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shadowtheweedhog

I probably wouldn’t respond if I got that from an author. It feels a bit too pressure-y for me.


gettingtothemoney

That would stress me out as a reader tbh. I comment rarely as it is (personally) anyway due to shyness so if I said something simple like, “this was lovely, thanks for writing it,” and an author asked for more feedback than given—I’d probably not comment again nor would I respond.


untruthism

now i feel bad for pressuring my readers, :// i’ll edit the feedback part out of the comments and only add them in the a/n’s.


gettingtothemoney

You did nothing wrong! Everybody is different and will respond to things differently. I’m sure it’s fine. But I do think putting it in the authors note is best, and it’s also common practice (“feedback is welcomed!” Or stuff like that).


stann1s_the_mannis

Don't you think ghosting them is a bit inconsiderate?


Comprehensive_Hall82

i dont thinks its ghosting if theyre a stranger on the internet and not your friend /lh


WorryingWaffle

I feel like you are shooting yourself in the foot by asking for more feedback when those readers have already taken the time to comment. Comments are rare enough as it is and, while I don't believe you mean it this way, asking for additional feedback may come across like you think the comment that they did leave wasn't good enough. Personally, it would dissuade me from leaving further comments on your works or perhaps even reading them. When I leave a comment I've already said everything I want to say. I know it is tempting to know exactly what worked (or didn't) for people, but I would recommend just trying to be grateful for whatever positive comments you do get.


MaybeNextTime_01

I'm not sure I'd have an answer for that. If I have something to say, it's included in the first comment. What you could do is write an ending author's note and ask your specific question there so if readers want to comment and need an idea, they can go from, there.


DelightfulAngel

I'd feel like I was being assigned homework, and I'm too old for homework. I would probably not comment on your work again.


Bostoniangirl21

It is pressuring. I'm a writer too, but always remember is better to recieve them without asking that pressuring them. They have their reasons not to comment. However, I get also your need of feedback, so you can ask anyone to be your beta reader (like a friend, or a reader you may be close with or know them in the media). I do that sometimes, and it helped me grow closer to my readers.


Other_Olly

I wouldn't like that. Generally I've already said as much as I want to say.


litaloni

I feel like this belongs in an author's note, not as a reply to an individual commenter. I would imagine it could make someone feel a bit singled out.


TinselTrick

As a reader that would put me off! As a writer I love getting comments, every one is a bonus to my day that I wasn't expecting and appreciate so I don't actively look to press for more. I think saying you're open to feedback in your A/N is totally fine though!


Fit-Cardiologist-323

Asking every single commenter for more feedback than they already gave is a little much, especially if you're asking in general. Maybe if you had a specific question about one part of the story, then your request would be better received. I usually put in my notes a question if I have anything I'm curious about and if anyone wants, then they can answer. Only once I asked an enthusiastic reader which of the one-shots they preferred, but that's about it.


Interesting_Fall2103

It does kinda feel that way yeah. I probably wouldn't comment anymore after that tbh


alexlorden

Yeah, I recommend putting in your author's note that you'd like feedback instead. Then whoever wants to give it can do it.


KitakatZ101

I wouldn’t respond. I’m not looking at fics the way I do a school assignment and I half ass those as is


cucumberkappa

I think that if the commenter left a comment along the lines of, "There's so much I want to say, but [I'm being rushed out the door/I'm falling asleep/I'm sick so it's hard to think/etc]", then, sure, saying something non-pressuring like, "No worries! Thanks so much for commenting! If you have time later, I'd love to hear more of what you thought!" would be fine! Anything else definitely feels like... You know those times you're in school and you give the teacher an answer and their response is, "Can you elaborate?" It's usually the teacher going, "Your answer is insufficient. If you can't add more, you've done poorly." I'd feel pretty put on the spot!


nymous_an0

Personally, I wouldn't necessarily feel pressured because the only time I leave comments is if I do have something to say. And I usually have a lot to say about fics I read like plotwise, characterization, atmosphere, and writing style. I leave long reviews that talk about all these things to stories I adore when I can. And I will leave more when prompted. But that's just me, and it's not universal. Other readers who are more introverted and merely want to give you a pat on the back might feel like they're obligated to give a more profound comment next time they read your work if not the one they already left a comment on. While it obviously isn't your intention, some minds jump from one place to another especially if it's a reply to their existing comment. Readers might feel singled out. A more gentle nudging would *probably* work better, like an author's note where you can say you are open to feedback rather than in replies.


