Way to get Author Feedback?

[Tom Fletcher (imported)]

I would propose that we add a short block of code to the end of each story on the archive (even the old ones). As each reader finishes the story they would click on the appropriate button to describe what they thought of the story.

Maybe have four or five options available.

Option one: "This sucked. I wanted to puke. Learn to write!"

Option two: "Has a little bit of promise. Maybe change everything and try again."

Option three: "Luke warm. Better in the morning like pizza."

Option four: "Made my dick twitch and it got my mistress all wet!"

Option Five: "I wish I was there. I could just imagine those were my balls in that story!"

Maybe also give a short form for instant feedback from the reader directly to the writer's private message inbox.

Make the system work so that the total number of times each option was chosen is shown at the bottom of the story. The reader can submit a new rating each time he reads- maybe he changes his mind over time.

[Dave (imported)]

I hope not. . . IMHO

Suppose you like only male/male stories and the story you were rating was filled with Amazon women castrating Samurai men in medeaval Russia with the Templars and Merlin the magician?

Now we all would like that story, wouldn't we? Just love the idea, huh?

There's too many different tastes to just put a series of questions on the stories. And some people who have great, hot sexy ideas just can't write well. Some people who have lousy ideas are great writers and make it work.

[Tom Fletcher (imported)]

I hope not. . . IMHO

Suppose you like only male/male stories and the story you were rating was filled with Amazon women castrating Samurai men in medeaval Russia with the Templars and Merlin the magician?

Now we all would like that story, wouldn't we? Just love the idea, huh?

I don't think anyone's reading preferences have anything to do with the the archive offering the ability to rate a story on-the-fly. A reader can always choose to NOT rate a story. However, I think offering the ability to rate a story on-the-fly just might increase the odds that an author might receive SOME feedback on their work.

Let us imagine for a moment that the feedback tool was in place. Suppose I get the bright idea to write a story involving a furby and Barney the dinosaur. I mix in a few old people for good measure and throw it out there for your enjoyment. Of course, if I had some feedback from you regarding my earlier works in the furby/barney/geriatric genre, I might know that overall opinion of my work in that space was low. I might even receive some specific suggestions on how to improve my efforts through the instant comment tool. Maybe then I might modify my writing to try something else you MIGHT like.

There's too many different tastes to just put a series of questions on the stories. And some people who have great, hot sexy ideas just can't write well. Some people who have lousy ideas are great writers and make it work.

So- change the wording of the ratings to something less critical of the writing STYLE. The wording I suggested is merely intended to start a discussion. Perhaps we just provide a 1 to 5 scale with the ability to provide instant short message feedback to the author. Or add an option in addition to the five I've already proposed that says 'Not my kind of thing' to handle anyone who doesn't like the TOPIC of the story. The point of the proposal is to get the feedback from the readers.

Enable the readers to use the tool- and some will. That might actually IMPROVE communication from the reader to the author and thus improve an author's stories. In an ideal world with the tool, a reader would click the little '3' button AND provide a sentence or two in the instant feedback box to explain why he clicked a '3' and not a '5'.

For instance, even though you have never provided feedback on any of my stories, the example given in your humble reply has just given me some ideas for a new story involving Merlin. He was a crafty old beggar and is underrepresented on this archive.