the-violent-peach:

lokilickedme:

punkrockprofessor:

sith-fedaykin:

Attention everyone.

The more chapters a fic has, the MORE YOU NEED TO COMMENT. 

I’m looking at all these fics with lots of kudos, lots of hits, lots of subscriptions I’m sure, and then *crickets* at an update. IF THERE ARE SAY 100 PEOPLE SUBSCRIBED, WHY ARE THERE ONLY TWO COMMENTS?? Let’s say only 10% of the people still read it. That’s ten comments that should be there. 

Too shy or worried or blah to comment? Here’s some copypastes for you:

• I love this chapter so much.
• I love reading this fic.
• I think about this fic a lot.
• It makes me happy when I see there is an update. 
• This story is so intense and well-written.
• I’ve been following since the beginning and it’s better than I imagined.
• I’ve fallen in love with your characterization.
• *quote your favorite part* This is my favorite! 
• This fic made me think about a lot of things. 
• I’ve learned some things about myself reading this story.
• This is my favorite fic of all time. 
• I reread this all the time. 
• *incoherent screaming*
• This is absolutely delectable and I love it. 

Use one! Use all! There are endless possibilities! Don’t feel pressured to write an essay. Just say that you are still here and you’re happy! 

It would be preferable for you not to say 

• Can’t wait for the next chapter!

It’s ok when combined with other things, but if that’s all you say…..? We’re looking for love on the hard work we just posted

When you post your first chapter/oneshot, you worry: “Is anyone reading it? Does anyone like it? PLease someone, anyone!?” and you wait for people to come into your space. 

When you post your Xth chapter, you already know that people are reading it, there’s already a crowd gathered. Even if it’s only a few people, you know that they are there. “Does no one like it? What’s going on? What happened? Everyone loved it before?? I thought?? Did I mess up?”

NOT COMMENTING ON A MULTI-CHAPTER FIC IS LIKE GOING TO THE THEATRE AND NOT CLAPPING BETWEEN SCENES. LIKE THERE IS NO APPLAUSE AT INTERMISSION. 

Love your author. They need it. 

If you need a selfish motive to comment, remember that an author is more likely to update when they know there are people who are waiting for another chapter and who value their work. 

So much THIS.  I have a current long-running fic that has 194 subscribers on it. Yet it averages maybe 10 reader comments per chapter (the total number tallied is misleading because half the comments are my own replies).  It consistently receives a good number of hits – usually a couple hundred in the first day after posting and a steady rise after that – so I know it’s being read.

Another long fic that I recently ended due to lack of interest was the same way – lots of subscribers, a fair number of hits, very few comments.  I ended that fic specifically because of this.  The one with 194 subscribers is about to be ended for the very same reason.  It breaks my heart because I love the story, but aside from my two big “main” fics, I feel like I’m writing all the others strictly for myself – because comments are just so hard to get.

I have a very good friend/fellow writer on here who just deleted her entire AO3 catalog of stories.  Long fics, crafted with great love.  Lots of hits.  Severely lacking comments.  Very sad, but…we really do get discouraged enough to do this.

I’m lucky enough to have a small but very loyal group of readers who always comment without fail, and I love them dearly.  They’re all that keeps me writing sometimes, because I can always count on seeing those dozen names in my comments section.  But I still can’t stop wondering how 194 subscribers can equal a dozen comments.

And here I’m like, SUPER EXCITED AND WOW that 10 people subscribed to my chapter fic.

This is true, though. If you want people to feel like there’s a real audience out there, you have to leave comments. This is probably the 7th or 8th post I’ve reblogged saying the same thing in the past week. So what’s the deal, people? Why nobody leaving comments??