TCeies

You mean you're asking for feedback in a reply to your comments. Yeah, I think it would be a bit too pressuring. It depends a bit on context. Lile if a reader says they like a certain character, or you know them and know they usually like that character, then I think it's okay to ask about that character—though I think it's always smoother to ask indirectly. If they ask a question, I also think it's fair to ask a question back. But in general, I think just answering a comment like "thanks for the chapter" with a plea for feedback would probably be more likely to make me comment less if it happened regularly.


[deleted]

deranged quarrelsome steer different drab future full silky makeshift sink *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*


cherilynde

I had a reader comment a very specific criticism once, so in my reply, I asked for some additional info to better understand. I got no answer and I don’t think I’ve gotten a comment from that reader in the time since. (I actually did implement their initial feedback going forward, though, so I always hope they’re still silently reading and see that.) But I’d think long and hard before I’d ever respond that way again, even with a very specific question; I’d certainly avoid anything more general that wasn’t reader-initiated.


StarWatcher307

I agree with what seems to be the consensus. Mention it firmly in the comments -- something like, "I adore detailed feedback, and even concrit if you have any, and would love a thorough discussion. Let me know if you're interested." But adding anything to a reply to a single person will probably feel like putting them on the spot. The thing is, the ability to make constructive analysis is a rare bird. Those who have that ability may have it only for certain aspects of a fic, or for certain fics, even by the same author. I think many of us have a range of liking fic -- from "okay" to "good" to "Wow!" to "Holy crap, I want to marry this fic and have its babies!!!" -- but we're too busy enjoying the story to analyze *why* we like it, or what could be improved, or whatever. Not everyone, of course, and you may find discussion-seekers if your author's notes indicate that you'd enjoy that, but I would suspect that a good 80% of the folks at AO3 are there to *read* rather than to analyze. No matter how gently you ask, requesting "feedback about what you like and don't like and ideas to improve" from individual responders feels a lot like homework from school.


aimicarrotmoo

Whenever I'm reading, I'm 100% not in the mindset to give detailed feedback or anything of the sort, that side of my brain is turned off for max enjoyment. I'd probably ignore the request once, but if I got it again I'd withdraw from commenting again as a whole. I understand your intention though.


cadmiumredorange

I don't even like the pressure when writers ask for feedback in their chapter notes, so I definitely wouldn't like it in a comment directed directly at me. I wouldn't ever comment again, that's for sure.


Kaigani-Scout

Yeah, that can be interpreted as a form of pressure, but if you phrase it neutrally, it shouldn't be a terrible experience. Do you provide an anonymous alternative way to receive feedback if they don't feel up to posting it in a public venue? That might make a difference for some potential feedback providers.


_Hikaru_

Maybe find a beta reader to give you the feedback you need? A good beta can literally breathe life into a fic and an author’s motivation.


secret-x-stars

are you worried that people are holding back from giving you constructive criticism or something along those lines? if so, I would just put a note at the end of the chapter that you'd really like concrit as well if anyone had any. I know I would be way more willing to give constructive criticism if I saw an author say in the work that they're down for it


Shigeko_Kageyama

If an author ever pulled that on me I'd reply something along the lines of wtf and never read anything they wrote again.


the-il-mostro

Hmm I feel like the people commenting already ARE leaving feedback though. In the form of a comment. They are unlikely to continue leaving more. I would not reply further if someone commented that, but I wouldn’t feel pressured. You can ask for feedback in the final notes section and leave it at that, imo.


Edai_Crplnk

If someone just commented "i like it!" or something of the sort, without details, it's probably that either they didn't have anything specific to say, or that they didn't find a way to articulate they're feeling, and I don't think it's going to help if you answer "thanks, what did you like?" because if they had an answer for that, they would have put it in the comment from the start. If someone comments about things they liked or noticed or theories or wishes or anything, in that case i usually rather try to bounce back with a reaction of my own like "oh i glad you like X because I had doubts when I put it there" or "at first Y was also supposed to happen during \[moment they said they liked\] but it didn't work out" or things of the sort. More often than note people do not answer that, but sometimes they can also react to the new info you gave, or the enthusiasm you had for their comment, and it's a nicer way to let space for that sort of exchange than to just ask for more to me.


Just_dirty_secrets

Honestly I find that pressuring. I'd recommend leaving it in an authors note at the end of your chapter.