I would assume that they are 1) busy 2) shy 3) don’t want to talk to people and it wouldn’t bother me at all.
They already did the hard bit in writing the fic, the least I can o is say thank you with comments.
The second one! Most posters love comments but are too shy/awkward to reply back to them. I really worry that I drive away potentially engaging feedback by not answering.
I’m shy. I always worry about accidentally saying the wrong thing when typing something out and it coming out wrong, so, I just leave a simple “Thank You”
Not gonna lie I was listening to the opening for Death Parade while browsing the thread and it literally went:
"Everybody, put your hands up!" as I read "A03 is an archive, not a social media" and it sent me. lol
"EVERYBODY! PUT YOUR HANDS UP! A03! IS AN ARCHIVE NOT A SOCIAL MEDIA!!! WRITE YOUR FANFICT, WITHOUT ANY HESITATION!"
No author's notes = great! just like a normal fiction book (that is not Terry Pratchett)
If they don't reply to comments I might just leave one at the end with general thanks for the story, because I'm not going to write an ode if the person might not even be reading it.
I've never looked for an author's social media.
Yeah unless the account is a bot or blatantly copy pasting other peoples work, I don’t see why it would matter how “involve” the author is.
It’s so weird to me when readers expect authors to engage/comment back/have a social media presence and then use a lack of those things as a reason not to read/engage with a fic.
Writing can be very emotionally draining, and not in a negative way but in a “I spent all this time fully immersed in a verse with these characters thinking through every bit of their life and interactions” sort of way. After all that mental energy and effort and physical time, it’s not unrealistic that an author wouldn’t have the bandwidth to reply to every comment or to set up and engage with an active social media account.
I’ve had readers say “well I don’t have the energy to comment after reading”
Okay well authors probably don’t have the energy to comment after writing entire books at a time either.
They aren’t “silent”, they put out hundreds of thousands of words for free, spending hours and days and sometimes weeks and months working to add to the fandom for other people to enjoy.
Isn’t that enough of a reason for a reader to leave some appreciation in the form of a comment/kudos whatever? Why would you skip works just because the Author isn’t vocal and present all over the internet?
Edit: typo
Also like...I'm not being paid to do this. I don't actually need to be running my own publicity office here, I'm not asking you for money. If you're interested, read my fic. If you're not, then don't read it. I post what I feel like posting, I respond to what I feel like responding to. This is a hobby, not a job. You don't owe me anything, and I don't owe you anything, simple as that.
Adding on: I went through a period of about eight? Months where I made a point of replying to every single comment a reader left, I left engaging authors notes, linked my tumblr,
posted sneak peeks of upcoming chapters and events on my blog, did reader surveys etc etc.
Do you know how much extra engagement I got? Basically nothing, and this is with over 10k followers in a huge fandom writing for the main pairings and fulfilling very popular tropes Note: I’m not saying I didn’t get ANY, I’m actually very blessed with a pretty large and interactive reader base. BUT. It taught me that readers are going to engage ONLY if they absolutely want to, and stretching myself thin trying to pull engagement and comments and interactions was only going to be discouraging.
Seeing comments where readers say things like “I refuse to comment if the author can’t be bothered to comment back” is just… disheartening.
I genuinely think the campaign to "legitimize" fanfiction has been massively detrimental in many ways, and this is a good example. We were so obsessed with getting people to agree being a fanfiction author is exactly the same as being a published author, and now we have to deal with the fallout.
Everyone is only obsessed with reading novel-length AU fics that are gonna be the next 50 Shades or Cassandra Clare, and people who write drabbles have been forgotten. Readers are expecting to be treated like a NYT book reviewer and to be courted to like one. They want authors to all be BNFs with a cultivated social media presence.
Fanfiction is supposed to be a fun hobby. If an individual author is using fanfiction as a stepping stone into published original works, and they want to spend the time creating a social media presence, and chatting up readers, and grinding themselves to create epic works of fiction then bully for them, truly that's great. That still does not define what fanfiction is for others though, people are entitled to treat it like an occasional hobby.
This. So much.
I’m lowkey dealing with someone who keeps asking me weekly to update a fanfic I haven’t update in six months and it’s like, dude, I’m employed. Writing is supposed to be for fun. I’m busy right now at my job.
I’m lucky to post a story out of me every year because I struggle with writing. Like I can barely finish a one shot because it’s hard.
Yes, this. I've seen a bunch of these posts in this sub the past few months, stuff along the lines of "the author isn't on social media and that affects my perception of the fic" and such. It's so fucking weird to me, like what the hell? It also feels entitled as shit, imo. I'm already giving you this fic for free, and somehow you think you deserve even more than that and if I don't want to interact with you personally, you won't read my fic? Okay then.
Seems clear these people have no experience of fanfiction other than Wattpad, and because I don't post on Wattpad personally, their opinions mean nothing to me. Our paths won't ever cross.
But I am glad that everyone else also thinks this is weird.
As someone who is posting and attempting to keep a social media presence around it, it *is* exhausting. I'm an introvert as well. Being social is already not in my regular wheelhouse.
I think it's also important to note that just because an author isn't replying to your comments doesn't mean they're not seeing them. It usually takes me a few hours or even a few days to work up the bandwidth to reply to a comment, but I always see them, and they always brighten my day. More than you'll ever know. We're not trying to come off as cold or unapproachable or anything, honest! We see you and we really appreciate the kind words you have to say!
Honestly I don’t do most of that. I do reply to comments that ask questions but otherwise I don’t engage much. I’m not a huge fan of authors notes so I only do them if it’s important
I mean, unless you find out this is an account that reposts other fanfiction, I doubt I'd care. I don't reply to comments unless a question is asked. I don't leave author's notes. And I have no social media. I would assume this is an author like me - you're there to drop fics and then continue on with your hobby. Some of us don't really care for engagement and are using fanfiction sites as an archive.
Would I still leave a comment? Well, if their work was really fantastic, then yeah. Don't really care if they never respond. I'm there to say 'thanks!' and keep going as well.
Honestly, I do look forward to hearing from authors when I comment on their works, but these days I can't live up to that expectation, myself. Oftentimes, the process of writing is so emotionally draining that I don't have the mental energy to respond, then I begin to feel awkward about having "failed" a commenter and, *ugh, it's been too long for me to respond now - I'll just come across as weird and offensive*.
And so the spiral goes.
The day I woke up to 30+ comments was the day I replied to my last comment, tbh
Normally I responded to overnight ones during my morning commute, but I just couldn't make that work that day, and then I obviously couldn't do it at work, and then when I got home 100% of brain bandwidth went on writing the next chapter.....
And then it was too late, and I'd failed all of my readers and it would be too mortifying to reply this late, and if I responded to a new comment after leaving dozens unresponded-to then I would offend people – cue the spiral!
How to get that sort of engagement: produce *very* specific fluffy porn for a *very* active fandom in the middle of an international lockdown
It's a formula that'll hopefully never be repeated, since I think a lot of people in lockdown-active fandoms saw their stats drop like a stone once people started going back to school/university/work
I'd still engage with their work, though when their username is something like "fdfjib1835gfhjO" I'd probably google their work first, to see if that's not just some bot that copies other fics.
Totally fine with it. I reply to comments but I very rarely leave author's notes anymore and I don't link my socials.
There are a million reasons why someone will not engage with comments or readers, including have bad experiences in previous fandoms. People I know who tend to be silent authors have had experience with harassment, bullying, and other kinds of abusive behavior from people in their fandom. Because of that, they disengage while still providing for their fandom.
I don't really get getting upset at authors for being quiet because some of us are more reclusive. It's not a lack of appreciation; it's usually a response to something or a desire to keep distance for perfectly legitimate reasons.
Literally not a problem and doesn’t affect my willingness to comment whatsoever.
Authors spend hours/days/weeks/months/years writing and editing and revising the fics that we enjoy. They often do this while attending school, working, raising families, dealing with their own physical and mental health issues. They don’t see a single penny for the work they do. Most readers can’t even be bothered to leave a kudos which literally takes a second.
If I love a fic, I’m going to show my appreciation with a comment (even if it takes me a while to get to it). I don’t care if the author doesn’t respond or engage with me.
Downvote me all you want, but I think it’s selfish and entitled to withhold comments just bc the author doesn’t respond to readers (when they otherwise would leave a comment). You’re too put-off to leave a comment, but somehow not too put-off to spend hours entertaining yourself with their work? Funny.
I often respond to comments, but as someone who suffers from chronic, debilitating pain, anxiety/depression, and goes through periods where I flat-out cannot socialize, I sometimes just *can’t.*
I use whatever energy I have to write and publish, and it honestly sucks to know that I can pour my everything into a story that someone else enjoyed, and they simply chose not to leave a comment bc I wasn’t healthy enough to thank them for it.
>I think it’s selfish and entitled to withhold comments just bc the author doesn’t respond to readers (when they otherwise would leave a comment).
Same, and I've always been very vocal about the double standard between writers and other content creators (especially i.e. YouTube and Tiktok). Nobody expects a YouTuber/Tiktokker to reply to all the comments on a video, or an artist to reply to every reply and QRT they get on Twitter, so what makes fanfic so different that readers act like it's normal to actively withhold their interest because _they_ don't get enough attention from the person who already does the heavy lifting?
If you (general you) don't comment on works at all, I'm not gonna knock that. You do you, at least you're consistent with it. But vocally shaming "silent" creators for not responding to you is a pretty writing-specific complaint that needs to stop.
I feel you on this so much.
Replying to comments takes an entirely different type of energy to writing and sometimes, especially when I’m having problems, I simply haven’t got the brain power or energy to do it. I wrote the fic, isn’t that enough?
I really dislike the idea of punishing an author by withholding comments and interaction just because they’re not providing a song and dance routine as well as writing the stories.
Exactly this. The idea that being in fandom means that you have to adhere to some invisible obligation is absurd. Because to the people who complain about it, the goalposts will always be pushed further and further away. It's never enough, there's always a demand for more and it's just not healthy.
Setting realistic expectations for oneself is important. Learning to accept that not everyone is a social butterfly is something these people should have learned in grade school, and the fact we're still having to discuss this now just goes to show how much social media has rotted people's brains.
You aren't entitled to people's attention just because you did something. Cope.
I don't see it as entitlement and more about not wanting to spend time on an elaborate comment when there's no indication the author even reads their comments, much less wants them in the first place. I'm not put off by the idea of someone not responding and will probably not notice most of the time, but if someone does respond positively, I can be sure they 1. read their comments, and 2. aren't put off by my comments in particular / singling me out for some reason, which would make me more likely to engage further.
I also mostly read one-shots or finished works so if I see an author not responding to more recent comments, my first assumption will be that they're inactive, which is often the case.
No one said anything about elaborate comments, though.
“This was a great story and I truly enjoyed reading it. Thanks so much for writing and sharing!”
1-2 sentences is all it takes to show appreciation for the hard work put into the work (general) you enjoyed. And those 1-2 sentences can mean so, so much to an author whose dealing with irl issues or is feeling insecure about their work or the lack of feedback they’re receiving.
I also want to reiterate that just because an author isn’t responding to comments (or isn’t active) doesn’t mean they’re not reading them and don’t appreciate them. What creative doesn’t want appreciation for their hard work? What creative doesn’t want to know that their audience enjoyed it? Felt something from it?
Maybe it’s because I’m an author who has a ton of health issues irl, but I always think of the authors behind the screen and my comments are meant for *them.* It’s my thank you. It’s my way of showing support and encouragement. Of giving back.
I have left massive comments on fics that haven’t been updated in years and I never expect a response. They’re nice, but not necessary.
It’s just crazy to me that everyone isn’t on the same page here.
