I've been meaning to get this off my chest for a while now

[foolish_m0rtal]

So here's the thing about long fics (fics in general, but long fics especially): I feel like if you've liked it enough to get to the end, you should comment on it.

The author has put a lot of work into this, so I think you should expend just a bit of your time to write something back, even if it's something like, "Thank you for all your hard work." I feel this is just the thing to do, and to just Favourite it or do a Kudos or whatever without saying a word seems very...flippant to me.

And of course it's not just about getting compliments or criticisms, it's about building relationships within the fandom, and I think we can miss that when we don't take the time to comment. We can disillusion the author, who thinks he or she has put a lot of effort into a fandom that doesn't give a damn. (This is also why I disapprove of not reading or commenting on a story till it's completed, but I think the TVTropes Firefly Effect page explains this a lot better than I can.) 

I know many times I've written fic simply as a way to get to know people in the fandom, and I've become disappointed or felt cut-off when no one talks to me. I don't mean to be ungrateful, and thank you very much for taking time to Fav or Kudo stuff, but it feels very hollow. I remember randomly Googling one of my fics (yes, I admit this was a very narcissistic thing to do) and only finding out that the fandom loved it because I found it being talked about with other people, but never to ME. What I found was very heartwarming, and it finally made me feel like all the effort I put in was worth it, but I don't think this should be the way writers find out how fandom feels about them.

I feel the worst when I see this with other stories, and I try to tell them that YES, it's not fair, and YES they deserve more feedback within the fandom, and I try to promote this fic to others, but I'm not sure if it's enough. There are some fandoms who are wonderful about giving feedback, so I'm not sure if some fandoms are more absent-minded (to put it lightly) or rude (to put it honestly) than others and whether this has to do with what kind of people are in the fandom. 

Thoughts? Personal stories? What do you think causes this, and do you think it's getting worse?

Comments

[grimmsical.livejournal.com]

Since I'm someone who actually subscribes to the whole "write for yourself, not an audience," lack of reviews doesn't really affect me, though this applies more to my fanfics than original work. For me, my fanfics were mostly cathartic, getting my headcanon down, and sharing was secondary. That still applies, even though I seldom write fanfic now (but it is evident in the ones that I've posted on my lj.)

Lately I've been finding out just how many people don't review though. It's...odd. When people tell me that they've read my stories for a long time and I've never heard from them before I sorta go O.o I really like interacting with people who read my stories (perhaps a little overmuch?) but I must admit that my mentality as a reader is quite the opposite.

[mee-eep.livejournal.com]

I think even when posting a short fic people like to get feedback, whether it's constructive or simple acknowledgement. That or I'm really a very needy person :/

I've seen comments on comics that are nearing their end, from people who have followed from the beginning which I'd guess is at least two years, but have never commented previously.

Not everyone is after making LJ acquaintences but I don't understand why a simple 'i lliked that' or 'that doesn't work for me' needs bravery. Posting and opening yourself for critiscm is surely harder?

I've linked a fic to a forumn and had only one comment though when I looked LJ-stats told me at that point 40+ people had visited my journal. So I feel no-one liked it and wont bother to link the connected fic there, what's the point.

Recently I've had trouble leaving feedback because LJ has been having go-slow moments but with serials I usually try to at least post a 'Yay update' if I don't have time/or anything more to say.

Perhaps with fandom it is connected to the different demographics; age groups, geekyness, popularity - of the fandom, be interesting to look at, don't follow any enough to be familiar with patterns.

[broken-moons.livejournal.com]

Hm, I'm not really familiar with fandom, so I can only speak as a reader and author of original stuff, where experiences may be different.

I'm aware that a lot of people who read my work don't comment, because I don't always comment on what I read. I try to do it at least when something is complete, or it's an exciting update, but for some reason there is a barrier there, more so than when I post the stuff I've written.

Maybe it's because when you post a story you can hide behind it, it may be personal, but it's a product, not direct personal contact. When you comment it's more personal, if you read a lot you end up commenting a lot and if (like me) you risk getting to work late because you just have to read this or that update that leaves little time to comment, so you have to postpone it and of course you forget to do it later.

As for the Firefly effect... I've seen this coming up in respect to LT3 Press's serials, where people prefer to wait for the e-book or printed version, but the difference there is that there will be a finished product in the end you can buy and read in one go. From my experience many people on LJ who don't read WIPs don't choose that because the work might not get finished, but because they know they don't like the wait inbetween updates.

You might call it the Lost effect, or the Dexter effect - both series don't make sense if you don't watch it right from the beginning and never miss an episode. And if you have to wait long in between you spend the first half of the next episode trying to remember what happened last time (thank Spork for 'Previously on...' though). So personally with Dexter I preferred getting the full season and watching it over a course of weeks rather than a year.

Personally, I am too impatient to wait, and secretly like to torture myself with cliffhangers (hell, I do it right back to my readers, so who am I to complain, right?) so I just read the updates and don't worry about when or if the fic will be finished.

[zeffy-amethyst.livejournal.com]

I thought about not commenting on this for various reasons, and then realised the delicious irony in that. Also, hello! I came to your LJ via way of grimmsical. She rec'd your awesome superheroes and The Professor's Wife and FINALLY I get up off my lazy arse and friended you.

Commenting, hmm, as a reader I don't comment as much as I should. Initially, I will let people know why I friended them cos I know it's creepy for random people to just turn up out of the woodwork. But aside from that, I tend not to say much. Especially when I don't know them all that well.

As a writer, I feel pretty much the same. A hello to tell me you stalk my writing LJ and where you came from is fantastic, but comments for everything isn't necessary. My writing comes from my own desire to add to a given genre or to mess with my characters, and I realise that's not interesting to everyone. ConCrits though, I love them and I will love anyone who sends 'em my way.

I am speaking from an original slash community PoV though, fandom might be different.

I got nothing on WIP and the reading thereof. XD