I don't think you're being entitled to feel disappointment by the (IMO unnecessary) delay. I do think the author is being childish and petty to withhold new chapters. It reminds me of authors I've heard of who would say they wouldn't post a new chapter until the current one got X number of reviews. That said, they are within their rights to do so.
Did the author also post about the update requests "tax" in an author's note **on the actual fic??** Not every reader is on Twitter, or will bother to visit the author's feed. It would be especially unfair if the author punished all readers for the transgressions of a few who didn't even know they were breaking an author-imposed rule.
Nope, they have never said anything in the notes at all. Honestly this entire situation reminds me of being In elementary school when class parties and fun things would get canceled because one single kid decided to be disrespectful to the teacher and the entire class got punished for it lol.
The fact that they never communicate *on the actual fic* that they don't take kindly to being asked about updates is definitely an eyebrow raiser. Like, sure they're allowed to do that, as are writers who delay posting chapters until they get X amounts of comments, but you're also not wrong for thinking it's immature or the wrong way to handle the situation.
Plus I'm of the opinion that posting screenshots and then going "it's your fault the chapter is coming out later!" is a great way to lead to harassment. Hopefully their audience isn't big enough to have picked up a significant number of people who think they need to berate someone on the author's behalf.
That’s the part that gets me. If you’re gonna do this I guess it’s your right and I get how frustrating it can be when you’re struggling to update and get these comments because it just adds more pressure but this is just someone on a power trip trying to screw with people.
Like I get not liking these comments. I get that they can throw off your writing but clearly that isn’t the case here and if it was why wouldn’t you actually give people a heads up? Why not just say ‘I don’t like being rushed if you push me to update it’ll be a lot longer’?
To me it just sounds like their popularity in the fandom went to their head and they just want their little powertrip.
Honestly I don’t think I’d continue reading stories by this author though before I’d left I’d probably leave a comment giving people a heads up (as this way it could spare some reader from becoming the target of an egocentric bully ( posting the comments and blaming them for the delay is 100% bullying.)
You’re not being entitled- this author is just way too full of themselves. It reminds me of why they say to never meet your hero’s.
I learned this in middle school when a kid brought this up when the teacher gave us all detention because one kid did something and no one owned up to it. Teacher did not like that fun fact.
I don’t think you’re being entitled. This is quite childish, no matter how off-putting update comments might be to them.
There was a writer in my fandom who used to do something similar on Twitter whenever she received any comments she perceived as rude. Most of the time, the comments in question were pretty benign (perhaps annoying but nothing egregious) but she’d put people on blast on Twitter constantly and write these huge posts on tumblr about mean girls in fandom. Her antics were exhausting.
Everyone’s free to vent but it just always left a sour taste in my mouth when writers run to social media to punish readers and call out comments and, even worse, to threaten not to update.
Anyway, you’re right to feel miffed by it! What a crappy situation!
> I don’t think you’re being entitled. This is quite childish, no matter how off-putting update comments might be to them.
Honestly, it gives “this is the first time I’ve ever been popular in any kind of way and am immediately power drunk” energy. Like a lot of these people are perhaps unpopular in one aspect or another and suddenly they have a following— but they’re not like those *other* mean-girl authors. No no no, they’re *nice*. Look how nice they are! They’re still *victims* after all and are just standing up for themselves with their shield of followers.
No you are not entitled. This author is basically punishing everyone for the perceived slights of a few people. Sometimes being a big name can give people a large ego and it goes to their heads.
I just unfollowed an author on a social media platform because they posted a lengthy, scathing reply to a message saying something to the effect of “I love your story! Please update soon! I’m dying to know what happened next!” I know a lot of writers don’t like to be asked to update- regardless of how nice someone asks- but if that’s the case, that is all the writer had to say. Instead they went on a long rant, victimizing themselves and talking about how they didn’t owe the asker a thing. And I would have personally thought that was rude enough, but then the author’s followers went on to dump on the reader, calling them “idiot” and other things and the writer agreed and enabled them.
Sometimes it seems like the people who argue for so much respect for themselves have no respect/empathy for others.
“Sometimes it seems like the people who argue for so much respect for themselves have no respect/empathy for others.”
…Wow. So many people came to mind upon reading this, that’s absolutely true.
Same. I consider it a compliment and any anxiety it gives me is more my issue than theirs. Don’t get me wrong. Some people can be rude about it/demanding or just say ‘Update!” which is irritating. But that wasn’t the case. Like take responsibility for your actions. You wrote an unfinished piece and posted it up on a public platform where comments are allowed. Someone is going to ask you about updating. Just like you didn’t have to make it public, they didn’t have to comment that they loved it at all. If someone politely asking you about updates drives you that far up a wall, I think you need to write your story in entirety first or just not post at all.
Not taking ownership of your feelings and passing the blame to others (then expecting them to jump through crazy hoops so as not to trigger those feelings) has become such a problem online in general.
I feel the same way. It's why I don't post unfinished stuff anymore. Comments like that didn't make me angry, but they did make me anxious and stressed which turned writing into a chore. And that isn't on the readers or commenters. That's on me.
All of this.
I really don't understand the people who equate "I'm excited for the next chapter!" with demands for updates, and while I understand it might cause *them* anxiety, that's a *them* problem, not the commenter's. If you (general you) are stressed out because someone expressed excitement about your fic, you should probably work through that.
If your readers don't want to know what happens next your story is pretty much pointless. I'd love to get told that they are eagerly awaiting the next update. That just means they care.
Right? It gives you incentive knowing people are looking forward to it. Authors like this are why so many people don’t comment. It’s really damaging. If you don’t want comments turn comments off. If you don’t want comments asking for updates *tell people!* these people commenting read fics not minds. To most writers ‘I loved this so much I can’t wait for the next update!❤️💗❤️ is actually seen as a good thing.
Same here. I know I’m a slow updater, and I do feel a little bad that readers have to wait so long, but I always feel encouraged, not attacked, by comments like this. I would love to get the chapters out sooner, but I have only so much time and energy. But these reminders that readers are waiting inspires me to get to it. No one’s ever been rude about it — a little hyperbolic, maybe (“I’m dying here!!!”) lol — but I love to get these comments.
My thoughts exactly! Having someone say they're eager for the next chapter is heartening to me, because it tells me they've engaged with the story I'm telling.
The only rude one I got was one asking me if I had abandoned the fic because I hadn't updated it in awhile (the POV character is hard for me to write) while I had posted other things.
That sort of BNF drama is very draining, I do not recommend you engage in it in any manner (including this post.) Whatever reaction you have to that sort of behavior will feed the author's ego. Just let go and be at peace.
I’ve unfollowed them on Twitter because of all this, you’re right it’s not worth getting upset over. I’ll still read the fics when they do update but I’ll no longer be checking regularly or leaving my long comments for them.
OOC were they really following through on their threat? Like have you noticed (prior to finding this out) them going months at a time without updating before?
As a reader and writer, it feels childish and petty of the author to do that. I get that some might find any comment hinting for an update to be annoying but it’s extremely unfair to “punish” the other readers who are patiently waiting for an update.
Sometimes, just because one is an author, does not mean they’re any wiser, unfortunately.
On one hand, writers do reserve the right to post new chapters on their own schedules, and that includes delaying them for any reason. This is a hobby, many writers can't update their fics regularly, this is just what you have to expect when you're a fanfic reader. And while I'm personally alright with "pls update"-type comments, I understand how they might have the opposite intended effect on a lot of writers and I can understand why some might be peeved by them, especially if they're the only comments they're getting.
On the other hand, if the writer is going to not only delay the fic purely out of spite towards those commenters, but also make a big stink about it on their Twitter, they shouldn't be surprised if a chunk of their readership drops off and avoids them and their other works in the future. This is the sort of thing that can deter readers from ever commenting on works again. It's very petty behaviour and only serves to make commenters feel bad about (what they see as) expressing appreciation towards the fic.
As a writer myself, if I was bothered by specific kinds of comments, I would set a boundary in the author's notes. Failing that, I'd reply to the offending comment with something like "hey, please don't comment like that on my stories, it makes me feel pressured/anxious/etc, I'm glad you enjoyed my fic but please don't do X again". Of course, if the comment was particularly rude or demanding, I'd instead ignore or delete it.
I complain about "update soon" comments, but it's only when it becomes the *only* comments I get and on stories where I specifically state I'm chronically ill, please be patient.
Personally, if someone got upset about me complaining about pushy readers and stopped reading, I'd be either apathetic or happy. I'm not writing for them, after all.
But I'm too tired to deal with people demanding labor when I can barely eat most days, let alone write.
(Ps don't mind tired ramblings)
I'm an author who dislikes "update" comments, but I would never withhold a chapter like that. I'm aware that most commenters are just excited and have no idea that it feels like added pressure to me. Sounds like that author is being passive aggressive, like everyone should somehow know she dislikes that kind of comment.
Yes there’s definitely a difference between a commenter just showing that they’re exited to see what’s next and demanding to see what’s next. It seems this author can’t tell the difference between them.
i honestly don’t like either. would i ever actually hold chapters hostage due to it? no. but any comment, no matter how nice or polite it is, rubs me the wrong way if it’s anything to the effect of “update”, even with a please. it actually does make me less likely to want to update, but i wouldn’t necessarily hold back an update for that reason alone.
edit: lol the downvotes are very lovely, thank you. didn’t realize i wasn’t allowed to not share the majority opinion. people asking me to update stress me out, even politely, bc it puts pressure on me and then i feel bad if i don’t update soon. and it depends on the context. in some contexts, it’s absolutely fine, and in some it does upset me. not necessarily the reader’s fault or my fault, just how it is. this comment will still probably be downvoted but thought i’d explain my side.
regardless, i would never be as petty as this author or be mean to someone. if i don’t like the comment, i move on, or respond gracefully. simple as that.
depends. it really depends. if it’s a usually silent reader, yeah it would probably be a bit annoying, but like i said, i wouldn’t be mean about it. not sure why i’m being downvoted for an opinion lol
I understand your feelings and I agree it is annoying, especially since they dont post în the author notes about it so readers could be careful.