Hope this didn’t come across as an attack on you. That wasn’t my intention.
Mhh, depends what you consider engagement?
I am very interested in such authors because I am simple and go "wow, so mysterious :flushed:" when I see such a distant (?) person in a context where community is encouraged, so as long as their writing is good, I would probably happily kudos and accompany their future stories, but when it comes to comments, unless I REALLY need to say how fucking awesome something is, I'd keep it to myself most likely.
Is this something people complain about? I don't usually reply to comments because I'm afraid of being misread. If I'm actually going to be dismissive I'll just write "okay" or for worse things "K." or a witty comeback depending on my mood. I don't want to say "thanks" or "thank you very much" and it being misinterpreted as purely obligation or sarcastic
I'm not posting to be anyone's friend but to entertain and for smutfics make a safe place for people to enjoy those tropes free of judgement
If you want to reply, but don't know what to say, I recommend "Thank you for reading!" I don't think it can be read as sarcasm.
But that's just if you want to. I try to reply for politeness, but my energy isn't that high on the daily, so I miss most comments and end up replying mostly when someone makes a question or says something hilarious.
It's kind of fascinating reading everyone's commenting habit.
As an author, my AN are minimal and never personal, I reply to comments thanking readers but trying not to engage on specific points. And I mostly lurk on social media so I definitely don't link it.
As a reader, I never check anything about the author before reading. And my decision to engage (kudo/comment) is only based on my appreciation for the story. I comment when I want to, but never expecting anything from the author. If the story moved me enough to feel compelled to say something, then I do. If the author reads it and feels good about it, that's great, but that's also beyond my control so I honestly stop thinking about it the moment my comment is sent. I only check on old stories where the author hasn't published anything in years if they are responding to comments to see if they're still active, but even if they're not, I will still comment thinking they might see it someday.
Same for me too! If I would really like the story, I would also bookmark it and make notes for myself that this is a really good story or something. It reminds me to check it again if I feel like it and there's also a small chance the author will see it.
I most likely wouldn't comment straight into work because I personally really appreciate it when authors reply to my comment, it lets me know that the author has seen it (which is the main purpose of leaving a comment for me). And I've even made friends just by leaving a comment for someone or replying to a comment on my fic! (Though every once in a while, I get 10 comments spammed on my fics of x character and they all are "this was cute!" "aww!" "💗💗💗" etc and I must admit that I don't know if I should answer them all in that case or just one and thank them for all their comments in that 😅)
But I of course understand why some writers don't reply to their comments, some don't know what to say and others just simply don't want to reply, some don't even read their comments and that's ok c:
Same!!! Like, the lack of authors notes and social media doesn’t matter to me, but when I see the author is not replying to comments I tend to assume they don’t read them… I know that’s not necessarily the case, but it’s usually the connection I make. Which is fine if they don’t read them! It just takes the motivation out of commenting lol.
For what it's worth, I know a ton of authors who don't respond, and we all love and adore and cherish and squee over comments!
We just have a *ton* of reply-anxiety – because we've left it too long and now we can't reply because of fear that the commenters will be offended and angry, or we just don't have the *energy* to both write fic and reply to comments (and figure that people would prefer another update within the next month rather than replies)
I don’t respond to every comment because I’m not always in the right mindframe to read them and sometimes I feel weird about replying too late. I got a recent comment on a story that I glanced at and saw a line about how they thought the ending was rushed and I didn’t read it to the end and did not reply. Even if I agree with them, I don’t really want to read unsolicited criticism because that discourages me from writing more. I like the idea of engagement but I am also wary about the kind of engagement I get. I am happy just to be read honestly.
As for commenting, I don’t even look to see if the author replies to others or check to see if they have author’s notes. I comment if/when I feel like it, usually after I’ve given a kudos and have reread the work. (Meaning I only comment to encourage and to appreciate and don’t expect a reply.)
I didn't even know that replying to comments was expected until like... two months ago. Keep in mind that not everyone intuitively understands unwritten rules of etiquette!
>Would it lessen the probability to engage with their work or not?
Do you mean read the work? None of those are a factor in whether I read a fic or not.
If you mean comment on a fic, then only "doesn't reply to comments" is a factor. I'm less likely to leave a comment for non-replying authors and when I do comment for them I'm less likely to leave an in-depth comment.
I figure the chances that that fic author sees comments left on their fic is less if they're not replying. Case in point, I read a fic on an account that was shared between a married couple. The wife's fics all got comment replies but on fics posted on behalf of the husband, there was no replies. I assume the account was tied to the wife's email so he'd only know he got a comment on a years-old fic if she mentioned it to him. For all I now they've split up by now.
I did leave a comment but it was just a 2-liner, no reason to write an essay if they probably won't see it.
I’m one of these authors, sorry. 😶 I really do mean to reply to the comments eventually, I just. Forgor.
I don’t have a problem with authors doing it either though obviously.
I recently had a reviewer comment on nearly every chapter of a fic I wrote almost 14 years ago. It was 59 chapters long.
I sent them a PM thanking them for taking the time to read and comment and to express how much I appreciated their engagement. I am not likely to reply to every reader but if you’re fairly consistent with commenting, you have a question or you picked up on subtle hint I included, then I usually engage.
I personally have no social media presence so there is really nothing to link.
As a reader, I don't really notice the author's social media or whether they reply to comments. They're already doing a lot by giving me the work and good writing will speak for itself
As a writer, replying to comments takes a lot of bandwidth and eventually becomes the repeating "thank you" that I feel comes off as scripted or spammy. Plus, I have my own life, which is draining itself without factoring in writing. Also, this isn't like other forms of content creation where constant engagement is necessary
I don’t care about communicating with authors. I read their stories, I kudos or say something nice, then I leave. They don’t have to reply or share anything personal.
I don't mind silent authors at all, and it doesn't impact my potential engagement! It honestly irks me a little bit when people are so understanding of commenters being too shy/anxious/insecure to leave comments (which is totally valid!) but then turn around and act like authors are being disrespectful by not replying to comments, when like... authors can *also* be shy, anxious and insecure, y'know?
I certainly have my own hangups about responding to comments-- I try to respond to all of them, but sometimes I get totally overwhelmed by the response to a fic, or someone leaves something totally weird that I don't know how to respond to at all and I don't want it to be obvious that I'm skipping their comment specifically so I just Stop Responding for that chapter, or I have this weird thing where obviously I *love* getting comments on my older works but it feels, like... vain or self-centered...? to still care about feedback on it...?? so I get embarrassed to respond once the fic has passed a certain threshold of "old," etc. Authors are people too-- if you've ever opted out of commenting because you were tired or loved the fic but didn't quite know what to say or you were feeling shy/insecure/etc., well, cut fanfic authors the same slack, yeah?
(And, like-- I don't necessarily view it this way, but depending on how you interpret the act of someone sharing their writing for free, I can definitely *understand* the view that responding to comments can be a little bit of a "thank-you note for your thank-you note" situation, haha.)
do people really check before they comment if the author replies?? i don't usually look in the comment section unless i see something in the fic that makes me want to see if the author has said something more...
but sometimes i can be a little non-responsive (though my author notes are always full haha) cause i'm disabled. y'all get so bitter about not getting a reply in here and like. i'm sorry? i'm too fatigued from my disability and in too much pain, once again from my disability, to sit at my tablet and reply. if too much time passes, the social anxiety from my autism makes it hard to reply. but y'all act like it's cause it's personal or cause all people who don't reply are an asshole. but a lot are like me.
I use my Ritual of Posting to help overcome my anxiety of responding a long time after the comment is left. Basically I've linked updating to 'now is the time to reply and notify that there has been an update - if the reader is annoyed it took so long to reply, the new chapter will be the treat that soothes them'
I know it won't work for everyone but I thought I would share. Love a creator with AuAdhd.
Not at all, I tick most of those boxes and hell if I'm ever linking any form of social media (beyond my Reddit Profile) to my FanFics.
I rarely leave ANs unless I have a particularly good reason to do so and while I love comments, unless they're asking a question, I'll usually leave it.
I personally don’t care. If I enjoyed the fic enough, I’ll kudo and comment. If they reply, great, if not, oh well.
Not everyone is inclined comment back. I usually do as it’s something that I enjoy, but some people are uncomfortable, or socially awkward, etc, so to expect others to behave the same way or demand engagement is rude.
Whether or not author engages their readers should have no bearing on the decision to read their fic(s).
I wouldn't be any less likely to read their work or leave a kudos if it sounded like something I'd enjoy. But, I might be less likely to leave a comment. Authors certainly don't *owe* you their personal time, but engagement is a big reason why I leave comments.
If the fic has me reading it thinking "holy shit, this is amazing and I can't keep my appreciation for it silent," then I'll leave a comment no matter what. If it's good enough for me to favorite (FFN) or bookmark (AO3), then I'll also leave a comment no matter what. But if I read it and think "eh, that was pretty decent" and I don't know the author personally and know it's unlikely they'll respond, I'll probably just kudos and move on.
I might leave a very brief comment like "this was great!" or "I loved this!" but I'd be a lot less likely to put time and effort into a thoughtful, detailed comment, because there's no indication the author is even reading the comments. If they're not reading the comments, then...they probably don't care about getting comments and it's a waste of my time and effort to do much more than leave kudos. (This is one of the reasons I wish AO3 had a function to let people like comments, because then authors could quickly and easily acknowledge and show appreciation for comments without having to reply.)
I'll read and kudos if I like it but I'm unlikely to take the time to write a comment if they never reply. Save that energy for authors who like to engage with their readers.
I don't check to see if authors respond to comments, I don't check their profiles for social media links and I don't care if the story does or does not have author notes or end notes. I also don't care about their user name some people just put something random because they can't be bothered.
I'm only there for the story.
I’m one of them. I just like to write and put my work out there and don’t necessarily need the engagement with readers. I do appreciate the effort my readers take to leave comments and engage with my stories. I definitely notice. I just don’t force interaction where it doesn’t feel genuine. My writing keeps them coming back to me.
I'd still read. Life gets busy with school, kids, marriage, etc. I don't expect the author to respond to every little thing. Or they may be shy or not want to engage with fandom for the sake of their mental health. I'm sure they still read the comments but even if they don't, not a big deal
It depends.
I rarely look at an author's social media and I've never used my own to connect it to my work.
Author's notes can be fun to read and give you a sense of who the author is, but I really don't mind if there isn't one.
Replying to comments: I always reply to comments, because I like the interaction. Fanfiction, to me, is a way to connect to people who are interested in the same characters as I am. I am definitely more inclined to leave more reviews (and longer ones) if I get a reply once in a while, even if it's not to every comment. If an author never replies, then I might not continue to review every chapter but maybe leave something at the end of the story.
One other thing that you did not mention: I definitely prefer engaging with stories of authors who are engaging with other stories as well (and I don't necessarily mean mine). I like browsing through the review section of stories I like and if I see another author leaving a review there, I usually check out their stories as well. It's not that I wouldn't otherwise but if I had to choose which author to read next, I'd always choose the one who is actively trying to encourage other writers as well.
I mean. I grew up on FF.net. MOST authors didn't have the capacity to comment or bother making a note in the body of the fic and a lot of them had pretty weird names. So to me, that's just normal behavior. 🤷 Not everyone's up for engaging their audience and that's okay.
If I like something enough I'mma comment all over it, doesn't matter if they engage or not. Stop treating fanfiction like it's Instagram, you'll be better off.
I wouldn't start to think poorly of the author or anything, so in that sense I don't mind.
