(no subject)

[turps]

These last few days I've been talking to a few people about feedback, both in email and comments, but each person mentioned the same thing, which was, feedback is decreasing in the popslash fandom.

So, I wondered what other people thought of that.

From my own experiences I have to agree. I've worked hard on stories, only to post them and get a handful of comments. Not that I'm about to flounce off or anything, because I always do get comments, and the ones I do get are wonderful. But sometimes, I look at other places, like bandslash, which has been sucking me in steadily for a while now, and wonder what it must be like to post something and get pages of comments in return.

I have to say here, this isn't me fishing for comments. I'm just worried that stories will stop being produced due to apathy by the readers. I've always said that popslash has amazing writers, and I stand by that. I'd hate those writers to walk away because they get nothing back in return.

I know popslash is different to many others due to the many pairings. Lots of people won't read some pairings, and I get that. I also get that lives are busy, and sometimes you just can't feedback. I mean, I always try to leave a comment when I read something I enjoy. But there's been times when life happens, and I don't get around to that.

But what it comes down to is, it takes seconds to write, I enjoyed that, after you've read a story you did like.

So, an open ended question. What's your policy on leaving feedback?

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

Interesting - and sad - to hear it's the same in Popslash. I'd been wondering for a while and was told there's an overall decrease in my fandom (with the exception of a dozen or so names). Wonder if it's depending on age of fandom or generally something spanning all fandoms now.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

It is sad. It seems that some fandoms have people giving huge amounts of feedback. I'm thinking bandslash and Supernatural here, from what I've seen anyway.

I guess it ties into the size of the fandoms. There'll always be a small percentage of people who actually feedback, so the smaller the fandom, the smaller that percentage becomes.

[i-naiad.livejournal.com]

I have to admit that these days I really only leave feedback when I've really, completely been swept away by a story. I suspect that's largely because I feel guilty about leaving a simple lj comment and would much prefer to leave detailed feedback. Unfortunately that means I need to re-read and I haven't had time to do that for a while. Not that I'm reading much at the moment anyway.

With respect to pop, I'm reading even less. Somewhere along the way the magic went away for me this year. A large part of it is Lance coming out and the Lou allegations - it all feels a bit icky now; too close somehow. I miss the way I felt about it and the enthusiasm, and I enjoy watching other people get a kick out of it, which is why I hang on to the edges of the fandom, but I'm not really reading it at all, sad to say, so no feedback.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry you've lost the pop magic. But of course you have to do what feels right to you. I'm just glad you're hanging around on the edges. I like knowing even if people have moved away, they can still understand and enjoy watching the people who still enjoy the whole thing.

Which wow, I hope you get what I mean there. Badly explained or what?

I am interested in why you feel guilty just leaving a small comment. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but is it a case of you thinking the writers expect in depth feedback? Or just you'd prefer to talk in detail?

[ephemera.livejournal.com]

If I'm reading fic on LJ, I almost always leave something, even if it's just a one-liner. (most of the time it's 'just' a one liner, but they make me happy to receive as an author, so *shrugs). If it's on a website, though, I'm less good - depends how obvious they've made the email link ;p

[turps33.livejournal.com]

See, I love getting one liners too. It means someone has actually read and enjoyed what I wrote. If I get in depth feedback that's awesome, but I certainly don't expect it.

I have to admit, I suck at sending feedback to older stories on websites. Which is something I should really try to change.

[sperrywink]

I haven't really been reading pop lately. My reading habits tend to be themed and I'm off pop (and HP and CSI and Criminal Minds and NCIS and...) for the moment and have just been reading bandslash.

I try to feedback everything half-way decent I read unless I'm in a funk and reading a ton to distract myself. Then I fall behind because I am reading so much. I try to go back and catch up, but it is hard.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

I have phases or reading too. It's weird, sometimes I have to read a certain fandom, then all I read is that fandom, until it changes again.

I read a load too, and I agree, sometimes all you want to do is surround yourself with fiction, and breaking off to send feedback is breaking back into the real world.