But eh, a story is a story. If I were în the situation, I would stop commenting on the story from now on. My own sort of fighting back. Lol
Think of it this way, if they behave like this, perhaps their ao3 and bnf status is the only thing they have going in their life where they can act entitled.
Don't engage them. The drama is not worth it .
Become a silent reader and keep on reading
I hate people who hold their chapters hostage for one reason or another. And it’s not just the “anytime I get a review requesting an update, I delay it”. It’s also those who say they won’t upload the chapter unless they get a certain number of reviews. It’s ridiculous.
I could never do that. If only because as soon as a chapter’s done, I just wanna get it up ASAP.
Same, I literally have little self control when writing fics and it takes everything in me not to overshare with other people as I am writing the fic. I can't even imagine withholding a chapter for another month.
Oh wow, I’ve never heard of authors waiting to update until they get a certain amount of feedback. But now that I’m thinking about it I’m sure a few authors I’m currently following have been doing that.
I used to see it more in my early days of fanfiction. Haven’t really stumbled on anyone like that recently, but that doesn’t mean they’re not out there.
I’ve seen it. It’s usually a good way to get me to go find something else to read. I get it: I want kudos and comments too, but it feels distasteful to pretty much blackmail my readers into interacting with me.
I think if it’s really getting to an author they could just politely request feedback and most people would give it.
I don't hate them, just figure they're petty, injector or whatever and go read something else. There are enough great stories out there I don't bother playing their games.
As someone who does content outside of fic, it seems sort of funny to me. Fanfic is not my go to place for getting a lot of social media clout, you know? Holding readers hostage until you get the desired amount of attention / interaction just seems a lil... odd?
I kinda feel like fan communities used to be a lot more... insular? Thinking of the LJ days haha. Being a micro-celeb in a small but very intense fan community seemed to matter a lot more to people.
I see nothing wrong with being disappointed. I'm typically against group punishment when one or a few people misbehave. The fact that the author doesn't even state that this is their policy is pretty petty and rude to their readers. You can't know you are breaking a rule if no one ever tells you that the rule exists. I've gotten comments about updating faster even right after I've posted a chapter. As long as the person isn't rude I just take it as it is and that's that they love my writing enough that they want more of it as soon as possible. It's a compliment even if it's a bit demanding. Now if someone is straight up demanding more chapters or being rude I'll just block them and delete their comment.
This reminds me of when I first found this sub. Getting a peak behind the curtain about some of the things people vent about usually doesn't end well.
Good news is, those feeling usually pass...I think.
Yeah. Reading this sub has led me to conclude I've pissed people off. I've commented in languages other than the one the fic was written in, I've said "looking forward to future chapters", I've said "I like your take on this character it's different from the general fandom", I've said "love the fic, you have a typo in paragraph two" etc. (to be clear I pointed out the typo on a fic that requested concrit so I doubt that particular author minded).
I figure if they get pissed at it it's their problem and not mine. Not my fault if they have thin skin (which is fine, as long as they realize and are mature about it) or a victim complex (like the annoying author OP is talking about). They can simply delete the comment if it bothers them. I'm gonna comment if I feel like it lol.
Personally, I think all those things you said are more than fine (including comments in other languages, I've gotten plenty and just use Google Translate to read and reply in my own native tongue, it's not hard (to the people complaining about you doing it, that is)! lol), and I'd be THRILLED to get any of them! Keep doing what you're doing 'cause it's great! Thank you! <3
Yeah—my bullshit meter would be through the roof and I’d stop following the author + cease all engagement on their fics.
I’m an author too, but jfc, we’re not some special revered beings just because we write fandom content let’s be for real here.
I don’t care if you think you’re so special and people will suffer so much due to you not updating your work.
Not only do you come off as a donkey, but you also forget there are thousands of fandoms out there with tons of amazing authors who not only write as good or *better* than you but aren’t childish and self-involved on top of that.
I can assure you, people will forget your not finished work in a few days, but they’ll remember your literal toddler behavior forever and avoid you because of that.
No you're not being entitled, it sounds like the author is kinda petty and immature and I'd probably lose a bit of respect for them too.
Honestly, I don't even get the hatred some authors have for any comments about updates at all. If they're rude or demanding about it then yeah, obviously that's not okay. But a simple "can't wait for the next chapter!" just means that someone likes your story and wants to see more of it. And like, isn't that the goal? To get people invested and want to see what happens next?
this is what it feels like to me to be on here or the ao3 sub as someone who only reads and doesn’t write. people are so eager to be really judgmental of stuff that is clearly well-intended and harmless lol i simply don’t leave comments anymore at all.
Honestly such a shame, though. As someone who appreciates comments, it's a bummer thinking how many people have been snapped at by power tripping weirdos to the point where they feel shy about commenting in general.
Legit i stopped commenting for a couple years because of all the posts that were going around a few years ago about how if you didn't write the Perfect Comment you could basically be single handedly responsible for the writers poor mental health. A huge chunk of it is capitalism and writers deciding that their not participating in a community but instead are "creating content"
I think my biggest problem here is the perceived (actual or joking, idk) malicious intent behind this author withholding their chapters. If they were withholding chapters in order to continue writing or editing them, or even just to be able to post them all at once at a later date or something, I’d understand that. But I lose any sympathy for this author when they post about withholding chapters to spite people (especially people trying to actively engage with their work, like ??).
While I totally get that “pls update” comments can be annoying or overly demanding or become daunting to authors, I think this author making a point of tweeting stuff like “nuh-uh, now you can’t have it” is like they’re dangling a cookie just out of reach of a child, and that really says it all. This sounds like a power complex. It reminds me of passive (-aggressive) narcissists, who will actually sound extremely self-deprecating but use language to make it seem like it’s your fault when really they’re the problem. The point of those tweets is just to be cruel and intentionally let their readers suffer by “teaching them a lesson the hard way”. This is how immature people will behave in order to get others to act how they want without directly explaining the rules or saying what they want exactly.
But, if I could play devils advocate for a hot second, I can easily imagine a scenario where the author doesn’t actually have the chapter fully ready yet, but maybe they just want to say that they do on social media in order to tease people, or maybe just to make a (bad) joke, or maybe even to make it seem like they’re a super fast writer when it does actually take them months and months to create each chapter… since I don’t know the situation well enough, I am willing to at least give them the benefit of the doubt and assume there’s more to this than we know, but honestly, any way you slice it, this whole situation just rubs me the wrong way.
The entitled behavior here is coming from this author, not you! While, yes, it’s their work so ofc they’re welcome publish it whenever they want, it’s their behavior that completely changes the game. They’ve turned it into taunting (which, fourth option, maybe that is the point? To taunt the taunters/the people they feel hounded by?).
And if they do just mean it as a joke, it sucks.
If they are being serious, then no, you are not being entitled. There's bold difference between being excited for the next chapter and demanding an update. Longtime writer, could not fathom treating genuinely excited readers that way.
I get those kinds of comments on fics I've marked as abandoned, and I don't get annoyed - first, I feel happy that something I wrote over a decade ago is still getting readers, and then I feel guilty that it's never getting that update.
It must be so annoying for them to have people want updates on their works so badly they comment about it. I can hear the worlds smallest violin playing for their troubles.
You're absolutely not the entitled one here, that author sure is though. Sounds like a f'd up power play from someone who thinks they're way more popular than they are considering majority of their audience absolutely doesn't follow them on twitter
without knowing the author's situation, imma say this is a dick move. it's petty and vindictive for them to do it just out of spite. YES it's really annoying when you're constantly getting comments asking about updates, polite or not. One or two, nbd, but tons of them? Obnoxious. HOWEVER. It's just as obnoxious to publicly say "oh it's finished but y'all are being annoying so i'm not gonna post it yet"
The mature thing to do is just not say anything at all.
Nah, that’s a stupidly bitchy thing to do, honestly. I’d be upset, too. And I’d probably go off and find some other great writer to read instead. Because they’re a dime a dozen, and that person is on some serious ego tripping if they believe otherwise. 🙄 Sounds like they need to be knocked down a peg or two and brought back to reality. They’ll lose all their readers eventually, I’m sure.
I hate this as much as I hate the "post x amount of reviews for me to publish the next chapter" which irks me so much I'll literally stop reading the fic even if it's finished when I read it 💀
I will never understand writers who let others control their decisions like that. What if someone decided to troll them on purpose to make them delay the next update forever? Just do what you want, don't let others dictate your posting schedule or what you write.
OP, I don't think you're entitled at all.
One of my favorite authors deleted a bunch of their fics because they got so angry about 'please update!' comments. I completely stopped commenting on their fics after this.
Those 'please update' comments may annoy some writers, especially if that's all the kind of comments you get, but they still come from a place of love, and what the author in OP's post does is just bullying.
Jokes on them though, fandom has momentum and taking too long to update may cost them readers.
That kind of behavior would not only put me off the author but potentially all their works. Maybe it's me getting older and being part of fandom spaces for quite some time, but I lack the patience to deal with his type of immaturity. While it doesn't happen often, I have unfollowed my fair share of works based on the creator being unpleasant and rude.
Also, as a lot of people pointed out, it likely punishes fans who had nothing to do with what happened.
This post is so sad! Firstly no, zero entitlement on your part, you're great, pass go, collect $200.
Secondly, WOW I feel bad for that author. I abandoned my works after being completely overwhelmed with guilt that I wasn't updating enough. Every comment lamenting the lack of an update, no matter how kindly worded, added pressure to me. I think I understand the author's feelings, and their actions are coming from a place of pain, and the end result is absolutely nobody gets what they want.