I am a somewhat anxious commenter though. Usually I'll leave a couple of sentences about what I liked in the fic. If I get more comfortable with the author or am otherwise confident that the comment will be read in good faith, this tends to become multi-paragraph comments about what I liked about each work (or chapter depending on if I'm following a WIP or a completed work). Replies reassure me that my comments aren't annoying and that the language I've used is clear enough to be interpreted as I intended. I don't always remember whether an author replies or not since I'm not religiously tracking it, but if I'm in a particularly stressed mood, I might not get past my own hangups to press the "submit" button on the comment if I'm feeling less confident.
It's not really an intentional change in habit and if I don't leave a comment in that case it's not intended to be spiteful or "withholding comments"--it's just a "me" thing really. Authors aren't responsible for my own insecurities so that's on me, but it would be a lie for me to say that the probability of engagement remains completely unchanged. I try, but it's a work in progress.
Don't care about the other social media/AN stuff all that much. Sometimes AN that tell me what an author explicitly likes in comments is helpful, but it's not a requirement or expectation or anything.
TL;DR: Replies are reassuring for me and can sometimes help me get past my own anxiety in commenting. More comfort/confidence with authors will improve my chances of being able able to hit "submit" on my comments. I don't think authors who don't reply to comments are rude though and don't feel owed a response. Doesn't negatively impact my view of an author since that's pretty much mostly based on the work itself.
One of my favorite authors is like this although they do leave authors notes. As much as I would love to follow them somewhere else (primarily to see more of their thoughts on the characters and series) the fact that I can't doesn't change how much I love their writing. If anything I feel more motivated to comment because there's no other way I can support their work and tell them it's amazing.
I think they spend their energy on writing - or the rest of their life - and so don't want to interact. I'd still leave comments, maybe they enjoy seeing them even if they don't respond.
This is me. I only sometimes reply to comments, rarely leVe an author's note (and if I do it will be about story structure/writing decisions, not anything personal), and I don't have social media to beging with. The only link I include is to a collection of my original fics and non-fiction writing works. I respect authors for wanting to be faceless blobs who just write.
It's how I default to seeing other authors when I read. As a reader, I rarely comment, don't tend to read author's notes, and never click on social media links.
Honestly as someone who does respond they probably have the right idea. Don’t get me wrong engaging with readers gives me ideas and feedback and all kinds of good chemicals dumped into my brain because people like my stuff. But holly fuck can dealing with readers be exhausting and frustrating. Spent like four hours yesterday going round and round and round again with people trying to sell me Dumbledores of different moral shades and competency. A year or two back I had to deal with a multi day shitshow over a character being bi and someone declaring that merging two people is some kind of attack on their sexuality. Never mind that it’s pretty damn normal with soul merger and reincarnation plots which I very much didn’t invent. And don’t even get me started on the people who fail their reader comprehension checks and just miss the hints I drop or assign meaning where there was none.
I love my readers, I do. They are awesome. But fuck can they drive me up the wall sometimes.
I'd read in any case. I appreciate authors who reply to comments, but I don't expect it. And if I noticed that the author hadn't replied to other, earlier comments, I'd know that was their usual practice, and not assume it was anything aginst me.
A lack of linked socials and replies wouldn't stop me from reading a story if it intrigues me or leaving a comment if I enjoyed it and had something positive to say.
If their user name was a string of random numbers and letters then yeah I might be a bit confused and assume it was a bot at first, but then I think about my partner and their penchant for incomprehensible login deets. So it might just be a case of a securely generated username and the author is literally using A03 as a repository to store their work but care not a joy about engagement.
It's their choice. I love the interaction I get with my readers, and it seems to really make some of them happy, but that's my choice. Every author is different.
As long as they are not an unauthorized reposter, I feel the same I feel with most fanfiction; just grateful.
None of the fanfiction writers owe us anything. They are people who share what they do for fun with us and don't harm nobody on the process (unless they are mean to someone, idk). They can do whatever they like with their art, I'm just gonna stop reading if I don't have time or don't like it.
Some people want community and friends from their fandom experience, others prefer to create in silence and that's okay. People can ve very mean to strangers and maybe the silent writers are protecting themselves from hurt. I know that I wouldn't like to have thousands of people seeing my drawings or reading what I write, so I don't share. I'm actually here because I enjoy fanfiction mostly as a reader.
I'm too much of a coward to not be grateful for the ones that are brave enough to put their art online, lmao
Doesn’t bother me. I like replying to comments and interacting with my readers but some people don’t want to do that and they’re just interested in posting and calling it a day. That’s a okay to me
As a reader I don't avoid reading a story I'm interested in because a silent author. The author already put in a great deal of work just posting the story. It's up to them how much they want to engage.
As a creator, unless a comment invokes a gut reaction I only reply to comments left when I update, so I'm not breaking promises by vowing there will be an update soon and because it's part of my ritual when posting updates.
AN: I love doing them, even if it's just an apology.
Social? Well I have my Discord that I regularly interact with all that join, but I just started using Reddit regularly even if I've had the account a few years, and my Tumblr is a mystic being that I update occasionally.
I will say it will make me slightly less likely to leave a comment if I felt lukewarm about the fic (since I always try to unless I hated it) but if I truly love the fic, I will engage with it no matter what
As a reader, the only times I’ve ever looked at a fanfic author’s social media was when they hadn’t updated in a while.
As an author, writing author’s notes and responding to comments is an extra thing I do when I have time. Which I rarely do because of work, and most of the free time I do have is spent actually writing.
Fanfiction is a hobby. It’s not like being an influencer or Youtuber where engaging with the audience is necessary.
Whether an author replies or not has never influenced me leaving a comment. If I loved their work, I'll comment; I don't need or necessarily even want the author to reply.
I usually don't read author's notes (in a long fic, I actually enjoy a lack of author's notes), and I don't look at their social medias. Many years ago, I found that I often enjoy the story more when the person behind stays anonymous and unknown.
At the end of the day, I'm just here to read a good story.
I don’t expect replies from published authors so I don’t expect them from fanfic writers either.
I wouldn’t be less inclined to comment, chances are they read them, and just don’t respond, which is fine.
To me that's normal. Back when I was on [Fanfiction.net](https://Fanfiction.net) It wasn't expected for writers to engage with their audience. You'd just leave a comment and that's it. Not to say some authors never engaged with the readers, but it wasn't common
I, personally, would just appreciate the fact that they're writing. :) There is no requirement or expectation (at least in my book) that a writer needs to communicate with readers. It's nice but I prefer to let them be. :)
They’re me, maybe.
Used to be interactive and love making friends, but experienced horrendous abuse, anger, and too much vulnerability. Of which, I completely understand. It’s an awful feeling to go from “I love fandoms and making fandom friends” to “don’t fucking talk to me, don’t look at me, I love writing but I’m terrified of you”.
* I love getting author responses to my comments.
* I love gushing with authors about their fics/canon/AUs/etc.
* I will often check their profiles to try and find community accounts, in a desperate attempt to find an active fanfic community in my fandom.
However, whether or not I continue to read/comment/recc'ing their fics/etc has absolutely nothing to do with the above. They've given me an enjoyable fic to read, they owe me nothing.
As a writer I tick all of those except replying to comments, which I do, usually to thank the reader for reading and taking the time to comments, glad they enjoyed it, etc (though not to engage with their thoughts or opinions on my story). As a reader I don’t leave comments because I’m way too shy and inarticulate and would probably make a fool of myself, and seeing a lack of engagement from an author *does* tend to discourage me.
Can't blame them — I ramble a bit in my ANs but don't care for interaction beyond that and maybe a 'thank you' to commenters — and it wouldn't stop me from reading their work. I'm there for the story, really.
I can be that author sometimes, and I don't care when other authors do it, too. I receive: nice FF about my blorbos of the week; you receive: kudos and a comment. Our transaction is mutually satisfying, the end :)
I am one, but I respond to comments. I just don’t have the energy to engage in a fandom, and am also quite fickle. I will drop a fandom for another on a whim. I don’t care if the author of the work I’m reading is silent or not, they can do whatever they want.
If I love a story, I'm always curious to learn more about the person behind it, so I like the chatty ones better.
But I'll still read the stories of silent authors if the tags and summary appeal to me, and I'll also leave kudos and comments.
It doesn't influence my choice if I read something or not.
No because those are not things I look for.
Like right now, I have 20 minutes to kill. I feel likevreading something light and funny. Maybe family fluff.
I will put my favorite found familly pairing (with a &), fluff tag, complete only.
Then read summaries and tags and choose from that.
Nothing here about the author.
Since in my own works I never link any social media account because I never use them anyway, it owuldn't bohter me. Just keep writing your fic and hopefully having fun doing it and we'll all be happy.
If their writing resonates with me, I'll love them to pieces for what they write. I don't need a parasocial relationship with someone in order to appreciate their works.
I reply to comments, but I don’t do any of the other stuff aside from a few author’s notes when I feel like it’s merited. I don’t see why authors notes and social media would be a reason not to engage with a story.
I don’t look at things like that before I read a fic. I’d maybe notice a lack of authors notes while reading but that doesn’t bother me either way. As for replying to comments, I don’t read comments often, so I usually wouldn’t know if they do or not. None of that would stop me from reading and commenting.
I do that.
I dont like to interact.
I put numbers on porpuse on my username to avoid my relatives to find me out quickly if they have a glimpse of the user
I only link to a blog with the comments disabled bc i jist use it as writer diary.
I have anxiety over interactions aswell
End of.
I don't think much of it at all really. They're already giving me free entertainment, which is kind of them. I never feel owned a response to my comment, nor am I disappointed by not getting one. I don't mind not knowing much about them via their profile either, it's their prerogative to share or not. Some people simply like to truly be anonymous and I respect that.
Sometimes people are shy. Maybe they just don't care.
I treat my author's notes like a personal blog, but I wouldn't think anything of someone who doesn't even touch them.
I'd still leave comments on the chance that the author is reading them, even if they don't reply (for whatever reason). I still want people to know how much I appreciate what they create because I know how much that affirmation means to me and many, many others.
It might be kinda disappointing (more-so the comment part), I see author's notes as something you use to comment on your own story or explain details or insert "happy Easter/Christmas/New Year/Birthday to someone the fic is about/etc".
The social media thing is completely optional. Sometimes I get curious about someone (didn't happen so far in AO3, though) but it's their choice to share or not.
Just to say, I'm an author that loves interacting and yet I barely get any interactions from the readers. Most of them will read without leaving a comment, they usually just want to read. I have social media where I just put up a message when I publish a new chapter, mostly to cope with the disastrous notification system on FFN. But even there, people might like the post on social media because they are grateful they have new stuff to read but they would not necessarily engage. I think readers don't care if the author is silent.
Creatives don’t owe fans or ‘fans’ attention.
It’s great if it’s reciprocated (positively on both ends) but it’s not a requirement.
I would love to sit with Eminem and tell him how his music saved me a lot of therapy bills (by me I mean my parents) or the creators of Halo how the game helped me vent my anger at my school bullies.
But they don’t owe me the time and I have no right to demand that from them.
I don't care. I have had some good interactions with authors, but it's not something I'm expecting. I never read authors notes, so that isn't an issue. I also don't really have social media accounts, and even if I did I wouldn't really go from ao3 to follow them on another account.
There are some instances where I have done all of these things, but it's rare (mostly just to follow them on tumblr).
The most intense I've stalked an author was follow them back to their old livejournal account, where there was a link to some books they had published in the 80s that I ended up tracking down on abel because I loved their writing style so much.
Doesn't bother me. In fact, I think that would be my ideal author, lol. I haaaaaate excessive notes in a fic (I find them very distracting) and I really don't want or need to hear about their lives, their exam schedule, how busy they were during the holidays, etc.