[solariana.livejournal.com]

I am totally guilty of just not reading popslash lately. The months where I was working 12+ hours a day, 7 days a week just didn't leave any time for going online. I still have a lot going on, but it's easing a bit. I'm trying to set at least one night a week aside to read popslash.

With that said:
If I enjoyed the story:
If it's a LJ story, I will note I've read the story and maybe comment on a favorite scene or quote. If it's a newbie, I try to be encouraging.
I admit to also being guilty that if there are already a lot of comments (say 15-20 or more), I may skip it, because it's all been said, better than I could have said it.
If the story was written by a friend and they specifically ask for crit, I would more likely email them, or leave a positive LJ comment, then email both the things I liked and what isn't working for me to them privately.
If it's a web site story, I'm painfully lacking in sending email. Mostly because when I first started reading popslash, I sent email FB to several writers and not one of them responded. I'd still email FB if I knew the email addy was still active and the person is still active in popslash.
I have also sent email FB (for both web site & LJ stories) under a different email addy, so it's annonymous (because of what happened when I was a newbie, I'm sure you remember what I'm talking about *G*), and I have yet to receive one response to any of that FB, too.

If I didn't care for the story:
I usually attempt to find *something* positive to say. If I can't, I usually don't leave FB.
If it's a friend and they specifically ask for crit or my opinion, I will e-mail it to them.

If I didn't/can't finish the story:
I don't comment. If it's a friend who wants crit, I would do my best to say why it's not working for me (via email), but I may end up just saying "I'm really busy" *blushes*.

There's always some thing (squick!) or some pairing(s) that turns certain people off. I can get through about anything that's NSync, but, for instance, I don't think I've ever read a purely BSB story. I don't mind BSB as side characters, but tend to stray away from reading most crossovers, unless there's something really intriguing about it.

And now I have a question:
What are writers' policies on responding to FB?

Like I mentioned above, I've emailed FB for web site stories and can't recall ever getting a response. It used to make me think that the person had moved on from popslash and isn't interested in FB for those stories, or maybe the email addy is wrong. But in the last few years, I've sent email FB to people I know are active and I only recall getting responses from friends. It seems most people are a lot better at acknowledging FB in LJ comment.

Whether in a email or on LJ, my policy is, if someone took the time to read my story and let me know about it, I can certainly take my time to respond and say *thank you* for the FB. I don't feel FB is *owed* to a writer, more that it is a *gift* of appreciation from the reader.

Would people send more FB if they got an acknowledgment for their efforts?

It's a delicate balance there, readers say there aren't enough new stories, and writers say they would write more if they got more FB. For me personally, I do feel more excited about writing when I know there is someone looking forward to reading my efforts. And you are certainly correct, it only takes a few moments to send FB.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

I totally understand people who don't have time to read. I mean, in the scheme of things, reading fic has to come way down the list.

Your feedback habits are pretty much the same as mine. Except I'd still leave feedback no matter how many people are there before me. I guess, I like the author to know someone enjoyed their story, even if I'm not saying anything new.

I do know the problems you've had in the past, and can understand why you get frustrated. It's like when I was running pop_appriciate One of the tasks was to leave feedback to old stories, and I didn't get any replies for that at all.

It's always difficult finding things to say about a story you don't care for. But I agree, you should try, especially if it's a story written for you.

I tend to assume people have moved on if I don't get a reply. Or else something has fallen through the cracks. For example. Last SeSa I got a great feedback on my story, but put the replies in a folder ready to be sent after reveal. Months later I looked in that folder and couldn't remember if I'd actually sent any of those replies. Which sucks because not replying is so rude.

I always reply to feedback I get in email. Mostly because it's such a novelty. A few times I've received emails about Boxes -- always that story, it seems I'll never be know for anything else *g* -- and after jumping in my chair a little, I reply.

Feedback is such an important thing. I mean, sure, you write for yourself, but knowing people are enjoying has to be an incentive. Which is why I'm slowly tackling my build up of fic tabs and commenting to all. If people have taken the time to entertain me, the least I can do is say thank you.

