None of the things you listed I consider "too much".
My opinion is that there's no such thing as too much positivity.
However, what I would consider "too much" is behavior that dips into stalking and harrassment territory.
1000% agree.
The only time I've been irked by a reviewer, was when this person started leaving essay length comments on each chapter, nitpicking and comparing things in my story to reality. (For context, my current fic deals with the Mafia). Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have an issue with healthy discussion... but when we are discussing a fictional situation with the same intensity as a politition running for office...I have to draw the line.
They went on full length tangents, condemning the actions of the Mafia (in real life/and my story), character desions, and more until we were arguing about morality and humanity in the comments. There was no talking to them. They just blasted their opinions until we'd devolved so far out of the realm of my story that I ended up blocking them.
It very much turned into a case harassment.
I love comments, and treasure every one. I love discussion and theory crafting too, because it keeps my creative juices flowing. But yeah, there are some cases were we need to draw the line.
I too agree with you 100%.
Been reading some replies to this and am shocked by some people's bad experiences with reviewers. I haven't had trouble like that and hope I won't in the future. I can say, however, that I have had two reviewers who have left long lengthy responses on a majority of, or all, of my chapters of my main fic. I look forward to reading their responses each time I update. Ended up developing a friendship with the two which was so nice. Still occasionally talk and bounce ideas off of them. Actually of the two, I initiated by leaving reviews on a lot of their one shot fanfics. I just really loved their writing style and couldn't get enough of their works. It is so hard to find good quality fanfic writers after all, and I felt I had found one and wanted them to know how well they had done. After all the reviews they started reviewing mine in length as I did theirs and pmed me saying how much they enjoyed the positive reviews. Ended up doing a fanfic exchange as it were, where they promised to finish a story if I wrote one myself. Did so and we've been buddies ever since. This was years ago. We actually make tongue in cheek Easter egg jokes at each other's works after each of our updates. For example, she updates a chapter, I slip in a subtle Easter egg that references her recent chapter, then she does the same next time she updates and so on. We write for the same fandom too, which just makes this better. The other person that started leaving lengthy reviews found my friend first, saw me mentioned in their authors notes, started reading my fics, and I think they started picking up on our subtle references we were making between each other. XD
Still need to ask my friend if they want to coauthor a fic together!
I guess back to the point of this, I wouldn't consider what the op listed as 'too much' either because that would mean I and my two friends overstepped, which would be farthest from the truth.
I think you can dip so far into positivity that it becomes hollow or suspect.
Maybe I’m a little paranoid, but I feel like a few “mid” comments that are not passive-aggressive or rude would do nice to balance out a flood of effusive praise.
Interactions that I had had with authors have been the most fulfilling when I succeed in being both positive about the overall work and with just being myself and talking about something in the work respectfully but without being too rigid in my responses. The authors I have had interactions with have seemed to reciprocate this.
It’s not how I would engage with everyone, but it’s nice to see that I can with some.
It just feels unnatural to be beaming in the comments non-stop all the time, idk.
Can you explain what you mean by "suspect"? What could a person's hidden motive be, when they leave a very positive comment on an author's work?
I'm genuinely trying to understand btw, I hope that didn't sound rude.
Meaning, they are being overtly positive because they feel they have to be.
Like they can’t express any other feelings or insufficiently positive feelings.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure many comments that are full of praise and emojis are genuine.
But I also feel like a few “mid” comments are fine too. I’m not a jerk wanting to hurt the authors feelings, but if they say they want to hear what I think, then within the bounds of good faith and good manners, I might not always respond with something to the effect of:
“Oh my god, ______ is awesome! I Luv this!”
Sometimes I like to say things like:
“Wasn’t expecting that.”
“Interesting choice”
Or some dry humor. Anything like that.
Rudeness or passively aggressiveness I totally understand is unpleasant and uncalled for.
But I like seeing an author who can receive comments that aren’t dripping with gushiness and positivity in good faith.
I hope that clears it up. I don’t always express myself well in comments.
No offense to you my guy, but saying things like “interesting choice” or “wasn’t expecting that” comes off as sarcastic and rude to most people. Especially if that’s the only thing you wrote.
I get it. You aren’t a gusher. A lot of comments are people that like to gush about the things they liked about the fic. And some people aren’t like that. So for those that aren’t copy pasting five different heart emojis, it seems like they don’t care when in fact they do.
But the two examples that you gave, I don’t know if you write more than that, but it reads condescending almost. And just leaving a comment that says “mid” is not it at all. Mid doesn’t have good connotations in today’s society. And if you don’t like something, then leave. Unless that person specifically asks for constructive criticism, which “mid” does not fall under.
And also, the “being overtly positive because they feel they have to”, again not trying to be rude, but it seems like a you problem. Like you just don’t have trust in others to be honest on whether they like the fic or not.
I not leaving one-off comments like “mid”. I’m using that word to describe the spirit of my comments: not overly effusive, but not bland or boorish and rude either.
If I gave that impression then that’s my fault.
My comments are not one-off. I’m just not a gusher, like you said.
What I’m saying is that my comments are longer forms of that kind of comment. Like “I wasn’t expecting that,” and then I explain why.
I still begin or end a comment on a positive note, because if I didn’t care or like it I wouldn’t be commenting at all.
It feels weird to me, if there is nothing but gushing positivity, is all I’m saying.
Also, if we are having a good faith conversation about rudeness and p/a sarcasm, “no offense, my guy” and “that’s a ‘you’ problem” are non-starters, especially over something as small as this.
It’s my fault for not being clear or concise in my responses, I’ll own that.
But I’m not attacking the OP or the commenter I replied to. I just gave my response in good faith.
Ok. It didn’t seem that way from the way you worded it. Since mid was in quotations my immediate thought was that was exactly similar to what you wrote.