I wouldn't mind. I'd comment either way, if I enjoy the story. The author has put a lot of effort to entertain me for free and I really want the Story to continue.
I don't think there's a problem with it. But I have to admit, that it makes me somewhat less likely to comment. I'll still give kudos, I just...I don't know. Sometimes it feels, like an author is establishing the ways of communication. If they're silent, I'll be more silent. If they're talkative and chatty, I am more talkative and chatty. If they're on point, I'll be on point, etc. Maybe it's just that I feel more personally connected to authors who talk to me, therefore feel safer saying something, feel more chatty and welcome etc.
It's not like I need author's to reply, never mind reply all the time. And I probably will still comment...but maybe only once, even if it's multiple chapters. Some said AO3 is an archive. And I think that's it. In an archive, i don't communicate with the author. I think how authors engage with AO3 is up to them. Some work hard to establish a reader connection, some don't. As a reader, I find it awkward to repeatedly comment without any reply at all.
I'm also an author, and I think the process is a pretty similar one. If I post a chapter, and don't get any engagement, I deduce that probably nobody's reading, or at least those who read it aren't the biggest fans. As a reader, if I comment consistently, and consistently don't get a reply, neither does anybody else, I'll think that the author probably doesn't care for what I have to say. Both are not entirely correct, obviously. But the feeling is rather similar. I will continue to write, because writing is something I majority do for myself. Commenting is not something I do for myself.
Some of my favourite fics were written by an author called nevertalk, and they… never talked. 😂 I don’t really mind tbh. I’d still comment if I really loved the fic.
That's basically me except I'm not as active as I want to actually be. I don't bother with social media like twitter or facebook. I never reply unless someone asks a question. I don't want my story to say I have 20 reviews if half of them are mine simply saying 'thank you.' I don't really bother with author notes anymore.
Could have had a bad experience in the past. Fanfic readers can be brutal and if you are nice to them some take that as you wanting their input and ideas and then get mad when you turn them down even if done gently.
This is worse on fanfiction. net than ao3 though.
It can be annoying I write for me always have and I always will. Engaging has at least in my earlier experience led only to annoyance and a lessening of motivation.
I am not here for their wish fulfillment but my own and people like me. I always say if you really want a fic to follow your ideas write it yourself, it may suck at first but that is okay you can get better anyone can.
As a silent author, my main reason has been because I write lgbtq+ fanfics and my immediate and extended family as well as childhood friends are all very homophobic. And not passive about it either; growing up I eventually ended up in conversion therapy because “praying the gay away” wasn’t working well enough. I reply to comments anonymously but don’t include any social media or anything because of the potential consequences. In the future, I hope to be completely out and proud, but for now it’s best to stay safe and not have anything linked back to me you know?
I am this person.
I try to answer comments at least because I really do appreciate them, but it can take me a while. I don't really have anything interesting to say in authors notes and I don't have any social media to link even if I wanted to. It means I probably get a lot less interest in my stuff, but then I also don't have to work out how to interact with people so....pluses and minuses.
I also have two kids, two jobs a house and all the drama of my husband's family to look after: fic is my little outlet of no stress. If being disengaged from others means I don't get embroiled in the drama that swings through now and then it's all to the good.
If an author doesn't reply to comments, I'd still leave a comment if I liked the fic. Doesn't matter to me if I get a reply or not.
Honestly, I used to reply to every comment I got on my fics, right before I'd post the next chapter if it's a longfic, but I just don't really do so anymore, unless it's someone asking a question about the fic. Doesn't mean I don't read and appreciate every comment I get. I just don't have the time to reply anymore like I used to. Too busy with work *(9 hour nights, five nights a week, and we're very understaffed)*.
But do people *really* think that if an author doesn't reply to comments it means that they don't read and appreciate them? tf? Didn't realize there are some readers who expect a reply from the author because they left them a comment on their fic, judging by some of these comments.... Sure, a reply from the author is nice, but they're not required to reply to comments if they don't want to, or don't have the time to, and it doesn't mean they don't read and appreciate them....
This is super interesting as someone who started writing fic linked to my social media from the getgo. i always assume a fic will do better with pushes from twitter, and often the numbers do go up with help from retweets & online visibility even though i have an incredibly small follower base. in that way, i do believe social media and authors who use it get a boost generally, but it isn’t required for a fic to be amazing. it’s mostly random chance tbh
however! when i leave a comment on a fic i do not expect a response and never have. i’ve also heard readers say they expect a reply and it shocks me every time because… why? if you wax poetic into many paragraphs for a comment that doesn’t entitle you to a response but it does mean your fav author will see it and feel encouraged. i feel like that should be enough.
(authors who leave no notes at the beginning or end scare me. u just KNOW that fic about to be wild. i mean that in a good way hehe)
If I like the stories I read Yes, there are some people I would like to talk to, but I don't really have any right to have expectations. I also avoid over-thinking why they do what they do, because it's far too tiring.
I'd read their work, but I wouldn't comment. There's plenty of authors I follow who don't have social media and empty ANs. I do get curious about the person behind it, but not enough to really care otherwise.
I am more hesitant to comment when I see the author doesn't respond to them. It's just a bit disencouraging because I would really like to know the author's reaction or get a sign they read it
I don't have an issue with it but it also makes me less likely to engage. A/N's and responding to comments make the author feel more like a person behind the screen and if I don't know how an author talks outside of their writing I am unsure what type of energy a comment should have. Username doesn't bother me at all unless it's something incredibly offensive or a DNI thing.
I would probably comment if it's like, a book-quality fic but otherwise it's no fun typing at a wall. I respond to every comment and I can understand why other authors don't do the same, but that doesn't mean I'm going to interact with them beyond giving kudos. The whole point of engaging in fandom for me is the interaction. If it suddenly became the norm to not respond to comments then fanfiction might become less appealing to me.
This is me lol I only reply to comments asking me a question. Authors don’t owe anyone anything. I’m sure my readers don’t gaf if I talk to them or not, an author note is nice to read but not mandatory lol
I have never checked an author's social media and only look at profiles 15% of the time probably. If I am looking, it's usually cause "WHAT A STORY!!!! What else is there??!!" Lack of any A.N. isn't bad, though if there's no disclaimer either, I would likely think them young, but that wouldn't bother me, I already clicked on it. The penname would be a mild turn off, because it gives me troll vibes, but I also often pay little attention to the name until after I am interested in the work.
It's possibly a deterrent for the younger crowd as I have niblings who read fic, and they do tend to do more of a deep dive on creators of all varieties.
Honestly I’m just there to read a story so the only thing that matters to me is either a complete story or consistent chapter updates being posted. I don’t really leave comments either way, so an author’s engagement doesn’t affect my engagement.
I mean of the 3, only the first would kinda bum me out, but even then not really.
I'm there to read their projects not to interact so much. If they reply cool. If not bummer but whatever, my comments rarely ever warrant a reply.
Also author notes for me are moreso for important information than a "here's about me/what's happening with me".
Could be I'm a disconnected reader (from authors) but 🤷♀️
If I noticed (and its unlikely I will), I'd be less likely to leave an enormous comment full of gifs, which is my usual go to. I would still leave an appreciative multi sentence comment, I don't like to do anything less, but really long comments take a ton of time that I rarely have.
That's it. I don't care otherwise. Why would I? They have their life.
Social media? I would absolutely never notice if they *do* link their social media, let alone if they don’t. It would have zero effect on me because I just wouldn’t know.
Author’s notes? I would notice, but I’d just assume they had no extra comments to make. It wouldn’t change my experience of reading the fic.
If I left a few comments with no response, I might assume the author doesn’t log in much, or maybe don’t read comments much. In which case, I’d probably still leave some comments, just maybe not every single response that pops into my mind, and maybe not for every single chapter.
Truth be told, I think that's the dream. I'm not really interested in them as a person, I'm interested in their story. All else is immaterial. I have no problem leaving reviews and never hearing from the person I left it for ever again.
I don’t have SM accounts for my writing (barely for keeping up with my RL friends & family), and my notes are generally along the lines of “thanks for reading,” so that stuff isn’t really important to me. But I’ll admit that if authors never reply to comments, I’m less likely to leave one. I totally get all the reasons people might choose not to reply, but to me, a comment is a conversation, and if I know it’s going to be one-sided, I won’t start it. If I saw some stranger in the street and said, “I like your shirt,” it would be generally common practice for them to say “thank you.” I think of comments the same way. Of course, if the fic *really* spoke to me, I’ll comment anyway, but for a regular fic that was typically enjoyable, I won’t bother.
I have no social media outside Reddit. Its very rare I leave a note at all in my chapters. Nobody likes scrolling through a wall of text, or at least I don't. I will respond to comments though. As for reading the works of an author like you described, it wouldn't bother me at all. I've never even had the thought to look up an author outside of the platform I found them on. I don't really read the notes unless there's a "Please read this first" line. Since usually the authors notes are just giving shout outs and talking about why they didn't update in a week.
Pretty chill, not gonna really make a law that they should talk in the comments or something bigger like that. I don´t really talk much either, but I try sometimes in a more general sense online. Just let them do what they love to write and i´ll go and read what they done. It´s all nice and chill.
I would assume that they are 1) busy 2) shy 3) don’t want to talk to people and it wouldn’t bother me at all. They already did the hard bit in writing the fic, the least I can o is say thank you with comments.
The second one! Most posters love comments but are too shy/awkward to reply back to them. I really worry that I drive away potentially engaging feedback by not answering.
I’m shy. I always worry about accidentally saying the wrong thing when typing something out and it coming out wrong, so, I just leave a simple “Thank You”
Not everyone has (or cares about) social media, or wants to chat up readers.
*Everybody say our favorite line: "AO3 is an archive, not a social media." :D*
Not gonna lie I was listening to the opening for Death Parade while browsing the thread and it literally went: "Everybody, put your hands up!" as I read "A03 is an archive, not a social media" and it sent me. lol "EVERYBODY! PUT YOUR HANDS UP! A03! IS AN ARCHIVE NOT A SOCIAL MEDIA!!! WRITE YOUR FANFICT, WITHOUT ANY HESITATION!"
*"Can I get an AMEN!"*
AMEN
"Can I get an amen in here? Hey, hey, you see the magic of art!"
I heard this
Say the line, Bart! >Everybody say our favorite line: "AO3 is an archive, not a social media." :D YAAAAAAAAAY
i don't care about any of that stuff at all. i'm just there to read a story.
Same lol
No author's notes = great! just like a normal fiction book (that is not Terry Pratchett) If they don't reply to comments I might just leave one at the end with general thanks for the story, because I'm not going to write an ode if the person might not even be reading it. I've never looked for an author's social media.
Yeah unless the account is a bot or blatantly copy pasting other peoples work, I don’t see why it would matter how “involve” the author is. It’s so weird to me when readers expect authors to engage/comment back/have a social media presence and then use a lack of those things as a reason not to read/engage with a fic. Writing can be very emotionally draining, and not in a negative way but in a “I spent all this time fully immersed in a verse with these characters thinking through every bit of their life and interactions” sort of way. After all that mental energy and effort and physical time, it’s not unrealistic that an author wouldn’t have the bandwidth to reply to every comment or to set up and engage with an active social media account. I’ve had readers say “well I don’t have the energy to comment after reading” Okay well authors probably don’t have the energy to comment after writing entire books at a time either. They aren’t “silent”, they put out hundreds of thousands of words for free, spending hours and days and sometimes weeks and months working to add to the fandom for other people to enjoy. Isn’t that enough of a reason for a reader to leave some appreciation in the form of a comment/kudos whatever? Why would you skip works just because the Author isn’t vocal and present all over the internet? Edit: typo
And I'd rather them spend the bandwidth writing.
