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Dear Readers,
Let me begin by stating that I enjoy writing tg fiction. It is not a laborious endeavor for me but an activity that I find both relaxing and challenging. Because of this, I do not crave public recognition or adulation for my work. The fact is, I have written many stories that I haven’t even bothered to post. However, I am nevertheless appalled by what I see as the widespread ingratitude shown towards the many excellent authors that post on this site.
When the Lord healed the ten lepers in the 17th chapter of Luke, only one returned to give thanks. His response was, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?" The parallel that I observe here may be seen by calling to your attention a recent story that had 681 reads and just one comment. (Many similar examples could be cited) It could be said, “Did not 681 people read the story? What about the remaining 680? Do any of them care? Are there not at least two, ten, or twenty other readers out of almost 700 who might consider acknowledging the author’s work? Are we so self-centered as fans of transgender fiction that we can read, and I assume enjoy, the efforts of an author and not even take time to post a sentence saying, “Thank you so much. I really enjoyed your story.” Even a negative comment would be better than nothing at all.
I know that I am guilty of doing the same thing, but I think it is wrong, and I’m afraid that many writers might just end up saying, “I’m out of here. No one really cares if I write or not, so why bother.” I share this with you because authors have communicated to me what they see as “ingratitude” and I know some who have stopped writing for publication. My words are not meant to lay a guilt trip on all our readers, but I honestly think that we can do better. Perhaps some good will come out of bringing to attention the fact that a word of encouragement goes a long way, and is likely to assure that quality transgender fiction will continue to appear on this excellent site. I’d be interested in your thoughts on this.
Judi Emmerich
Comments
Ummmm
... well there is sort of a problem with writing negative comments Judi. In The past we have had a few too many flame wars where authors turned on authors for becoming insensitive to a negative comment. Its far "safer" just to not comment if the story doesn't present enough appeal to feel justified to comment positively about. For a fuller more concise explanation feel free to drop Erin, the site administrator a private message and ask her what the criteria currently is on negative comments.
The number of reads is a positive thing, it means people were interested enough to read your stories. On the other hand, the lack of comments cites something "might" be wrong with the subject of the story, the style, the grammar, or the word choice/usage. I would perhaps, take a look at stories with a lot of positive comments and compare how those stories function in terms of the previous sentence which I mentioned and place it in mind and compare it to yours. See how you can improve.
Instead of ranting Judi, explore the fiction that is out here and see what is working and take bits of what you find and figure out how to incorporate that with your story telling. All of us had to learn and do that from others at some point - start today! Ask around for an author to help edit or proof your work before posting. listen to their comments and be open to change. Rigidity is a bane to authors - embrace change!
Please do not take this in a wrong way Judi. I as a reader/author DO want you here! I DO want you to write and post :) If you pick a subject I like, or writing style that catches my eyes, or you just plain know how to touch me deeply to my soul - you WILL get me to comment! But please do not expect me to leave negative comments. I'd rather not open a can of worms which others would be quick to hop on the bandwagon and start another flamefest.
*warm hugs*
Sephrena Lynn Miller
Thanks for your thoughts!
Hi Sephrena,
Thank you for the quick response to my comments. You make some good points and I am well aware that we are not all Shakespeares, Miltons or Hemingways. I have written my share of “bad†stories. :) My point though, is that the number of comments is disproportionate to the number of reads.
It would be unrealistic to expect everyone to comment, just as most people who listen to talk radio, do not call in. However, it stands to reason that most writers are more likely to strive for the excellence that we wish to see on the board, if they are encouraged by those who appreciate their work. My words about “negative comments being better than nothing at all†was an after thought. I too, think that negative comments are best left unsaid unless a story is so outrageously bad that one cannot restrain himself from saying something.
But I do want to “practice what I preach†so I plan to commend authors whose stories I enjoy, so that they might be encouraged to continue writing in the future. I firmly believe that a failure to occasionally acknowledge their efforts could result in some, not all, writers channeling their interest in other directions. I’d just as soon see them stay active. In any case, thanks for responding. We all want to see high quality fiction that will enhance the enjoyment of the readers.