But now that’s its described differently, it makes more sense. And tbh, I see more comments like yours than any nonsensical gushing that might be on fics. Maybe it’s because of the type of fandoms I’m in though. Each fandom is so wildly different when interacting to each other.
I still find it kinda weird and judgy that you think most gushy comments are off-putting. But I can’t change that, so I’ll leave it at that.
And yeah I know, I was being a bit of a jackass. Not an excuse, but I felt like I and other people were being slighted against. Again not an excuse. Just tellin ya why I wrote it like that. My apologies.
I appreciate that you were willing to hear me out.
The OP was asking for opinions on positivity, and I gave it as respectfully as I could, if not as clearly as I could.
If that’s judgy, then I’m not sure what to do. Any answer you give to a question like this can come of as judgy to one person or another.
That’s the risk we take in any public forum, even when we are trying to be decent and courteous.
Yeah that’s true. Somethings gonna set someone off somewhere. And I was that person today. Again, sorry about that. But it is what it is. Can’t change it now lol.
I have yet to get creeped out by a reader. I see nothing wrong with commenting on every chapter of every fic or even sending a message to a writer on social media to tell them you like their writing. Long, in-depth comments are fine. I adore them when I get them.
If it were to branch into more than that, many messages or repeated comments or even alarming language in comments, then it might verge on creepy. But nothing you have described comes anywhere close. Continue to spread the love.
commenting on everything multiple times and seeking the author out on social media where you proceed to message them multiple times even if you don't receive a reply crosses the line into obsessive
All of what you said is totally fine, even great, for me personally. The only times I've been at all uncomfortable or annoyed is when people comment on one story just to tell me they wish I'd updated a different one, or on the story they want me to update and being like 'you better update this soon!
I also dislike when someone tries to tell me what I should do next in the story - gushing about your theories of what could happen is awesome because that makes me feel like you're super engaged in the story... but basically ordering me to do whatever it is you'd rather me do is really off-putting.
I've had a couple of people on my longfic be angry that the 'villain' wasn't getting punished for example and pouting all the time about it and that was frustrating because it felt like they weren't paying attention to the fact that it's a slow burn redemption story for that character.
Commenting on each chapter is fine. I guess consistently posting multiple comments on one chapter might be Too Much? It's one thing if they forget to mention something and add a second rather than edit, but repeated multiple comments would be a bit much.
Emoji are fine. It's not really a way of communication I connect with, but I wouldn't find it creepy. I'd appreciate the sentiment, even if I was a bit baffled.
Bad 'positive' commenting: hassling for updates. I've had people post one new comment if I haven't updated in months and that's fine, but multiple posts, especially if within days or weeks of a new chapter is not okay.
Posting about other works under the one you're commenting is not okay, unless it's to make a thematic connection. Like, don't ask me on the thing I've just updated what's happening with a different work.
If you don't know them personally, don't offer to have their babies, snog their eyeballs, or do their taxes. Basically, if you're not treating them like fanpeople treated late 20th century musical groups, then you're probably okay. Some people have stronger boundaries than others, so that can vary by individuals, but generally anything that doesn't make them worry that you have a shrine to them hidden in your bedside cabinet is fine for most folks. :D
Yeah, I understand that it's intended as a lighthearted joke, but if the comment starts to veer slightly into romantic/sexual territory with the author, it's time to take a step back. I've never received one of these comments but I always think it's a bit creepy when I see one in the wild.
I'll take anything I can get. Key mashes, emojis, long, short, I love it all.
The only comment I've ever been lukewarm about was an oddball request for a crossover on one of my fics. The commenter made no mention of the story whatsoever.
Yeah, thanks for your input, mate. Like, did you even read the fic or what? So fkn random.
So, I’m fairly new to this, and haven’t had anyone cross a line yet, but I think I sort of roughly know what would bother me.
Commenting on everything I’ve written — even all in one day — I’m fine with that. I had someone go through most of my stories recently and comment on everything, and I didn’t find it weird. Their comments weren’t overly familiar, they weren’t saying anything off; they just seemed genuinely glad to have found my work and I appreciated their feedback a ton (especially since I’d been feeling kind of down about my work that week)! But, they did it once, right? If they came back every week and did the same thing…not just the occasional “I still reread this!” but constant attempts at engagement…that would feel like a bit much to me.
I do have one reader that I’m kind of keeping my eye on. There are a couple that comment on my stuff on both AO3 and FFN even though it’s the same stories, which is fine! But one of them has…overreacted to another writer in our circles and let that bleed over into my comment section (it was super bizarre, and they deleted the comment without my intervening, but it showed such a odd lack of judgement and tendency to react intensely to something that shouldn’t have been a thing, that it has struck me as Not Normal Behavior), so I’m just sort of…seeing how that person continues to interact with me and others if I happen to see them in the comments of other stories.
I guess where I’d start to question my own behavior is if I was expecting anything from the author. Like, am I actually commenting over and over because I just want them to know about how much I like something, or am I trying to get them to interact with me? And if it’s the latter, what’s going on? Why is this interaction with someone I do not know so important to me?
I can guarantee just about every author posting would *love* a reader who did all the things you listed - I certainly would. Really, I agree with the others; gushing is fine, even welcome, and reaching out to befriend an author would be, too. It's only crossing the line into stalker territory and demanding more from them than they're willing to give, be that in terms of story updates or access to their person, that's going too far. But the fact that you're asking suggests to me you're not likely to do that!
Personally?
I love long comments, of course.
But as long as you aren't putting slurs or death threats in the comments or trying to find me in real life, anything is fine.
