is it okay to ask for reviews?
I've been kind of wondering about this today, and I was curious over what you guys thought on the matter.
So as some of you know, I've been writing exclusively for another fandom for quite some time now. The current multi-chapter that I'm working on is twenty-three chapters long and has been fairly successful, for the most part. It's getting pretty ( Read more... )
So as some of you know, I've been writing exclusively for another fandom for quite some time now. The current multi-chapter that I'm working on is twenty-three chapters long and has been fairly successful, for the most part. It's getting pretty ( Read more... )
Begging for reviews, whining for reviews, and threatening to withold chapters for reviews are a different matter. That's just immature and extortionary (for lack of a better word)!
Unfortunately, readers can be lazy creatures. I had one reader admit to me that she just didn't feel like logging in to leave a review, but she really loved my story. I told her it was a hassle to post on 4 different forums for all my readers spread out all over the place, but out of courtesy I did it.
I know it's frustrating when you go to your hits/visitors page and see how many people have been on there and just lurking. I think the only polite way to handle it is to do exactly what you did, and call them out on it.
Anyway, to answer your question. No worries. I don't see anything wrong with what you wrote.
Just one word of warning: after calling my readers out on their lack of reviews - I got so many for my remaining chapters, I busted my ass trying to respond to them all (mostly on ffnet). And ended up just giving myself a break a few times and not responding at all.
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What irritates me the most is when writers go, "I won't update until I get 30 reviews." Like...really? I would never do something like that to my readers because not only is it shallow, but it basically says that the writer is only in it for the reviews, not the enjoyment of the actual writing.
And you're not kidding about reviewers being lazy. I can't really say anything, because sometimes I've been known to not review, but that's usually because I don't like the fic in general and am too nice to say anything.
And (I know this is bad) I don't normally reply to my reviews. I only really reply when someone asks a direct question or when someone leaves a very profound or touching review. I've been thinking about starting to reply, though. Maybe on the next fic, when we're out of the holiday season.
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I can't always muster up a review for every chapter of a fic I read. But I try to hit most of them. Or like you, if I didn't like the story, I don't leave a review. I don't like to lie and blow smoke up their ass. And my mother always told me if I didn't have something nice to say, I shouldn't say anything at all.
... or maybe it was "if you don't have anything nice to say, come sit here by me"... Whatever. :)
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Usually when it comes to my own reviewing habits, if I'm starting a story that has, say, ten chapters, then I probably won't review all ten chapters. I'll review the latest one and summarize all of my general feelings for the fic in that one review. And then for every new chapter after that I'll review UNLESS the fic spirals off into fuckery or if a character starts acting OOC. There have also been a few times where I haven't reviewed because I've literally been speechless and don't even know what to say. Those are the ones I sorta have to sit on.
And I don't think I've ever left a negative review. I've considered doing so a few times, but then I remember how I feel when people say not-so-nice things about my stories, so I just end up not saying anything at all.
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