Cordially,
Judi Emmerich
lack of comments, but high "reads"...
As near as I may understand the way the counter functions...
If someone logs onto the story then the counter counts them. If they only read it part way through and return days later to finish then they are counted again. This would raise the number of counts before even possibly eliciting a comment.
The other possibility could be one of interest in the type of story...
I have had far more "counts" on my TG offering here than I have had on my "fiction and magic non-TG" story.
There are many different possibilities to TG fiction as well...
Just as some readers like Heinlein and others like Poe, none of these know if they shall or shall not enjoy a story until they begin to read. Therefore higher counts...
If a person does not like the particular story genre they simply move on, thus no comment.
Just because someone does not like nor appreciate Poe does not mean they should go "gunning" for that author.
Likewise if one does appreciate an author or a story (although possibly not all stories by a particular author) then positive comments from those individuals may be found.
I, myself, do not take it as a bad thing that my story has not elicited as many positive responses as "reads". It simply means that my story has not been of interest to all readers of this site. At least my stories here have not yet elicited someone to try to kill me, as have a couple of the stories which were placed into print and misunderstood by a reader here or there amoung the millions who have read my books. I lost my first Agent to one such individual and, later, nearly myself. The kooks are out there but I have found that upon this site, the extreme majority are here for commeraderi and enjoyment with others who have, at one time or another, shared in the tears, joys, tribulations and successes we have all experienced.
God Bless You All...
This is actually a good point.
And one that I, like everyone else, am guilty of validating. Personally, I'd rather have negative comments than none whatsoever, but I've seen what that has done not only to some authors, but to readers as well. It's one thing when a negative comment spurs a writer to defend themselves, or at the very least post a rather heated response, but when other readers start to fight over what's going on it's a bit much, which is one reason that the comment to reads ratio is so low. Not only that, but after a story has been on the site for a certain amount of time, it almost seems a waste to comment. Well, okay, not a waste so much as ineffective. For example: I only recently sat down and read the 'Bridesmaid' serial by Miss Jessica. I loved the story: it had great characters, a wonderful romance, and enough twists that I wasn't really sure how it would end. However, due to its age I didn't leave a comment or vote-though now that I've mentioned it I probably will go and fix that- and it's only been finished since January. With as active a site as BC is, many great stories are left with less than stellar numbers of comments- and some rather more poorly written or received stories receive a great deal- because the site is changing at all times. Once a story is off the front page, while it will still be read, readers' interest in sharing their opinions on it tend to dwindle- you can even see this as stories descend down the site's home page. If a rash of stories are released almost simultaneously, as happens sometimes, then the ones at the top will generally have more readers/comments, at least from the observations I have made since arriving at the site about a year and a half ago.
Sorry, that was a bit long winded, wasn't it? I'll have to watch my word count next time, and spend it on my next chapter rather than rambling explanations! :P
I'm guilty too
As an occassional writer here and avid reader, I feel bad about not always commenting.
Sometimes I don't have the time, sometimes it's *not my cup of tea* but I do try to, particularly if it touched me.
As to negative comments NEVER attack the author -- it is rude and counter-productive. Be constructive and if it is more than, "A good proofing would help" or "Page three's formating was odd," do it as a PM.
I had a reader go fairly ballistic about the boyfriend/girlfriend thing I have going in my Whateley Accademy Fan Fic, Timeout. I had some misgivings that how I was writing it could be misconstrued and look like I was advocating child molestation.
-- For those not familiar, my heroine is an ex-fourty-eight year old male who mutates into a seventeen year old girl with all the attendant hormones. Her boyfriend -- purely platonic at the moment and it will stay that way until he is eighteen -- is the fourteen year old brother of a girl she rescued using her mutant gifts --
The commenter had some legitimate points but went about in the wrong way. I used his and other more polite comments and my own thoughts and made a few simple changes which fixed the problem. I was so upset at his tone I almost didn't fix it as most readers seemed to understand what I meant. I was nearly trapped into thinking "Who the heck does this pompous twit think he is?"