[raynedanser.livejournal.com]

What I've noticed is that SPN (for example) is one of the clique-iest fandoms I have ever ever seen. Fics that are worthy of pages and pages of feedback are getting only a handful because they aren't one of the "cool" kids in fandom while fics that are mediocre or as only as good as the almost neglected fic get pages and pages.

On the other hand, I have to confess to not reading a lot of anything lately. SPN seems to be invaded by the AU bunnies (and really, I'm looking for SPN fic for a reason, folks) and ... everything else is kinda fizzled right now.

About the only thing that will keep me from leaving any feedback is if the person was in serious need of a beta. Serious grammar and punctuation errors end up being corrected in my head and I get distracted from the story itself or I end up not finishing it. :/

[turps33.livejournal.com]

That's true. I imagine the BNFs will get pages of comments just because of who they are. Which isn't fair at times.

I know you've been busy lately, it's a busy time for everyone I think, and like I was saying to Jacie, fic reading comes way down the list.

I tend to feedback most stories that I read. There's always something I enjoyed. Though I don't feedback the badfic I indulge in. Somehow I don't think they'd want to read that I loved the story because it was so bad, and I spent the whole story laughing at it.

[turloughishere.livejournal.com]

If I finished a story and enjoyed it I will always leave feedback, even if it isn't more than a couple of words. (If I didn't enjoy the story I probably wouldn't have finished it anyway 'cause life is too short to waste on doing things you don't enjoy :-) I am a bit compulsive about the feedback thing I think, mostly because for so many years I only lurked and read stories and never, ever feedbacked. I feel a bit like I still have a kind of "feedback debt" to fandom at large, if that makes sense?

I am much worse at leaving feedback on websites that only has email links though. If they have links to an lj entry for feedback I usually remember to use it, but email I "forget". I think it's because my old non-feedback-leaving habit kicks in on websites and I have to actively remember to overcome it. Not that I read that much on websites these days, most of my reading is on LJ.

I'm also one of those that's guilty of only reading certain pairings. Especially in Nsync I'm very picky as you know :-) I'm far less discerning in BSB for some reason. I've been trying to think of why and I think it might be linked to how in Nsync I'm mostly only interested in Lance, and a bit in Chris and Joey while I find Justin and JC almost completely uninteresting. In BSB I'm almost completely uninterested in Brian, very intersted in Kevin, and like Nick, AJ, and Howie quite a bit. I have really no idea why I feel like this but I can feel the same kind of pattern emerging in my bandslash readings so I guess it's something integral to myself. (In FOB I'm pretty much only interested in Patrick, a bit and only for short periods of time in Pete, and almost completely uninterested in Joey and Andy = very uneven interest like Nsync. In MCR I'm interested in Bob and Gerard, a bit in Frank, and not very interested in Ray and Mikey = much more even interest like BSB. Weird!)

[turps33.livejournal.com]

You give great feedback, and I know if I get it from you you'll have taken the time to say what you really feel. I always know you're not saying you like something just because we're friends.

I have to agree, leaving feedback on LJ is so much easier. To me it's habit on here, while on a website I have to remind myself to find the email link.

I do know you're picky *g*

You can only like what you like, and I do understand that's where some of the popslash feedback problems come from. When you have so many combinations of pairings, threesome, foursomes and moresomes to enjoy, some will get left behind feedback wise.

Still, I think you're great at feedback, and consistently so, which is great.

You need to love Mikey though ;)

[brighton-girl.livejournal.com]

I wrote feedback for every single story in the JuC Story Swap. Everything I read and like I send feedback on...sometimes I even re-feedback if I like something a lot (like reading it a year later). Sometimes for something that's not great, I try and provide encouragement to the author - or point out things that would have worked better for me. If something is a work in progress, I provide short feedback on the posted section, and when the story is done, I provide longer feedback.

I'm with you. I think people should provide feedback, even if its just to say 'I read this and enjoyed it'. And it appalls me when I find out some people don't get feedback. We actually lost people from the swap in 2006 because the stories they wrote in 2005 got little to no feedback, including from the person they wrote for, which in my opinion is incredibly rude!

