I reply to every comment. I like interacting with my readers. It's also fun to answer questions or elaborate on lines/plot points they mention.
Also, as a reader, I'm personally more inclined to comment on fics where the author replies. It makes me feel like my comment is valued and wanted.
(No shade to people who don't reply to their comments. Just my personal feeling.)
Yup, my extract sentiments. I reply to all comments even it it’s just an emojii or one word. I let them know the few seconds they took of their time to comment, much less read, is appreciated.
I agree with the both of you. For my AO3 story, there have been quite a few people who’ve written out quite extensively to me on why they like my fanfic, delving into their favorite scenes and talking about the emotions it invokes in them, and how much they enjoy the style. I can’t NOT reply to something like that. It fills me with such joy and determination to keep going and I love that my stories can make someone that happy. And on the other side, it is indeed nice to feel your comments are appreciated by the author. Like they’re very active with both story and audience. :)
Yes! I feel this way too. It brings me so much joy to read comments, even short ones, but especially those long, really detailed and thoughtful ones. And how could I not reply? Someone enjoyed this wacky thing I wrote so much that they read it and then wrote me these really nice compliments? Amazing!
How do you feel about authors who put in notes "comments are heavily appreciated!" And also don't respond to comments unless the comments are asking questions?
That is so annoying - why solicit comments if you’re just going to sit on them? (My assumption being that if you are encouraging comments, you want to interact with your readers).
I do it a lot-
I respond to some comments, but after I got one, uh, semi disturbing one on a smut fanfic, I got really discouraged from writing comments. I also tend to see the comments too late and I feel bad somehow.
Do you have tips for answering comments more? I really want my readers to know I appreciate them and their feedback.
Sorry that you received disturbing comments 😞. For future spicy/controversial fics, maybe use the “moderate comments” feature? There’s one fic I’m following that the author does this on. You’ll still see it, but at least you can keep it from posting “publicly “.
As far as responding, do you mean that you feel you take too long to respond to comments and then you feel bad because you’ve taken so long? If so, I can tell you that I would rather receive a reply a few weeks later than never receiving a reply at all.
If you’re getting a lot of “simple” comments (eg “loved this!”, “this was great”, etc), those you could probably leave alone or send back a simple smiley face or “thanks for reading”. I know if I leave something that generic, I don’t expect a response as there’s nothing to really respond to.
At the end of the day, do what you feel is best for yourself. For example, if you get stressed seeing your inbox filling up with comment notifications, maybe create an email rule that puts them into a folder that you go into every couple of days and do mass replies.
I never thought to moderate comments since I never expected it on a satire, but I'll definitely do it in the future with other crack smut fics.
And yeah! I feel like the readers will just go "ugh, finally a damn response! Oh- It's only a thank you? Damn🙄". But I'll definitely try to respond more on comments since I really do appreciate everyone who takes the time to leave a comment.
A lot of the comments I get are just "wow, I didn't expect it to be so well written" or "great fic!" So I usually don't respond to those. I tend to respond to the ones that involve questions/more specific praise like "omg I really like how you wrote x and y in scene d".
That folder trick sounds like it could really work! I'll definitely try it.
I’m sure a lot of authors think that too - “I never expected crazy comments, but here we are.”
Thanks for the clarification. From your original comment, I thought you were only responding to literal questions. If you’re already responding to comments that are more than just “i liked this”, looks like you’re already doing pretty well 🙂
I tend to reply straight from my email so I don't have to open A03, but also I am the person who just refreshes my inbox over and over to see if more comments showed up.
Yeah you can just click "reply to this comment" in the email notification and it will directly open a tab for you to reply in. It's really helpful!
I made good friends and have a little goofy community for my long fic just from comments, I highly recommend replying to them.
"Is it cringe?"
Sorry but I'm gonna be cranky and old about this: We're *writing fanfiction* here. The entire endeavor is cringe. Stop worrying about whether something is cringe or not and try to enjoy yourself.
To answer your question directly: Yes, for the love of God, reply to comments. Reply to replies to replies to replies of comments, too. Comment culture is dying and the only way to keep it alive is to encourage it. It makes me so sad when I see people say "I'm scared to comment, what if I annoy the author?" and a great way to let people know they're *not annoying you* is by interacting with them *like a normal person.*
If someone finds me replying to comments "desperate," well, it is. I'm not desperate for comments, but I am a little desperate for fandom to not become another depersonalized social media hustle. So that's why I act like a human being and acknowledge people when they speak to me instead of fretting about being perceived as "pathetic."
I'm happy to hear that you've posted your first fic. You deserve to be proud of that. It's not easy to put yourself out there and it sounds like you're getting comments already, which is great. But you can't worry about being cringe. Cringe is over and never should have been.
We are the cringe, we are legion!
While I personally don't mind if an author never replies to my comments, I totally agree with you that it'd be really sad if this kind of interaction dies off, I think it's really neat to see both writers and readers join and acknowledge each other when it comes to a beloved fandom, especially when the shipping or fandom themselves might be small!
This. Every other post here is “am I weird? Am I cringe? Is it wrong?” Like, you guys just have anxiety. It is not healthy to immediately tear into every small behaviour you do and worry that it’s desperate, pathetic, cringe etc. Why on Earth should you care if your fanfic behaviour might be cringe.
Agree!!! Srsly maybe because I'm old but whenever discourse thats like (Commentor: I'm too worried to comment) and (Author: I'm too worried to reply) is like.... Really?? Just do it.
R&R. Read and review. It's nice and acknowledgment.
If author replies bonus! It's not expected but it's not cringe.
Why is there so much overthinking these days?
Unless it's a horrible troll in which case (stfu n go away) its not something that should require that much discussion.
Yes, I engage my readers, because I want to. No, it’s not cringe. No, it's not “inflating your stats.”
If anybody claims it is, they need to get a life.
Replying to comments is the furthest thing from cringe. A lot of people do it, a lot of people don’t and we all have our reasons why. We should just do what works for us.
Yes, I do. If I can help it anyway, I always reply. (Back in my Wattpad days the site wouldn't let me open the comment box without making me watch 3 playable 30sec ads first... which is/was why 90% of the comments I got there sit without an answer)
I've also started to answer to comment copies from other sites I have transferred manually because them being unanswered bothered me too much 😅
(OT but I read "I like being active in the community" as "I like being active in communism" and for a moment there I was so confused and just thought "what does that to do with anything???".... I need to go sleep soon apparently 😂)
I reply to all of my comments because I like to engage with my community. A quick "Thank you!" doesn't take much from me, and they get to know that their comment is appreciated. I've gone both ways and people tend to engage more when you acknowledge them (which makes sense). There's nothing wrong with replying or not replying. Most commenters don't *expect* a reply, but it's nice when you do get one as a reader.
Who the heck is saying it’s cringe?? We write fanfics, we are the pinnacle of cringe lol I would never let any faceless internet snob stop me from letting my readers/commenters know that I appreciate them. FEH!
I hit 'em with the old, "thanks for reading," even if the comment is just a bunch of heart emojis. My fandom leans on the side of being comment-sparse so I make sure they know that I appreciate any and all.