By complaining too agressively, the commenter almost purswaded me to do the opposite of what I was thinking of doing -- which was pretty much what they wanted.
Constructive critisim done in a polite way is welcome, public bashing is not.
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
Have you checked your stars?
Judi,
Since you're relatively new here, are you aware of the star rating system for stories that supplements the comments? You can check your star ratings (only you can see them for stories not still on the front page) with the "My Stars" link at the top left of the front page. You can also get a sense of comparison with other authors for the stories on the front page by using the "Recent Ratings" link there.
Amelia
"Reading rots the mind." - Uncle Analdas
"Reading rots the mind." - Uncle Analdas
The comment pump
I like to get comments on my stuff. My way of encouraging this is when I visit, which is not even once a week unless I have a recent story up, I try to make a comment on every story on the front page that doesn't have a comment. I call it priming the pump. I don't usually comment on stuff that has six or eight or ten comments already, unless it's my own :grin:, or I have something really unique or particularly funny (to me) to say.
Last time I did this, I made 13 comments. That's out of 46 stories/blogs, about 30% had no comments.
-- Donna Lamb, Flack
-- Donna Lamb, ex-Flack
Some of my books and stories are sold through DopplerPress to help support BigCloset. -- Donna
Hand raised
Yep! I'm guilty as well. My excuse is often I'm just not able to make my poor gray matter between my ears cooperate to write a comprehensible comment. I do toggle a STAR. No Brain power needed for that!
grover
Yep, I'm in agreement
To a degree at least.
Being on dial up, I would spend a fortune on phone calls, but I do comment on some and send PM's. I love comments and even negative comments can be welcomed otherwise one gets a sense of one's work being right when maybe it isn't.
I know that because I write in different English than most, this sometimes precludes me from comment, although I do get more than my fair share of reads.
I don't know why some people's work gets more commenting than others and believe me I have tried to work it out, but some styles fit and some don't.
I have tried to associate comments with star ratings, but I don't know that that's necessarily a pointer to how good something is.
If you're happy with your work, then fine. If you're not, then you're like many of the writers here - growing. With each subsequent submission you'll get a bit better. I know I have. When I look at A Fresh Start and look at my style and the ratings now, I get the impression that my writing is improving.
I do wish more would comment though - but then who doesn't?
Nick B
Judi, while we may be lepers
I am not sure that people's failures to comment upon our efforts here rises to the level of; offenses against God. I agree that it is frustrating, and as others point out inscrutable at a certain level. I think that it is helpful to remember that "guest readers" out number the "members" here about 4 or 6 to 1 depending upon time of day. At this momment it says 51 to 13 in favor of guests. Guests can log in and comment I think, but....
I feel that every consistent writer here has likely created their own interpretation of what, hits, comments, stars, mean to there own stories. It boils down to; what I get the least of is least important. That isn't a criticism, it is human nature. We survive by defending our physical and psychological selves and here sharing the latter, or just making stuff up. Sometimes in painfully naked ways. :)
Don't get me wrong Judi, I enjoy, no, I appreciate any readership, commenting, or any form of recognition I receive here but it is not my "Raison D'etra" or however you spell that. Most comments come from the other writer's as far as I can tell and some like Jezzi and some others, well, you gotta love Jezzi and that bunch, commenting Mavens they are.
Maybe we should all make an effort to comment more but I see no way to get the majority of readers to participate. I think it just goes with the territory for the time being, and while I appreciate your frustration don't see an answer for it.
Gwen
Gwen Lavyril
Gwen Lavyril
Clique and Claque
One hand washes the other. As in any social order this board has its groups. Authors edit for one another and serve as each others beta readers. They support each other through comments.
There are also enemies on this board created by differences of opinion over the years. Those enemies will refuse to comment on your work, or will post negative drivel.
Also, many people get upset if you don't write a story according to their particular formula. Most people have distinct preferences in subject matter and will jump out of a story in a hurry if it doesn't deliver. They might have opened your story, but didn't finish it.
