Fic and Comments

[ithildin]

Have been glancing/skimming over the meta I'm seeing in regards to AO3 and comments, and comments in general. First off, I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees lots of hits but zero comments -- I have a total of one comment there on all the fic I've posted. It's odd how different web spaces have such different culture, isn't it? Second, to repeat something I've said in the past, I love comments and I am not at all insulted by a 'loved the story' type comment. I've never understood why there's the perception that if you leave a comment it has to be some deep multi-paragraph treatise. It doesn't -- or at least as far as I'm concerned. I'm touched that anything I write engenders a comment of any length whatsoever, and I appreciate people taking the time to comment. And it's sure better than the alternative, when you think not a soul is reading. I am writer, see me angst [g] So yes, minimalist commenters are treasured here, trust me on that!

Comments

[mischief5.livejournal.com]

While I've read some stories over at AO3, I'm embarrassed to say I still haven't figured out the comment thingy. That's so sad, isn't it? O.o

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

I'm just glad it isn't my primary venue for posting, or I'd be heartbroken LOL

[bookaddict43.livejournal.com]

I agree totally about the comments! I loves them *pets comments*

I also agree about AO3 - I like the hits because at least you know someone has read it, but I'd love comments...

I'd love to read the meta, could you link me?

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

[nods] I get anxious when I get few comments. I'm insecure, I admit it!

This (http://community.livejournal.com/metafandom/283536.html?format=light) was what I was skimming at lunch.

[boji.livejournal.com]

I've got to go back to uploading my fics.

I bunged 7 or so up there and then just... wimped out really. In part it was the interface (because when I tried to upload from the LJ link directly it sucked in all comments and icons and surrounding minutae that I didn't want on the story page itself) in part the idea that I could/should proof-read everything again before it's 'archived'.

There's something in-elegant and unintuitive about the archive design if you're uploading (not if you're reading, that side of it rocks) and I can't put my finger on what that is.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

I remember that, and it was so odd since when I do it, I get no icons and no comments along with the story. Wonder if it has to do with what style you use? No real idea, of course :)

[juniperphoenix]

I think part of it has to do with people's hesitancy to comment on older fics (which I personally don't understand, but it's a phenomenon I've definitely noticed). When I posted a new story to AO3 it received lots more comments and hits, and in a shorter time, than the older stories I had archived there.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

My new fic posted there gets lots of hits, but no comments. Old fic not a lot on the hits department - which is to be expected. It's just a curious phenomena, I guess [g]

[otterevil.livejournal.com]

::gets some popcorn and settles in to watch the angsting::

[eg]

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Heh

[tpena19.livejournal.com]

I totally agree, but also have to confess that I sometimes forget to leave comments, bad me :(

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

I have to make sure I comment right away, or I'll forget.

[dejla.livejournal.com]

I have to agree. Anything that says the person read it and liked it -- although I tend to feel guilty that I don't write multi-para comments myself.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Yep, I'm content with any sort of content :)

[grachonok.livejournal.com]

Oh, the amount of comments! At least now I'm over the stage when I literally cried over the lack of them:). There was a time when a feedback from certain people meant the world to me, and, if there wasn't any and there was a proof that they were on LJ that day, it was a catastrophe:). As I see now, I felt and behaved like an Ezra from a bad fic:).
That doesn't mean I'm not counting them now - I am, and I totally understand you! ff.net has the statistics feature, too, and it still puzzles me sometimes when I see dozens/hundreds of hits with a couple of reviews at best:).
And since I know what it's like to wait for them, I always do my best to leave one, if I did enjoy the story and think it's a good one:).

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Rightly or wrongly, you connect comments with the fact people are reading. No comments = no one is reading it. That, or it sucks [g]

[jinxed-wood.livejournal.com]

Ah, this started off on amberlynne's journal post (http://amberlynne.livejournal.com/1636528.html) as a post about feedback, and was spread about by metafandom, I think!

rahirah. Also mentioned the read/comment correlary, and came up with some very amusing conclusions:

1) Most writers say they get more comments the smut.

2) But rahirah avers it's her humorous fics that get the most comments.

3) Therefore, funny smut should explode your inbox.....?


I've given up on trying to figure out what it is about some fics that make people comment like crazy, and others that only get the deafening sound of crickets. It's self defeating. I've had the grand total of three comments at AO3, but I don't consider it a place to get feedback, so that's okay.

I can't whine about comments on my LJ, either, because I know I'm not the best at replying. I try to get to everyone, but if I'm having a bad week in RL, I tend to put such things on the long finger, and then forget. (Also, I think LJ may still be holding a great deal of my comments ransom. Two weeks ago, I got a few LJ notices saying thank you for your purchase. At first, I panicked because I hadn't bought anything on LJ since November - guess what? The LJ notices were referring to those purchases...a three month delay lapse. Lovely.)


I have a stats counter on my LJ, so I know the read/comment ratio there, too. It's not as bad as the archives - on average, 100 hits equals about 10 comments for me. I'm sure others have better averages.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Funny smut may indeed be the ticket [g] Or at least funny slash smut LOL