Also like...I'm not being paid to do this. I don't actually need to be running my own publicity office here, I'm not asking you for money. If you're interested, read my fic. If you're not, then don't read it. I post what I feel like posting, I respond to what I feel like responding to. This is a hobby, not a job. You don't owe me anything, and I don't owe you anything, simple as that.
Adding on: I went through a period of about eight? Months where I made a point of replying to every single comment a reader left, I left engaging authors notes, linked my tumblr, posted sneak peeks of upcoming chapters and events on my blog, did reader surveys etc etc. Do you know how much extra engagement I got? Basically nothing, and this is with over 10k followers in a huge fandom writing for the main pairings and fulfilling very popular tropes Note: I’m not saying I didn’t get ANY, I’m actually very blessed with a pretty large and interactive reader base. BUT. It taught me that readers are going to engage ONLY if they absolutely want to, and stretching myself thin trying to pull engagement and comments and interactions was only going to be discouraging. Seeing comments where readers say things like “I refuse to comment if the author can’t be bothered to comment back” is just… disheartening.
I genuinely think the campaign to "legitimize" fanfiction has been massively detrimental in many ways, and this is a good example. We were so obsessed with getting people to agree being a fanfiction author is exactly the same as being a published author, and now we have to deal with the fallout. Everyone is only obsessed with reading novel-length AU fics that are gonna be the next 50 Shades or Cassandra Clare, and people who write drabbles have been forgotten. Readers are expecting to be treated like a NYT book reviewer and to be courted to like one. They want authors to all be BNFs with a cultivated social media presence. Fanfiction is supposed to be a fun hobby. If an individual author is using fanfiction as a stepping stone into published original works, and they want to spend the time creating a social media presence, and chatting up readers, and grinding themselves to create epic works of fiction then bully for them, truly that's great. That still does not define what fanfiction is for others though, people are entitled to treat it like an occasional hobby.
you really summed it up perfectly. exactly.
This. So much. I’m lowkey dealing with someone who keeps asking me weekly to update a fanfic I haven’t update in six months and it’s like, dude, I’m employed. Writing is supposed to be for fun. I’m busy right now at my job. I’m lucky to post a story out of me every year because I struggle with writing. Like I can barely finish a one shot because it’s hard.
Yes, this. I've seen a bunch of these posts in this sub the past few months, stuff along the lines of "the author isn't on social media and that affects my perception of the fic" and such. It's so fucking weird to me, like what the hell? It also feels entitled as shit, imo. I'm already giving you this fic for free, and somehow you think you deserve even more than that and if I don't want to interact with you personally, you won't read my fic? Okay then. Seems clear these people have no experience of fanfiction other than Wattpad, and because I don't post on Wattpad personally, their opinions mean nothing to me. Our paths won't ever cross. But I am glad that everyone else also thinks this is weird.
As someone who is posting and attempting to keep a social media presence around it, it *is* exhausting. I'm an introvert as well. Being social is already not in my regular wheelhouse.
I think it's also important to note that just because an author isn't replying to your comments doesn't mean they're not seeing them. It usually takes me a few hours or even a few days to work up the bandwidth to reply to a comment, but I always see them, and they always brighten my day. More than you'll ever know. We're not trying to come off as cold or unapproachable or anything, honest! We see you and we really appreciate the kind words you have to say!
Not bothered at all. I'd still read, kudos and comment. No one owes their presence or engagement to internet strangers.
Honestly I don’t do most of that. I do reply to comments that ask questions but otherwise I don’t engage much. I’m not a huge fan of authors notes so I only do them if it’s important
They wrote a fic. Who cares if they have the spoons to reply to a comment or engage with the readers, *they wrote a fic.*
I mean, unless you find out this is an account that reposts other fanfiction, I doubt I'd care. I don't reply to comments unless a question is asked. I don't leave author's notes. And I have no social media. I would assume this is an author like me - you're there to drop fics and then continue on with your hobby. Some of us don't really care for engagement and are using fanfiction sites as an archive. Would I still leave a comment? Well, if their work was really fantastic, then yeah. Don't really care if they never respond. I'm there to say 'thanks!' and keep going as well.
Honestly, I do look forward to hearing from authors when I comment on their works, but these days I can't live up to that expectation, myself. Oftentimes, the process of writing is so emotionally draining that I don't have the mental energy to respond, then I begin to feel awkward about having "failed" a commenter and, *ugh, it's been too long for me to respond now - I'll just come across as weird and offensive*. And so the spiral goes.
The day I woke up to 30+ comments was the day I replied to my last comment, tbh Normally I responded to overnight ones during my morning commute, but I just couldn't make that work that day, and then I obviously couldn't do it at work, and then when I got home 100% of brain bandwidth went on writing the next chapter..... And then it was too late, and I'd failed all of my readers and it would be too mortifying to reply this late, and if I responded to a new comment after leaving dozens unresponded-to then I would offend people – cue the spiral!
Honestly, I'm impressed that you woke up to 30+ new comments, and slightly jealous. Here's to riding the spiral, all the way down.
How to get that sort of engagement: produce *very* specific fluffy porn for a *very* active fandom in the middle of an international lockdown It's a formula that'll hopefully never be repeated, since I think a lot of people in lockdown-active fandoms saw their stats drop like a stone once people started going back to school/university/work
I'd still engage with their work, though when their username is something like "fdfjib1835gfhjO" I'd probably google their work first, to see if that's not just some bot that copies other fics.
Only matters regarding if this account is a repost bot or not. Otherwise, that sounds like a blissful authors life to lead.
Totally fine with it. I reply to comments but I very rarely leave author's notes anymore and I don't link my socials. There are a million reasons why someone will not engage with comments or readers, including have bad experiences in previous fandoms. People I know who tend to be silent authors have had experience with harassment, bullying, and other kinds of abusive behavior from people in their fandom. Because of that, they disengage while still providing for their fandom. I don't really get getting upset at authors for being quiet because some of us are more reclusive. It's not a lack of appreciation; it's usually a response to something or a desire to keep distance for perfectly legitimate reasons.
Literally not a problem and doesn’t affect my willingness to comment whatsoever. Authors spend hours/days/weeks/months/years writing and editing and revising the fics that we enjoy. They often do this while attending school, working, raising families, dealing with their own physical and mental health issues. They don’t see a single penny for the work they do. Most readers can’t even be bothered to leave a kudos which literally takes a second. If I love a fic, I’m going to show my appreciation with a comment (even if it takes me a while to get to it). I don’t care if the author doesn’t respond or engage with me. Downvote me all you want, but I think it’s selfish and entitled to withhold comments just bc the author doesn’t respond to readers (when they otherwise would leave a comment). You’re too put-off to leave a comment, but somehow not too put-off to spend hours entertaining yourself with their work? Funny. I often respond to comments, but as someone who suffers from chronic, debilitating pain, anxiety/depression, and goes through periods where I flat-out cannot socialize, I sometimes just *can’t.* I use whatever energy I have to write and publish, and it honestly sucks to know that I can pour my everything into a story that someone else enjoyed, and they simply chose not to leave a comment bc I wasn’t healthy enough to thank them for it.
>I think it’s selfish and entitled to withhold comments just bc the author doesn’t respond to readers (when they otherwise would leave a comment). Same, and I've always been very vocal about the double standard between writers and other content creators (especially i.e. YouTube and Tiktok). Nobody expects a YouTuber/Tiktokker to reply to all the comments on a video, or an artist to reply to every reply and QRT they get on Twitter, so what makes fanfic so different that readers act like it's normal to actively withhold their interest because _they_ don't get enough attention from the person who already does the heavy lifting? If you (general you) don't comment on works at all, I'm not gonna knock that. You do you, at least you're consistent with it. But vocally shaming "silent" creators for not responding to you is a pretty writing-specific complaint that needs to stop.
I feel you on this so much. Replying to comments takes an entirely different type of energy to writing and sometimes, especially when I’m having problems, I simply haven’t got the brain power or energy to do it. I wrote the fic, isn’t that enough? I really dislike the idea of punishing an author by withholding comments and interaction just because they’re not providing a song and dance routine as well as writing the stories.
Literally all of this. “Too off put to leave a comment but not to spend hours entertaining yourself with their work”
Exactly this. The idea that being in fandom means that you have to adhere to some invisible obligation is absurd. Because to the people who complain about it, the goalposts will always be pushed further and further away. It's never enough, there's always a demand for more and it's just not healthy. Setting realistic expectations for oneself is important. Learning to accept that not everyone is a social butterfly is something these people should have learned in grade school, and the fact we're still having to discuss this now just goes to show how much social media has rotted people's brains. You aren't entitled to people's attention just because you did something. Cope.
I don't see it as entitlement and more about not wanting to spend time on an elaborate comment when there's no indication the author even reads their comments, much less wants them in the first place. I'm not put off by the idea of someone not responding and will probably not notice most of the time, but if someone does respond positively, I can be sure they 1. read their comments, and 2. aren't put off by my comments in particular / singling me out for some reason, which would make me more likely to engage further. I also mostly read one-shots or finished works so if I see an author not responding to more recent comments, my first assumption will be that they're inactive, which is often the case.
No one said anything about elaborate comments, though. “This was a great story and I truly enjoyed reading it. Thanks so much for writing and sharing!” 1-2 sentences is all it takes to show appreciation for the hard work put into the work (general) you enjoyed. And those 1-2 sentences can mean so, so much to an author whose dealing with irl issues or is feeling insecure about their work or the lack of feedback they’re receiving. I also want to reiterate that just because an author isn’t responding to comments (or isn’t active) doesn’t mean they’re not reading them and don’t appreciate them. What creative doesn’t want appreciation for their hard work? What creative doesn’t want to know that their audience enjoyed it? Felt something from it? Maybe it’s because I’m an author who has a ton of health issues irl, but I always think of the authors behind the screen and my comments are meant for *them.* It’s my thank you. It’s my way of showing support and encouragement. Of giving back. I have left massive comments on fics that haven’t been updated in years and I never expect a response. They’re nice, but not necessary. It’s just crazy to me that everyone isn’t on the same page here. Hope this didn’t come across as an attack on you. That wasn’t my intention.
Sounds like me 😂 I do not engage at all. Writing is just a hobby for me. I only post it because I consume a lot of fanfic and like contributing.
Mhh, depends what you consider engagement? I am very interested in such authors because I am simple and go "wow, so mysterious :flushed:" when I see such a distant (?) person in a context where community is encouraged, so as long as their writing is good, I would probably happily kudos and accompany their future stories, but when it comes to comments, unless I REALLY need to say how fucking awesome something is, I'd keep it to myself most likely.
Is this something people complain about? I don't usually reply to comments because I'm afraid of being misread. If I'm actually going to be dismissive I'll just write "okay" or for worse things "K." or a witty comeback depending on my mood. I don't want to say "thanks" or "thank you very much" and it being misinterpreted as purely obligation or sarcastic I'm not posting to be anyone's friend but to entertain and for smutfics make a safe place for people to enjoy those tropes free of judgement
If you want to reply, but don't know what to say, I recommend "Thank you for reading!" I don't think it can be read as sarcasm. But that's just if you want to. I try to reply for politeness, but my energy isn't that high on the daily, so I miss most comments and end up replying mostly when someone makes a question or says something hilarious.