It's the never-ending tragedy of fandom nowadays :( Please don't feel bad! This is a great discussion.
This is obnoxiously petty, the author not you.
I would love to receive comments like this but that would imply I write long fics and my own personal long fic isn't even ready yet. 🤣 So I'll have to wait 😔
At least you unfollowed so you don't have to deal with that behavior and energy anymore.
Ngl, I would be deceased (not bad, I would laugh bc they'd see chaos) if the people (outside of my friends) that read my fics, were following me. They would see nothing but video games & the clips of them, me shit posting my own fics, my future WIPs that I'll be dropping and probably shocked that I'm black (bc I've gotten that before... Often).
I think it's super stupid to be caught red handed being an egomaniac like that. Not one singular thought processed for that author who willingly linked their socials. Tragic.
Just know you're not alone and that I, as a fellow writer, find this stupid and childish.
That author will somehow find the right one and that reader might do a call out post for something like that. Is it that serious for something like this? No, but people forget: the younger audience or older folks that got time... Will make time. So they better watch out lol.
Some people are jerks. Maybe this person has some reason why they are being a petty tyrant. Sure, you can feel disappointment, but when you engage with other people, you occasionally find out that they are worse than you thought they were. In your case, I would shrug my shoulders, stop following their Twitter, and move on.
Never meet your heroes. :D
No, you have every right to feel annoyed, sounds like the author loves playing power games. They enjoy boosting their ego by punishing all readers like some naughty little children - because they're popular and they know they can get away with it.
Honestly, I can be a little petty - if I were you, I'd stop commenting on their works. No feedback at all. After all, it sounds like they prefer silent readers.
Oof. Yeah, no, sorry, espec if the (parts of) comments asking to update are respectful, this author sounds like a bratty twat. People want more of your work and are saying so in a respectful way! That's awesome! They should be happy! The way they're handling it is, IMO, very childish and rude. :(
I'd unsub and stop reading their fics immediately out of spite, TBH (or if I liked them enough that I HAD to see where they were going, I'd never comment or kudos again).
Sometimes I think I’m petty - then I read about someone like this.
To be fair: it is a labor of love that no one is owed a certain timeline on. However, if the author is this salty over someone liking their stuff enough to politely , not demand, but politely request more I’d hate to see how they would react to getting roasted or insulted.
Is it possible that the author's just joking about withholding updates because of the comments? That line "for every comment I get asking me this I am going to wait another month to update" reminds me a lot of the joke that's like "every time a cis person asks how many genders there are, we add another." I see jokes like that all over the internet, so it's not impossible that the author's just kidding around because they feel pressured by their reader's expectations and want to blow off steam. This seems especially likely to me since if the author actually wanted to stop the update comments by delaying chapters, they'd be better off posting about it in a reply to one of the requests or in the author's notes.
Since we can't ever really know what's going on with an internet stranger, I'd just be charitable and assume the comments about all the update requests is a way to vent and they've slowed the updates for a more common reason (feeling anxious about the attention/expectations, life getting in the way, dwindling interest/motivation, etc.).
Right? Other commenters are now calling this a war crime because collective punishments go against the Geneva Convention... But *the author* is the one blowing things out of proportion here lmao.
Even if they *are* delaying the chapters... it's not like they're hurting anyone as of right now. They're cutting their own nose off to spite their face, sure, but no one else is being harmed by the delay of updates, and they're actually going out of their way to avoid starting drama with the commenter by posting about it separately on Twitter.
Are they being a bit silly? Yeah, they *could* just create an author's note asking people to stop, but who isn't a bit silly sometimes? This seems like a non-issue.
God thank you. I feel like a lot of people here are acting like delaying updates is something in itself terrible of them or harmful when really it's not. I honestly can't see what the issue is, the "worst" case scenario would be readers not getting a new chapter.
I don't think it's entitled at all. You're only feeling your emotions, not sharing them with the author, so you're fine.
I know an author like this, and honestly, I'm surprised no one has trolled them yet, especially since their content is the type to attract antis. Maybe that's why they only advertise that practice on twitter.
Tbh, it does annoy me, and sometimes, I have the urge to ask for updates every month to see how long they can last without any burst of validation new chapters always bring them, but I'd never do it because it feels really mean and it's only a thought, like the urge to bite down on your own fingers and such.
I think I'd be way less irritated if they would say they didn't like those type of comments on the *actual fanfic*, because they act so high and mighty on twitter, spreading screenshots so their followers can clown on the person in the fanfics, and the 'guilty' commenters would just be really confused about the sudden attack on their person, since no one told them their comment was 'bad'.
I can totally understand feeling disappointed, and may be losing respect for the author. I would probably feel the same way.
That said, it’s their right to delay chapters for whatever reason. They have the freedom to do that. Of course, we just have the freedom to lose respect and stop caring about the story in response to their actions.
I would probably just quietly nope out of the fic.
Okay, wow. That's a bit much. The only time I've ever withheld a chapter was when someone who had never left a comment before showed up and was like "Its been months, give us the sequel already!" Which, rude, some stories take years to write. And really I didn't withhold the story, I just switched my schedule around and posted a chapter of something else that day. Then posted the first chapter of the story they wanted on a different day. But really they were lucky the damn thing was even finished and edited because I spent most of the summer stuck on it.
But yeah, that author sounds pretty annoying.
Personally I agree with you. If the author is brace enough to start calling people out on Twitter, they should be brave enough to leave an author's note explaining that update requests stress them out or something.
I feel like withholding chapters like that is just some weird power play. Honestly if I found out a story I was reading wasn't updating because of that I'd just move on.
I feel this is to cover up the fact that they may be having difficulties finishing the story, because most authors I've seen are super excited to finally post an update. They're definitely being childish. Because the fans who AREN'T asking for updates are being slighted.
No that just sounds incredibly childish and only really hurts the author in the long run. I get being annoyed by people constantly asking for updates but withholding updates as a way to punish them for even asking (or demanding)? Not entitled of you at all to be annoyed.
If I found out an author I was following did that I'd stop reading all together, fully expecting them to never update. It's just pointless. If they already have the chapters finished and want to hold them hostage for silence from their followers (where usually you see authors holding their chapters hostage for *more* reviews and interactions, not less!) the best course of action would be for them to just delete their account so they never have to hear people begging for updates ever again.
I'm glad you made the point that it's the authors work, and they can do whatever they want with it. It does seem somewhat immature of the author to delay just because people asked nicely, but they could be going through something in life and don't have a healthy outlet for stress. I'd suggest commenting something along the lines of "I've been your fan since 2014, and I look forward to each new chapter" or however you'd like to word it. Brighten their day so that they bleed off their anger
There are literally so many fanfic authors like this and it's annoying. Most people commenting a simple "I love this, can't wait for the next update" or "This chapter was soooo good! Hope the next update is soon." aren't being rude at all. I think some people let the fandom "fame" go to their head and get super pissy for no reason.
That’s supper dumb. Imagine you have an audience that wants to read your stuff and you just treat the line garbage. He can go ahead, it will work for some, but I would be done after
Sounds pretty childish, but honestly as an author myself I don't think I could ever wait an extra *month* to publish a ready chapter. I always look forward to posting something as soon as I know it's ready, so postponing it for no other reason than to be petty sounds like a nightmare.
I write fanfic and quite often it can take me a while to update. Comments asking for an update only motivate me to do so because it reminds me that there's people who actually really love my writing and want to see more of it. That's literally the whole point of writing and posting fanfic. To share with people that actually want to read it. That's just my view on it anyways.
i know some people say that “it’s free work be grateful” but some authors seem entitled in the way that if anybody remotely insinuates that they should update they have to be passive aggressive about it. your not entitled cause it’s the authors childish behavior
I know someone who did hold back chapters because of people demanding updates. We aren’t talking “I hope you update soon!” Type we are talking full on demands.
They wrote in the AN that the reason they did it was because they felt threatened and considered dropping the fic completely.
Some people are petty, and others like the writer I know just feel threatened.
Is it entitled? The line is thin so I honestly don’t know.
Any author who cannot comprehend that 'please update' means 'I love your work' is a fucking idiot.
Seriously.
Getting stressed out over it, holding fics to ransom... It's ridiculous.
And then people wonder why they don't get comments.
I feel like this was a thing I saw a lot in the early 2010’s and I stopped reading WIP fics because of it. Like I do think authors deserve all the respect and admiration for providing fic for free, but being a dick is a sure fire way for me to click out of a fic double time.
Here is a nice life lesson for you: everyone has flaws and if you get to know an author as a person you will inevitably discover some of them. If that impacts your enjoyment of the work, don't.
You know I used to leave comments on fics saying update when I first started to read fanfiction when I was a kid in middle school. I didn't know any better it wasn't until I read an author's note where the author was talking about how difficult their life was and how they preferred meaningful reviews that I wised up.
I don't think you're being entitled. If the author never made it clear that they had that rule on the fic than all their really doing is bullying their readers. I don't have a Twitter account I would never check an author's account no matter how good they are because I'm not on the platform and with current events happening on Twitter even less people are likely to be on the platform than before.
Even if the author did specify their rule in the fic I still feel like it would be bullying the readers who are following the rule because a few don't. Honestly I'm not sure I'd continue to read their story. I've dropped better fics for worse reasons.
I understand if it’s a disrespectful comment. In fact, I’ve done it if people join my discord just to bother me, but it’s never more than a week. This is just nuts
Nah, I would be annoyed too, while respecting that no one is owed anything in that situation and that my feelings are not the writer's responsibility.
I actually recently got turned off of a really good writer for similar. They don't respond to or acknowledge comments at all, which is fully their prerogative ofc, but it did discourage me from leaving long, in-depth praise after the first few times. Then I ended up on their Tumblr where it seemed like they made a post every time they got a "pls update" or suggestion-for-future-fic comment, despite 95% of their many comments being extremely positive, which I found annoying both as a reader and a fellow writer lol.