[turps33.livejournal.com]

You're awesome at feedback, and I wish more people would take your lead.

We actually lost people from the swap in 2006 because the stories they wrote in 2005 got little to no feedback, including from the person they wrote for, which in my opinion is incredibly rude!

I can well believe that. I've watched people stop writing because they're not getting any feedback, and that sucks. Taking the effort to write something, then posting it to silence has to be horrific, and don't get me started on people who don't say thank you if a story is written for them. I don't care if you get a story you hate, that person has still written for you, and you should acknowledge that fact.

[canadiandreamr.livejournal.com]

I'll be honest, I can't really remember the last time I even read popslash, online or otherwise. I know it was one of yours and I know I commented on it.

When I was writing back in the day and reading everything I could get my hands on, I always left feedback. Sometimes it was just a one-liner, and sometimes I really went into detail. (And one particular author, who I'm not going to name, became a complete bitch if you had left feedback for a previous chapter, but not the following one. She would actually hunt you down and start berating you. *shudder*)

I have a bit of time now to read popslash now that I'm down to one job again, but really? I wouldn't even know where to begin finding it anymore.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

I remember you commenting :)

Wow, that author sounds insane! I'd never give her feedback if she did that to me. That's just wrong.

Well, if you're ever tempted to try popslash again, I list it all on pop_newsletter on a Monday ;)

[sori1773.livejournal.com]

I think it's a symptom of fandoms getting older. It probably also hurts the popslash feedback levels that all the links on rec pages (and the few that are on delicious) usually link to websites. I was reading popslash for a while before I discovered there was actually a fair amount of pop on LJ; I figured it was probably a list based fandom.

I try to leave feedback on things I've enjoyed -- some days I'm more successful than others. I occasionally will send an email about a story I read on a webpage but the story has to pretty much blow me away for that. :) (gah. the guilt! :D)

But on the flip side, when I posted my first pop fic I actually expected just a couple of comments. I was pleasantly surprised! And with the level of squee in the fandom and the very non-cliquish nature of all the big names over here, it's still a very, very welcoming place to be.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

t probably also hurts the popslash feedback levels that all the links on rec pages (and the few that are on delicious) usually link to websites. I was reading popslash for a while before I discovered there was actually a fair amount of pop on LJ; I figured it was probably a list based fandom.

That's an interesting point, and one that I hadn't considered. Sadly I doubt there's anything we can do about that. Because the old stories are on sites.

Really, it seems stories do have to be amazing to get feedback from a webpage, so I wouldn't hold onto any guilt there.

But I'm so glad this fandom has been a good place for you. I've heard from a few newbies who think the place is cliquey, which always surprises me, because I don't think it is at all.

[phaballa.livejournal.com]

If I've read something posted relatively recently in a place where giving feedback is easy, then I always do.

And here's the thing. If I write a CW RPS fic, I'll get 100 or more comments, easy. But they all say the same thing. It's not so much feedback as it is, "This is aweosme write more please omg!" Which is nice in its own way, but it in the end I'd rather write something that I love and only get a few comments (from my friends, mostly :P) that write something I know everyone else will love and I only feel mediocre about.

Although I will say, when I started in popslash a year ago, I feel like I did get a lot more feedback. Or even over JuC Day, I got a TON of feedback on that fic. But by JuC Swap, not so much. Which is weird, since it's the same pairing. Hmmm.

[hegemony.livejournal.com]

Also, I think there's always a difference between someone who genuinely gives you a reason why they want more and just the person who's like ZOMG MORE. Sure, both of them are all nice and everything, but I think it's intensely different for the person who actually wants to SEE what happens after that and the person who just wants more sex.

It's sad that 'MORE' is a canned response to a lot of people's fic when you don't have anything to say other than 'this was hot kthnxbai' because a lot of the time, unless you had the idea for more, or someone tells you what exactly they liked, you're shooting yourself in the foot as an author, no matter what fandom you're in or what you've been writing. I feel that's how the SPN/SPNRPS epidemic of bad 'verses got started, y'know?