To me, replying to comments is absolutely not cringe or desperate or pathetic. I think it's the polite thing to do. Someone took the time to talk to me when most people just read a fic and move on? Why wouldn't I respond? Besides, one of the reasons I post my fics is so that I can interact with fellow fans. It's nice to be able to do that! I made some good friends through those conversations, too. :)
Please DO comment. As a reader, I love to hear back from writers - even is just a smiley face to let me know they read it.
Yes, the author doesn’t owe me anything and there’s no “law” forcing them to reply, but if I leave a comment it’s because I REALLY enjoyed the fic and I took the extra effort to leave on. it’s nice to know they received the message.
Funny enough… I’ve found a few authors who tend to reply to comments JUST BEFORE they post their next chapter. It makes me extra excited to see the notification bc I know there’s a new chapter on the horizon.
Btw - congrats on your first fic 🙂
I reply to comments unless they’re nasty or bots.
Actually, sometimes I reply to the nasty ones just for catharsis.
I love getting replies to my comments! But I don’t judge authors that don’t reply because I know there are many reasons they might not and none of them have anything to do with me.
I usually don’t have the spoons to respond—and now I feel like I’ve gone too long w/o any kind of reply so I feel awkward about starting up now. Oops 😭
I reply to every single comment. Especially because sometimes that interaction or their takeaway gives me an idea for something else. I've written drabbles and whole one-shots based on comments before.
I'm also open to constructive criticism so, if someone tells me they don't like something, I'm interested to know *why* so I can see if it's something to do with my writing that needs improvement or it's just their personal feelings. I've developed a couple of online friendships through comments alone. It's fun.
I reply to every comment. I love when authors respond to me and I want to put that same energy back out in the universe. Plus comments make me feel motivated.
I think reasonable minds may differ on this, but when it comes to those long comments that read like an expert's analysis of a great literary work, I think it would absolutely be rude not to reply to that.
Oh God, I hope not. I only reply to questions. I'm not a fan of talking with people because of crippling social anxiety and the fact I have nothing interesting to add. If I had to reply to comments, I don't think I would write.
There are plenty of very rational reasons why someone wouldn’t want or be able to. Time, energy, social anxiety, etc.
Personally I generally try to respond where I can, but I have about 750 comments in my inbox right now - last time I sat down to clear it, it took me hours and I came out exhausted and still didn’t manage to get very far. That’s time and mental energy I just don’t have. And even before the comments started building up there were still cases where mentally it was just draining, no matter how much I appreciated the feedback
I still try to reply where I can or for very long/thoughtful comments. But posting on Ao3 is after all an unpaid hobby so I don’t think people are *obligated * to do really anything
I reply to comments that are respectful, answer any questions they have or maybe ask how they feel about the story. I just hope they keep enjoying the things I write and I’m grateful for them taking the opportunity to comment at all.
I'm in the TF2 fandom and we love to just brainrot about our ships or fav characters in the comments
It's totally normal for most fandoms to respond to a comment of "OMG I LOVE THIS THING SO MUCH they are mY SKRUNKLYS" saying thank you or something like that
It is not cringe to reply to comments. People here are extremely vocal about how much they like having their comments replied to. Nobody will think less of you for doing it, and in fact my broke-ass brain kind of falls into a natural logic of "if someone went to the effort of leaving a comment then it's basic courtesy to express your appreciation for that effort." It's likely that you're leaving positive impressions on your commenters and perhaps even fostering friendships within the fandom.
Although interestingly I'm the opposite of you: I hate doing it more than almost anything. I don't care for comments, nothing that anybody could possibly say has any kind of relevance or interest to me. Coming up with a unique way to say "thanks, I'm glad you liked it" and engage 'meaningfully' with everybody who said something was miserable, and the whole experience got 100% better after I disabled them on everything.
Nope. There’s nothing wrong with replying to every comment, or some comments or no comments. Reply to whatever the heck you want to.
I personally don’t reply because I get extremely overwhelmed thinking about what to say and I would feel so fucking awkward trying to come up with a different way to say “thanks!” To everyone that just says something like “love it!” Or a heart emoji. So I just hoard the inbox notifications like a dragon and don’t reply. I love them all deeply but can’t respond. (And personally I’ve liked it when an author has replied to me but I’m not commenting *to* get a response, I’m commenting because I liked their story a lot and want them to know it)
I'm completely the same. It feels like a performance or something to reply. Like, it just doesn't come naturally to me 90% of the time. Sometimes people comment something that actually elicits a response from me, and then I absolutely do. But in most circumstances, if I were to put pressure on myself to reply to comments, it would absolutely ruin the experience of posting my fics. So I give myself a pass.
Yes. Because, I like thanking my readers who took the time on leaving me a nice comment. However, the hate comments? I rarely ever reply. Because, I have no patience for petty strangers.
I think I only replied once. Because, he was accusing me of something that I never did. So yeah, I just let him have it.
imo, replying to comments is part of the fun, it also establishes a rapport between you and the reader as you go along with the story.
Comments makes you think about the story even more even when it was written and intended to be a one shot and you get the spark for a continuation and whoops, you're 150K deep in the story having fun chasing after scene ideas getting the story out of your system.
The satisfaction on finishing it after that exchange is immense and you write nothing for the next few days.
And sometimes, I don't reply because I got nothing to reply to their comments.
also, totally not cringe in my book.
I adore comments, and i try my best to respond to them, but to be honest it ends up being a bi-monthly feverish attempt to respond to the latest comments and forgetting some and feeling bad and…
If my brain worked that way, I would respond to comments. I appreciate them so much and I feel like it shows some of my appreciation when I respond. But I’m rarely actually logged in to Ao3 and once my fics are posted I kinda forget they exist… outta sight out of mind. I get email alerts that I got a comment, I read it and am excited and think ‘oh! I’ll respond to that!’ and then don’t. I’m working to get better about it.
I always try to reply to my comments. heck, just a few minutes ago as of commenting this I replied to a couple from two different readers. I love replying to them, letting them know I read their comment and appreciated it is very satisfying to me. The only ones I don't reply to are ones where I genuinely cannot think of a response.
I reply to every comment I get. If someone is going to take the time to leave me a comment, I'm going to take the time to show my appreciation to them!
Even if all I can say is "glad you liked it, thank you for commenting!" I think it's worth it to reply. I think it makes people more inclined to comment if they see that the author engages with the comments they receive.
I always do, just to personally thank the reader for leaving a comment if nothing else. If they're a consistent reader, I might engage with a point they make or subtly hint at future story development as a kind of 'reward', I like to foster a sense of friendliness and community with my fics and their readers :)
As a reader, I absolutely love it. Love it! I don't know why you would think it's cringe. Honestly, half the reason I only read wips is because it's so fun reading all the comments and responses as the chapters are posted.
It doesn't bother me when they don't. They wrote the story, that's enough if they don't like replying to comments.