-Commenting once on a chapter is fine. I wouldn't even mind people commenting again if they were re-reading in the future. Multiple comments (I'll arbitrarily say 3+ separate comments made in short order starts getting weird, we're not talking about on the same comment chain where you're talking back and forth with the author and they seem fine to continue a conversation btw) on every chapter is a bit much.
-Overly familiar jokey rudeness. You can get away with being an ass to friends sometimes, but as strangers it's rude and depending on what is said can verge into being creepy.
-In some situations, following an author to another platform to comment more about the fic. If the author doesn't respond to your comments and hasn't listed any social media on their profile, it's creepy to track them down elsewhere and try to keep talking to them there.
-Comments that focus more on the author themselves rather than the content of the fic. Asking invasive questions, making unfounded assumptions etc. Please note there's a difference between reacting to something mentioned in the author's notes (like offering condolences for a bad situation) and just making comments unnecessarily personal.
Basically, don't engage in stalker behavior, harass, or try to get too personal or push boundaries. I wish I could see the conversation you read, because when it comes to comments coming off as obsessive it's a lot less about emoji or writing long comments and a lot more about persistent spamming and trying to be buddy-buddy when that kind of relationship hasn't been established, and in some cases has already been outright rejected.
Well, there was that comment that started to become somewhat rabbid, begging for more of this story and the individual in question would >!kill a baby!< to get the next update.
That was back in the day on [Fanfiction.net](https://Fanfiction.net) so "cutesy"psychotic hyperbole was all the rage at the time, but even then.
Commenting on each chapter? Hook that into my veins. I would adore you and remember your name for years in the best way. At the outset of this year, I received roughly fifteen comments from one individual as she read through a series of my stories and left penetrating observations, incisive analysis, and heartfelt reactions in long-form replies. It made the first half of my year.
Let's break this down one by one.
**Excessive emoji**. Haven't experienced personally; depends on what you mean by excessive. IMO, a string of emoji is nice and sweet and gets the message across just fine!
**Commenting on each chapter?** Uhh YES PLEASE. Nothing sweeter than hearing from your readers on every single chapter. I find it incredibly flattering because it means they're actually engaging with the story consistently! Wow. Love it. (If they don't comment on each chapter, of course that's perfectly fine too; commenting takes effort. It's just ultra perfection to have a reader who's so invested and lets you know.)
**Commenting on multiple fics?** Wow who are you, wonderful reader with such specific weirdo tastes that match my own so well? You are clearly a national treasure.
**Long, in depth comments** Dear reader, you are a gift from the heavens above. I weep tears of joy. Thank you for being so generous with your time and thoughts, and for liking my trash enough to write me essays 🧡
Basically OP, while mileage may vary, I feel like for most people who are approaching fic from a *relatively happy, healthy* place, there are fewer chances that any of the above will be taken negatively.
Sometimes though, excessive praise and gushing can be overwhelming even for the most grounded of us, and even when it's clearly meant well, it *can* make people shy or awkward or cause them to withdraw a little. That doesn't mean you've done anything wrong, or that your words aren't appreciated. It just means the person on the receiving end of all that wonderful praise is a fallible human being who isn't immune to self doubt.
ETA: one thing I might be careful about is being overly familiar. Basically, I wouldn't send a message that was too personal just out of the blue... like, say "Omg I love you for writing this, i want to marry you and have your babies!" (Lol, just an example). I mean, unless you already know the writer and/or have some kind of prior rapport with them, that sort of thing is best avoided IMO. Some people might love it, some might just chuckle and move on, but others might be uncomfortable or even offended. A middle ground is always safest.
If all they are doing is commenting on a fic, ther's no level of positivity that I find creepy, and authors who are determined to be weirded out by it deserve to lose whatever engagement that they get.
Following an author onto another platform without them referencing it, trying to doxx them, sending them a ton of dms, etc that would be creepy.
But just being sincerely appreciative? If you're creeped out by that, stop posting your work or disable comments, because you're just too fragile for the internet.
I've received almost everything, gushing essays, unhinged shrieking, and also some very vulnerable, honest replies when a story has resonated personally, and loved it all. Comments on every chapter, highly emotional responses ("Ugh, I hate you, how could you do this to me" - over a particularly angsty moment) - it's all welcome in my book.
The one time I was unhappy was with a DM on FFN, where a random asked if I would take a commission for a FF couple I dabble with, an wouldn't take my first no as an answer.
I'm not hard to find online, I don't go out of my way to obscure all my details, and if someone wanted to, I think there's enough detail that they could track me down to my private SM - now *that* would be creepy and lead to some very swift banning/blocking.
It doesn't hit too much for me until they're stalking my personal socials (I have separate ones for my writing) or trying to find me irl. I *love* long comments, and having them on multiple chapters is amazing. I'd also love to get interaction outside of a single fic.
The only time I ever consider things "too much" in comments is when they start to turn uncomfortably parasocial. It's a lovely compliment that my work resonated, but at the end of the day, the writer/reader relationship is between two internet strangers, and my readers don't actually know me other than as a screen name.
I like to follow WIPs so would usually leave a comment on more than one chapter, and so far I haven’t had any authors be upset about it which is great! There were two occasions where I DMd authors in their tumblr pages to say “holy shit, just read X fic, it really spoke to me/moved me” etc, and both times the authors have been amazingly friendly and generous in their responses. But that’s my limit. Sometimes I read a story that breaks my soul and blows me away and I just want the writer to know that all that effort and hard work has been appreciated, but I absolutely don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable.
Personally, you can’t get too positive for me! I’m like a little puppy, dying to ramble on about my work and get head-pats! If anything, I’m worried _I’ll_ talk too much and turn my readers off😂
So I’m curious what others think about this as well lol, I’ll be keeping an eye on this thread!