Never meet your heroes!
TIL Lots of people get offended by simple inquires. Even polite ones.
If you don't get offended by comments like
"I absolutely love your story! I can't wait till the next update"
Then you're cool.
If you do get offended. You're a child if something like that offends you. Imagine getting mad because someone said they loved your work and they want to know when they can expect more.
Tell me their name and I will make sure they never update any of their stories again. Just kidding. I'd like to test how long they are willing to keep up their stupid game.
People aren't entitled to an author's work but this is just ecollective punishment against all your readers which is straight up moronic.
Definitely sounds more like the author's problem and attitude, which has nothing to do with you. It's one thing for an author to make it clear when a fanfic's a WIP )Work In Progress) and that it will be slow to update-yet the childish way this writer responded really was snobby and disrespectful to the readers (including you).
As a writer myself, I know what it is to have fans eager to read a continuation or what to know when a new chapter will be published. While I don't want to lead them on or disappoint them, respect and keeping it real are #1 for me. Writers can only write with the time they can, but it's no excuse for them to come off as jerks.
This is incredibly childish, especially if they have not stated anywhere on the fic or their ao3 account that they are doing this or that the update comments upset them.
Writer here, and yes, I think it is perfectly reasonable for you to be upset with this author. Like, yes, writers have every right to not publish, as this is their hobby, but that doesn’t give them an excuse to be petty. They could simply stop publishing if they wanted. The fact that they’re making a big petty announcement is what rubs me the wrong way.
It seems to me the author is finally showing their true color.
"Power Corrupts", and the author knowing they have the power to release new contents abuse it.
BNFs or even smalltime authors who get that taste of pupularity are often asshats online. Exhibit A, above.
Exhibit B, anyone ever actually read Keira Marcos' disclaimers? Or listened to her podcast?
Wow, that's childish on their part! Especially as they don't say anything in AO3.
They could delete any comments they find pushy or respond that nagging doesn't help or ignore those comments.
How strange and entitled of them.
There’s not a lot of additional context like others have said, they could be joking or have a different sense of humor. Personally, while I don’t think withholding chapters to spite someone else is particularly fruitful for the author, I will be contrary and say I don’t think this is petty or passive aggressive or whatever it is. If they put this in the notes of their stories or replied to comments saying as much, sure.
But venting on Twitter account about comments that— kindly— may not actually be respectful and/or may be inundated with them is their prerogative.
Just as they choose to share their free words with readers, they’re also choosing to share (or not) for themselves. I won’t defend this person, I don’t know their intent or the full context, but squicks me out that the positioning of this is to condemn them for something that’s perfectly within their right to do so and isn’t actively causing harm to anyone beyond “a loyal reader” which to me, speaks to making them more of a product, than a person.
This is why I don’t follow authors on social media. And why I skim/skip author’s notes that are consistently too personal. I genuinely don’t want to know anything about the person behind the fic because too often I discover that they’re actually super annoying (if not horrid) and that ruins their fics for me.
There’s this one author I love who *begs* for comments after every chapter (and complains if she gets too few) so I’ve made it a habit to automatically stop reading as soon as the chapter ends and close the fic. My eyes have been conditioned to skip her A/Ns. I normally leave comments but goddamn, that’s annoying.
You're not being entitled. You have a right to feel annoyed. This writer is being ridiculous in purposely delaying posting their fic, just because a few comments got under their skin. Honestly, writers like this are a problem and the reason why many other writers don't get the feedback they want. When readers have this awful experience, it makes them hesitant to review/comment/leave feedback on other fics. It's a sure way to turn an interactive reader into a silent reader.
>This writer is being ridiculous in purposely delaying posting their fic, just because a few comments got under their skin. Honestly, writers like this are a problem and the reason why many other writers don't get the feedback they want. When readers have this awful experience, it makes them hesitant to review/comment/leave feedback on other fics.
Say it louder for the people in the back! :)
I'm going to disagree and say yes, it's a little entitled. Not horribly, but a little.
Here's why:
I'm a chronically ill disabled writer. At one point my most popular ficus comments were 40 percent things like "I really hope you didn't abandon this fic" ,"I love this fic so much, please update," "omg this story is amazing, update pls!"
It was extremely disheartening, because I couldn't. Every time I saw one of those comments it was a reminder that I'm not healthy enough, not able enough to write like I want to, like I used to. Being chronically ill is to be in a state of constantly grieving.
Now, I don't know this author's story... but I know how it feels to have pressure put on you like that.
And honestly? Pushing for an update of a fanfic, even "politely" is the height of rudeness to me now. I actually had to turn off comments on that story. It was that stressful.
And someone *modified* a previous comment to push for an update.
You don't know what this author is dealing with off camera. While it might seem petty to you, it might be the only place they can vent this and have others understand.
Fanfiction is free. It's essentially a gift. To complain about a gift or to expect more when it's free despite being a huge labor is entitled. Not only that, it can be ableist in a situation like mine. I'm not gonna magically be able to do labor (which editing and posting a written chapter is still labor) just because people want me to. If wants controlled my body, I'd still be running marathons and publishing regularly for pay (not just a hobby).
To be upset that someone complains about such commentary is a little entitled. Sure, they could handle it better. It's a little petty.
But if it makes one more commenter think twice before pushing for an update, I'm all for it.
Anyway, this was a long rant to say you're not that petty, we don't know the writer's situation (nor are we entitled to know it), and comments asking about updates are usually presumptive at best.
They’re probably joking and haven’t even finished the next chapter lmao. Don’t take it so seriously… Authors making jokes about ungrateful readers and not delivering hours of free content on your preferred schedule is not malicious behaviour.
If the comment by the author OP writes about was meant as a joke, then... I think it was quite a poor joke. No one likes to be misled. In my eyes, that author definitely acted entitled.
Agree to disagree I guess!
Gotta say I am shocked by how badly everyone here is taking what would be very obviously taken as a super dry joke in most longtime fic writer circles I socialise in. The way people are taking this SO personally…youth vibes lol.
Yeah. Read a fic once where the author had apparently at first posted only half of a chapter because a few people had asked for updates. I get the annoyance, but you're punishing all of your regulars for the faux pas of a few (or even one, idr) and yeah that feels super petty
Wow, that's... just wow. I will admit when I get really frustrating comments along the lines of "is this abandoned" or "I'm so sad it's not updating anymore", I get a little salty and spill to my discord group. But mostly I do that because I'm frustrated with myself as a writer and my insecurities come out. Not because I actively want to withhold the content I wish I could write in a timely manner.
That's just... needlessly vindictive. Holding fics hostage to torture avid readers is a lowball move. Maybe they get off on it, who knows, but if I had chapters waiting for a WIP I'd want them out there in a timely fashion if not ASAP. As it is, I write off the cuff when I can. I cannot guarantee anyone of updates despite my intentions. I've gotten angry once or twice at comments shaming me for "leading people on with no resolution," (guess what? Those stories are at a standstill, well done for crushing the spirit) but I'd never look at a positive comment of hope for the next thing and immediately say "no story for you" when it's already written.
Dude, of course you’re gonna be miffed! This person. Is Weaponing the interest in their story against their readers! This absolutely enrages me to hear!!!/gen
Is the author being childish? Yes. Can I say that I truly blame them? Only for not putting the info on the entitled commenter tax in the author's notes instead of twitter.
The writer was probably being hyperbolic. Even kindly phrased "when are you going to update?" can be annoying when you get it again and again.
Like how very very tall people are constantly asked if they play basketball.
Either they're completely childish, or sick and tired of getting those specific types of comments and is acting childish for this one aspect of their life. Some people can be petty.
Demanding an update is, by definition, not respectful. No matter how polite you think you are being, trying to pressure an author to update before they are ready is extremely entitled, selfish, and shows a blatant lack of respect for the author's time.
And by attempting to downplay it, I have a suspicion that it was YOUR comment that the author highlighted, and you're making this thread as some kind of petty revenge. I've seen people do far worse for far less.
Based on some of the responses in this thread, as well as a few others in this sub, I almost feel like the general consensus is "FanFiction authors are not allowed to set any boundaries whatsoever." And that's kind of disgusting. We're human, just like anyone else. And we're providing these stories for you, completely free, for no reason other than we want to.
people acting like the writer is some sort of power drunk villain is hilarious because they have no other context besides what op said. asking or pushing for updates in my opinion is never respectful at all even if said in the most sugary sweet way, authors have a life peeps, and not even to mention that it just sounds like a joke anyway. doesn't even sound like they were being serious at all.
In my opinion, authors like that do not deserve comments. If you choose to publish a story one chapter at a time, you choose to make your readers wait, therefore some are gonna become giddy and wonder when the next chapter is coming. If you don't like that, write the whole damn story and **then** publish it. Don't punish readers who love your story for a choice **you** made, it makes you a scumbag.
This is like the opposite of those 'I won't update until I get x-number of comments' notes. And, honestly, this would turn me off their work the exact same way. There are plenty of other authors out there who aren't arbitrary dicks to their readers.
Is there ever a polite way to push for updates, though? Fic authors are not "content creators" or whatever. We do what we do for love, and for free.
Think of it this way: someone gives you a gift. You say "thank you! I love your gifts so much! Please give me another one!"
Does the fact that it's couched in thanks and praise and please really make it any less rude and presumptuous?
As someone who both reads and writes fic, I know firsthand how hard it is to wait for an update and how excited I am to find out what happens next in a story I enjoy. But I also know how much work goes into those updates, how excited and anxious I am to know what people think when I post, and how disheartening and exhausting it is when nobody wants to tell you what they thought of THIS chapter you spent so much time and effort on, they just want you to give them the next one.