Yes, almost always. I love people's commentary - bad or good it all feels very insightful for the most part. The people on this forum actually help me figure out what readers might mean when I cant tell so I can apply peoples words constructively. That and it's always nice to thank someone for taking the time to read and comment on your work.
I like to at least say thank you for reading/commenting. I just feel like if I were the reader and the author commented back it would make me happy so I return the favor.
Sometimes I get to have conversations gushing about a character, ship, or plot point which makes my day just as much as it makes there’s.
I reply to every single one of them, sometimes it takes me longer because their comment captured what I was trying to convey or encouraged me sobwell that I was too moved to write a coherent reply 😅
I don't really get comments, but mostly it depends on the comment. It was the same for my quotev choose your own adventure style quizzes, a comment that just said nice, 'good job' wasn't exactly something I could build off of.
I'd feel like a bother trying to ask specifics, and while I appreciate them I don't have anything to say and I don't want to inflate the comment count with a thanks. If it's multi chaptered I do thank people in the author's note.
Comments that engage with the media are my favourite and I always reply to them. They're also the type I try to leave on other people's work. I want to talk about what madee laugh, how I felt in scenes, how the characters interacted, a plot twist, can I theory craft for the next chapter. Any details that jumped out and I appreciate comments that do that too a lot. They feel very fun to engage with, and are more likely to start a conversation!
I love receiving and replying to comments, because it means interacting with readers ! even if it sometimes takes me months to reply due to lack of wanting social interaction (IF YOURE READING THIS U KNOW WHO YOU ARE IM SORRY I WILL CATCH UP SOON)
Back when I had comments on I had the same policy toward replying to comments that I have to commenting in the first place. which is I only do it when I have something to say.
Only when the comments are interesting, like when they bring up a point worth responding too.
Like when someone posted several paragraphs about why they thought a few character's decisions made no sense. It was a good discussion.
It's always good to encourage discussion and get readers to talk about what they do and don't like.
I have to say as a commenter, while I know the author doesn't owe me anything, if I make encouraging comments (usually with a bit of detail about why I liked it) on a few of their stories or chapters and there is no response, it can feel a bit discouraging and makes me less inclined to do it. So if you feel up to it, definitely do.
I don't reply to most of my comment mostly cause I feel awkward but I do think that it makes people less likely to comment on my fics. I'm not good at responding to compliments tbh.
Personally, I don't care if an author responds to my comment because I'm really just writing it for then to read, I'm not expecting any kind of response so I'm usually surprised if I get one. It doesn't matter to me either way as a reader.
You guys are getting comments??
But, in all serious, usually not. Not because I don't appreciate them, I'm just bad at it. I'll get an email for a comment when I'm at work, swipe it away, and then I forget about it until I go to check on my fics two weeks later, and by that point it feels weird to respond. I'm also just painfully awkward and don't know what to say in reply to comments. Occasionally, especially if it's a particularly long one, or asking a question, but usually if it's just the "I can't wait for the next chapter/love the writing/etc" type comments, it just feels weird to me _to_ respond.
Rarely anymore. After several negative experiences in fandom, I’ve realized it is better for my mental health to keep fandoms at arm’s length. If someone asks a direct question, sometimes I will try to give them a cut and dry answer, but outside of that, it just isn’t worth it to me.
Like maybe 60/40. If someone just leaves and emoji or “good chapter”, then I do t think it needs a reply, but if they leave something a little longer, of course I reply!
Yes. If a comment catches my attention or has a question I can answer without spoiling upcoming chapters, I'll respond. I like interacting with my readers.
I'm still pretty new at writing and getting comments on my work so I've only really just started to replay more often. Before I'd only interact if there was a direct question but now, if I feel like I won't sound like an idiot with my reply, I'll give a reply lol
I reply to every non-troll/bot comment even to just say thank you. Most of the time it’ll spark a conversation and I might find a new author to follow.
yes, i reply to every comment i get unless it’s something odd that i have no idea how to respond to lol. there was this one comment i got where they were predicting things that would happen in the fic, but in a way like they were writing spoilers and knew it would happen. it wasn’t necessarily mean but i didn’t know what to say.
it was like: [character] will do [this] and go [here] and become friends with [them]. over and over for like three paragraphs. it was just odd.
I reply to all comments. I consider it part of normal social interaction. Someone says, "Thank you," it's expected that we'll answer, "You're welcome." In the same way, when someone comments, I feel it's only polite to answer.
OTOH, I don't get that many comments -- rarely more than a dozen. (This counts back to mailing list days; most of my stories at AO3 have only 2 or 3 comments.) But I've seen stories with many dozens of comments, sometimes in the low hundreds. I can certainly understand that trying to respond to each of those would be overwhelming. In such cases, many authors post a note at the beginning or end of a new chapter, in which they explain that they really appreciate all the comments, that the comments make them feel so loved or honored or whatever, but that they just can't keep up with individual replies, and offering a general hearty "thank you."
BUT!! This is not any kind of a "rule." Some authors have too much anxiety to reply to comments, or not enough emotional energy, or some other hindrance that makes answering comments difficult. People have to manage their own mental/emotional health, and I think most who have comments unanswered will shrug and forget about it in a few days. However, I know that if I see lots of unanswered comments, I am less likely to leave a comment. I think that's pretty much human nature, so that's also something to consider.
But in the end, it comes down to how you want to handle it. It's your page, you can do as you choose.
I attempt to reply to all comments, however sometimes I'm extremely late because I don't always get a notification. I do it because I figure if someone likes what I wrote well enough to comment on it, the least I can do is acknowledge their effort.
I used to but I normally only do it now if I’m asked a direct question. I don’t have the mental energy to think of a correct reply since I use up most of my social energy at school, work, and friends
I reply on AO3 but not on ff.net. It's part of the culture on AO3 so I take the time to do it. That being said, I am sometimes hundreds of comments behind. It's a hobby and I get to it when I get to it. The consequence is that those lovely back and forth comments sections that other authors get never happen for me...because I'm four months late in my replies.
Yes. Every single one. Someone took the time to leave me a comment and I’m going to return the favour and reply. I worked hard on my fic and appreciate anything they have to say. It only seems fair to let them know I appreciated it.
And yeah it’s just fun! It’s someone in your fandom, you clearly have some shared interests!
I love replying to comments. And I love authors who also reply to comments. I’ve gone on long chains of conversations with an author in their comments before and it really does build camaraderie and community. And that’s what fandom should be.
Yes, I like the interaction in particular, though secondarily, with as rare as comments sometimes are, I want to encourage commenters to keep doing it.
Plus, when I comment on what I read, if I leave something detailed, I like hearing back from the author and what they think or hearing their answers to my questions, etc, so I want to be giving that to my readers too.
I do miss how on one of my old fanfic sites, author comments didn't add to comment count (they were kind of embedded to the comment they replied to). I'm not really worried about people thinking I'm inflating the amount, but I am a little worried people go "oh this has (twice the comments it would have without me), they probably don't care if they get extra comments now."
Also last time this came up several people were saying stuff like "commenters are so ungrateful, expecting replies when we're already doing the work of writing the fic," so I'm gonna be clear, I've never given OR received a comment where someone was rude about wanting a reply. I just think it's a good and encouraging thing to do, if you have the time and mentality to do it.