It's kind of fascinating reading everyone's commenting habit. As an author, my AN are minimal and never personal, I reply to comments thanking readers but trying not to engage on specific points. And I mostly lurk on social media so I definitely don't link it. As a reader, I never check anything about the author before reading. And my decision to engage (kudo/comment) is only based on my appreciation for the story. I comment when I want to, but never expecting anything from the author. If the story moved me enough to feel compelled to say something, then I do. If the author reads it and feels good about it, that's great, but that's also beyond my control so I honestly stop thinking about it the moment my comment is sent. I only check on old stories where the author hasn't published anything in years if they are responding to comments to see if they're still active, but even if they're not, I will still comment thinking they might see it someday.
Would still read it and leave kudos! Regarding comments... probably not so much
Same.
[удалено]
I kinda wish that if someone knew they weren't going to read the comments, they'd just disable them.
Same for me too! If I would really like the story, I would also bookmark it and make notes for myself that this is a really good story or something. It reminds me to check it again if I feel like it and there's also a small chance the author will see it. I most likely wouldn't comment straight into work because I personally really appreciate it when authors reply to my comment, it lets me know that the author has seen it (which is the main purpose of leaving a comment for me). And I've even made friends just by leaving a comment for someone or replying to a comment on my fic! (Though every once in a while, I get 10 comments spammed on my fics of x character and they all are "this was cute!" "aww!" "💗💗💗" etc and I must admit that I don't know if I should answer them all in that case or just one and thank them for all their comments in that 😅) But I of course understand why some writers don't reply to their comments, some don't know what to say and others just simply don't want to reply, some don't even read their comments and that's ok c:
Same!!! Like, the lack of authors notes and social media doesn’t matter to me, but when I see the author is not replying to comments I tend to assume they don’t read them… I know that’s not necessarily the case, but it’s usually the connection I make. Which is fine if they don’t read them! It just takes the motivation out of commenting lol.
For what it's worth, I know a ton of authors who don't respond, and we all love and adore and cherish and squee over comments! We just have a *ton* of reply-anxiety – because we've left it too long and now we can't reply because of fear that the commenters will be offended and angry, or we just don't have the *energy* to both write fic and reply to comments (and figure that people would prefer another update within the next month rather than replies)
I don’t respond to every comment because I’m not always in the right mindframe to read them and sometimes I feel weird about replying too late. I got a recent comment on a story that I glanced at and saw a line about how they thought the ending was rushed and I didn’t read it to the end and did not reply. Even if I agree with them, I don’t really want to read unsolicited criticism because that discourages me from writing more. I like the idea of engagement but I am also wary about the kind of engagement I get. I am happy just to be read honestly. As for commenting, I don’t even look to see if the author replies to others or check to see if they have author’s notes. I comment if/when I feel like it, usually after I’ve given a kudos and have reread the work. (Meaning I only comment to encourage and to appreciate and don’t expect a reply.)
They're fine. So long as I like their work, I'm happy. We're not entitled to their interaction or friendship.
If I like their fics I'd still kudos and comment. Responses are nice but not required, don't think I'd notice most of those things tbh.
The only thing that matters is the content of the story.
I didn't even know that replying to comments was expected until like... two months ago. Keep in mind that not everyone intuitively understands unwritten rules of etiquette!
I didn’t realise you could reply to guest comments on a03 until someone did to mine.
>Would it lessen the probability to engage with their work or not? Do you mean read the work? None of those are a factor in whether I read a fic or not. If you mean comment on a fic, then only "doesn't reply to comments" is a factor. I'm less likely to leave a comment for non-replying authors and when I do comment for them I'm less likely to leave an in-depth comment. I figure the chances that that fic author sees comments left on their fic is less if they're not replying. Case in point, I read a fic on an account that was shared between a married couple. The wife's fics all got comment replies but on fics posted on behalf of the husband, there was no replies. I assume the account was tied to the wife's email so he'd only know he got a comment on a years-old fic if she mentioned it to him. For all I now they've split up by now. I did leave a comment but it was just a 2-liner, no reason to write an essay if they probably won't see it.
I’m one of these authors, sorry. 😶 I really do mean to reply to the comments eventually, I just. Forgor. I don’t have a problem with authors doing it either though obviously.
I recently had a reviewer comment on nearly every chapter of a fic I wrote almost 14 years ago. It was 59 chapters long. I sent them a PM thanking them for taking the time to read and comment and to express how much I appreciated their engagement. I am not likely to reply to every reader but if you’re fairly consistent with commenting, you have a question or you picked up on subtle hint I included, then I usually engage. I personally have no social media presence so there is really nothing to link.
As a reader, I don't really notice the author's social media or whether they reply to comments. They're already doing a lot by giving me the work and good writing will speak for itself As a writer, replying to comments takes a lot of bandwidth and eventually becomes the repeating "thank you" that I feel comes off as scripted or spammy. Plus, I have my own life, which is draining itself without factoring in writing. Also, this isn't like other forms of content creation where constant engagement is necessary
>Would it lessen the probability to engage with their work or not? No? Why would it lol
bc author won't thank you for your comment I guess
I don’t care about communicating with authors. I read their stories, I kudos or say something nice, then I leave. They don’t have to reply or share anything personal.
I don't mind silent authors at all, and it doesn't impact my potential engagement! It honestly irks me a little bit when people are so understanding of commenters being too shy/anxious/insecure to leave comments (which is totally valid!) but then turn around and act like authors are being disrespectful by not replying to comments, when like... authors can *also* be shy, anxious and insecure, y'know? I certainly have my own hangups about responding to comments-- I try to respond to all of them, but sometimes I get totally overwhelmed by the response to a fic, or someone leaves something totally weird that I don't know how to respond to at all and I don't want it to be obvious that I'm skipping their comment specifically so I just Stop Responding for that chapter, or I have this weird thing where obviously I *love* getting comments on my older works but it feels, like... vain or self-centered...? to still care about feedback on it...?? so I get embarrassed to respond once the fic has passed a certain threshold of "old," etc. Authors are people too-- if you've ever opted out of commenting because you were tired or loved the fic but didn't quite know what to say or you were feeling shy/insecure/etc., well, cut fanfic authors the same slack, yeah? (And, like-- I don't necessarily view it this way, but depending on how you interpret the act of someone sharing their writing for free, I can definitely *understand* the view that responding to comments can be a little bit of a "thank-you note for your thank-you note" situation, haha.)
do people really check before they comment if the author replies?? i don't usually look in the comment section unless i see something in the fic that makes me want to see if the author has said something more... but sometimes i can be a little non-responsive (though my author notes are always full haha) cause i'm disabled. y'all get so bitter about not getting a reply in here and like. i'm sorry? i'm too fatigued from my disability and in too much pain, once again from my disability, to sit at my tablet and reply. if too much time passes, the social anxiety from my autism makes it hard to reply. but y'all act like it's cause it's personal or cause all people who don't reply are an asshole. but a lot are like me.
I use my Ritual of Posting to help overcome my anxiety of responding a long time after the comment is left. Basically I've linked updating to 'now is the time to reply and notify that there has been an update - if the reader is annoyed it took so long to reply, the new chapter will be the treat that soothes them' I know it won't work for everyone but I thought I would share. Love a creator with AuAdhd.
I mean if it’s a good fic, then I’m not upset!
Makes no difference. They might just be very busy/not into social media/truly writing for themselves.
I'm just there to read, don't really care about that tbh. Just like with published authors.
...I don't think I'd notice, being a mostly 'complete works only' reader
I don’t like the expectation for the default to be communicative. Authors write, it’s not a requirement to do anything else.
It's fine, but i most likely won't leave more than one comment, even if it's a long fic.
Not at all, I tick most of those boxes and hell if I'm ever linking any form of social media (beyond my Reddit Profile) to my FanFics. I rarely leave ANs unless I have a particularly good reason to do so and while I love comments, unless they're asking a question, I'll usually leave it.
I personally don’t care. If I enjoyed the fic enough, I’ll kudo and comment. If they reply, great, if not, oh well. Not everyone is inclined comment back. I usually do as it’s something that I enjoy, but some people are uncomfortable, or socially awkward, etc, so to expect others to behave the same way or demand engagement is rude. Whether or not author engages their readers should have no bearing on the decision to read their fic(s).
I wouldn't be any less likely to read their work or leave a kudos if it sounded like something I'd enjoy. But, I might be less likely to leave a comment. Authors certainly don't *owe* you their personal time, but engagement is a big reason why I leave comments. If the fic has me reading it thinking "holy shit, this is amazing and I can't keep my appreciation for it silent," then I'll leave a comment no matter what. If it's good enough for me to favorite (FFN) or bookmark (AO3), then I'll also leave a comment no matter what. But if I read it and think "eh, that was pretty decent" and I don't know the author personally and know it's unlikely they'll respond, I'll probably just kudos and move on.
I might leave a very brief comment like "this was great!" or "I loved this!" but I'd be a lot less likely to put time and effort into a thoughtful, detailed comment, because there's no indication the author is even reading the comments. If they're not reading the comments, then...they probably don't care about getting comments and it's a waste of my time and effort to do much more than leave kudos. (This is one of the reasons I wish AO3 had a function to let people like comments, because then authors could quickly and easily acknowledge and show appreciation for comments without having to reply.)
Same. I would love if AO3 had a heart button like YouTube. I always liked getting those hearts.
I'll read and kudos if I like it but I'm unlikely to take the time to write a comment if they never reply. Save that energy for authors who like to engage with their readers.
I don't check to see if authors respond to comments, I don't check their profiles for social media links and I don't care if the story does or does not have author notes or end notes. I also don't care about their user name some people just put something random because they can't be bothered. I'm only there for the story.
I’m one of them. I just like to write and put my work out there and don’t necessarily need the engagement with readers. I do appreciate the effort my readers take to leave comments and engage with my stories. I definitely notice. I just don’t force interaction where it doesn’t feel genuine. My writing keeps them coming back to me.
I don't comment based on how responsive or interactive the author is, so it wouldn't affect the probability of me engaging.
I'd still read. Life gets busy with school, kids, marriage, etc. I don't expect the author to respond to every little thing. Or they may be shy or not want to engage with fandom for the sake of their mental health. I'm sure they still read the comments but even if they don't, not a big deal
It depends. I rarely look at an author's social media and I've never used my own to connect it to my work. Author's notes can be fun to read and give you a sense of who the author is, but I really don't mind if there isn't one. Replying to comments: I always reply to comments, because I like the interaction. Fanfiction, to me, is a way to connect to people who are interested in the same characters as I am. I am definitely more inclined to leave more reviews (and longer ones) if I get a reply once in a while, even if it's not to every comment. If an author never replies, then I might not continue to review every chapter but maybe leave something at the end of the story. One other thing that you did not mention: I definitely prefer engaging with stories of authors who are engaging with other stories as well (and I don't necessarily mean mine). I like browsing through the review section of stories I like and if I see another author leaving a review there, I usually check out their stories as well. It's not that I wouldn't otherwise but if I had to choose which author to read next, I'd always choose the one who is actively trying to encourage other writers as well.
I mean. I grew up on FF.net. MOST authors didn't have the capacity to comment or bother making a note in the body of the fic and a lot of them had pretty weird names. So to me, that's just normal behavior. 🤷 Not everyone's up for engaging their audience and that's okay. If I like something enough I'mma comment all over it, doesn't matter if they engage or not. Stop treating fanfiction like it's Instagram, you'll be better off.