[topaz119.livejournal.com]

I'm holding about steady on popslash comments, but I've never really gotten a huge amount there. If I get 10 comments/emails on a popslash story, that's a really big deal, where I'm trying not to pout if that's all I get in other fandoms. I do tend to get longer fb in popslash, but I think that's because it has a pre-lj history, where people sent emails rather than dropping a one or two word comment. Please to note that I quite enjoy the one or two word comments! but longer fb is to die for.

Also! thank you for your email about River Runners and I promise a proper answer is in the works. =)

[topaz119.livejournal.com]

And! I just realized that wasn't the question you asked. ::rolls eyes:: Goooood morning, Monday.

I try to leave fb on everything that I read, but I'm not reading much of anything lately, in any fandom. I try to read things my friends have written, and fb immediately, because otherwise it's gone right out of my head, but even there, I'm falling incredibly behind. Life's just too crazy lately and it's either write or read and so far, writing's winning that battle.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bettina_/]

When I read something on LJ and I like it well enough I always leave feedback. Usually it's just a one liner, but I guess that's better than nothing.

It's a bit different when the story is on a webpage or in an archive. It depends on how easy it is to leave a comment. I got so used to the LJ comment system.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

It is better than nothing, and I always appreciate comments like that too.

I have to admit, I leave far fewer comments to website based stories. Mainly because when I read on sites it's when I'm reading in one of my secondary fandoms. Ones where I know very few, if any people.

[imsinkingfast.livejournal.com]

I think it's mostly the age of the fandom. When somethings shiny and new, peoples enthusiasm is at its highest and they want to become a part of it in some way. Commenting is a good way to do that so they'll take the time, even seek out opportunities to comment.

But after awhile, when they've met people, participated some themselves and been recognized, they get comfortable. They get used to others providing for them, whether it be fiction or pictures or media. And when humans get comfortable, they get lazy.

They don't think about what 'not' commenting may do, that the people sharing will more than likely loose their enthusiasm for it and just stop. I know that's whats happened for me. I used to take great pride in putting something new on my site every day. Now, I couldn't care less (even though I still have a boatload of video I haven't put up).

So I guess my policy for sharing in a fandom has become "if you can't take 30 seconds to say thanks, I ain't spending hours ripping, converting and uploading stuff for you". I do requests now on an individual basis, one on one.

[ephemera.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I totally work the other way - to my shame I must admit that I'm much *less* likely to fb in the initial rush of a new fandom, than I am once I've gotten comfortable, and feel like I know enough not to say something totally stupid.

[pensnest]

Ack! That reminds me, I meant to pimp this!. I've signed up, but there aren't as many people signed up as there should be. We should invade! There's still time to sign up.

In general... yes, there does seem to be less feedback. And of course, I'm noticing on my flist that there are more and more people who don't seem to be part of popslash fandom any more, some of them wonderful writers, which makes it particularly sad! I'll never get the incredible quantity of feedback I got for my very first popslash, because so many of those people have gone.

Which leads me to think, we should (by which I mean, *I* should) be more willing to rec stories, because if you see an enthusiastic mention of a story in someone's LJ, it encourages you to read it. And being recced is such a splendid ego-boost!

As for common or garden feedback, I do try, generally, to leave a comment, but I have to admit I've not got round to all the stories I've been meaning to read - I made a noble start on your recent vids challenge, while waiting in frustration for my programme content to arrive, but I'm definitely behind,, and I don't think I ever got round to the JuC swap. Which is really bad, because as a fandom, I don't think we can afford to be too exclusive about what we read—if writers don't get the encouragement, they won't write...

Also... hmm, I suppose we have a culture of always being nice about stuff, and—well, if I read a story and see flaws, I'm perhaps more likely to take a step back and not tell the author about them, because to me, the obvious response when you see how a story could be *better* is to offer to beta, and that does take a lot of time and effort, which I don't always want to spend. Hmm. We should do more of that, too, as a community. I wonder if we could have a "let's analyse this story" community, wherein we comment on what works and why, and what doesn't, and why, asking for volunteers to offer a story to be examined.