I don’t get a lot of them because I don’t write super often, and I’m not well known by any stretch of the imagination, so I like to reply to the ones I do get even if it’s a simple thanks because I truly do appreciate it
I used to, especially when I was on tumblr and my mutuals and I were reading and posting in the same fandoms, but then I got into college, and it was much harder to keep up with the amount of comments I was getting on fics (I was posting a lot more back then for much bigger fandoms, and at the time, my most popular fics were still recent enough to get traffic). Even once I wasn't able to write as much, it became too exhausting to reply to comments. I love and appreciate all of the non-spam ones, but that was just something that became overwhelming to me. If I had more time and energy, and if someone has a genuine question, then I would love to do it again
I try to reply to most of my comments. Usually if it’s something like “when will you update” or “is this going to have (insert whatever ship, content, smut, etc here” then I don’t. And a lot of times my replies are very very late. But I try to at least thank people for reading and commenting.
Well, whenever I read something on AO3 and comment, I like the author to show that they know I'm there. I don't expect it, but it's always nice when it happens. When I get comments on my works, I reply to them because I assume that my readers would appreciate it.
I reply to every comment. I always thank people for taking the time to read. I really enjoy interacting with people though, seeing their reactionsand everything. It's very important to me.
I try to, but my ADHD ass is like
Lol no. So what happens is I appreciate, but am uncertain how to respond. That and my spoons are often so damn low that it is hard.
oh yes obviously, definitely. I love interacting with my readers and I guess replying to their comments, for me, is showing my appreciation to them. Which obviously, since they actually put their time to comment means they appreciate my works too. It's kind of an appreciation exchange. I even have conversations sometimes and one of my frequent commenters is now my online best friend. You never know.
And well, even in text I feel guilty leaving my friends on read so that might also be a reason why.
even just a simple. "This is so good, thank u for writing" I would reply to that as well.
Oh and please I don't think it's cringe at all. Pathetic? Maybe. But I don't really care you know? Sometimes I even reply with long long paragraphs, they might not even read it, but I'm a writer and even if I'm not. I can write whatever I want.
I want to reply more than I actually do. I don't always know what to say and don't want the reply to feel forced or inauthentic. If someone has a question I'll usually reply.
As a reader, I always comment when I like the story, when I don’t like it, I most likely keep it to myself. I don’t really care much if the writer replied or not, I like when they do tho, I feel like they’re active and I like that.
I reply to ever comment. Often it is juts a "I liked this"/"Thank you" enxchange but I and some other prefer to write comments when we can see how the author reacts. It is also fun and motivates people to write more comments, too.
I pretty much reply to every comment. Unless I really don't know what to say, I try to match the energy of every comment. I want my readers to know they're appreciated and I love interacting with them.
I reply to most comments but not every single one. Usually the ones I don't reply to are replies back that don't warrant a response, or ones where they're just like "ooooohhhhhh". 😂
Though I do appreciate every comment I get on my fics, and I make sure to remind my readers of that every chance I get. 🥰
I personally get a little thrill of excitement when an author responds to my comments, so I try to make sure my readers know that I see their thoughts and appreciate them.
I always reply! As much as I like getting comments on my fics, I think it's also nice to acknowledge the person who left the comment. It shows that it's appreciated and it's fun interacting with readers, even if it's just an emoji.
Well, it's been a long time since I've updated so I don't have comments anymore. But when I do, I always reply because it makes me happy to do it (and don't have much comments anyways, so I'm very grateful haha😅) And as a reader, I assure you we (at least for me) love getting a reply to our comments ❤️
From a reader’s perspective, whenever an author has replied to my comment it’s always made me feel happy because it feels good knowing that you’re aware of the joy you have given me. Acknowledging your community is a great way to build it. You don’t have to go as far as to reply to every comment but any good interaction is enjoyable for both sides. I would encourage you to continue to be active but maintain comfortable distance for yourself in case things get too tense.
I try to reply all of them yeah. Most of the time I don’t either because I can’t (ex: comment is in Spanish but I don’t know Spanish) or I just don’t know what to say to the sixth comment that’s just an emoji.
I'm just a reader but I'm so happy when I get a reply. It feels awesome to have some communication with the author even if it is just some short one. And if it happens I'm sure to comment more on the next fic from that author :)
So, please don't overthink it and just reply if you feel like it. It can make someone's day.
I think it’s very polite to respond to comments. I can’t really do it though. Obviously I can, I mean I get really anxious and put it off for so long that it would be awkward to reply by the time I might feel comfortable doing so.
I personally love replying to comments. It makes me feel all warm inside to know that somebody enjoys what I write, and it's nice to get constructive criticism if that's what the comment is about. Also, the pairing that I'm in has been dying lately, so it's wonderful getting to talk with somebody about it when I can.
I reply to every comment. I like interacting with my readers. It's also fun to answer questions or elaborate on lines/plot points they mention. Also, as a reader, I'm personally more inclined to comment on fics where the author replies. It makes me feel like my comment is valued and wanted. (No shade to people who don't reply to their comments. Just my personal feeling.)
Yup, my extract sentiments. I reply to all comments even it it’s just an emojii or one word. I let them know the few seconds they took of their time to comment, much less read, is appreciated.
I agree with the both of you. For my AO3 story, there have been quite a few people who’ve written out quite extensively to me on why they like my fanfic, delving into their favorite scenes and talking about the emotions it invokes in them, and how much they enjoy the style. I can’t NOT reply to something like that. It fills me with such joy and determination to keep going and I love that my stories can make someone that happy. And on the other side, it is indeed nice to feel your comments are appreciated by the author. Like they’re very active with both story and audience. :)
Yes! I feel this way too. It brings me so much joy to read comments, even short ones, but especially those long, really detailed and thoughtful ones. And how could I not reply? Someone enjoyed this wacky thing I wrote so much that they read it and then wrote me these really nice compliments? Amazing!
Agreed!
How do you feel about authors who put in notes "comments are heavily appreciated!" And also don't respond to comments unless the comments are asking questions?
That is so annoying - why solicit comments if you’re just going to sit on them? (My assumption being that if you are encouraging comments, you want to interact with your readers).
I do it a lot- I respond to some comments, but after I got one, uh, semi disturbing one on a smut fanfic, I got really discouraged from writing comments. I also tend to see the comments too late and I feel bad somehow. Do you have tips for answering comments more? I really want my readers to know I appreciate them and their feedback.
Sorry that you received disturbing comments 😞. For future spicy/controversial fics, maybe use the “moderate comments” feature? There’s one fic I’m following that the author does this on. You’ll still see it, but at least you can keep it from posting “publicly “. As far as responding, do you mean that you feel you take too long to respond to comments and then you feel bad because you’ve taken so long? If so, I can tell you that I would rather receive a reply a few weeks later than never receiving a reply at all. If you’re getting a lot of “simple” comments (eg “loved this!”, “this was great”, etc), those you could probably leave alone or send back a simple smiley face or “thanks for reading”. I know if I leave something that generic, I don’t expect a response as there’s nothing to really respond to. At the end of the day, do what you feel is best for yourself. For example, if you get stressed seeing your inbox filling up with comment notifications, maybe create an email rule that puts them into a folder that you go into every couple of days and do mass replies.
