fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2147 ]

[ SECRET POST #2147 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2147 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 04 pages, 100 secrets from Secret Submission Post #307.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 1 - not!fandom ], [ 1 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ], [ 1 2 - vader trolls and probably more later ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

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While I think putting that in the author notes is not cool, I sympathize. Frankly, I find the self-entitlement of readers incredible. Writers don't have to post fic, they don't have to share. If they do, and it means something to you, then a simple 'thank you' is the least you can do. Why do people feel that they should be able to visit ff.net or AO3 and have their fandom reading needs satisfied and yet give nothing back in return? It's not authors who have entitlement issues if you ask me.

I emailed fb for the very first fanfic I ever read, about 10 years ago. I couldn't believe that someone had written this amazing story and SHARED IT. And that author thanked *me* and said that the relationship between fanfic writers and readers is symbiotic- they need each other. When I started writing myself, I understood what she meant. There is nothing better than to hear from a reader. To have that interaction is inspiring and rewarding, and has sometimes led me to write sequels based on our discussion or to be bitten by new plot bunnies.

It doesn't even take a minute to comment and say 'thank you'. But it means a whole lot. People should do it more often. Unless I really dislike a story, I will always comment and try to say something positive and encouraging. I wonder how many writers have stopped posting because so few people can be bothered to leave fb?

I ♥ you.

+1

Yeah, this.

Except that it's the *authors* who decide to both write and post it. You're right that no one is forcing them the post it - but that goes both ways. You decide to post it on your own, you don't get to expect people to give you asspats for posting it and being disappointed that people aren't giving you as many as you want? Both of those stink of self-entitlement of the author.

This.

I didn't ask you to post anything. We have no contract, legal or social. If I feel like saying something I will, if I don't I won't.

but still you read it. WTF? go write your own fic and see how much time and work it'll cost you. then let's talk again
oh wait, you are not even able to write thanks or nice work, how could I assume you could write more than a sentence

(no subject)

(Anonymous) - 2012-11-19 00:25 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

(Anonymous) - 2012-11-19 00:48 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

(Anonymous) - 2012-11-19 02:46 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

(Anonymous) - 2012-11-19 06:21 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

(Anonymous) - 2012-11-20 05:27 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

(Anonymous) - 2012-11-19 00:30 (UTC) - Expand

Actually there is a social contract. That's called courtesy. When someone does something nice for you and you benefit from it, even when you didn't ask for anything, it's good manners to say thanks. You know, like when someone holds the door open for you? Except that writing fic requires more time and energy, of course.

And if the author abruptly stops posting for some reason, you'll most likely whine about not getting updates.

You mean they will end up here, making a secret about entitled authors not catering to their needs and abandoning their WIP.

While this is completely true, there are also a lot of authors who feel that if the best you can do is 'thank you', then you might not as well do it at all. It's the reason I don't leave reviews unless the fic was really incredible :/

Everyone says there are these authors, but I think the "if you don't leave long feedback, I'll hate and flame you!" authors are like the welfare queens of fandom. As in, they don't exist in any significant number.

It's just an excuse. Own the fact that you probably wouldn't leave feedback anyway and let the myth die already.

Except they do exist? I've run across authurs [yes, multiples of them] who've said they don't see the point of short 'thank you' type feedback. They don't say 'I'll flame/hate you!' but in the 'I don't really like comments that don't have any actual crit in them, so I'd appreciate if you'd add more to it than 'I love it!'

They exist. They show up on fanficrants periodically.

And I've seen a few secretes about that here.

And I've seen it on various authors homepages.

I've heard people say this before and while I have no doubt that some writers are complete assholes who aren't happy with comments unless they praise every other word, I think those writers are rare. I read a lot of fic in a lot of different fandoms and I've never had a writer tell me my comment wasn't good enough. Every time I've left feedback, the writers have been nothing but polite in response.

I don't mean that the writer replies rudely to specific comments. Usually it's just a general rant left on their journal or something. I guess my fansom's just unlucky, we get quite a number of them.

I don't think there's a "lot", I think there's a vocal "few" of those. And it sucks that everyone gets tarred with the ungrateful entitled author brush when it's just a few bad apples spoiling it for everyone. Personally, I'd blacklist any authors that behaved like that, and I wouldn't comment for them. But I don't presume all authors are like that.

I do agree, though, that I'm more likely to leave comments when it's an incredible story rather than just a meh story. I can leave a comment when I actually have something to say, like what I liked/loved, but if it was just meh, I don't always want to leave a review saying, "good for you, your paragraphs were evenly spaced."

that I'm more likely to leave comments when it's an incredible story rather than just a meh story

maybe, just MAYBE, there's a lesson for authors to take away in this.

if they're not getting any comments, MAYBE THEIR FUCKING FIC SUCKS DONKEY ASS.

This, exactly. I know there are some genuinely entitled authors out there, but secrets like this don't even come close. Since when is being disappointed at a low number of reviews being entitled?

There's a difference to being privately disappointed and maybe talking about it on your personal blog/whatever and putting it on your authors note of your story.

Once you put it in the authors note it starts feeling like you're trying to guilt your readers into reviewing which is annoying and not particularly classy.

I read it more as expressing their own disappointment (maybe insecurities as to what the low response rate means) than it was as trying to guilt their readers. I think people are a little too quick to flash the entitlement card any time a writer expresses anything. I mean, this is not the "review more, or I won't ever write again" fic hostage note.

(no subject)

(Anonymous) - 2012-11-19 02:56 (UTC) - Expand

This this this.

Love you too!

I don't like to white lie because I don't want someone to white lie to me. I've run into scores of mediocre fic lately that I couldn't do anything more than give concrit on and many people hate that, so I've just exited without leaving anything. If the fic is genuinely amazing and all around good, I'll tell the author. Otherwise, no need for bullshit.

I like this comment

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