I accidentally posted the first chapter of a new story of mine, "Fortune's Fate," a few weeks ago and, to my great surprise and absolute shock, I actually receive a response. YES! A RESPONSE! Of course. the guy (or was it a woman?) hated it. But hey! It was a response. Right?

The administrators of this site are forever bragging about the number of hits. But where are the responses? Maybe those "hits" are completely bogus. I don't know. But something seems to be awfully wrong if there are millions of hits and only three or four responses to a story - if that many.

What happens after a reader finished a story? Is he or she so busy servicing him or herself that they completely lose track of things and forget to take just five minutes to post a message or to send the author an email?

While I am no where as prolific as Erik (or as good), I really do agree with him and decry the lack of adequate reader feedback. It's funny - I always pictured Erik burried in emails. It is comforting (in a perverse sort of way) to know that this fantastic author is also looking for feedback.

So, dear readers, you are not fulfilling your obligation - your part of the deal. We write, you respond. Okay? Try a little harder - and I'm not just talking about self gratification.

Your,

Cam

There are only 5 that read this site

Cam,

Your story has had 3654 hits at this present moment. Yes, we keep track of them. It is our job. This is a non-for-profit organization and as such is not our day jobs. Each one of us donates our time to keeping this site going.

The archive is somewhat automated in that we have programmed it to take care of our users as best as it can. Most input to the story portion of the archive is stored in what we call a "tank" for dispersment into the story section.

Anything that comes to the archive is looked at by a human who is donating his/her time.

If you don't like this concept you can come here and replace me, the programmer that started that.......

As for people not replying to your story, I agree! You deserve a review of your writing as does everyone else that sends a story.

People! Where are you? Can't you review? What is wrong?

talula

Try posting a story on ASSGM or Nifty.org ... you'll get the approximate same amount of responses to it - SLIM TO NONE.

I agree with talula, that YOU and EVERY other Author deserves some feedback. Unfortunately, I don't have time to email everyone who submits something, or I would. This could be due to the fact that I work a full time job, a part time job, and work out of my home as well. In fact, everyone should consider themselves lucky that ANYTHING gets out of the tank at all. Several times this week, I've had to have a cohort do it for me because I simply couldn't get to it.

We don't make up anything, nor falsify any records here.

Also, keep in mind that with summer here, a LOT of people have more interesting things to do than sit in front of their computer.

Oh, and now that I look back, I thought I sent you a message about that story and how much I looked forward to the next chapter. Guess I was wrong, or it never was received.

Cam (imported) wrote: Wed Jun 05, 2002 10:14 am The administrators of this site are forever bragging about the number of hits. But where are the responses? Maybe those "hits" are completely bogus. I don't know. But something seems to be awfully wrong if there are millions of hits and only three or four responses to a story - if that many.

What happens after a reader finished a story? Is he or she so busy servicing him or herself that they completely lose track of things and forget to take just five minutes to post a message or to send the author an email?

While I am no where as prolific as Erik (or as good), I really do agree with him and decry the lack of adequate reader feedback. It's funny - I always pictured Erik burried in emails.

Cam

sorry to see you so upset, cam. i think every author who posts here has a similar experience. yes, it can be frustrating to spend so much time and energy into writing a story, submitting it and then -- nothing.

i think that many people are afraid that they might be imposing by writing to offer suggestions, and that accounts for some of the lack of responses the authors experience. i think another reason is simply that most people simply don't have enough time -- there are a lot of stories posted on the archive and the real world has a very nasty way of making very unreasonable demands on everyone's time. i know in my case that my professors have this bizzarre notion that they and their courses should take top priority over everything else in my life.

as for me, i go through long spurts of not reading the posted stories at all -- partly because i don't want to be subliminally influenced by someone else's ideas. that is one of my biggest phobias as a writer -- that what i thought was an original idea was actually something straight out of another's story.

just post your stories using the enhanced feature and go back from time to time and check the hit statistics -- you'll be surprised at how many people have taken the time to read your stories.

keep up the writing efforts and have heart -- people out there are reading your stories.

good luck

david

Readers are simply too busy, shy or afraid to post.

I suppose feeback to me, as perhaps the most recently prolific (although certainly not necessarily most read, given my subject [or my ability?]) writer is less than 0.1% of my overall readership. This rate of adulation or otherwise seems to be experienced by most authors to whom I speak.

So your ~3500 readers equates to views on average from 3.5, & I'll also assure you that some of them actually try to send you viruses because they're truly not fans!

I'm not trying to put you off writing, by any means, but, once posted, put your anti-virus & firewalls up promptly!

But, whatever you do, keep writing. Think of all those who are secretly, without thanks I admit, enjoying them, probably in all senses of that word!

PUEROS

Cam,

I have to own up to the fact that I am one of the people who only rarely post story feedback and almost never contact an author directly.

This is not because I do not care, but because I like to give a measured response. Not being very creative, I find it hard to post over and over again without it becoming trite and hackneyed, so I tend to restrict my posts and normally only make one or two about a particular series.

In the case of 'Fortunes Fate' I thought that the story was extremely promising and perhaps I should have made an immediate post. However, that ended with 'to be continued .... ', so I decided to see how the story developed. So all I can say is sorry, I will try to ensure that I do better in future.

LOL

Cam,

I won't bother repeating what Colin has already said because I am guilty of precisely the same sin. You made an excellent start, but like Colin I decided I would wait to see how the story developed before commenting.

On the general topic of reviewing stories, I try to subscribe to the addage, "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything." Perhaps I should rethink this attitude because there are many stories that I read, don't personally care for because of the subject matter (e.g. extreme torture), but many of them are well written and I'm sure they appeal to someone.

As for your particular story, Cam, you have managed to portray two very sensitive people and done it very well, but I have to see more before I can comment on whether I like it or not. But if some time in the future I or anyone else comment that I do NOT like it, please don't take it personally. There is writing skill and subject matter, and as far as I am concerned you have already demonstrated your writing skill.

Hi All,

Writing, like masturbation, is for the most part a solitary task. You need to ask yourself why you do it. Write that is.

For me personally I write because I want to explore an idea that has occurred to me. Generally I find the tolerance and the complete lack of censorship on this site - in the stories at any rate - permit a kind of freedom and honesty of expression that is refreshing. You can throw ideas around without having to be politically correct.

I have a theory that once an idea gets out into the world there is no stopping it. I finding it intriguing to think that my meandering thoughts may influence a few other people, maybe more.

It is enough to know that people read what you write and the hits that you get are your reassurance that people do read it. If any one does take the trouble to respond then that is really great.

So to all you lonely guys who string words together on a keyboard I say good luck to you and keep up the good work. May the muse assist you with your efforts.

Kortpeel

Oh-that was well said Kortpeel. I plan to save your remarks and re-read them when I think I'm are writing into an empty void. Writing is harvesting thoughts and ideas from an endless amount of resources, and it's amazing how the written word does connect us.

I love to write because it's like being a magician. You can create any type of world you want, yet to a degree without a reader it's like the actor without the audience.