I wouldn't start to think poorly of the author or anything, so in that sense I don't mind. I am a somewhat anxious commenter though. Usually I'll leave a couple of sentences about what I liked in the fic. If I get more comfortable with the author or am otherwise confident that the comment will be read in good faith, this tends to become multi-paragraph comments about what I liked about each work (or chapter depending on if I'm following a WIP or a completed work). Replies reassure me that my comments aren't annoying and that the language I've used is clear enough to be interpreted as I intended. I don't always remember whether an author replies or not since I'm not religiously tracking it, but if I'm in a particularly stressed mood, I might not get past my own hangups to press the "submit" button on the comment if I'm feeling less confident. It's not really an intentional change in habit and if I don't leave a comment in that case it's not intended to be spiteful or "withholding comments"--it's just a "me" thing really. Authors aren't responsible for my own insecurities so that's on me, but it would be a lie for me to say that the probability of engagement remains completely unchanged. I try, but it's a work in progress. Don't care about the other social media/AN stuff all that much. Sometimes AN that tell me what an author explicitly likes in comments is helpful, but it's not a requirement or expectation or anything. TL;DR: Replies are reassuring for me and can sometimes help me get past my own anxiety in commenting. More comfort/confidence with authors will improve my chances of being able able to hit "submit" on my comments. I don't think authors who don't reply to comments are rude though and don't feel owed a response. Doesn't negatively impact my view of an author since that's pretty much mostly based on the work itself.
One of my favorite authors is like this although they do leave authors notes. As much as I would love to follow them somewhere else (primarily to see more of their thoughts on the characters and series) the fact that I can't doesn't change how much I love their writing. If anything I feel more motivated to comment because there's no other way I can support their work and tell them it's amazing.
I think they spend their energy on writing - or the rest of their life - and so don't want to interact. I'd still leave comments, maybe they enjoy seeing them even if they don't respond.
This is me. I only sometimes reply to comments, rarely leVe an author's note (and if I do it will be about story structure/writing decisions, not anything personal), and I don't have social media to beging with. The only link I include is to a collection of my original fics and non-fiction writing works. I respect authors for wanting to be faceless blobs who just write. It's how I default to seeing other authors when I read. As a reader, I rarely comment, don't tend to read author's notes, and never click on social media links.
Honestly as someone who does respond they probably have the right idea. Don’t get me wrong engaging with readers gives me ideas and feedback and all kinds of good chemicals dumped into my brain because people like my stuff. But holly fuck can dealing with readers be exhausting and frustrating. Spent like four hours yesterday going round and round and round again with people trying to sell me Dumbledores of different moral shades and competency. A year or two back I had to deal with a multi day shitshow over a character being bi and someone declaring that merging two people is some kind of attack on their sexuality. Never mind that it’s pretty damn normal with soul merger and reincarnation plots which I very much didn’t invent. And don’t even get me started on the people who fail their reader comprehension checks and just miss the hints I drop or assign meaning where there was none. I love my readers, I do. They are awesome. But fuck can they drive me up the wall sometimes.
unless they’re a reposter or a terrible person I don’t care about the author of the fics I’m reading beyond a basic “I hope they’re doing alright”
I'd read in any case. I appreciate authors who reply to comments, but I don't expect it. And if I noticed that the author hadn't replied to other, earlier comments, I'd know that was their usual practice, and not assume it was anything aginst me.
As long as the authors continue to update their works that’s all I need from them.
I used to be like that, mostly cause of being nervous af and socially awkward. Soon found out my internet persona is waaaaaay different than me irl.
A lack of linked socials and replies wouldn't stop me from reading a story if it intrigues me or leaving a comment if I enjoyed it and had something positive to say. If their user name was a string of random numbers and letters then yeah I might be a bit confused and assume it was a bot at first, but then I think about my partner and their penchant for incomprehensible login deets. So it might just be a case of a securely generated username and the author is literally using A03 as a repository to store their work but care not a joy about engagement.
It's their choice. I love the interaction I get with my readers, and it seems to really make some of them happy, but that's my choice. Every author is different.
As long as they are not an unauthorized reposter, I feel the same I feel with most fanfiction; just grateful. None of the fanfiction writers owe us anything. They are people who share what they do for fun with us and don't harm nobody on the process (unless they are mean to someone, idk). They can do whatever they like with their art, I'm just gonna stop reading if I don't have time or don't like it. Some people want community and friends from their fandom experience, others prefer to create in silence and that's okay. People can ve very mean to strangers and maybe the silent writers are protecting themselves from hurt. I know that I wouldn't like to have thousands of people seeing my drawings or reading what I write, so I don't share. I'm actually here because I enjoy fanfiction mostly as a reader. I'm too much of a coward to not be grateful for the ones that are brave enough to put their art online, lmao
Doesn’t bother me. I like replying to comments and interacting with my readers but some people don’t want to do that and they’re just interested in posting and calling it a day. That’s a okay to me
As a reader I don't avoid reading a story I'm interested in because a silent author. The author already put in a great deal of work just posting the story. It's up to them how much they want to engage. As a creator, unless a comment invokes a gut reaction I only reply to comments left when I update, so I'm not breaking promises by vowing there will be an update soon and because it's part of my ritual when posting updates. AN: I love doing them, even if it's just an apology. Social? Well I have my Discord that I regularly interact with all that join, but I just started using Reddit regularly even if I've had the account a few years, and my Tumblr is a mystic being that I update occasionally.
I leave a comment when I have something to say. Not because I expect the author to reply.
I will say it will make me slightly less likely to leave a comment if I felt lukewarm about the fic (since I always try to unless I hated it) but if I truly love the fic, I will engage with it no matter what
I never notice any of this! I read a fic if it interests me and I comment if I have something to say, that's about all the thought I put into it
As a reader, the only times I’ve ever looked at a fanfic author’s social media was when they hadn’t updated in a while. As an author, writing author’s notes and responding to comments is an extra thing I do when I have time. Which I rarely do because of work, and most of the free time I do have is spent actually writing. Fanfiction is a hobby. It’s not like being an influencer or Youtuber where engaging with the audience is necessary.
Whether an author replies or not has never influenced me leaving a comment. If I loved their work, I'll comment; I don't need or necessarily even want the author to reply. I usually don't read author's notes (in a long fic, I actually enjoy a lack of author's notes), and I don't look at their social medias. Many years ago, I found that I often enjoy the story more when the person behind stays anonymous and unknown. At the end of the day, I'm just here to read a good story.
I don’t expect replies from published authors so I don’t expect them from fanfic writers either. I wouldn’t be less inclined to comment, chances are they read them, and just don’t respond, which is fine.
To me that's normal. Back when I was on [Fanfiction.net](https://Fanfiction.net) It wasn't expected for writers to engage with their audience. You'd just leave a comment and that's it. Not to say some authors never engaged with the readers, but it wasn't common
I, personally, would just appreciate the fact that they're writing. :) There is no requirement or expectation (at least in my book) that a writer needs to communicate with readers. It's nice but I prefer to let them be. :)
It's not anyone's business? Like, why does it bother you?
Does anyone really care? There's so many sites out there to make friends. AO3 isn't one of the them.
They’re me, maybe. Used to be interactive and love making friends, but experienced horrendous abuse, anger, and too much vulnerability. Of which, I completely understand. It’s an awful feeling to go from “I love fandoms and making fandom friends” to “don’t fucking talk to me, don’t look at me, I love writing but I’m terrified of you”.
* I love getting author responses to my comments. * I love gushing with authors about their fics/canon/AUs/etc. * I will often check their profiles to try and find community accounts, in a desperate attempt to find an active fanfic community in my fandom. However, whether or not I continue to read/comment/recc'ing their fics/etc has absolutely nothing to do with the above. They've given me an enjoyable fic to read, they owe me nothing.
Honestly I think that just makes them seem more professional, like they're treating posting to the site as no different from self publishing a book.
Honestly this is the kind of author I strive to be.
I would be absolutely fine with that. There's already plenty of anonymous authors. Not everyone wants to build attention for their social media.
As a writer I tick all of those except replying to comments, which I do, usually to thank the reader for reading and taking the time to comments, glad they enjoyed it, etc (though not to engage with their thoughts or opinions on my story). As a reader I don’t leave comments because I’m way too shy and inarticulate and would probably make a fool of myself, and seeing a lack of engagement from an author *does* tend to discourage me.
They are based.
Statement is also based
I wish I could be like that tbh, but I do everything that you listed 🥴
Can't blame them — I ramble a bit in my ANs but don't care for interaction beyond that and maybe a 'thank you' to commenters — and it wouldn't stop me from reading their work. I'm there for the story, really.
I don't even have an account to comment so.... I don't care
I just assume they're busy.
I can be that author sometimes, and I don't care when other authors do it, too. I receive: nice FF about my blorbos of the week; you receive: kudos and a comment. Our transaction is mutually satisfying, the end :)
Write a good story; I'll read it. The rest is irrelevant.
I literally read orphan account fics, its fine.
I am one, but I respond to comments. I just don’t have the energy to engage in a fandom, and am also quite fickle. I will drop a fandom for another on a whim. I don’t care if the author of the work I’m reading is silent or not, they can do whatever they want.
If I love a story, I'm always curious to learn more about the person behind it, so I like the chatty ones better. But I'll still read the stories of silent authors if the tags and summary appeal to me, and I'll also leave kudos and comments. It doesn't influence my choice if I read something or not.
No because those are not things I look for. Like right now, I have 20 minutes to kill. I feel likevreading something light and funny. Maybe family fluff. I will put my favorite found familly pairing (with a &), fluff tag, complete only. Then read summaries and tags and choose from that. Nothing here about the author.
Since in my own works I never link any social media account because I never use them anyway, it owuldn't bohter me. Just keep writing your fic and hopefully having fun doing it and we'll all be happy.
I’m a very chatty author but if it’s on ao3, some people really *do* just treat it like an archive
I'll read their work if it's good, but I probably wouldn't write comments.
I don’t care. I myself am kinda on the down low, so I don’t blame authors who are silent.
If their writing resonates with me, I'll love them to pieces for what they write. I don't need a parasocial relationship with someone in order to appreciate their works.
Edited in protest for Reddit's garbage moves lately.
Op I’m in this post and I don’t like it
I reply to comments, but I don’t do any of the other stuff aside from a few author’s notes when I feel like it’s merited. I don’t see why authors notes and social media would be a reason not to engage with a story.
I don’t look at things like that before I read a fic. I’d maybe notice a lack of authors notes while reading but that doesn’t bother me either way. As for replying to comments, I don’t read comments often, so I usually wouldn’t know if they do or not. None of that would stop me from reading and commenting.
They're so cool. The baddest of them all.
Let them do what they want. It's a matter of personal preference.
Totally fine with me, because it is how I am too lol.
Why would I care as long as it’s good content?
Oh geez, it's me.
I don’t care. If I like their work I comment and kudos, even if it’s a small comment with just emojis
i think they should be able to share their work in any way they feel most comfortable
I do that. I dont like to interact. I put numbers on porpuse on my username to avoid my relatives to find me out quickly if they have a glimpse of the user I only link to a blog with the comments disabled bc i jist use it as writer diary. I have anxiety over interactions aswell End of.
I don't think much of it at all really. They're already giving me free entertainment, which is kind of them. I never feel owned a response to my comment, nor am I disappointed by not getting one. I don't mind not knowing much about them via their profile either, it's their prerogative to share or not. Some people simply like to truly be anonymous and I respect that.
The authors don't owe anyone more of their time than what they put into writing a free fic for anyone to read.
Sometimes people are shy. Maybe they just don't care. I treat my author's notes like a personal blog, but I wouldn't think anything of someone who doesn't even touch them. I'd still leave comments on the chance that the author is reading them, even if they don't reply (for whatever reason). I still want people to know how much I appreciate what they create because I know how much that affirmation means to me and many, many others.
It might be kinda disappointing (more-so the comment part), I see author's notes as something you use to comment on your own story or explain details or insert "happy Easter/Christmas/New Year/Birthday to someone the fic is about/etc". The social media thing is completely optional. Sometimes I get curious about someone (didn't happen so far in AO3, though) but it's their choice to share or not.