I recently wrote a drabble that equated a transsexual with a circus freak. A large (totally screwed-up) share of the population in our country would agree. That isn't my personal viewpoint or even close, but it is a valid story viewpoint. That story received one star from a number of people. People don't want to be made uncomfortable.
And so it goes for comment comments.
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Not Finishing?!?
Okay, I do this a lot:
I'll open a story that looks intriguing from the description, or has keywords that are common among the stories I prefer. However, once I start reading the story, I find that it isn't what I really want to read and leave it. This doesn't always happen, but it does often enough to be a good point. I prefer stores without what I guess could be termed 'lesbian' romance, or characters over the age of thirty. Occasionally I'll get caught up in the story, as happened with Bob Arnold's 'Zapped!' series for me, even when it does contain elements that I tend to shy away from at this point. Just because I don't want to read a story doesn't mean I have negative comments for it, but if I haven't read enough to feel confident in my knowledge of the subject matter then I won't comment, and since it's my personal opinion on what makes a story read worthy or not, I don't feel it should be used to try to tell others how to write.
Melanie E.
If Only Others Were Like You
You are marvelous in respecting the rights of others to have different interests.
I will sometimes get caught up in a story because the writer's voice is so different. I don't like the subject matter or the writing style, but love to listen to the voice. Sort of like listening to Patsy Kline. If anyone else sings her songs they aren't nearly as good.
When that happens I'm at a loss for words . . . as much as I can be.
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Statistical Glitch
Your point is entirely valid, but I believe there is a glitch in the system that records the number of reads. While I'm not entirely certain, another person who's much more active on this site than I am, who I believe has some insight as to how this works, concurred with my suspicion that the "read" counter gets incremented every time the page with the story is accessed. These accesses may not be story reads.
The following observation depends on the above being true. Erin, is it? For a reader who is curious what a story is about, but waits for comments to be posted on the story, and reads the comments a few times, as additional ones are added, this could result in several recorded "reads" without the reader ever looking at the story at all. They may be readers navigating back and forth between different chapters, trying to find a starting point, or to the author's page. They may be reads of the comments. Or looking for replies to comments they left.
I'm not complaining, or suggesting this can even be fixed. There are limitations to every system. If the counter is off because of a limitation like that, it's unfortunate, but it's still valid as a relative indicator of interest level in a story and its comments, even though the actual number of reads of the story itself is really unknown.
FWIW, the stars indicator at the end would be a much more valid indicator of the actual number of reads, as each reader can only enter one rating. Erin, perhaps you can figure out some way to show the actual number of readers clicking on a star, rather than the total number of page accesses? I do understand that you don't want to publish the average star rating, for fear of traumatizing any authors, but perhaps just the total number of all ratings (not each) wouldn't hurt anything?
Counters and ratings
Yes, the counter as it currently works counts accesses. I've no plans to fix that at the moment.
And yes, the star system will probably be updated this summer to show how many people have voted. :)
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Judi's TGF Stories
Judi,
This is the second time I have written you. I very much enjoyed reading your TGF story " I made My Son Into A Girl , and Mom's Dress-shop " I believe were the two titles . I saved them into files and was going to print them up or save them to a floppy diskette ; however, when I went back, they would no longer print nor were they acessible on Big Closet. Sorry that you didn't get a whole lot of feedback with your efforts ; most authors are rarely appreciated by readers for their talent, most often they are criticized by people who are afraid to write at all. Since then I have eagerly awaited your next story ; I have not seen anything further from you. I hope you have not given up on writing ; you have a talent. Critics of writers and artists both share a common problem ; both have critics often ignorant or worse unappreciative. I used to write in junior high school and once entered a national writing contest sponsored by "Junior Scholastic " under Young Fiction. I did not win a prize ; I did get an honorable mention category and would have written more, I was discouraged at any further attempts by my teachers.
Who knows, I might have been a real good writer- Hemingway, Bradbury, another Asmiov ? Ah the road less taken. Sometimes we miss ; sometimes we hit it just right. Please get back to writing.
Just a thought. Please write more tales.
Allen
So, you pulled off your stories, then?