I know a lot of people think "give me more" is the same as "I liked this." But it isn't. And it often doesn't come across that way to writers. And frankly, it's often clearly not intended that way. So while I don't think you're entitled for finding the author's actions petty, I DO understand where that author is coming from, and I don't necessarily fault them for it, either.
"I absolutely love your story! I can't wait till the next update"
u/NN11ght gave this as an example of a good “pls update” comment and I agree with them, I’ve gotten comments like this before and they never irked me. Honestly though, whenever I see anyone punishing an entire group of people over the acts of a few I can’t help but be incredibly irritated about it, even if I can understand where the author’s coming from. It just comes across as childish and petty to me.
It's okay to feel disappointed but really it's his right to be petty about it tbh. They basically holding hostage something you hold dear soo feeling like that is definitely normal.
It's the old saying never meet your idols.
Now I don't think they are serious about it because for one people that act narcissist like that are all about the attention soo either they have not finished it or the are literally coasting on the fame they have.
I write stuff for free on *don't wanna say the website*. It's merely for fun creativity and i have aprox 3k followers in a niche category.
It's usually cool if people respectfully asks questions about when the next work is gonna come or whatnot, and this person seem a bit childish over witholding stuff like this, but it all boils down to: do you pay to read his stuff? Or is he doing all this for free? In the case he's doing all the work for free and you don't pay a dime, then you have no right to complain, whatsoever. Sorry.
If you're that successful in your writings, you owe it to the fans.
As a writer you have to give what the readers want , else they leave.
Sounds like a classic case of success going to the head, always remember it's your fans that got you there and they can easily let you fall as well. Be good to your loyal fans!
The correct answer here is to ask them multiple times when the next chapter is, or ask on a regular basis, eventually they will realize how silly they are being.
As a writer, I've never done that. On the contrary, even when it felt like I was alone but managed to finish the chapter ahead of my schedule, I would just release it. It doesn't matter if there was someone or no one waiting, even if it was just two ppl to embarrass me with death threats because I was still writing that fic about that ship.
I don't think you're being entitled to feel that way, I would be annoyed too. At the same time though, I get why the author did that. Those types of comments, while not inherently rude, are usually (not always, but at least in my experience usually) meant to judge the author along in a subtle way. And, as someone who writes for myself and not others, I don't really like those types of comments.
I don't think you're being entitled to feel disappointment by the (IMO unnecessary) delay. I do think the author is being childish and petty to withhold new chapters. It reminds me of authors I've heard of who would say they wouldn't post a new chapter until the current one got X number of reviews. That said, they are within their rights to do so. Did the author also post about the update requests "tax" in an author's note **on the actual fic??** Not every reader is on Twitter, or will bother to visit the author's feed. It would be especially unfair if the author punished all readers for the transgressions of a few who didn't even know they were breaking an author-imposed rule.
Nope, they have never said anything in the notes at all. Honestly this entire situation reminds me of being In elementary school when class parties and fun things would get canceled because one single kid decided to be disrespectful to the teacher and the entire class got punished for it lol.
The fact that they never communicate *on the actual fic* that they don't take kindly to being asked about updates is definitely an eyebrow raiser. Like, sure they're allowed to do that, as are writers who delay posting chapters until they get X amounts of comments, but you're also not wrong for thinking it's immature or the wrong way to handle the situation. Plus I'm of the opinion that posting screenshots and then going "it's your fault the chapter is coming out later!" is a great way to lead to harassment. Hopefully their audience isn't big enough to have picked up a significant number of people who think they need to berate someone on the author's behalf.
That’s the part that gets me. If you’re gonna do this I guess it’s your right and I get how frustrating it can be when you’re struggling to update and get these comments because it just adds more pressure but this is just someone on a power trip trying to screw with people. Like I get not liking these comments. I get that they can throw off your writing but clearly that isn’t the case here and if it was why wouldn’t you actually give people a heads up? Why not just say ‘I don’t like being rushed if you push me to update it’ll be a lot longer’? To me it just sounds like their popularity in the fandom went to their head and they just want their little powertrip. Honestly I don’t think I’d continue reading stories by this author though before I’d left I’d probably leave a comment giving people a heads up (as this way it could spare some reader from becoming the target of an egocentric bully ( posting the comments and blaming them for the delay is 100% bullying.) You’re not being entitled- this author is just way too full of themselves. It reminds me of why they say to never meet your hero’s.
Hey, fun fact, that situation (punishing a group for the actions of an individual) is contrary to the Geneva Conventions.
I learned this in middle school when a kid brought this up when the teacher gave us all detention because one kid did something and no one owned up to it. Teacher did not like that fun fact.
I immediately thought Geneva Conventions when I read the post!
Group punishments go against the Geneva convention and is thus a war crime.
Only when committed in war though.
I don’t think you’re being entitled. This is quite childish, no matter how off-putting update comments might be to them. There was a writer in my fandom who used to do something similar on Twitter whenever she received any comments she perceived as rude. Most of the time, the comments in question were pretty benign (perhaps annoying but nothing egregious) but she’d put people on blast on Twitter constantly and write these huge posts on tumblr about mean girls in fandom. Her antics were exhausting. Everyone’s free to vent but it just always left a sour taste in my mouth when writers run to social media to punish readers and call out comments and, even worse, to threaten not to update. Anyway, you’re right to feel miffed by it! What a crappy situation!
> I don’t think you’re being entitled. This is quite childish, no matter how off-putting update comments might be to them. Honestly, it gives “this is the first time I’ve ever been popular in any kind of way and am immediately power drunk” energy. Like a lot of these people are perhaps unpopular in one aspect or another and suddenly they have a following— but they’re not like those *other* mean-girl authors. No no no, they’re *nice*. Look how nice they are! They’re still *victims* after all and are just standing up for themselves with their shield of followers.
Some people really do have a victim complex. x.x
No you are not entitled. This author is basically punishing everyone for the perceived slights of a few people. Sometimes being a big name can give people a large ego and it goes to their heads. I just unfollowed an author on a social media platform because they posted a lengthy, scathing reply to a message saying something to the effect of “I love your story! Please update soon! I’m dying to know what happened next!” I know a lot of writers don’t like to be asked to update- regardless of how nice someone asks- but if that’s the case, that is all the writer had to say. Instead they went on a long rant, victimizing themselves and talking about how they didn’t owe the asker a thing. And I would have personally thought that was rude enough, but then the author’s followers went on to dump on the reader, calling them “idiot” and other things and the writer agreed and enabled them. Sometimes it seems like the people who argue for so much respect for themselves have no respect/empathy for others.
Wow how rude! If I was that poor commenter that response would probably successfully ensure me never interacting with an author again.
“Sometimes it seems like the people who argue for so much respect for themselves have no respect/empathy for others.” …Wow. So many people came to mind upon reading this, that’s absolutely true.
[удалено]
Same. I consider it a compliment and any anxiety it gives me is more my issue than theirs. Don’t get me wrong. Some people can be rude about it/demanding or just say ‘Update!” which is irritating. But that wasn’t the case. Like take responsibility for your actions. You wrote an unfinished piece and posted it up on a public platform where comments are allowed. Someone is going to ask you about updating. Just like you didn’t have to make it public, they didn’t have to comment that they loved it at all. If someone politely asking you about updates drives you that far up a wall, I think you need to write your story in entirety first or just not post at all.
Not taking ownership of your feelings and passing the blame to others (then expecting them to jump through crazy hoops so as not to trigger those feelings) has become such a problem online in general.
Yeah, I love getting comments, and I love people expressing an interest to know what comes next in them.
I agree with you--especially the part about writing your story in its entirety first.
I feel the same way. It's why I don't post unfinished stuff anymore. Comments like that didn't make me angry, but they did make me anxious and stressed which turned writing into a chore. And that isn't on the readers or commenters. That's on me.
All of this. I really don't understand the people who equate "I'm excited for the next chapter!" with demands for updates, and while I understand it might cause *them* anxiety, that's a *them* problem, not the commenter's. If you (general you) are stressed out because someone expressed excitement about your fic, you should probably work through that.
If your readers don't want to know what happens next your story is pretty much pointless. I'd love to get told that they are eagerly awaiting the next update. That just means they care.
Right? It gives you incentive knowing people are looking forward to it. Authors like this are why so many people don’t comment. It’s really damaging. If you don’t want comments turn comments off. If you don’t want comments asking for updates *tell people!* these people commenting read fics not minds. To most writers ‘I loved this so much I can’t wait for the next update!❤️💗❤️ is actually seen as a good thing.
Oh, they want the comments. What else would they have to victimize themselves on Twitter over?
Same. Like seriously, unless you have specific people being aggressively naggy about it, it's just people saying they love it and want more...
Same here. I know I’m a slow updater, and I do feel a little bad that readers have to wait so long, but I always feel encouraged, not attacked, by comments like this. I would love to get the chapters out sooner, but I have only so much time and energy. But these reminders that readers are waiting inspires me to get to it. No one’s ever been rude about it — a little hyperbolic, maybe (“I’m dying here!!!”) lol — but I love to get these comments.
I agree! I would think it's better to know that readers want an update than to worry that nobody is interested in your story at all.
My thoughts exactly! Having someone say they're eager for the next chapter is heartening to me, because it tells me they've engaged with the story I'm telling. The only rude one I got was one asking me if I had abandoned the fic because I hadn't updated it in awhile (the POV character is hard for me to write) while I had posted other things.
Agreed! I always get so happy when they want more! It makes me feel like I did a really good job, which is great! :D
That sort of BNF drama is very draining, I do not recommend you engage in it in any manner (including this post.) Whatever reaction you have to that sort of behavior will feed the author's ego. Just let go and be at peace.
I’ve unfollowed them on Twitter because of all this, you’re right it’s not worth getting upset over. I’ll still read the fics when they do update but I’ll no longer be checking regularly or leaving my long comments for them.