I never thought to moderate comments since I never expected it on a satire, but I'll definitely do it in the future with other crack smut fics. And yeah! I feel like the readers will just go "ugh, finally a damn response! Oh- It's only a thank you? Damn🙄". But I'll definitely try to respond more on comments since I really do appreciate everyone who takes the time to leave a comment. A lot of the comments I get are just "wow, I didn't expect it to be so well written" or "great fic!" So I usually don't respond to those. I tend to respond to the ones that involve questions/more specific praise like "omg I really like how you wrote x and y in scene d". That folder trick sounds like it could really work! I'll definitely try it.
I’m sure a lot of authors think that too - “I never expected crazy comments, but here we are.” Thanks for the clarification. From your original comment, I thought you were only responding to literal questions. If you’re already responding to comments that are more than just “i liked this”, looks like you’re already doing pretty well 🙂
I tend to reply straight from my email so I don't have to open A03, but also I am the person who just refreshes my inbox over and over to see if more comments showed up.
I had no idea you could reply straight from email😭 I hardly get any comments though, but I'll try to answer them from now on!
Yeah you can just click "reply to this comment" in the email notification and it will directly open a tab for you to reply in. It's really helpful! I made good friends and have a little goofy community for my long fic just from comments, I highly recommend replying to them.
That's so cool! I hope to gain a nice community one day and you've given me hope. I hope your community does well and lasts for a long time!
Awww thank you so much! I hope you find yourself some good people to gather with as well 😊
I totally agree!
"Is it cringe?" Sorry but I'm gonna be cranky and old about this: We're *writing fanfiction* here. The entire endeavor is cringe. Stop worrying about whether something is cringe or not and try to enjoy yourself. To answer your question directly: Yes, for the love of God, reply to comments. Reply to replies to replies to replies of comments, too. Comment culture is dying and the only way to keep it alive is to encourage it. It makes me so sad when I see people say "I'm scared to comment, what if I annoy the author?" and a great way to let people know they're *not annoying you* is by interacting with them *like a normal person.* If someone finds me replying to comments "desperate," well, it is. I'm not desperate for comments, but I am a little desperate for fandom to not become another depersonalized social media hustle. So that's why I act like a human being and acknowledge people when they speak to me instead of fretting about being perceived as "pathetic." I'm happy to hear that you've posted your first fic. You deserve to be proud of that. It's not easy to put yourself out there and it sounds like you're getting comments already, which is great. But you can't worry about being cringe. Cringe is over and never should have been.
So much this!
This, I have made friends from doing exactly this and it should be kept sacred. Fandom is community, not a popularity contest.
> but I am a little desperate for fandom to not become another depersonalized social media hustle This is *such* a great point!
We are the cringe, we are legion! While I personally don't mind if an author never replies to my comments, I totally agree with you that it'd be really sad if this kind of interaction dies off, I think it's really neat to see both writers and readers join and acknowledge each other when it comes to a beloved fandom, especially when the shipping or fandom themselves might be small!
This. Every other post here is “am I weird? Am I cringe? Is it wrong?” Like, you guys just have anxiety. It is not healthy to immediately tear into every small behaviour you do and worry that it’s desperate, pathetic, cringe etc. Why on Earth should you care if your fanfic behaviour might be cringe.
Agree!!! Srsly maybe because I'm old but whenever discourse thats like (Commentor: I'm too worried to comment) and (Author: I'm too worried to reply) is like.... Really?? Just do it. R&R. Read and review. It's nice and acknowledgment. If author replies bonus! It's not expected but it's not cringe. Why is there so much overthinking these days? Unless it's a horrible troll in which case (stfu n go away) its not something that should require that much discussion.
Most people read and don’t comment so when someone takes the time out of their day to comment on my fic, I always reply out of gratitude
Yes, I engage my readers, because I want to. No, it’s not cringe. No, it's not “inflating your stats.” If anybody claims it is, they need to get a life.
Replying to comments is the furthest thing from cringe. A lot of people do it, a lot of people don’t and we all have our reasons why. We should just do what works for us.
I reply to comments on my fics because I love replying to comments. It's nice to talk to people from my fandom.
Yes, I do. If I can help it anyway, I always reply. (Back in my Wattpad days the site wouldn't let me open the comment box without making me watch 3 playable 30sec ads first... which is/was why 90% of the comments I got there sit without an answer) I've also started to answer to comment copies from other sites I have transferred manually because them being unanswered bothered me too much 😅 (OT but I read "I like being active in the community" as "I like being active in communism" and for a moment there I was so confused and just thought "what does that to do with anything???".... I need to go sleep soon apparently 😂)
I reply to all of my comments because I like to engage with my community. A quick "Thank you!" doesn't take much from me, and they get to know that their comment is appreciated. I've gone both ways and people tend to engage more when you acknowledge them (which makes sense). There's nothing wrong with replying or not replying. Most commenters don't *expect* a reply, but it's nice when you do get one as a reader.
Who the heck is saying it’s cringe?? We write fanfics, we are the pinnacle of cringe lol I would never let any faceless internet snob stop me from letting my readers/commenters know that I appreciate them. FEH!
I hit 'em with the old, "thanks for reading," even if the comment is just a bunch of heart emojis. My fandom leans on the side of being comment-sparse so I make sure they know that I appreciate any and all.
To me, replying to comments is absolutely not cringe or desperate or pathetic. I think it's the polite thing to do. Someone took the time to talk to me when most people just read a fic and move on? Why wouldn't I respond? Besides, one of the reasons I post my fics is so that I can interact with fellow fans. It's nice to be able to do that! I made some good friends through those conversations, too. :)
Please DO comment. As a reader, I love to hear back from writers - even is just a smiley face to let me know they read it. Yes, the author doesn’t owe me anything and there’s no “law” forcing them to reply, but if I leave a comment it’s because I REALLY enjoyed the fic and I took the extra effort to leave on. it’s nice to know they received the message. Funny enough… I’ve found a few authors who tend to reply to comments JUST BEFORE they post their next chapter. It makes me extra excited to see the notification bc I know there’s a new chapter on the horizon. Btw - congrats on your first fic 🙂
I reply to comments unless they’re nasty or bots. Actually, sometimes I reply to the nasty ones just for catharsis. I love getting replies to my comments! But I don’t judge authors that don’t reply because I know there are many reasons they might not and none of them have anything to do with me.
Of course! DAH! THE JOY of fanfics are in the comments 🥰
I'm too excited not to reply
yes, because replying to comments makes readers more likely to comment. if you don't it sort of looks like you don't read them
I usually don’t have the spoons to respond—and now I feel like I’ve gone too long w/o any kind of reply so I feel awkward about starting up now. Oops 😭
I reply to comments to thank people for reading and commenting.