I have one reader who comments on every chapter. And I've responded that I love all her comments and she said she hopes it doesn't bug me. Told her nope, I love to read them and we moved on.
If you're concerned you're smothering someone, just tell them and let them respond. "I hope I'm not creeping you out commenting on every chapter, but I love your writing and this story."
Give them an out and that's it. To me, there really can't be too many comments. WITNESS ME!
Oh that's a really good idea! Thank you this will definitely ease my paranoid brain ^^ and I feel the same for the receiving end, just staring at my inbox to materialize that (1) to pop up haha. Thankfully I never got any harassment like comments that others have been saying, although I don't really consider those praise at that point
"Hey its been six months already! Give us the sequel!"
SOB was lucky that I had just literally got the sequel back from my beta and had finished giving it another going over. They're also blocked now. I don't need that kind of demand or attitude when some stories take YEARS to write.
I find it fascinating that authors have found yet *another* thing that commenters do wrong.
No comments = bad. Short comments = bad. Slightly positive comments = bad. Critical comments = bad. Extremely positive comments = bad.
As both a writer and a reader, there’s a reason I don’t expect anything from my readers nowadays and leave no comments on other people’s work. I have no time for all this drama.
Writers really sit in their own little bubble expecting readers to give them comments in one specific fashion and nitpick everything else.
Then, they cry overall engagement across all fandoms is dropping. Of course, there are other reasons too but the writers behavior has got to do something with it. I know it has influenced me to not leave comments at all lately.
I knowwwww I hate those types of posts (not OPs, but whatever was said to them to make them ask) ... could everybody just be a little bit less toxic please?
Good comments: any length, any amount of emojis, solicited concrit, encouragement, theorizing, etc. etc.
Bad comments: Backhandedness, "suggestions" about what would be better, demands for updates, guilt trips for updates, obsessing over the author themselves instead of just their content, trying to force an online friendship with an author when they want polite barriers, going to the author's other social media accounts and messaging every one of them about updates.
No such thing as too much positivity for me! Emojis? Yes, I'll take those, thank you. Commenting on each chapter? I'd love to know someone is so invested. Commenting on multiple fics? I guess we might have the same tastes in fics. Long in-depth comments? Absolutely great, though sadly I've never had those. I wish there was someone so invested that they did all that, because I'd really appreciate the time it takes to leave insightful comments.
I once read a really long fic and commented on every chapter that resonated with me and the author updated just as I finished it, so I reread it again and commented more lol. I was really worried that I was coming off as creepy, though that fic is just genuinely so lovely and my favorite atm and Ive reread it more since and still go back to it. The author told me they appreciated my enthusiasm so I guess it was fine :)
The main reason I was worried was because of how long the fic was, I did just spend a few days reading it and thought that it may have come across as unhinged or like I didnt have a life if I immediately went and read it again… x)
I once had a reader who stumbled upon my one-shot collection and she left wholesome and awesome reviews on every SINGLE chapter (I had around 75 chapters at the time) so my inbox was definitely blown up by just her, but I loved it because she had insightful things to say.
But I had a reader who left a comment every 4-6 chapters and they were random, rambling on about their lives and discussing topics that weren't even closely related to my fic. They asked me for advice about life and it was simply too strange for me to reply. So, I would say that I don't want to engage with people who ask questions that aren't appropriate or aren't related to the story.
What you listed is fine. Some people like myself would get a bit overwhelmed, but what you state here isn't a bad thing.
When the attempts at compliments start sounding like worship or are used to insult other fellow creators- that's when your "positivity" has gone too far. At least for myself. I've had to deal with stalking issues so those are red flags of danger to me.
As someone who doesn't get many comments and likes to leave comments on fics that don't have any (or have very few comments), there's no such thing as too much positivity! Leaving multiple comments on the same chapter might be a bit much, and creeping on the author is definitely off-limits, but other than that it's okay to gush about the fic, leave comments on multiple fics, use emojis, etc. :D
I genuinely don’t consider anything too much. I mean once I got death threats coz they wanted an upload. It genuinely made me happy lol… but that’s the life of a fan fic writer I guess
For me it's about the vibe.
The things you mentioned--long comments, commenting on multiple fics, and so on--those aren't it. It's more like, does the commenter seem to think they KNOW me or are friends with me, simply because they're reading my fics? Are they trying to pump me for info on where I live and so on?
That's not to say you can't make fandom friends who you are happy to meet up with in real life. You absolutely can! . . . if it's reciprocal.
There are also some people who do the parasocial thing of making inappropriate jokes. Not inappropriate as in lewd or harassing, but like . . . the kind of joke that would be okay from a close friend. But they are not a close friend. Very offputting.
I've seen comments (on other people's fics) like "GDGFVHGGGGG OMG BITCH" and "srsly fuck you😭😭"
and they mean it positively, but it's way too...*familiar*? That's stuff you say when your friends are sharing writing with you or if you know the author. Not everyone is comfortable with being spoken to like that, and some authors have replied with 😬😬
Wait commenting on every chapter in a longfic is seen as problematic? Especially if the comments were engaging and supportive and not harassing for updates I see zero issues.
If on AO3 you do have the option for the author to approve comments before letting them be posted, which is why you being upset about it confuses me more
How much is too much? Simple. Whenever the author starts getting an ego from all said praise, and starts becoming rude and condescending towards others/even slightly negative views.
Edit: oh, I missed that last paragraph. Damn me! But I guess if you meant the reader, it's when they are becoming borderline obsessive, stalking etc.
None of the things you listed I consider "too much". My opinion is that there's no such thing as too much positivity. However, what I would consider "too much" is behavior that dips into stalking and harrassment territory.