Hi Judi,
Your page first came to my attention because I followed a link to one of your stories. I found a title plate, but no story. I followed a link from your page to another listed story, and found the same thing-- a title, but no story. Taken along with your commentary about comments, I can't help but wonder if you pulled the stories but left the titles as a teaser to give us a taste of what we are missing? If that's so, it's not in the same league as the political diatribe I found under one author's link at Sapphire's Place, but it still impresses me as a bit mean spirited. Still, it is of course your right to do that, if the site admin permits it.
I would like to share with you an experience; take it for what it is worth, if anything. I try to give people the thoughtfulness and consideration I would like for myself. While walking through entrances into commercial or office buildings, I have been nearly struck in the face a few times when a person just ahead of me let go of a spring-loaded door without looking back, where it then swung shut right into me. Consequently, I do look behind, and hold the door if I see someone coming. Some people appreciate that and express it, while many more just look straight ahead and ignore me as though I don't exist. I used to take insult at that, and would sometimes even say something about it. On one occasion I suddenly had a "Waitaminute!!" moment-- I asked myself, "Am I doing this because I want recognition, or am I doing it because this is who I want to be?" I still hold doors for people, because that's who I want to be; it is strictly between them and themselves if and how they want to respond to it, and to develop/display their character accordingly.
Some people do creative things to gain recognition, and there's nothing wrong with that. I've heard, though, that many others create because they have to-- though they may never publish a thing, though none of their work may see the light of day, still they must create. If recognition is your ultimate aim, commercial success is the "big leagues." If, however, you write for fun, to work stuff out, to get stuff "off of your chest," or other similar reasons, then why not just post it? If some people post something encouraging and/or useful, that's great! If they post something disparaging (shrug), oh well, that's how some people are... And, if they say nothing at all...well, at least you know what you wrote, even if no one else does. If you wrote it to write it, with no particular goal in mind, is it really better to just close it up in a drawer?
Anyway, that's just my take, my POV.
Molly
Leaving comments
Hi Judi
I have read some of your storys and have not left a comment, sorry but I only leave them for storys i really really like or hate, if I don't leave one after reading a story does not mean i don't like it, it just means it's good and not what I would call great, this of course is my call. I have read some of yours and liked them and I hope you keep writing, as I do all or the writers here, I have not left a story my self so i'm just a reader but enjoy this site very much.
Hugs and Kisses
Melissa Ann
Hugs and Kisses
Melissa Ann
Ingrates? At least someone is reading
One thing I have come to accept as a writer is that not everyone is going to comment about the story. A few things will happen, if the plot is ill-adjusted you will hear about it. If you assassinated your characters past you will hear about it. if you have written the most wonderful story every wriiten you will hear about it.
Does that mean the rest of those who get no comments aren't good writers, definitely not, I have come to believe that most people read, get a wonderful imagination thrill and yet not leave a comment. When watching Television, movies or reading a well written novel do we as people sit down and immediately write whoever gave us the few moments of bliss I think not, if they did they are a very small percentage of our population. I would wonder if I wrote something and a week after is was submitted it had no readers
Jill Micayla
May you have a wonderful today and a better tomorrow
Jill Micayla
Be kinder than necessary,Because everyone you meet
Is fighting some kind of battle.
Constructive Criticism
Judi,
I read your posting when it was first posted and didn't comment then because of my newness to the site. Now I have posted three novels and I am beginning to understand what you were commenting about. To get two comments when three or four hundred people have read the story mystifies me. The negative comments have been few; however, I would certainly appreciate constructive criticism. What would have made the story more effective? If there are serious grammar problems, please point them out. What made the story enjoyable? Why did you stick with it? I would love to make more contributions to the site but if few care, why bother? I would love to find your stories and I will comment. :)Portia
Portia
I am thinking of doing my own site.
There would be no reads counter, no votes, no comments. I would post my stories purely for my own pleasure. I write for MY pleasure. I have lived a life without a lot of approval. Oh, I have a few loyal, generous and loving fans. The rest are free to do as they wish.
Gwen