Off to pimp the feedback challenge now.

[carta.livejournal.com]

wherein we comment on what works and why, and what doesn't, and why, asking for volunteers to offer a story to be examined

The people I most want to critique for are the ones who have been writing for ages and ages, using the same betas, and making the same freaking mistakes. (SGA fandom)

[carta.livejournal.com]

My number one non-violable rule is that if the writer does not acknowledge feedback, I do not leave it. Period. The only exceptions have been when I didn't realize that the writer was a non-responder until after I posted the comment.

Other than that, I generally only leave feedback when I've really liked a story, as opposed to "well, that didn't cause me physical pain to read". And, after having been burned and watching other people get burned for daring to leave feedback that isn't 100% fan-gush, I don't critique, or say what I didn't like, or suggest spelling corrections. I will ask if I didn't understand something, though.

Basically, if I read something and it leaves me with a mental shrug or lukewarm enjoyment, then I'll probably not leave feedback. But if I liked something a lot, and the writer replies to feedback, then I happily click the comment link.

[bossymarmalade.livejournal.com]

if the writer does not acknowledge feedback, I do not leave it

I cannot agree enough.

I used to send people long gushing feedback letters (which I liked better than leaving lj comments -- I'm in a prehistoric minority weaned on mailing lists), but now I just don't have the time to do that as much as I want to. When I do have the time to send feedback, I do my darndest to write what impressed me into a paragraph or two so it's still *substantial* feedback and not just a one-liner.

Feedback for my own stories has definitly slowed down over the years, but like everybody's said, it does seem like a natural decline what with popslashers siphoning off into other fandoms. Although, I won't pretend I don't miss it!

[carta.livejournal.com]

Randomly, one thing I'm noticing as I'm scrolling through comments is people saying they're "guilty" of only reading one pairing. Really? People feel guilt because they only read what they like? That's odd to me - I'm not an OTP-type person, so I tend to read most pairings in my fandoms, but I do have definite pairing dislikes (Ex: I loathed Choey) and I never felt guilty about it. Do you think people are feeling like they're obligated to read things they may not necessarily care for in order to be a good member of fandom?

[turps33.livejournal.com]

People feel guilt because they only read what they like?

I hope not. I post and say people should give other pairings a chance, but I totally understand that people have pairings they dislike, and there should be not guilt about that. I mean, people like what they like, it's that simple.

Do you think people are feeling like they're obligated to read things they may not necessarily care for in order to be a good member of fandom?

Again, I hope not. For me I read pretty much everything because I don't have any pairing dislikes. Plus, Chris seems to sneak into most stories, he's crafty like that. But I certainly wouldn't read anything I hated, just because I felt I had to. For example, if someone posts an obviously Joshtin story, I won't check it out. Or even types of stories. I can't abide JC as a kitty fic. Just, no.

You can be a good member of fandom without being a fic masochist, and I hope other people realise that.

[duoshinigami.livejournal.com]

I try to do it as much as freaking possible! The only problem is I never have time to finish the things I'm reading. I currenlty have two stories up--both I do believe by you (trickC ficlets and your cheerleader fic) and have been up for a week trying to finish through them.

I need to like schedule in reading and comment time to my schedule along with classes xD Wish I could get school credit for livejournal! I would have hundreds of hours by now!

But honestly, I think good feedback is so important. When somebody has worked on something long and hard and has put their heart in to it they really deserve some praise and snuggles. IMO

[turps33.livejournal.com]

You'll always get the gold star for feedback in my book! You're easily the best I know at giving it.

I can understand how you get behind, I mean, you take the time to really say what you loved, and that has to take longer than a quick comment. But that fact that you're prepared to do that makes me admire you so much.

[dark-sanction.livejournal.com]

I think it has a lot to do with the factor that popslash in its own right has just been less productive. Like it has had lots of activity from the fans and actually Boys from the fandom have been active but just not to the extent of Bandslash members. Does that make sense? Like bandslash is currently super active in all reality sense because there are so many bands and right now is like their glory time. I don't know. So more people look at that then popslash.