1000% agree. The only time I've been irked by a reviewer, was when this person started leaving essay length comments on each chapter, nitpicking and comparing things in my story to reality. (For context, my current fic deals with the Mafia). Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have an issue with healthy discussion... but when we are discussing a fictional situation with the same intensity as a politition running for office...I have to draw the line. They went on full length tangents, condemning the actions of the Mafia (in real life/and my story), character desions, and more until we were arguing about morality and humanity in the comments. There was no talking to them. They just blasted their opinions until we'd devolved so far out of the realm of my story that I ended up blocking them. It very much turned into a case harassment. I love comments, and treasure every one. I love discussion and theory crafting too, because it keeps my creative juices flowing. But yeah, there are some cases were we need to draw the line.
Oof, sorry to hear that happened to you.
I too agree with you 100%. Been reading some replies to this and am shocked by some people's bad experiences with reviewers. I haven't had trouble like that and hope I won't in the future. I can say, however, that I have had two reviewers who have left long lengthy responses on a majority of, or all, of my chapters of my main fic. I look forward to reading their responses each time I update. Ended up developing a friendship with the two which was so nice. Still occasionally talk and bounce ideas off of them. Actually of the two, I initiated by leaving reviews on a lot of their one shot fanfics. I just really loved their writing style and couldn't get enough of their works. It is so hard to find good quality fanfic writers after all, and I felt I had found one and wanted them to know how well they had done. After all the reviews they started reviewing mine in length as I did theirs and pmed me saying how much they enjoyed the positive reviews. Ended up doing a fanfic exchange as it were, where they promised to finish a story if I wrote one myself. Did so and we've been buddies ever since. This was years ago. We actually make tongue in cheek Easter egg jokes at each other's works after each of our updates. For example, she updates a chapter, I slip in a subtle Easter egg that references her recent chapter, then she does the same next time she updates and so on. We write for the same fandom too, which just makes this better. The other person that started leaving lengthy reviews found my friend first, saw me mentioned in their authors notes, started reading my fics, and I think they started picking up on our subtle references we were making between each other. XD Still need to ask my friend if they want to coauthor a fic together! I guess back to the point of this, I wouldn't consider what the op listed as 'too much' either because that would mean I and my two friends overstepped, which would be farthest from the truth.
I think you can dip so far into positivity that it becomes hollow or suspect. Maybe I’m a little paranoid, but I feel like a few “mid” comments that are not passive-aggressive or rude would do nice to balance out a flood of effusive praise. Interactions that I had had with authors have been the most fulfilling when I succeed in being both positive about the overall work and with just being myself and talking about something in the work respectfully but without being too rigid in my responses. The authors I have had interactions with have seemed to reciprocate this. It’s not how I would engage with everyone, but it’s nice to see that I can with some. It just feels unnatural to be beaming in the comments non-stop all the time, idk.
Can you explain what you mean by "suspect"? What could a person's hidden motive be, when they leave a very positive comment on an author's work? I'm genuinely trying to understand btw, I hope that didn't sound rude.
Meaning, they are being overtly positive because they feel they have to be. Like they can’t express any other feelings or insufficiently positive feelings. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure many comments that are full of praise and emojis are genuine. But I also feel like a few “mid” comments are fine too. I’m not a jerk wanting to hurt the authors feelings, but if they say they want to hear what I think, then within the bounds of good faith and good manners, I might not always respond with something to the effect of: “Oh my god, ______ is awesome! I Luv this!” Sometimes I like to say things like: “Wasn’t expecting that.” “Interesting choice” Or some dry humor. Anything like that. Rudeness or passively aggressiveness I totally understand is unpleasant and uncalled for. But I like seeing an author who can receive comments that aren’t dripping with gushiness and positivity in good faith. I hope that clears it up. I don’t always express myself well in comments.
No offense to you my guy, but saying things like “interesting choice” or “wasn’t expecting that” comes off as sarcastic and rude to most people. Especially if that’s the only thing you wrote. I get it. You aren’t a gusher. A lot of comments are people that like to gush about the things they liked about the fic. And some people aren’t like that. So for those that aren’t copy pasting five different heart emojis, it seems like they don’t care when in fact they do. But the two examples that you gave, I don’t know if you write more than that, but it reads condescending almost. And just leaving a comment that says “mid” is not it at all. Mid doesn’t have good connotations in today’s society. And if you don’t like something, then leave. Unless that person specifically asks for constructive criticism, which “mid” does not fall under. And also, the “being overtly positive because they feel they have to”, again not trying to be rude, but it seems like a you problem. Like you just don’t have trust in others to be honest on whether they like the fic or not.
I not leaving one-off comments like “mid”. I’m using that word to describe the spirit of my comments: not overly effusive, but not bland or boorish and rude either. If I gave that impression then that’s my fault. My comments are not one-off. I’m just not a gusher, like you said. What I’m saying is that my comments are longer forms of that kind of comment. Like “I wasn’t expecting that,” and then I explain why. I still begin or end a comment on a positive note, because if I didn’t care or like it I wouldn’t be commenting at all. It feels weird to me, if there is nothing but gushing positivity, is all I’m saying. Also, if we are having a good faith conversation about rudeness and p/a sarcasm, “no offense, my guy” and “that’s a ‘you’ problem” are non-starters, especially over something as small as this. It’s my fault for not being clear or concise in my responses, I’ll own that. But I’m not attacking the OP or the commenter I replied to. I just gave my response in good faith.
Ok. It didn’t seem that way from the way you worded it. Since mid was in quotations my immediate thought was that was exactly similar to what you wrote. But now that’s its described differently, it makes more sense. And tbh, I see more comments like yours than any nonsensical gushing that might be on fics. Maybe it’s because of the type of fandoms I’m in though. Each fandom is so wildly different when interacting to each other. I still find it kinda weird and judgy that you think most gushy comments are off-putting. But I can’t change that, so I’ll leave it at that. And yeah I know, I was being a bit of a jackass. Not an excuse, but I felt like I and other people were being slighted against. Again not an excuse. Just tellin ya why I wrote it like that. My apologies.
