Your Post-reading Habits

[Taralynn]

Okay, so I'm an author so I ask this question to just get a feel for what the readers think.

When I write a story, I love to get a response, especially one that let's me know how I'm doing as an author. Yet I get very few responses and considering according to my stats I have over 2000 people reading my story, I would think I'd get more than 3 responses. So I'm just trying to see what goes through a reader's head as opposed to an authors head.

As an author, when you know you have readers but don't get any responses, you feel a little used, like people just think you're there for the purpose of entertaining them. Obviously that is a rather emotional statment but is tjust feels that way sometimes. I suppose maybe a lot of the readers don't think we want to hear from them, but we really do. Your opinion does matter to us and really helps motivate authors like me.

But let's hear what's going through the readers heads so I can see if I understand the reader.

[Mitera Nikkou]

As a reader, I don't trust my ability to really gauge anything outside of my opinion because I'm not an aficionado of the technical aspects of literature and language. Add that to how jaded I am, and how hard it is to impress me, and I rarely ever leave comments. I do try sometimes, though, even if I don't want to: if I think a writer could do with some silly feedback from me. But, sometimes it's just the fact that they know that people are reading, by how many responses they get, that helps. (And just so you know, I haven't read any of your stories, save for the one about the crow. But that's more due to the fact that I rarely read anything these days.)

As an author, I don't feel used at all. I don't write to read a story to myself, or for it to benefit myself (ego, pride, money and the like), so, once it's out there, mission accomplished. Maybe it will be liked by some, perhaps it'll reach some fertile minds that will be inspired by it; the opposite may also hold true, or nothing worth mentioning may happen. As an author, all that I really need is the motivation to write and nothing more; you just have to find something that motivates you and works out. Getting comments/feedback isn't always the best way to get motivated, but to each their own. I write to share. If it's entertaining, then all the better the package; but I can't count on it being entertaining for everyone, so the only obstacle, for me, is delivering it. And thus, as it is with many other authors, the challenge is in putting the package together. Blast whatever form of writer's block that I have...

[Snow Dragon]

I'm an author too, so I know that feedback is really what acts as "payment" in the fanfiction realm. I do review many stories, but it is to my great shame that I don't review more often, even though I feel I have an obligation to do so, and can often provide helpful critiques as well.
I typically don't review bad stories unless the author has asked me personally to do so (which has happened on four past occasions). Not because I don't have anything to offer, but because I have trouble being honest when it comes to negative criticism. I keep thinking that if I insult someone's works, they'll either throw a fit or give up, or they'll decide to dismiss my entire review because I don't "understand their writing style" or whatnot. But then again, some people say I have an ego problem, so maybe I'm attaching too much importance to my opinion.

[Raleigh]

Looking at this as a reader first, I see no reason to leave a review most of the time. I don't think most authors care what I have to say, since I always come up with a sucky 'You did a good job.' kind of review. I have given better critiques, but the author specifically asked me for it before I did so.

I write, I write a lot to be more precise. Very little of it makes it to the masses on the net, I think I only have two fanfictions and maybe three original stories floating around out there. I don't mind getting very few reviews since I don't think a reader is obligated to tell me how they feel. After all, if I ever get around to putting out any of the novels I have been working on making for the past few years, I don't expect even a third of my readers to send me back their critique or opinions on my work nor do I think I will even bother to read the news paper critics reviews.

Now that I've bored you with all that gibberish, I'll just sum it up. I don't think they are in any way obligated to leave a review since I think most readers, myself included, don't think the author really needs them. I write because it amuses me and I put out for general consumption the ones I think will appeal to more than just myself or my group of friends, not so as to have people tell me they liked the tale.

[Rowan]

For starters, I don't read a lot of stories online.

Having said that, if the story was especially good or touched or moved me in some way or if i feel I can offer constructive criticism I'll let the author know if I can reach them without jumping through a lot of hoops.

[Helel]

As of late, I've been a bit too busy to even bother reading stories online, so it's not like I have many opportunities to even give feedback or anything.

It doesn't help either that I generally don't read stories online unless I get really, really bored. Like that ever happens in my life.

Rambling aside, I'm really inconsistent about providing feedback unless I really, really enjoy a story.

[ZeroForever]

sometimes option here, though rarely as usually there's enough feed back if it's good and i usually just don't bother finishing if it's bad.

[Queen Octavia]

I don't comment as often as I think I should. I always put it on my to-do list, but my to-do list stretches to infinity and beyond x_X. *Stares at the 10 loads of laundry I have to do piled into a corner of my room*. Yeah, that's totally going to fall on me and kill me before I ever get around to doing it ;p

[Snow Dragon]

Looking at this as a reader first, I see no reason to leave a review most of the time. I don't think most authors care what I have to say

Well, you're wrong! >_<
Some authors have the mentality that they write for themselves, and only bother to share the fruits of their labors on the internets out of the goodness of their hearts... but those people are few and far between.
Most authors, like me, look at reviews, even the short, lame ones that don't help, as a measure of the worth of their efforts. I judge Guardian a Millennium to be my most popular fanfictions because they net the most reviews, and thus I put most of my time and effort into those projects.
Authors DO care what you have to say. They might not take your advice if you give some, but they DO care.

[Raleigh]

Hm.. I'll keep that in mind if I ever get around to reading any of your stories then.

[Metroidvania]

Most authors, like me, look at reviews, even the short, lame ones that don't help, as a measure of the worth of their efforts. I judge Guardian a Millennium to be my most popular fanfictions because they net the most reviews, and thus I put most of my time and effort into those projects.
Authors DO care what you have to say. They might not take your advice if you give some, but they DO care.

Truer words were never spoken, er, typed.

Even though I do write to show my "vision" of the change that I've wrought, it's still feedback from others which lets me know if I'm doing a good job or not.

Which is why I try to leave a feedback if there's something I feel excels or isn't so great.

Unfortunately, time constraints, and a lack of fics I feel are truly innovative seem lacking at times....and sometimes, I'm just lazy.

But I think I'm getting better.