But shit, popslash is forever the better of the two.

As far as feedback goes, I like to leave it but I honestly do not read a lot of fiction. This is just a rule of mine. Mainly because I fear how authors will write the people and that makes me antsy and sometimes upset. I'm beginning to get better at taking time to read fiction again though. I literally use to read only what two people would write...I'm expanding and learning to take other people's writing in. So uh...when I DO read fiction, I like to give my comments. Pretty much if I read it, you get feedback. (:

[dark-sanction.livejournal.com]

..instead of leave it, I meant to type read it.

[queenydiva.livejournal.com]

I haven't been commenting in general because my OTP is JuC/Joshtin, and it seems that most of those stories are old ones. No one seems to be writing my pairing much anymore, either that or I'm just not finding it!

[brighton-girl.livejournal.com]

My OTP is JuC too, but I have to disagree with you about old stories! We seem to be very lucky that lots of people participate for JuC day and for the story swap. Links are here: juc_day

[zelda-zee.livejournal.com]

It's interesting to me that you post this now, as I've been having the exact same discussion with a friend of mine about the Lost fandom, where there's been a marked drop-off in commenting in recent months.

I've never gotten pages of fb on a fic, but I used to get 30+ comments easy (this is in the Lost fandom, where I’ve done most of my ficcing). Now it's more like 10 if I'm really lucky. But then I've switched to writing fic featuring pairings that are not that popular, so I thought maybe that's the problem. And I like writing long, porny, kinky fic in a fandom that's not so receptive to that. But I just co-moded (sp?) a challenge and there was so little fb for most of the writers - not just me - that it became disconcertingly clear that it's something that's happening throughout the fandom.

I'm so late to the party when it comes to popslash that I have no idea how it used to be, though it seems obvious that the fandom used to be bigger and more active and I'm sure writers used to get more comments.

It is discouraging to not get comments on fic when one works so hard on them. I wish people who read a fic would comment on it if they have anything at all nice to say about it, even if it's very brief.

I’ve been happy w/the fb I’ve gotten on my popslash. Since I’m so new to this fandom I didn’t have any expectations really, but people have been quite wonderful.

My own policy for popslash, Heroes and Lost is that if I like a fic enough to finish it I comment, period. In HP and SG-1 I'm a lurker and in SPN I sometimes comment and sometimes don't depending on whether I know the writer and whether she already has hundreds of comments, in which case I usually don't. (Yes, I am aware that I have too many fandoms!) I have a backlog of fic to catch up on right now. I’m writing a lot and have been reading less because of it.

The exception is fic posted on websites. I’ve never left fb on a website, I’m not exactly sure why, especially as I’m conscientious about it on LJ.

The lack of commenting is a sad state of affairs and I have no idea how to turn it around.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

I wonder if it's something that happens to every fandom as it ages?

But I just co-moded (sp?) a challenge and there was so little fb for most of the writers - not just me - that it became disconcertingly clear that it's something that's happening throughout the fandom.

I hate when that happens. The video challenge I just ran made me sad because some of the stories received a handful of comments, and I know the writers worked hard on them. It felt like I'd let them down somehow, by getting people to join and them getting little in return.

It must be difficult writing pairngs that go against what most of fandom likes. I suppose it's how the choey writers in popslash feel.

It is discouraging to not get comments on fic when one works so hard on them. I wish people who read a fic would comment on it if they have anything at all nice to say about it, even if it's very brief.

I totally agree. I keep saying, it only takes seconds to say I read this and I liked it. Which sure, may not be as good as a long comment of what you like, but knowing you've made someone happy for a time is a great feeling.

I have a load of fandoms too, and to be honest, I don't tend to comment in some of them. Especially ones that I read on websites.

I wish I knew how to turn it around too. I mean, if you write you'd love comments people wouldn't read due to you comment grabbing. It's a no win situation.