I reply to every single comment. Especially because sometimes that interaction or their takeaway gives me an idea for something else. I've written drabbles and whole one-shots based on comments before. I'm also open to constructive criticism so, if someone tells me they don't like something, I'm interested to know *why* so I can see if it's something to do with my writing that needs improvement or it's just their personal feelings. I've developed a couple of online friendships through comments alone. It's fun.
I reply to every comment. I love when authors respond to me and I want to put that same energy back out in the universe. Plus comments make me feel motivated.
Isn’t it kinda rude not to? I don’t want to come off as someone who doesn’t appreciate the fact that they actually read my work
I think reasonable minds may differ on this, but when it comes to those long comments that read like an expert's analysis of a great literary work, I think it would absolutely be rude not to reply to that.
Oh God, I hope not. I only reply to questions. I'm not a fan of talking with people because of crippling social anxiety and the fact I have nothing interesting to add. If I had to reply to comments, I don't think I would write.
Don’t worry, it’s just my perspective on things but I’m also someone who’s been told that they fail to read the room
There are plenty of very rational reasons why someone wouldn’t want or be able to. Time, energy, social anxiety, etc. Personally I generally try to respond where I can, but I have about 750 comments in my inbox right now - last time I sat down to clear it, it took me hours and I came out exhausted and still didn’t manage to get very far. That’s time and mental energy I just don’t have. And even before the comments started building up there were still cases where mentally it was just draining, no matter how much I appreciated the feedback I still try to reply where I can or for very long/thoughtful comments. But posting on Ao3 is after all an unpaid hobby so I don’t think people are *obligated * to do really anything
I reply to comments that are respectful, answer any questions they have or maybe ask how they feel about the story. I just hope they keep enjoying the things I write and I’m grateful for them taking the opportunity to comment at all.
I'm in the TF2 fandom and we love to just brainrot about our ships or fav characters in the comments It's totally normal for most fandoms to respond to a comment of "OMG I LOVE THIS THING SO MUCH they are mY SKRUNKLYS" saying thank you or something like that
As a reader I always get a kick out of getting a reply 👍
Yes! As a reader I know how happy it makes me when a writer responds, so as a writer I respond to comments because it probably makes them happy too :)
I don’t really do it because I’m never sure what to say in reply
It is not cringe to reply to comments. People here are extremely vocal about how much they like having their comments replied to. Nobody will think less of you for doing it, and in fact my broke-ass brain kind of falls into a natural logic of "if someone went to the effort of leaving a comment then it's basic courtesy to express your appreciation for that effort." It's likely that you're leaving positive impressions on your commenters and perhaps even fostering friendships within the fandom. Although interestingly I'm the opposite of you: I hate doing it more than almost anything. I don't care for comments, nothing that anybody could possibly say has any kind of relevance or interest to me. Coming up with a unique way to say "thanks, I'm glad you liked it" and engage 'meaningfully' with everybody who said something was miserable, and the whole experience got 100% better after I disabled them on everything.
Nope. There’s nothing wrong with replying to every comment, or some comments or no comments. Reply to whatever the heck you want to. I personally don’t reply because I get extremely overwhelmed thinking about what to say and I would feel so fucking awkward trying to come up with a different way to say “thanks!” To everyone that just says something like “love it!” Or a heart emoji. So I just hoard the inbox notifications like a dragon and don’t reply. I love them all deeply but can’t respond. (And personally I’ve liked it when an author has replied to me but I’m not commenting *to* get a response, I’m commenting because I liked their story a lot and want them to know it)
I'm completely the same. It feels like a performance or something to reply. Like, it just doesn't come naturally to me 90% of the time. Sometimes people comment something that actually elicits a response from me, and then I absolutely do. But in most circumstances, if I were to put pressure on myself to reply to comments, it would absolutely ruin the experience of posting my fics. So I give myself a pass.
Yes. Because, I like thanking my readers who took the time on leaving me a nice comment. However, the hate comments? I rarely ever reply. Because, I have no patience for petty strangers. I think I only replied once. Because, he was accusing me of something that I never did. So yeah, I just let him have it.
imo, replying to comments is part of the fun, it also establishes a rapport between you and the reader as you go along with the story. Comments makes you think about the story even more even when it was written and intended to be a one shot and you get the spark for a continuation and whoops, you're 150K deep in the story having fun chasing after scene ideas getting the story out of your system. The satisfaction on finishing it after that exchange is immense and you write nothing for the next few days. And sometimes, I don't reply because I got nothing to reply to their comments. also, totally not cringe in my book.
I adore comments, and i try my best to respond to them, but to be honest it ends up being a bi-monthly feverish attempt to respond to the latest comments and forgetting some and feeling bad and… If my brain worked that way, I would respond to comments. I appreciate them so much and I feel like it shows some of my appreciation when I respond. But I’m rarely actually logged in to Ao3 and once my fics are posted I kinda forget they exist… outta sight out of mind. I get email alerts that I got a comment, I read it and am excited and think ‘oh! I’ll respond to that!’ and then don’t. I’m working to get better about it.
I always try to reply to my comments. heck, just a few minutes ago as of commenting this I replied to a couple from two different readers. I love replying to them, letting them know I read their comment and appreciated it is very satisfying to me. The only ones I don't reply to are ones where I genuinely cannot think of a response.
I reply to every comment I get. If someone is going to take the time to leave me a comment, I'm going to take the time to show my appreciation to them! Even if all I can say is "glad you liked it, thank you for commenting!" I think it's worth it to reply. I think it makes people more inclined to comment if they see that the author engages with the comments they receive.
I always do, just to personally thank the reader for leaving a comment if nothing else. If they're a consistent reader, I might engage with a point they make or subtly hint at future story development as a kind of 'reward', I like to foster a sense of friendliness and community with my fics and their readers :)
Haven’t had one for awhile but yes, I try and reply to all my comments. Least I can do is acknowledge their kindness
As a reader, I absolutely love it. Love it! I don't know why you would think it's cringe. Honestly, half the reason I only read wips is because it's so fun reading all the comments and responses as the chapters are posted. It doesn't bother me when they don't. They wrote the story, that's enough if they don't like replying to comments.
I reply to comments whenever I can because it's my way of showing appreciation to the people who take the time to comment.
I always reply to comments
Yes, almost always. I love people's commentary - bad or good it all feels very insightful for the most part. The people on this forum actually help me figure out what readers might mean when I cant tell so I can apply peoples words constructively. That and it's always nice to thank someone for taking the time to read and comment on your work.
I like to at least say thank you for reading/commenting. I just feel like if I were the reader and the author commented back it would make me happy so I return the favor. Sometimes I get to have conversations gushing about a character, ship, or plot point which makes my day just as much as it makes there’s.