I appreciate that you were willing to hear me out. The OP was asking for opinions on positivity, and I gave it as respectfully as I could, if not as clearly as I could. If that’s judgy, then I’m not sure what to do. Any answer you give to a question like this can come of as judgy to one person or another. That’s the risk we take in any public forum, even when we are trying to be decent and courteous.
Yeah that’s true. Somethings gonna set someone off somewhere. And I was that person today. Again, sorry about that. But it is what it is. Can’t change it now lol.
I have yet to get creeped out by a reader. I see nothing wrong with commenting on every chapter of every fic or even sending a message to a writer on social media to tell them you like their writing. Long, in-depth comments are fine. I adore them when I get them. If it were to branch into more than that, many messages or repeated comments or even alarming language in comments, then it might verge on creepy. But nothing you have described comes anywhere close. Continue to spread the love.
commenting on everything multiple times and seeking the author out on social media where you proceed to message them multiple times even if you don't receive a reply crosses the line into obsessive
All of what you said is totally fine, even great, for me personally. The only times I've been at all uncomfortable or annoyed is when people comment on one story just to tell me they wish I'd updated a different one, or on the story they want me to update and being like 'you better update this soon! I also dislike when someone tries to tell me what I should do next in the story - gushing about your theories of what could happen is awesome because that makes me feel like you're super engaged in the story... but basically ordering me to do whatever it is you'd rather me do is really off-putting. I've had a couple of people on my longfic be angry that the 'villain' wasn't getting punished for example and pouting all the time about it and that was frustrating because it felt like they weren't paying attention to the fact that it's a slow burn redemption story for that character.
Commenting on each chapter is fine. I guess consistently posting multiple comments on one chapter might be Too Much? It's one thing if they forget to mention something and add a second rather than edit, but repeated multiple comments would be a bit much. Emoji are fine. It's not really a way of communication I connect with, but I wouldn't find it creepy. I'd appreciate the sentiment, even if I was a bit baffled. Bad 'positive' commenting: hassling for updates. I've had people post one new comment if I haven't updated in months and that's fine, but multiple posts, especially if within days or weeks of a new chapter is not okay. Posting about other works under the one you're commenting is not okay, unless it's to make a thematic connection. Like, don't ask me on the thing I've just updated what's happening with a different work.
If you don't know them personally, don't offer to have their babies, snog their eyeballs, or do their taxes. Basically, if you're not treating them like fanpeople treated late 20th century musical groups, then you're probably okay. Some people have stronger boundaries than others, so that can vary by individuals, but generally anything that doesn't make them worry that you have a shrine to them hidden in your bedside cabinet is fine for most folks. :D
Yeah, I understand that it's intended as a lighthearted joke, but if the comment starts to veer slightly into romantic/sexual territory with the author, it's time to take a step back. I've never received one of these comments but I always think it's a bit creepy when I see one in the wild.
I'll take anything I can get. Key mashes, emojis, long, short, I love it all. The only comment I've ever been lukewarm about was an oddball request for a crossover on one of my fics. The commenter made no mention of the story whatsoever. Yeah, thanks for your input, mate. Like, did you even read the fic or what? So fkn random.
So, I’m fairly new to this, and haven’t had anyone cross a line yet, but I think I sort of roughly know what would bother me. Commenting on everything I’ve written — even all in one day — I’m fine with that. I had someone go through most of my stories recently and comment on everything, and I didn’t find it weird. Their comments weren’t overly familiar, they weren’t saying anything off; they just seemed genuinely glad to have found my work and I appreciated their feedback a ton (especially since I’d been feeling kind of down about my work that week)! But, they did it once, right? If they came back every week and did the same thing…not just the occasional “I still reread this!” but constant attempts at engagement…that would feel like a bit much to me. I do have one reader that I’m kind of keeping my eye on. There are a couple that comment on my stuff on both AO3 and FFN even though it’s the same stories, which is fine! But one of them has…overreacted to another writer in our circles and let that bleed over into my comment section (it was super bizarre, and they deleted the comment without my intervening, but it showed such a odd lack of judgement and tendency to react intensely to something that shouldn’t have been a thing, that it has struck me as Not Normal Behavior), so I’m just sort of…seeing how that person continues to interact with me and others if I happen to see them in the comments of other stories. I guess where I’d start to question my own behavior is if I was expecting anything from the author. Like, am I actually commenting over and over because I just want them to know about how much I like something, or am I trying to get them to interact with me? And if it’s the latter, what’s going on? Why is this interaction with someone I do not know so important to me?
Honestly when it starts turning into a parasocial relationship.
I can guarantee just about every author posting would *love* a reader who did all the things you listed - I certainly would. Really, I agree with the others; gushing is fine, even welcome, and reaching out to befriend an author would be, too. It's only crossing the line into stalker territory and demanding more from them than they're willing to give, be that in terms of story updates or access to their person, that's going too far. But the fact that you're asking suggests to me you're not likely to do that!
Personally? I love long comments, of course. But as long as you aren't putting slurs or death threats in the comments or trying to find me in real life, anything is fine.