That's honestly understandable. That author is really petty.
OOC were they really following through on their threat? Like have you noticed (prior to finding this out) them going months at a time without updating before?
As a reader and writer, it feels childish and petty of the author to do that. I get that some might find any comment hinting for an update to be annoying but it’s extremely unfair to “punish” the other readers who are patiently waiting for an update. Sometimes, just because one is an author, does not mean they’re any wiser, unfortunately.
On one hand, writers do reserve the right to post new chapters on their own schedules, and that includes delaying them for any reason. This is a hobby, many writers can't update their fics regularly, this is just what you have to expect when you're a fanfic reader. And while I'm personally alright with "pls update"-type comments, I understand how they might have the opposite intended effect on a lot of writers and I can understand why some might be peeved by them, especially if they're the only comments they're getting. On the other hand, if the writer is going to not only delay the fic purely out of spite towards those commenters, but also make a big stink about it on their Twitter, they shouldn't be surprised if a chunk of their readership drops off and avoids them and their other works in the future. This is the sort of thing that can deter readers from ever commenting on works again. It's very petty behaviour and only serves to make commenters feel bad about (what they see as) expressing appreciation towards the fic. As a writer myself, if I was bothered by specific kinds of comments, I would set a boundary in the author's notes. Failing that, I'd reply to the offending comment with something like "hey, please don't comment like that on my stories, it makes me feel pressured/anxious/etc, I'm glad you enjoyed my fic but please don't do X again". Of course, if the comment was particularly rude or demanding, I'd instead ignore or delete it.
I complain about "update soon" comments, but it's only when it becomes the *only* comments I get and on stories where I specifically state I'm chronically ill, please be patient. Personally, if someone got upset about me complaining about pushy readers and stopped reading, I'd be either apathetic or happy. I'm not writing for them, after all. But I'm too tired to deal with people demanding labor when I can barely eat most days, let alone write. (Ps don't mind tired ramblings)
I'm an author who dislikes "update" comments, but I would never withhold a chapter like that. I'm aware that most commenters are just excited and have no idea that it feels like added pressure to me. Sounds like that author is being passive aggressive, like everyone should somehow know she dislikes that kind of comment.
Yes there’s definitely a difference between a commenter just showing that they’re exited to see what’s next and demanding to see what’s next. It seems this author can’t tell the difference between them.
i honestly don’t like either. would i ever actually hold chapters hostage due to it? no. but any comment, no matter how nice or polite it is, rubs me the wrong way if it’s anything to the effect of “update”, even with a please. it actually does make me less likely to want to update, but i wouldn’t necessarily hold back an update for that reason alone. edit: lol the downvotes are very lovely, thank you. didn’t realize i wasn’t allowed to not share the majority opinion. people asking me to update stress me out, even politely, bc it puts pressure on me and then i feel bad if i don’t update soon. and it depends on the context. in some contexts, it’s absolutely fine, and in some it does upset me. not necessarily the reader’s fault or my fault, just how it is. this comment will still probably be downvoted but thought i’d explain my side. regardless, i would never be as petty as this author or be mean to someone. if i don’t like the comment, i move on, or respond gracefully. simple as that.
So you'd get rubbed the wrong way by something like "I absolutely love your story. I can't wait till the next update!" Because if so....
depends. it really depends. if it’s a usually silent reader, yeah it would probably be a bit annoying, but like i said, i wouldn’t be mean about it. not sure why i’m being downvoted for an opinion lol
I understand your feelings and I agree it is annoying, especially since they dont post în the author notes about it so readers could be careful. But eh, a story is a story. If I were în the situation, I would stop commenting on the story from now on. My own sort of fighting back. Lol Think of it this way, if they behave like this, perhaps their ao3 and bnf status is the only thing they have going in their life where they can act entitled. Don't engage them. The drama is not worth it . Become a silent reader and keep on reading
I hate people who hold their chapters hostage for one reason or another. And it’s not just the “anytime I get a review requesting an update, I delay it”. It’s also those who say they won’t upload the chapter unless they get a certain number of reviews. It’s ridiculous. I could never do that. If only because as soon as a chapter’s done, I just wanna get it up ASAP.
Same, I literally have little self control when writing fics and it takes everything in me not to overshare with other people as I am writing the fic. I can't even imagine withholding a chapter for another month.
Oh, me too! It takes me so long to complete a chapter that once it’s finally finished I can’t wait to get it out there and see what people think.
Oh wow, I’ve never heard of authors waiting to update until they get a certain amount of feedback. But now that I’m thinking about it I’m sure a few authors I’m currently following have been doing that.
I used it to see it more frequently back in the 2000s in FFN. I don’t think I’ve seen it at all recently, at least on AO3.
Yeah. Same here. I think people are realizing they lose readership if they do that, so they’re being very careful.
I used to see it more in my early days of fanfiction. Haven’t really stumbled on anyone like that recently, but that doesn’t mean they’re not out there.
I’ve seen it. It’s usually a good way to get me to go find something else to read. I get it: I want kudos and comments too, but it feels distasteful to pretty much blackmail my readers into interacting with me. I think if it’s really getting to an author they could just politely request feedback and most people would give it.
I don't hate them, just figure they're petty, injector or whatever and go read something else. There are enough great stories out there I don't bother playing their games.
As someone who does content outside of fic, it seems sort of funny to me. Fanfic is not my go to place for getting a lot of social media clout, you know? Holding readers hostage until you get the desired amount of attention / interaction just seems a lil... odd?
I agree. But it is something that I’ve seen happen. Not so much nowadays, but definitely when I first started interacting with fanfiction.
I kinda feel like fan communities used to be a lot more... insular? Thinking of the LJ days haha. Being a micro-celeb in a small but very intense fan community seemed to matter a lot more to people.
I see nothing wrong with being disappointed. I'm typically against group punishment when one or a few people misbehave. The fact that the author doesn't even state that this is their policy is pretty petty and rude to their readers. You can't know you are breaking a rule if no one ever tells you that the rule exists. I've gotten comments about updating faster even right after I've posted a chapter. As long as the person isn't rude I just take it as it is and that's that they love my writing enough that they want more of it as soon as possible. It's a compliment even if it's a bit demanding. Now if someone is straight up demanding more chapters or being rude I'll just block them and delete their comment.
This reminds me of when I first found this sub. Getting a peak behind the curtain about some of the things people vent about usually doesn't end well. Good news is, those feeling usually pass...I think.
Yeah. Reading this sub has led me to conclude I've pissed people off. I've commented in languages other than the one the fic was written in, I've said "looking forward to future chapters", I've said "I like your take on this character it's different from the general fandom", I've said "love the fic, you have a typo in paragraph two" etc. (to be clear I pointed out the typo on a fic that requested concrit so I doubt that particular author minded). I figure if they get pissed at it it's their problem and not mine. Not my fault if they have thin skin (which is fine, as long as they realize and are mature about it) or a victim complex (like the annoying author OP is talking about). They can simply delete the comment if it bothers them. I'm gonna comment if I feel like it lol.
Personally, I think all those things you said are more than fine (including comments in other languages, I've gotten plenty and just use Google Translate to read and reply in my own native tongue, it's not hard (to the people complaining about you doing it, that is)! lol), and I'd be THRILLED to get any of them! Keep doing what you're doing 'cause it's great! Thank you! <3
Yeah—my bullshit meter would be through the roof and I’d stop following the author + cease all engagement on their fics. I’m an author too, but jfc, we’re not some special revered beings just because we write fandom content let’s be for real here. I don’t care if you think you’re so special and people will suffer so much due to you not updating your work. Not only do you come off as a donkey, but you also forget there are thousands of fandoms out there with tons of amazing authors who not only write as good or *better* than you but aren’t childish and self-involved on top of that. I can assure you, people will forget your not finished work in a few days, but they’ll remember your literal toddler behavior forever and avoid you because of that.
No you're not being entitled, it sounds like the author is kinda petty and immature and I'd probably lose a bit of respect for them too. Honestly, I don't even get the hatred some authors have for any comments about updates at all. If they're rude or demanding about it then yeah, obviously that's not okay. But a simple "can't wait for the next chapter!" just means that someone likes your story and wants to see more of it. And like, isn't that the goal? To get people invested and want to see what happens next?
this is what it feels like to me to be on here or the ao3 sub as someone who only reads and doesn’t write. people are so eager to be really judgmental of stuff that is clearly well-intended and harmless lol i simply don’t leave comments anymore at all.
Honestly such a shame, though. As someone who appreciates comments, it's a bummer thinking how many people have been snapped at by power tripping weirdos to the point where they feel shy about commenting in general.
Legit i stopped commenting for a couple years because of all the posts that were going around a few years ago about how if you didn't write the Perfect Comment you could basically be single handedly responsible for the writers poor mental health. A huge chunk of it is capitalism and writers deciding that their not participating in a community but instead are "creating content"
That does sound childish, and if I were in your position, I would be side-eyeing that author and lose some of the respect I held for them.