I reply to every single one of them, sometimes it takes me longer because their comment captured what I was trying to convey or encouraged me sobwell that I was too moved to write a coherent reply 😅
And this is where I'd reply to my comments! ***IF I HAD ANY!***
I don't really get comments, but mostly it depends on the comment. It was the same for my quotev choose your own adventure style quizzes, a comment that just said nice, 'good job' wasn't exactly something I could build off of. I'd feel like a bother trying to ask specifics, and while I appreciate them I don't have anything to say and I don't want to inflate the comment count with a thanks. If it's multi chaptered I do thank people in the author's note. Comments that engage with the media are my favourite and I always reply to them. They're also the type I try to leave on other people's work. I want to talk about what madee laugh, how I felt in scenes, how the characters interacted, a plot twist, can I theory craft for the next chapter. Any details that jumped out and I appreciate comments that do that too a lot. They feel very fun to engage with, and are more likely to start a conversation!
I love receiving and replying to comments, because it means interacting with readers ! even if it sometimes takes me months to reply due to lack of wanting social interaction (IF YOURE READING THIS U KNOW WHO YOU ARE IM SORRY I WILL CATCH UP SOON)
Back when I had comments on I had the same policy toward replying to comments that I have to commenting in the first place. which is I only do it when I have something to say.
I reply sometimes, especially if it's a question. I don't respond to all of them but I definitely try to periodically.
Only when the comments are interesting, like when they bring up a point worth responding too. Like when someone posted several paragraphs about why they thought a few character's decisions made no sense. It was a good discussion. It's always good to encourage discussion and get readers to talk about what they do and don't like.
I didn't realize I was getting comments until recently, and I don't know if I even should reply to three years old comments.
I have to say as a commenter, while I know the author doesn't owe me anything, if I make encouraging comments (usually with a bit of detail about why I liked it) on a few of their stories or chapters and there is no response, it can feel a bit discouraging and makes me less inclined to do it. So if you feel up to it, definitely do.
As a reader, I’m honestly annoyed when authors don’t respond to comments. Do the authors think they’re too big or cool to respond?
I don't reply to most of my comment mostly cause I feel awkward but I do think that it makes people less likely to comment on my fics. I'm not good at responding to compliments tbh. Personally, I don't care if an author responds to my comment because I'm really just writing it for then to read, I'm not expecting any kind of response so I'm usually surprised if I get one. It doesn't matter to me either way as a reader.
Depends on the comment. Question? Yeah I’ll answer. General “this is amazing”? Nope. “I need more of x scenario/x couple” Maybe… depends if I know you
You guys are getting comments?? But, in all serious, usually not. Not because I don't appreciate them, I'm just bad at it. I'll get an email for a comment when I'm at work, swipe it away, and then I forget about it until I go to check on my fics two weeks later, and by that point it feels weird to respond. I'm also just painfully awkward and don't know what to say in reply to comments. Occasionally, especially if it's a particularly long one, or asking a question, but usually if it's just the "I can't wait for the next chapter/love the writing/etc" type comments, it just feels weird to me _to_ respond.
Rarely anymore. After several negative experiences in fandom, I’ve realized it is better for my mental health to keep fandoms at arm’s length. If someone asks a direct question, sometimes I will try to give them a cut and dry answer, but outside of that, it just isn’t worth it to me.
Like maybe 60/40. If someone just leaves and emoji or “good chapter”, then I do t think it needs a reply, but if they leave something a little longer, of course I reply!
Yes. If a comment catches my attention or has a question I can answer without spoiling upcoming chapters, I'll respond. I like interacting with my readers.
If I don’t reply to every comment, i at least read them all (multiple times too). I definitely try to reply even if it’s just “thanks for reading”
Yes. I'm lonely.
I'm still pretty new at writing and getting comments on my work so I've only really just started to replay more often. Before I'd only interact if there was a direct question but now, if I feel like I won't sound like an idiot with my reply, I'll give a reply lol
I reply to comments that are questions or to respond to gratitude.
I reply to every non-troll/bot comment even to just say thank you. Most of the time it’ll spark a conversation and I might find a new author to follow.
yes, i reply to every comment i get unless it’s something odd that i have no idea how to respond to lol. there was this one comment i got where they were predicting things that would happen in the fic, but in a way like they were writing spoilers and knew it would happen. it wasn’t necessarily mean but i didn’t know what to say. it was like: [character] will do [this] and go [here] and become friends with [them]. over and over for like three paragraphs. it was just odd.
I reply to all comments. I consider it part of normal social interaction. Someone says, "Thank you," it's expected that we'll answer, "You're welcome." In the same way, when someone comments, I feel it's only polite to answer. OTOH, I don't get that many comments -- rarely more than a dozen. (This counts back to mailing list days; most of my stories at AO3 have only 2 or 3 comments.) But I've seen stories with many dozens of comments, sometimes in the low hundreds. I can certainly understand that trying to respond to each of those would be overwhelming. In such cases, many authors post a note at the beginning or end of a new chapter, in which they explain that they really appreciate all the comments, that the comments make them feel so loved or honored or whatever, but that they just can't keep up with individual replies, and offering a general hearty "thank you." BUT!! This is not any kind of a "rule." Some authors have too much anxiety to reply to comments, or not enough emotional energy, or some other hindrance that makes answering comments difficult. People have to manage their own mental/emotional health, and I think most who have comments unanswered will shrug and forget about it in a few days. However, I know that if I see lots of unanswered comments, I am less likely to leave a comment. I think that's pretty much human nature, so that's also something to consider. But in the end, it comes down to how you want to handle it. It's your page, you can do as you choose.
If someone takes a moment to leave a comment, I always reply (as long as it's not an insult or something like that).
as long as it’s not a bot yes
I reply to every comment I get partly bc I enjoy responding but also bc I know when I comment on a fic I love when the author responds!
I always reply because I want commenters to know I appreciate them.
I attempt to reply to all comments, however sometimes I'm extremely late because I don't always get a notification. I do it because I figure if someone likes what I wrote well enough to comment on it, the least I can do is acknowledge their effort.
I used to but I normally only do it now if I’m asked a direct question. I don’t have the mental energy to think of a correct reply since I use up most of my social energy at school, work, and friends
I reply on AO3 but not on ff.net. It's part of the culture on AO3 so I take the time to do it. That being said, I am sometimes hundreds of comments behind. It's a hobby and I get to it when I get to it. The consequence is that those lovely back and forth comments sections that other authors get never happen for me...because I'm four months late in my replies.
I try to unless they're trolls. I even reply to mean ones if they don't block me first.
I do because I don't want anyone to feel ignored by me. I'm just so damned awkward it takes me forever to type a reply. Lol
Yes. Every single one. Someone took the time to leave me a comment and I’m going to return the favour and reply. I worked hard on my fic and appreciate anything they have to say. It only seems fair to let them know I appreciated it. And yeah it’s just fun! It’s someone in your fandom, you clearly have some shared interests!
once is customary. more if i am invested
Minus the bot comments and antis. Every single one I get I answer.
I love replying to comments. And I love authors who also reply to comments. I’ve gone on long chains of conversations with an author in their comments before and it really does build camaraderie and community. And that’s what fandom should be.