[bellamyrose.livejournal.com]

These days, if I read and like a fic on LJ, I comment. Most times, it's only an 'I liked this', but I find that most authors feel that a little is better than nothing.

I am guilty of not feedbacking much, if at all, on fics that are on websites. To me, it's much easier to click the leave a comment link than it is to open a new email, type in the address, and then type out what I wanted to say.

This is not to say that I haven't sent email fb at all, because I have. I just don't do it often. Another things is, I'm guilty of reading everything on a site and then sending one email with feedback for all the stories that I really liked included in a single email.

Also, I owe feedback to alot of authors that I first read when I was only reading and lurking in the fandom. Some of the authors on LJ that I used to read alot of are no longer in popslash, but I do have a list of them saved to get back to, and get around to commenting on a few of them about once a month.

I have all the feedback from websites that I read in the past saved as drafts in my email, email addresses and partial feedback already filled in, I just haven't gotten around to finishing those up and sending those off.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

but I find that most authors feel that a little is better than nothing.

Yeah, I feel like that too. I was surprised some people don't to be honest.

In terms of websites. I'll leave feedback if there's an easily accessible link, and also if the writer is still active. I've found that writers who aren't active don't tend to reply. Which makes me wonder if it's worth sending comments to old stories at all.

but I do have a list of them saved to get back to, and get around to commenting on a few of them about once a month.

That's so cool. You're wonderful doing that.

[clumsygyrl.livejournal.com]

i usually leave feedback even if it's a one line thing. it's hard for me to do return comment on feedback. i never really know what to say.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

i never really know what to say.

Is that because you think a simple thank you isn't enough? Or because you end up with a row of replies all the same, which looks like you're copy pasting?

Of course, you don't have to answer if you don't want to.

[littledrop.livejournal.com]

My policy is, I only leave feedback for stories I think are Quality with a capital Q. I enjoy a lot of stories, but they're not always good stories. Like, there's this Jensen/Jared WIP that's in the process of wrapping up, and I've enjoyed it, but I feel like the author lost her way several months ago and I don't think it's as good a story as it could've been if she'd finished writing and editing before posting. I come across a lot of stories like that, these days, and it only emphasises that there's a difference between good writing and quality writing. A story can be well-written but lack a coherent plot, and vice versa. I leave feedback for stories when it all comes together. And if the author has bloody good style to go along with it, so much the better.

I haven't left feedback for a while, now. Makes me sad, because it means that while I'm reading a lot, I'm not actually reading anything good. *g*

[turps33.livejournal.com]

I haven't left feedback for a while, now. Makes me sad, because it means that while I'm reading a lot, I'm not actually reading anything good. *g*

I'm enjoying reading comments from people in other fandoms. I imagine it must be difficult to find the excellent stuff in a fandom that's so busy. Sorting through each story has to be time consuming, I mean, sometimes I look at the stories listed on the SPN newsletter and just boggle at the amount.

So I can understand having a quality line if you have such a big choice.

[geneli4.livejournal.com]

i recently went back and tagged all my stories, and i was really struck by the lack of feedback on a lot of them, so i'm not sure it's that new of a thing, really. even stories that i think of as being fairly popular have just a handful of comments on them. of course, it be that they're much suckier than i think they are!

anyway, my feedback policy is this: if i liked a story well enough to read it all the way through, i really really try to let the author know. sometimes i am too shy, or just feeling shitty about myself, and/or i can't find the words to say what i mean and am too embarrassed to tell the writer exactly that, although lots of times i do. i am finally okay with saying i liked this a lot. thank you!, although i didn't used to be. *is growing* that said, if the story already has pages and pages of comments, i don't always add mine. also, if the author doesn't respond to comments, i rarely bother. i figure 'thank you' is easy to cut and paste into the replies, and if they don't have time for that, they probably don't have to read my comments, either.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

See, I look at you as one of the really good writers, and that makes me sad that you don't get the comments that you deserve.

That's interesting about being to shy to comment. I get that a lot. I'm easily intimidated by certain people and I have a huge problem thinking why would they want a comment from me. But I'm getting over that. I guess I'm growing too.