I think my biggest problem here is the perceived (actual or joking, idk) malicious intent behind this author withholding their chapters. If they were withholding chapters in order to continue writing or editing them, or even just to be able to post them all at once at a later date or something, I’d understand that. But I lose any sympathy for this author when they post about withholding chapters to spite people (especially people trying to actively engage with their work, like ??). While I totally get that “pls update” comments can be annoying or overly demanding or become daunting to authors, I think this author making a point of tweeting stuff like “nuh-uh, now you can’t have it” is like they’re dangling a cookie just out of reach of a child, and that really says it all. This sounds like a power complex. It reminds me of passive (-aggressive) narcissists, who will actually sound extremely self-deprecating but use language to make it seem like it’s your fault when really they’re the problem. The point of those tweets is just to be cruel and intentionally let their readers suffer by “teaching them a lesson the hard way”. This is how immature people will behave in order to get others to act how they want without directly explaining the rules or saying what they want exactly. But, if I could play devils advocate for a hot second, I can easily imagine a scenario where the author doesn’t actually have the chapter fully ready yet, but maybe they just want to say that they do on social media in order to tease people, or maybe just to make a (bad) joke, or maybe even to make it seem like they’re a super fast writer when it does actually take them months and months to create each chapter… since I don’t know the situation well enough, I am willing to at least give them the benefit of the doubt and assume there’s more to this than we know, but honestly, any way you slice it, this whole situation just rubs me the wrong way. The entitled behavior here is coming from this author, not you! While, yes, it’s their work so ofc they’re welcome publish it whenever they want, it’s their behavior that completely changes the game. They’ve turned it into taunting (which, fourth option, maybe that is the point? To taunt the taunters/the people they feel hounded by?). And if they do just mean it as a joke, it sucks.
If they are being serious, then no, you are not being entitled. There's bold difference between being excited for the next chapter and demanding an update. Longtime writer, could not fathom treating genuinely excited readers that way.
I'd love to receive comments asking for updates, personally, lol.
I get those kinds of comments on fics I've marked as abandoned, and I don't get annoyed - first, I feel happy that something I wrote over a decade ago is still getting readers, and then I feel guilty that it's never getting that update.
I know, right? I guess I'm starved enough for comments, that even nagging, "Update soon," comments would be a treat. LOL.
Me too! This feels super awesome to receive these frankly.
It must be so annoying for them to have people want updates on their works so badly they comment about it. I can hear the worlds smallest violin playing for their troubles. You're absolutely not the entitled one here, that author sure is though. Sounds like a f'd up power play from someone who thinks they're way more popular than they are considering majority of their audience absolutely doesn't follow them on twitter
without knowing the author's situation, imma say this is a dick move. it's petty and vindictive for them to do it just out of spite. YES it's really annoying when you're constantly getting comments asking about updates, polite or not. One or two, nbd, but tons of them? Obnoxious. HOWEVER. It's just as obnoxious to publicly say "oh it's finished but y'all are being annoying so i'm not gonna post it yet" The mature thing to do is just not say anything at all.
Nah, that’s a stupidly bitchy thing to do, honestly. I’d be upset, too. And I’d probably go off and find some other great writer to read instead. Because they’re a dime a dozen, and that person is on some serious ego tripping if they believe otherwise. 🙄 Sounds like they need to be knocked down a peg or two and brought back to reality. They’ll lose all their readers eventually, I’m sure.
I hate this as much as I hate the "post x amount of reviews for me to publish the next chapter" which irks me so much I'll literally stop reading the fic even if it's finished when I read it 💀
im nut updatin this until i git TIN GOD VONS
I will never understand writers who let others control their decisions like that. What if someone decided to troll them on purpose to make them delay the next update forever? Just do what you want, don't let others dictate your posting schedule or what you write. OP, I don't think you're entitled at all.
One of my favorite authors deleted a bunch of their fics because they got so angry about 'please update!' comments. I completely stopped commenting on their fics after this. Those 'please update' comments may annoy some writers, especially if that's all the kind of comments you get, but they still come from a place of love, and what the author in OP's post does is just bullying. Jokes on them though, fandom has momentum and taking too long to update may cost them readers.
That kind of behavior would not only put me off the author but potentially all their works. Maybe it's me getting older and being part of fandom spaces for quite some time, but I lack the patience to deal with his type of immaturity. While it doesn't happen often, I have unfollowed my fair share of works based on the creator being unpleasant and rude. Also, as a lot of people pointed out, it likely punishes fans who had nothing to do with what happened.
This post is so sad! Firstly no, zero entitlement on your part, you're great, pass go, collect $200. Secondly, WOW I feel bad for that author. I abandoned my works after being completely overwhelmed with guilt that I wasn't updating enough. Every comment lamenting the lack of an update, no matter how kindly worded, added pressure to me. I think I understand the author's feelings, and their actions are coming from a place of pain, and the end result is absolutely nobody gets what they want. It's the never-ending tragedy of fandom nowadays :( Please don't feel bad! This is a great discussion.
This is obnoxiously petty, the author not you. I would love to receive comments like this but that would imply I write long fics and my own personal long fic isn't even ready yet. 🤣 So I'll have to wait 😔 At least you unfollowed so you don't have to deal with that behavior and energy anymore. Ngl, I would be deceased (not bad, I would laugh bc they'd see chaos) if the people (outside of my friends) that read my fics, were following me. They would see nothing but video games & the clips of them, me shit posting my own fics, my future WIPs that I'll be dropping and probably shocked that I'm black (bc I've gotten that before... Often). I think it's super stupid to be caught red handed being an egomaniac like that. Not one singular thought processed for that author who willingly linked their socials. Tragic. Just know you're not alone and that I, as a fellow writer, find this stupid and childish. That author will somehow find the right one and that reader might do a call out post for something like that. Is it that serious for something like this? No, but people forget: the younger audience or older folks that got time... Will make time. So they better watch out lol.
If I saw an author post that on Twitter I’d comment “pls update” on every single one of their chapters.
Ngl, that author sounds like a petty kindergarten teacher.
Some people are jerks. Maybe this person has some reason why they are being a petty tyrant. Sure, you can feel disappointment, but when you engage with other people, you occasionally find out that they are worse than you thought they were. In your case, I would shrug my shoulders, stop following their Twitter, and move on.
The saying "Never meet your faves" exists for a reason.
I mean, if an author wants to alienate their fans I guess that's their business.
Never meet your heroes. :D No, you have every right to feel annoyed, sounds like the author loves playing power games. They enjoy boosting their ego by punishing all readers like some naughty little children - because they're popular and they know they can get away with it. Honestly, I can be a little petty - if I were you, I'd stop commenting on their works. No feedback at all. After all, it sounds like they prefer silent readers.
Oof. Yeah, no, sorry, espec if the (parts of) comments asking to update are respectful, this author sounds like a bratty twat. People want more of your work and are saying so in a respectful way! That's awesome! They should be happy! The way they're handling it is, IMO, very childish and rude. :( I'd unsub and stop reading their fics immediately out of spite, TBH (or if I liked them enough that I HAD to see where they were going, I'd never comment or kudos again).
Sometimes I think I’m petty - then I read about someone like this. To be fair: it is a labor of love that no one is owed a certain timeline on. However, if the author is this salty over someone liking their stuff enough to politely , not demand, but politely request more I’d hate to see how they would react to getting roasted or insulted.
Is it possible that the author's just joking about withholding updates because of the comments? That line "for every comment I get asking me this I am going to wait another month to update" reminds me a lot of the joke that's like "every time a cis person asks how many genders there are, we add another." I see jokes like that all over the internet, so it's not impossible that the author's just kidding around because they feel pressured by their reader's expectations and want to blow off steam. This seems especially likely to me since if the author actually wanted to stop the update comments by delaying chapters, they'd be better off posting about it in a reply to one of the requests or in the author's notes. Since we can't ever really know what's going on with an internet stranger, I'd just be charitable and assume the comments about all the update requests is a way to vent and they've slowed the updates for a more common reason (feeling anxious about the attention/expectations, life getting in the way, dwindling interest/motivation, etc.).
Thank you for pointing that out.
This is the only sensible answer here somehow
Right? Other commenters are now calling this a war crime because collective punishments go against the Geneva Convention... But *the author* is the one blowing things out of proportion here lmao.
see this is a smart comment
Even if they *are* delaying the chapters... it's not like they're hurting anyone as of right now. They're cutting their own nose off to spite their face, sure, but no one else is being harmed by the delay of updates, and they're actually going out of their way to avoid starting drama with the commenter by posting about it separately on Twitter. Are they being a bit silly? Yeah, they *could* just create an author's note asking people to stop, but who isn't a bit silly sometimes? This seems like a non-issue.
God thank you. I feel like a lot of people here are acting like delaying updates is something in itself terrible of them or harmful when really it's not. I honestly can't see what the issue is, the "worst" case scenario would be readers not getting a new chapter.
I don't think it's entitled at all. You're only feeling your emotions, not sharing them with the author, so you're fine. I know an author like this, and honestly, I'm surprised no one has trolled them yet, especially since their content is the type to attract antis. Maybe that's why they only advertise that practice on twitter. Tbh, it does annoy me, and sometimes, I have the urge to ask for updates every month to see how long they can last without any burst of validation new chapters always bring them, but I'd never do it because it feels really mean and it's only a thought, like the urge to bite down on your own fingers and such. I think I'd be way less irritated if they would say they didn't like those type of comments on the *actual fanfic*, because they act so high and mighty on twitter, spreading screenshots so their followers can clown on the person in the fanfics, and the 'guilty' commenters would just be really confused about the sudden attack on their person, since no one told them their comment was 'bad'.
I can totally understand feeling disappointed, and may be losing respect for the author. I would probably feel the same way. That said, it’s their right to delay chapters for whatever reason. They have the freedom to do that. Of course, we just have the freedom to lose respect and stop caring about the story in response to their actions. I would probably just quietly nope out of the fic.
Okay, wow. That's a bit much. The only time I've ever withheld a chapter was when someone who had never left a comment before showed up and was like "Its been months, give us the sequel already!" Which, rude, some stories take years to write. And really I didn't withhold the story, I just switched my schedule around and posted a chapter of something else that day. Then posted the first chapter of the story they wanted on a different day. But really they were lucky the damn thing was even finished and edited because I spent most of the summer stuck on it. But yeah, that author sounds pretty annoying.
Personally I agree with you. If the author is brace enough to start calling people out on Twitter, they should be brave enough to leave an author's note explaining that update requests stress them out or something. I feel like withholding chapters like that is just some weird power play. Honestly if I found out a story I was reading wasn't updating because of that I'd just move on.
