Fanfic Question

[dreiser]

When people email me about my fanfic, I generally reply to them but when it comes to Livejournal (and especially Fanfiction.net) comments I don't respond for the most part. I've just read a lengthy discussion on one of the forums I lurk at where some established and pretty well known fanfic writers were saying to not reply to each and every comment they get is ungrateful and downright rude.

Really? I don't think that. I'm not sure what I would reply with anyway. Thank you over and over? I reply when I have something to say back to the person or they ask a question I have an answer to otherwise I just leave it.

Just wondering what other fanfic writers/readers on my friendslist or who read this LJ think about it.

Comments

[jailbaitjello.livejournal.com]

I leave comments reviewing fics (both at LJ and FF.net) because I want to indicate to authors that there are people who read and appreciate what they write. I generally don't expect any author response back unless I ask a specific question. Usually there's not even much that I can say except for "great chapter! Thanks for the read." So yeah, in those cases, I definitely don't think it's rude that authors don't reply back.

That being said, do authors prefer not to have one-liner comments? On FF.net, I also do so to get the review count up on a fic I think is worth reading, because I know that as a reader I definitely click on fics that have lots of reviews. And generally, having a large readership seems to motivate authors to write, so more reviews -> more interest from new readers -> more fic from good writers. Or at least that's my line of thinking... Am I just making stuff up?

[dreiser.livejournal.com]

I can't speak for other writers but I don't mind one line reviews. I mean, whatever anyone wants to tell me, good, bad, long, short, intelligent or nonsensical is up to them and it's all good as far as I'm concerned.

Yeah, a lot of people are concerned with reviews. I'm not particularly fixated on them though but I'm a sporadic fanfic writers these days.