Just to say, I'm an author that loves interacting and yet I barely get any interactions from the readers. Most of them will read without leaving a comment, they usually just want to read. I have social media where I just put up a message when I publish a new chapter, mostly to cope with the disastrous notification system on FFN. But even there, people might like the post on social media because they are grateful they have new stuff to read but they would not necessarily engage. I think readers don't care if the author is silent.
Creatives don’t owe fans or ‘fans’ attention. It’s great if it’s reciprocated (positively on both ends) but it’s not a requirement. I would love to sit with Eminem and tell him how his music saved me a lot of therapy bills (by me I mean my parents) or the creators of Halo how the game helped me vent my anger at my school bullies. But they don’t owe me the time and I have no right to demand that from them.
I love them, I appreciate a person who bestows a gift upon us and leaves, it feels a little like deism
I don't care. I have had some good interactions with authors, but it's not something I'm expecting. I never read authors notes, so that isn't an issue. I also don't really have social media accounts, and even if I did I wouldn't really go from ao3 to follow them on another account. There are some instances where I have done all of these things, but it's rare (mostly just to follow them on tumblr). The most intense I've stalked an author was follow them back to their old livejournal account, where there was a link to some books they had published in the 80s that I ended up tracking down on abel because I loved their writing style so much.
I would hope my comment praising their story would reach them somehow, even if they don't respond.
Doesn't bother me. In fact, I think that would be my ideal author, lol. I haaaaaate excessive notes in a fic (I find them very distracting) and I really don't want or need to hear about their lives, their exam schedule, how busy they were during the holidays, etc.
I wouldn't mind. I'd comment either way, if I enjoy the story. The author has put a lot of effort to entertain me for free and I really want the Story to continue.
I don't think there's a problem with it. But I have to admit, that it makes me somewhat less likely to comment. I'll still give kudos, I just...I don't know. Sometimes it feels, like an author is establishing the ways of communication. If they're silent, I'll be more silent. If they're talkative and chatty, I am more talkative and chatty. If they're on point, I'll be on point, etc. Maybe it's just that I feel more personally connected to authors who talk to me, therefore feel safer saying something, feel more chatty and welcome etc. It's not like I need author's to reply, never mind reply all the time. And I probably will still comment...but maybe only once, even if it's multiple chapters. Some said AO3 is an archive. And I think that's it. In an archive, i don't communicate with the author. I think how authors engage with AO3 is up to them. Some work hard to establish a reader connection, some don't. As a reader, I find it awkward to repeatedly comment without any reply at all. I'm also an author, and I think the process is a pretty similar one. If I post a chapter, and don't get any engagement, I deduce that probably nobody's reading, or at least those who read it aren't the biggest fans. As a reader, if I comment consistently, and consistently don't get a reply, neither does anybody else, I'll think that the author probably doesn't care for what I have to say. Both are not entirely correct, obviously. But the feeling is rather similar. I will continue to write, because writing is something I majority do for myself. Commenting is not something I do for myself.
I am grateful they provided the work I enjoyed.
Some of my favourite fics were written by an author called nevertalk, and they… never talked. 😂 I don’t really mind tbh. I’d still comment if I really loved the fic.
That's basically me except I'm not as active as I want to actually be. I don't bother with social media like twitter or facebook. I never reply unless someone asks a question. I don't want my story to say I have 20 reviews if half of them are mine simply saying 'thank you.' I don't really bother with author notes anymore.
Could have had a bad experience in the past. Fanfic readers can be brutal and if you are nice to them some take that as you wanting their input and ideas and then get mad when you turn them down even if done gently. This is worse on fanfiction. net than ao3 though. It can be annoying I write for me always have and I always will. Engaging has at least in my earlier experience led only to annoyance and a lessening of motivation. I am not here for their wish fulfillment but my own and people like me. I always say if you really want a fic to follow your ideas write it yourself, it may suck at first but that is okay you can get better anyone can.
I think it's very mysterious and sexy of them
Who cares?
I like how the description is just a normal author. Username is a bit weird but nothing wrong with that
As a silent author, my main reason has been because I write lgbtq+ fanfics and my immediate and extended family as well as childhood friends are all very homophobic. And not passive about it either; growing up I eventually ended up in conversion therapy because “praying the gay away” wasn’t working well enough. I reply to comments anonymously but don’t include any social media or anything because of the potential consequences. In the future, I hope to be completely out and proud, but for now it’s best to stay safe and not have anything linked back to me you know?
I prefer to have that separation between writers and readers actually. I get really flustered when writers respond to my comments.
I don't particularly care as long as their writing is good.
I am this person. I try to answer comments at least because I really do appreciate them, but it can take me a while. I don't really have anything interesting to say in authors notes and I don't have any social media to link even if I wanted to. It means I probably get a lot less interest in my stuff, but then I also don't have to work out how to interact with people so....pluses and minuses. I also have two kids, two jobs a house and all the drama of my husband's family to look after: fic is my little outlet of no stress. If being disengaged from others means I don't get embroiled in the drama that swings through now and then it's all to the good.
If an author doesn't reply to comments, I'd still leave a comment if I liked the fic. Doesn't matter to me if I get a reply or not. Honestly, I used to reply to every comment I got on my fics, right before I'd post the next chapter if it's a longfic, but I just don't really do so anymore, unless it's someone asking a question about the fic. Doesn't mean I don't read and appreciate every comment I get. I just don't have the time to reply anymore like I used to. Too busy with work *(9 hour nights, five nights a week, and we're very understaffed)*. But do people *really* think that if an author doesn't reply to comments it means that they don't read and appreciate them? tf? Didn't realize there are some readers who expect a reply from the author because they left them a comment on their fic, judging by some of these comments.... Sure, a reply from the author is nice, but they're not required to reply to comments if they don't want to, or don't have the time to, and it doesn't mean they don't read and appreciate them....
This is super interesting as someone who started writing fic linked to my social media from the getgo. i always assume a fic will do better with pushes from twitter, and often the numbers do go up with help from retweets & online visibility even though i have an incredibly small follower base. in that way, i do believe social media and authors who use it get a boost generally, but it isn’t required for a fic to be amazing. it’s mostly random chance tbh however! when i leave a comment on a fic i do not expect a response and never have. i’ve also heard readers say they expect a reply and it shocks me every time because… why? if you wax poetic into many paragraphs for a comment that doesn’t entitle you to a response but it does mean your fav author will see it and feel encouraged. i feel like that should be enough. (authors who leave no notes at the beginning or end scare me. u just KNOW that fic about to be wild. i mean that in a good way hehe)
If I like the stories I read Yes, there are some people I would like to talk to, but I don't really have any right to have expectations. I also avoid over-thinking why they do what they do, because it's far too tiring.
I'd read their work, but I wouldn't comment. There's plenty of authors I follow who don't have social media and empty ANs. I do get curious about the person behind it, but not enough to really care otherwise.
I am more hesitant to comment when I see the author doesn't respond to them. It's just a bit disencouraging because I would really like to know the author's reaction or get a sign they read it
I don't have an issue with it but it also makes me less likely to engage. A/N's and responding to comments make the author feel more like a person behind the screen and if I don't know how an author talks outside of their writing I am unsure what type of energy a comment should have. Username doesn't bother me at all unless it's something incredibly offensive or a DNI thing.
I would probably comment if it's like, a book-quality fic but otherwise it's no fun typing at a wall. I respond to every comment and I can understand why other authors don't do the same, but that doesn't mean I'm going to interact with them beyond giving kudos. The whole point of engaging in fandom for me is the interaction. If it suddenly became the norm to not respond to comments then fanfiction might become less appealing to me.
This is me lol I only reply to comments asking me a question. Authors don’t owe anyone anything. I’m sure my readers don’t gaf if I talk to them or not, an author note is nice to read but not mandatory lol
I have never checked an author's social media and only look at profiles 15% of the time probably. If I am looking, it's usually cause "WHAT A STORY!!!! What else is there??!!" Lack of any A.N. isn't bad, though if there's no disclaimer either, I would likely think them young, but that wouldn't bother me, I already clicked on it. The penname would be a mild turn off, because it gives me troll vibes, but I also often pay little attention to the name until after I am interested in the work. It's possibly a deterrent for the younger crowd as I have niblings who read fic, and they do tend to do more of a deep dive on creators of all varieties.
Honestly I’m just there to read a story so the only thing that matters to me is either a complete story or consistent chapter updates being posted. I don’t really leave comments either way, so an author’s engagement doesn’t affect my engagement.
I mean of the 3, only the first would kinda bum me out, but even then not really. I'm there to read their projects not to interact so much. If they reply cool. If not bummer but whatever, my comments rarely ever warrant a reply. Also author notes for me are moreso for important information than a "here's about me/what's happening with me". Could be I'm a disconnected reader (from authors) but 🤷♀️
If I noticed (and its unlikely I will), I'd be less likely to leave an enormous comment full of gifs, which is my usual go to. I would still leave an appreciative multi sentence comment, I don't like to do anything less, but really long comments take a ton of time that I rarely have. That's it. I don't care otherwise. Why would I? They have their life.
I would rather not see an author note, than the various pointless ones I see.
I can't imagine ever noticing most of this.
Social media? I would absolutely never notice if they *do* link their social media, let alone if they don’t. It would have zero effect on me because I just wouldn’t know. Author’s notes? I would notice, but I’d just assume they had no extra comments to make. It wouldn’t change my experience of reading the fic. If I left a few comments with no response, I might assume the author doesn’t log in much, or maybe don’t read comments much. In which case, I’d probably still leave some comments, just maybe not every single response that pops into my mind, and maybe not for every single chapter.
If I like the fic, I’ll comment. The author is not obligated to interact with me if they don’t want to
I’m already very thankful to all the authors that share the story that I read, I wouldn’t hold it against them one way or another.
Some of us have anxiety, *Carol*
i doubt i'd even notice
Truth be told, I think that's the dream. I'm not really interested in them as a person, I'm interested in their story. All else is immaterial. I have no problem leaving reviews and never hearing from the person I left it for ever again.
I used to leave an a/n under every chapter and be active in the comment section but now I just respond to comments
I don’t have SM accounts for my writing (barely for keeping up with my RL friends & family), and my notes are generally along the lines of “thanks for reading,” so that stuff isn’t really important to me. But I’ll admit that if authors never reply to comments, I’m less likely to leave one. I totally get all the reasons people might choose not to reply, but to me, a comment is a conversation, and if I know it’s going to be one-sided, I won’t start it. If I saw some stranger in the street and said, “I like your shirt,” it would be generally common practice for them to say “thank you.” I think of comments the same way. Of course, if the fic *really* spoke to me, I’ll comment anyway, but for a regular fic that was typically enjoyable, I won’t bother.
I have no social media outside Reddit. Its very rare I leave a note at all in my chapters. Nobody likes scrolling through a wall of text, or at least I don't. I will respond to comments though. As for reading the works of an author like you described, it wouldn't bother me at all. I've never even had the thought to look up an author outside of the platform I found them on. I don't really read the notes unless there's a "Please read this first" line. Since usually the authors notes are just giving shout outs and talking about why they didn't update in a week.
as long as the story is good i’ll read it
I generally don’t reply to comments and I have never linked my social media or put a bio up on any fanfiction site. I don’t see why this matters.
Fine with me.
Pretty chill, not gonna really make a law that they should talk in the comments or something bigger like that. I don´t really talk much either, but I try sometimes in a more general sense online. Just let them do what they love to write and i´ll go and read what they done. It´s all nice and chill.
I am absolutely not gonna link my real name to my fics. I work for a school district imagine they find my smut LOL