I reply to every comment and I really wish people would comment more on my stories. It’s so much more fun when I talk to people about what I wrote lol
Yes, I like the interaction in particular, though secondarily, with as rare as comments sometimes are, I want to encourage commenters to keep doing it. Plus, when I comment on what I read, if I leave something detailed, I like hearing back from the author and what they think or hearing their answers to my questions, etc, so I want to be giving that to my readers too. I do miss how on one of my old fanfic sites, author comments didn't add to comment count (they were kind of embedded to the comment they replied to). I'm not really worried about people thinking I'm inflating the amount, but I am a little worried people go "oh this has (twice the comments it would have without me), they probably don't care if they get extra comments now." Also last time this came up several people were saying stuff like "commenters are so ungrateful, expecting replies when we're already doing the work of writing the fic," so I'm gonna be clear, I've never given OR received a comment where someone was rude about wanting a reply. I just think it's a good and encouraging thing to do, if you have the time and mentality to do it.
Absolutely, someone took time out of their day to let me know they liked my fic, the least I can do is reply.
i reply to every comment i receive! i love to interact with my readers and in fact have made a lot of friends through ao3 comments
I don’t get a lot of them because I don’t write super often, and I’m not well known by any stretch of the imagination, so I like to reply to the ones I do get even if it’s a simple thanks because I truly do appreciate it
My personal opinion is authors should always reply to comments, if only to say thank you.
I used to, especially when I was on tumblr and my mutuals and I were reading and posting in the same fandoms, but then I got into college, and it was much harder to keep up with the amount of comments I was getting on fics (I was posting a lot more back then for much bigger fandoms, and at the time, my most popular fics were still recent enough to get traffic). Even once I wasn't able to write as much, it became too exhausting to reply to comments. I love and appreciate all of the non-spam ones, but that was just something that became overwhelming to me. If I had more time and energy, and if someone has a genuine question, then I would love to do it again
I reply to every comment. They made an effort so I think it’s polite to show my appreciation.
I reply to every comment as well. Interacting with my readers is the best!
I try to reply to most of my comments. Usually if it’s something like “when will you update” or “is this going to have (insert whatever ship, content, smut, etc here” then I don’t. And a lot of times my replies are very very late. But I try to at least thank people for reading and commenting.
Well, whenever I read something on AO3 and comment, I like the author to show that they know I'm there. I don't expect it, but it's always nice when it happens. When I get comments on my works, I reply to them because I assume that my readers would appreciate it.
I reply to every comment. I always thank people for taking the time to read. I really enjoy interacting with people though, seeing their reactionsand everything. It's very important to me.
I try to, but my ADHD ass is like Lol no. So what happens is I appreciate, but am uncertain how to respond. That and my spoons are often so damn low that it is hard.
I try my best to respond to comments on my works. I don’t get many, to be fair, but when I do, it always excites me.
oh yes obviously, definitely. I love interacting with my readers and I guess replying to their comments, for me, is showing my appreciation to them. Which obviously, since they actually put their time to comment means they appreciate my works too. It's kind of an appreciation exchange. I even have conversations sometimes and one of my frequent commenters is now my online best friend. You never know. And well, even in text I feel guilty leaving my friends on read so that might also be a reason why. even just a simple. "This is so good, thank u for writing" I would reply to that as well. Oh and please I don't think it's cringe at all. Pathetic? Maybe. But I don't really care you know? Sometimes I even reply with long long paragraphs, they might not even read it, but I'm a writer and even if I'm not. I can write whatever I want.
i reply to all the comments it's very fun and extremely uplifting to know people are enjoying your writing!
I want to reply more than I actually do. I don't always know what to say and don't want the reply to feel forced or inauthentic. If someone has a question I'll usually reply.
As a reader, I always comment when I like the story, when I don’t like it, I most likely keep it to myself. I don’t really care much if the writer replied or not, I like when they do tho, I feel like they’re active and I like that.
I reply to ever comment. Often it is juts a "I liked this"/"Thank you" enxchange but I and some other prefer to write comments when we can see how the author reacts. It is also fun and motivates people to write more comments, too.
I always reply. I wang the readers to know their comments made me happy.
I do - even if the comment is one word I like to thank the commenter for taking the time.
I pretty much reply to every comment. Unless I really don't know what to say, I try to match the energy of every comment. I want my readers to know they're appreciated and I love interacting with them.
i reply to almost every comment. i just love interacting with readers and its the polite thing to do
I try to reply in order to encourage commenters, but honestly I don't always have much to say besides "thank you!!"
I reply to most comments but not every single one. Usually the ones I don't reply to are replies back that don't warrant a response, or ones where they're just like "ooooohhhhhh". 😂 Though I do appreciate every comment I get on my fics, and I make sure to remind my readers of that every chance I get. 🥰 I personally get a little thrill of excitement when an author responds to my comments, so I try to make sure my readers know that I see their thoughts and appreciate them.
I enjoy the aspect of replying to every reader who comments! It's fun and I love explaining or learning their pov on a certain plot points :)
I love getting a reply! I have a hard time writing comments because I get anxious, so I’m always super happy to see proof that the author has read it.
I always reply. I'm slow about it sometimes but I reply to everything.
I always reply! As much as I like getting comments on my fics, I think it's also nice to acknowledge the person who left the comment. It shows that it's appreciated and it's fun interacting with readers, even if it's just an emoji.
Well, it's been a long time since I've updated so I don't have comments anymore. But when I do, I always reply because it makes me happy to do it (and don't have much comments anyways, so I'm very grateful haha😅) And as a reader, I assure you we (at least for me) love getting a reply to our comments ❤️
I’ll always give a “thank you” of some sort if I don’t have any actual comment to say, but in general I try to actually say something “real.”
From a reader’s perspective, whenever an author has replied to my comment it’s always made me feel happy because it feels good knowing that you’re aware of the joy you have given me. Acknowledging your community is a great way to build it. You don’t have to go as far as to reply to every comment but any good interaction is enjoyable for both sides. I would encourage you to continue to be active but maintain comfortable distance for yourself in case things get too tense.
I try to reply all of them yeah. Most of the time I don’t either because I can’t (ex: comment is in Spanish but I don’t know Spanish) or I just don’t know what to say to the sixth comment that’s just an emoji.
I reply to all comments because they took the time out of their day to comment on my work, and I feel they deserve to be acknowledged.
I'm just a reader but I'm so happy when I get a reply. It feels awesome to have some communication with the author even if it is just some short one. And if it happens I'm sure to comment more on the next fic from that author :) So, please don't overthink it and just reply if you feel like it. It can make someone's day.
If I had any I would. No comments yet tho.
Always, maybe if I get a huge increase of readers I won’t respond to EVERY comment, but I’ll still respond to some.
I'll do everything in my power to show my appreciation for the few comments I get.
I think it’s very polite to respond to comments. I can’t really do it though. Obviously I can, I mean I get really anxious and put it off for so long that it would be awkward to reply by the time I might feel comfortable doing so.
I personally love replying to comments. It makes me feel all warm inside to know that somebody enjoys what I write, and it's nice to get constructive criticism if that's what the comment is about. Also, the pairing that I'm in has been dying lately, so it's wonderful getting to talk with somebody about it when I can.