
Thanks to all the wonderful writers who continue to contribute here.
Gillian Cairns
To be quite honest, most of
To be quite honest, most of the stories posted just don't call to me. A lot of the authors that wrote interesting works.. left. They lost interest and abandoned the site, they left claiming they were being abused by comments, they went off on random tangents or tried to set up their own sites, or have just plain disappeared.
Over the years, there's been a shift in the types of stories posted. They've cycled from SF, to fantasy, to superhero, past, future, alternate reality, and always also had a core of crossdressing/tv/real life. So, my tastes themselves haven't changed, but the content has. No, I can't give you chapter and verse (or rather, won't. It's not important.)
I _do_ regularly post on the works that I read - just ask Amethyst, StickMaker, or Erisian. (I'd say others, but they've been inactive or deceased for a while).
I will admit that the constant "Kindle, Kindle, Kindle " pushing turns me off (it's often hard to see when something's actually updated). It's not just here, other sites I frequent do it as well. I'll save my arguments for and against it, and how to manage it, for a more appropriate venue.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
It's amazing how important comments are
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.
Angharad
Sorry
I am sorry you feel this way. I am not reading as much at the moment because of time, and there are certain authors which I look every day to see if they have updated any of their stories. I will not name drop who because it is unfair to them for me to do so in this message.
I agree with you, I am not as much into the mythological, science fiction, super hero. I like stories where I can relate to the main character. I am fine pushing plausability, but not moving so far into the impossibility that it loses any connection to reality.
Having said that, there are some authors whose ability to transcend into the impossible is still an interesting and enjoyable read.
Keep up the good work. It has been a while since I have read you, Sorry. I also do not always leave kudos. I reserve those for stories I thoroughly enjoy and plan to read again.
Melissa
I do my best to comment as often as I can
but I am only 1 person!