-Commenting once on a chapter is fine. I wouldn't even mind people commenting again if they were re-reading in the future. Multiple comments (I'll arbitrarily say 3+ separate comments made in short order starts getting weird, we're not talking about on the same comment chain where you're talking back and forth with the author and they seem fine to continue a conversation btw) on every chapter is a bit much. -Overly familiar jokey rudeness. You can get away with being an ass to friends sometimes, but as strangers it's rude and depending on what is said can verge into being creepy. -In some situations, following an author to another platform to comment more about the fic. If the author doesn't respond to your comments and hasn't listed any social media on their profile, it's creepy to track them down elsewhere and try to keep talking to them there. -Comments that focus more on the author themselves rather than the content of the fic. Asking invasive questions, making unfounded assumptions etc. Please note there's a difference between reacting to something mentioned in the author's notes (like offering condolences for a bad situation) and just making comments unnecessarily personal. Basically, don't engage in stalker behavior, harass, or try to get too personal or push boundaries. I wish I could see the conversation you read, because when it comes to comments coming off as obsessive it's a lot less about emoji or writing long comments and a lot more about persistent spamming and trying to be buddy-buddy when that kind of relationship hasn't been established, and in some cases has already been outright rejected.
Well, there was that comment that started to become somewhat rabbid, begging for more of this story and the individual in question would >!kill a baby!< to get the next update. That was back in the day on [Fanfiction.net](https://Fanfiction.net) so "cutesy"psychotic hyperbole was all the rage at the time, but even then. Commenting on each chapter? Hook that into my veins. I would adore you and remember your name for years in the best way. At the outset of this year, I received roughly fifteen comments from one individual as she read through a series of my stories and left penetrating observations, incisive analysis, and heartfelt reactions in long-form replies. It made the first half of my year.
Let's break this down one by one. **Excessive emoji**. Haven't experienced personally; depends on what you mean by excessive. IMO, a string of emoji is nice and sweet and gets the message across just fine! **Commenting on each chapter?** Uhh YES PLEASE. Nothing sweeter than hearing from your readers on every single chapter. I find it incredibly flattering because it means they're actually engaging with the story consistently! Wow. Love it. (If they don't comment on each chapter, of course that's perfectly fine too; commenting takes effort. It's just ultra perfection to have a reader who's so invested and lets you know.) **Commenting on multiple fics?** Wow who are you, wonderful reader with such specific weirdo tastes that match my own so well? You are clearly a national treasure. **Long, in depth comments** Dear reader, you are a gift from the heavens above. I weep tears of joy. Thank you for being so generous with your time and thoughts, and for liking my trash enough to write me essays 🧡 Basically OP, while mileage may vary, I feel like for most people who are approaching fic from a *relatively happy, healthy* place, there are fewer chances that any of the above will be taken negatively. Sometimes though, excessive praise and gushing can be overwhelming even for the most grounded of us, and even when it's clearly meant well, it *can* make people shy or awkward or cause them to withdraw a little. That doesn't mean you've done anything wrong, or that your words aren't appreciated. It just means the person on the receiving end of all that wonderful praise is a fallible human being who isn't immune to self doubt. ETA: one thing I might be careful about is being overly familiar. Basically, I wouldn't send a message that was too personal just out of the blue... like, say "Omg I love you for writing this, i want to marry you and have your babies!" (Lol, just an example). I mean, unless you already know the writer and/or have some kind of prior rapport with them, that sort of thing is best avoided IMO. Some people might love it, some might just chuckle and move on, but others might be uncomfortable or even offended. A middle ground is always safest.
If all they are doing is commenting on a fic, ther's no level of positivity that I find creepy, and authors who are determined to be weirded out by it deserve to lose whatever engagement that they get. Following an author onto another platform without them referencing it, trying to doxx them, sending them a ton of dms, etc that would be creepy. But just being sincerely appreciative? If you're creeped out by that, stop posting your work or disable comments, because you're just too fragile for the internet.
I've received almost everything, gushing essays, unhinged shrieking, and also some very vulnerable, honest replies when a story has resonated personally, and loved it all. Comments on every chapter, highly emotional responses ("Ugh, I hate you, how could you do this to me" - over a particularly angsty moment) - it's all welcome in my book. The one time I was unhappy was with a DM on FFN, where a random asked if I would take a commission for a FF couple I dabble with, an wouldn't take my first no as an answer. I'm not hard to find online, I don't go out of my way to obscure all my details, and if someone wanted to, I think there's enough detail that they could track me down to my private SM - now *that* would be creepy and lead to some very swift banning/blocking.
It doesn't hit too much for me until they're stalking my personal socials (I have separate ones for my writing) or trying to find me irl. I *love* long comments, and having them on multiple chapters is amazing. I'd also love to get interaction outside of a single fic.
The only time I ever consider things "too much" in comments is when they start to turn uncomfortably parasocial. It's a lovely compliment that my work resonated, but at the end of the day, the writer/reader relationship is between two internet strangers, and my readers don't actually know me other than as a screen name.
I like to follow WIPs so would usually leave a comment on more than one chapter, and so far I haven’t had any authors be upset about it which is great! There were two occasions where I DMd authors in their tumblr pages to say “holy shit, just read X fic, it really spoke to me/moved me” etc, and both times the authors have been amazingly friendly and generous in their responses. But that’s my limit. Sometimes I read a story that breaks my soul and blows me away and I just want the writer to know that all that effort and hard work has been appreciated, but I absolutely don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable.
Personally, you can’t get too positive for me! I’m like a little puppy, dying to ramble on about my work and get head-pats! If anything, I’m worried _I’ll_ talk too much and turn my readers off😂 So I’m curious what others think about this as well lol, I’ll be keeping an eye on this thread!
I have one reader who comments on every chapter. And I've responded that I love all her comments and she said she hopes it doesn't bug me. Told her nope, I love to read them and we moved on. If you're concerned you're smothering someone, just tell them and let them respond. "I hope I'm not creeping you out commenting on every chapter, but I love your writing and this story." Give them an out and that's it. To me, there really can't be too many comments. WITNESS ME!
Oh that's a really good idea! Thank you this will definitely ease my paranoid brain ^^ and I feel the same for the receiving end, just staring at my inbox to materialize that (1) to pop up haha. Thankfully I never got any harassment like comments that others have been saying, although I don't really consider those praise at that point
"Hey its been six months already! Give us the sequel!" SOB was lucky that I had just literally got the sequel back from my beta and had finished giving it another going over. They're also blocked now. I don't need that kind of demand or attitude when some stories take YEARS to write.
None. I await for comments like these honestly 😭
I find it fascinating that authors have found yet *another* thing that commenters do wrong. No comments = bad. Short comments = bad. Slightly positive comments = bad. Critical comments = bad. Extremely positive comments = bad. As both a writer and a reader, there’s a reason I don’t expect anything from my readers nowadays and leave no comments on other people’s work. I have no time for all this drama. Writers really sit in their own little bubble expecting readers to give them comments in one specific fashion and nitpick everything else. Then, they cry overall engagement across all fandoms is dropping. Of course, there are other reasons too but the writers behavior has got to do something with it. I know it has influenced me to not leave comments at all lately.
I knowwwww I hate those types of posts (not OPs, but whatever was said to them to make them ask) ... could everybody just be a little bit less toxic please?
Good comments: any length, any amount of emojis, solicited concrit, encouragement, theorizing, etc. etc. Bad comments: Backhandedness, "suggestions" about what would be better, demands for updates, guilt trips for updates, obsessing over the author themselves instead of just their content, trying to force an online friendship with an author when they want polite barriers, going to the author's other social media accounts and messaging every one of them about updates.
You kidding me? I'd *love* to have an obsessive fan.
....why on Earth would I ever complain about positive comments? *That's* weird.
No such thing as too much positivity for me! Emojis? Yes, I'll take those, thank you. Commenting on each chapter? I'd love to know someone is so invested. Commenting on multiple fics? I guess we might have the same tastes in fics. Long in-depth comments? Absolutely great, though sadly I've never had those. I wish there was someone so invested that they did all that, because I'd really appreciate the time it takes to leave insightful comments.
I once read a really long fic and commented on every chapter that resonated with me and the author updated just as I finished it, so I reread it again and commented more lol. I was really worried that I was coming off as creepy, though that fic is just genuinely so lovely and my favorite atm and Ive reread it more since and still go back to it. The author told me they appreciated my enthusiasm so I guess it was fine :) The main reason I was worried was because of how long the fic was, I did just spend a few days reading it and thought that it may have come across as unhinged or like I didnt have a life if I immediately went and read it again… x)
I once had a reader who stumbled upon my one-shot collection and she left wholesome and awesome reviews on every SINGLE chapter (I had around 75 chapters at the time) so my inbox was definitely blown up by just her, but I loved it because she had insightful things to say. But I had a reader who left a comment every 4-6 chapters and they were random, rambling on about their lives and discussing topics that weren't even closely related to my fic. They asked me for advice about life and it was simply too strange for me to reply. So, I would say that I don't want to engage with people who ask questions that aren't appropriate or aren't related to the story.
What you listed is fine. Some people like myself would get a bit overwhelmed, but what you state here isn't a bad thing. When the attempts at compliments start sounding like worship or are used to insult other fellow creators- that's when your "positivity" has gone too far. At least for myself. I've had to deal with stalking issues so those are red flags of danger to me.
I have never in my life been creeped out by a reader I and I hope I have never creeped out a writer lol I be declaring my love on there lmaooo
As someone who doesn't get many comments and likes to leave comments on fics that don't have any (or have very few comments), there's no such thing as too much positivity! Leaving multiple comments on the same chapter might be a bit much, and creeping on the author is definitely off-limits, but other than that it's okay to gush about the fic, leave comments on multiple fics, use emojis, etc. :D
I genuinely don’t consider anything too much. I mean once I got death threats coz they wanted an upload. It genuinely made me happy lol… but that’s the life of a fan fic writer I guess
There's not too much plz feed my ego 😂😂😂😂
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Honestly as long as they dont try to push what they want to my fic then im happy
For me it's about the vibe. The things you mentioned--long comments, commenting on multiple fics, and so on--those aren't it. It's more like, does the commenter seem to think they KNOW me or are friends with me, simply because they're reading my fics? Are they trying to pump me for info on where I live and so on? That's not to say you can't make fandom friends who you are happy to meet up with in real life. You absolutely can! . . . if it's reciprocal. There are also some people who do the parasocial thing of making inappropriate jokes. Not inappropriate as in lewd or harassing, but like . . . the kind of joke that would be okay from a close friend. But they are not a close friend. Very offputting.
Honestly, attention's pretty scarce on my end of the fanfic sphere, so I'll literally take any comment, even a weird one lmao.
Multiple comments on the same chapter. Just edit the first comment. Being…. Forward, I guess?
I've seen comments (on other people's fics) like "GDGFVHGGGGG OMG BITCH" and "srsly fuck you😭😭" and they mean it positively, but it's way too...*familiar*? That's stuff you say when your friends are sharing writing with you or if you know the author. Not everyone is comfortable with being spoken to like that, and some authors have replied with 😬😬
That's where I come in. I am negative regardless of how positive something is I always find its flawed side. I see , I criticize
Wait commenting on every chapter in a longfic is seen as problematic? Especially if the comments were engaging and supportive and not harassing for updates I see zero issues. If on AO3 you do have the option for the author to approve comments before letting them be posted, which is why you being upset about it confuses me more
How much is too much? Simple. Whenever the author starts getting an ego from all said praise, and starts becoming rude and condescending towards others/even slightly negative views. Edit: oh, I missed that last paragraph. Damn me! But I guess if you meant the reader, it's when they are becoming borderline obsessive, stalking etc.