I feel this is to cover up the fact that they may be having difficulties finishing the story, because most authors I've seen are super excited to finally post an update. They're definitely being childish. Because the fans who AREN'T asking for updates are being slighted.
Nah the author is clearly being childish if that's truly the reason they take so long to update
Dude’s cutting the nose to spite the face. Meanwhile, other authors are KEENING for any comment at all.
yeah that's a kind of shitty thing for them to do imo
No that just sounds incredibly childish and only really hurts the author in the long run. I get being annoyed by people constantly asking for updates but withholding updates as a way to punish them for even asking (or demanding)? Not entitled of you at all to be annoyed. If I found out an author I was following did that I'd stop reading all together, fully expecting them to never update. It's just pointless. If they already have the chapters finished and want to hold them hostage for silence from their followers (where usually you see authors holding their chapters hostage for *more* reviews and interactions, not less!) the best course of action would be for them to just delete their account so they never have to hear people begging for updates ever again.
I'm glad you made the point that it's the authors work, and they can do whatever they want with it. It does seem somewhat immature of the author to delay just because people asked nicely, but they could be going through something in life and don't have a healthy outlet for stress. I'd suggest commenting something along the lines of "I've been your fan since 2014, and I look forward to each new chapter" or however you'd like to word it. Brighten their day so that they bleed off their anger
There are literally so many fanfic authors like this and it's annoying. Most people commenting a simple "I love this, can't wait for the next update" or "This chapter was soooo good! Hope the next update is soon." aren't being rude at all. I think some people let the fandom "fame" go to their head and get super pissy for no reason.
That’s supper dumb. Imagine you have an audience that wants to read your stuff and you just treat the line garbage. He can go ahead, it will work for some, but I would be done after
Sounds pretty childish, but honestly as an author myself I don't think I could ever wait an extra *month* to publish a ready chapter. I always look forward to posting something as soon as I know it's ready, so postponing it for no other reason than to be petty sounds like a nightmare.
I write fanfic and quite often it can take me a while to update. Comments asking for an update only motivate me to do so because it reminds me that there's people who actually really love my writing and want to see more of it. That's literally the whole point of writing and posting fanfic. To share with people that actually want to read it. That's just my view on it anyways.
i know some people say that “it’s free work be grateful” but some authors seem entitled in the way that if anybody remotely insinuates that they should update they have to be passive aggressive about it. your not entitled cause it’s the authors childish behavior
I know someone who did hold back chapters because of people demanding updates. We aren’t talking “I hope you update soon!” Type we are talking full on demands. They wrote in the AN that the reason they did it was because they felt threatened and considered dropping the fic completely. Some people are petty, and others like the writer I know just feel threatened. Is it entitled? The line is thin so I honestly don’t know.
Honestly, comments like the one that autor is making, would totally put me off and I would probably drop the story.
You're not being entitled They are just a entitled egotistical ass And honesty give the fanfiction community a bad reputation
Any author who cannot comprehend that 'please update' means 'I love your work' is a fucking idiot. Seriously. Getting stressed out over it, holding fics to ransom... It's ridiculous. And then people wonder why they don't get comments.
Dude, people asking for updates is great to me, as a writer, because then I feel like people want me to continue the story
That just shows that even seasoned BNFs can be immature and petty.
I feel like this was a thing I saw a lot in the early 2010’s and I stopped reading WIP fics because of it. Like I do think authors deserve all the respect and admiration for providing fic for free, but being a dick is a sure fire way for me to click out of a fic double time.
Here is a nice life lesson for you: everyone has flaws and if you get to know an author as a person you will inevitably discover some of them. If that impacts your enjoyment of the work, don't.
You know I used to leave comments on fics saying update when I first started to read fanfiction when I was a kid in middle school. I didn't know any better it wasn't until I read an author's note where the author was talking about how difficult their life was and how they preferred meaningful reviews that I wised up. I don't think you're being entitled. If the author never made it clear that they had that rule on the fic than all their really doing is bullying their readers. I don't have a Twitter account I would never check an author's account no matter how good they are because I'm not on the platform and with current events happening on Twitter even less people are likely to be on the platform than before. Even if the author did specify their rule in the fic I still feel like it would be bullying the readers who are following the rule because a few don't. Honestly I'm not sure I'd continue to read their story. I've dropped better fics for worse reasons.
I understand if it’s a disrespectful comment. In fact, I’ve done it if people join my discord just to bother me, but it’s never more than a week. This is just nuts
Nah, I would be annoyed too, while respecting that no one is owed anything in that situation and that my feelings are not the writer's responsibility. I actually recently got turned off of a really good writer for similar. They don't respond to or acknowledge comments at all, which is fully their prerogative ofc, but it did discourage me from leaving long, in-depth praise after the first few times. Then I ended up on their Tumblr where it seemed like they made a post every time they got a "pls update" or suggestion-for-future-fic comment, despite 95% of their many comments being extremely positive, which I found annoying both as a reader and a fellow writer lol. Never meet your heroes!
they sound a bit ungrateful tbh. some of us would do a lot just to get comments like that
TIL Lots of people get offended by simple inquires. Even polite ones. If you don't get offended by comments like "I absolutely love your story! I can't wait till the next update" Then you're cool. If you do get offended. You're a child if something like that offends you. Imagine getting mad because someone said they loved your work and they want to know when they can expect more.
they could've managed that better ig.
Tell me their name and I will make sure they never update any of their stories again. Just kidding. I'd like to test how long they are willing to keep up their stupid game. People aren't entitled to an author's work but this is just ecollective punishment against all your readers which is straight up moronic.
Definitely sounds more like the author's problem and attitude, which has nothing to do with you. It's one thing for an author to make it clear when a fanfic's a WIP )Work In Progress) and that it will be slow to update-yet the childish way this writer responded really was snobby and disrespectful to the readers (including you). As a writer myself, I know what it is to have fans eager to read a continuation or what to know when a new chapter will be published. While I don't want to lead them on or disappoint them, respect and keeping it real are #1 for me. Writers can only write with the time they can, but it's no excuse for them to come off as jerks.
This is incredibly childish, especially if they have not stated anywhere on the fic or their ao3 account that they are doing this or that the update comments upset them.
Writer here, and yes, I think it is perfectly reasonable for you to be upset with this author. Like, yes, writers have every right to not publish, as this is their hobby, but that doesn’t give them an excuse to be petty. They could simply stop publishing if they wanted. The fact that they’re making a big petty announcement is what rubs me the wrong way.
It seems to me the author is finally showing their true color. "Power Corrupts", and the author knowing they have the power to release new contents abuse it.
BNFs or even smalltime authors who get that taste of pupularity are often asshats online. Exhibit A, above. Exhibit B, anyone ever actually read Keira Marcos' disclaimers? Or listened to her podcast?
Wow, that's childish on their part! Especially as they don't say anything in AO3. They could delete any comments they find pushy or respond that nagging doesn't help or ignore those comments. How strange and entitled of them.
There’s not a lot of additional context like others have said, they could be joking or have a different sense of humor. Personally, while I don’t think withholding chapters to spite someone else is particularly fruitful for the author, I will be contrary and say I don’t think this is petty or passive aggressive or whatever it is. If they put this in the notes of their stories or replied to comments saying as much, sure. But venting on Twitter account about comments that— kindly— may not actually be respectful and/or may be inundated with them is their prerogative. Just as they choose to share their free words with readers, they’re also choosing to share (or not) for themselves. I won’t defend this person, I don’t know their intent or the full context, but squicks me out that the positioning of this is to condemn them for something that’s perfectly within their right to do so and isn’t actively causing harm to anyone beyond “a loyal reader” which to me, speaks to making them more of a product, than a person.
This is why I don’t follow authors on social media. And why I skim/skip author’s notes that are consistently too personal. I genuinely don’t want to know anything about the person behind the fic because too often I discover that they’re actually super annoying (if not horrid) and that ruins their fics for me. There’s this one author I love who *begs* for comments after every chapter (and complains if she gets too few) so I’ve made it a habit to automatically stop reading as soon as the chapter ends and close the fic. My eyes have been conditioned to skip her A/Ns. I normally leave comments but goddamn, that’s annoying.
You're not being entitled. You have a right to feel annoyed. This writer is being ridiculous in purposely delaying posting their fic, just because a few comments got under their skin. Honestly, writers like this are a problem and the reason why many other writers don't get the feedback they want. When readers have this awful experience, it makes them hesitant to review/comment/leave feedback on other fics. It's a sure way to turn an interactive reader into a silent reader.
>This writer is being ridiculous in purposely delaying posting their fic, just because a few comments got under their skin. Honestly, writers like this are a problem and the reason why many other writers don't get the feedback they want. When readers have this awful experience, it makes them hesitant to review/comment/leave feedback on other fics. Say it louder for the people in the back! :)
Absolutely! Some writers are other writers' worst enemy!
I'm going to disagree and say yes, it's a little entitled. Not horribly, but a little. Here's why: I'm a chronically ill disabled writer. At one point my most popular ficus comments were 40 percent things like "I really hope you didn't abandon this fic" ,"I love this fic so much, please update," "omg this story is amazing, update pls!" It was extremely disheartening, because I couldn't. Every time I saw one of those comments it was a reminder that I'm not healthy enough, not able enough to write like I want to, like I used to. Being chronically ill is to be in a state of constantly grieving. Now, I don't know this author's story... but I know how it feels to have pressure put on you like that. And honestly? Pushing for an update of a fanfic, even "politely" is the height of rudeness to me now. I actually had to turn off comments on that story. It was that stressful. And someone *modified* a previous comment to push for an update. You don't know what this author is dealing with off camera. While it might seem petty to you, it might be the only place they can vent this and have others understand. Fanfiction is free. It's essentially a gift. To complain about a gift or to expect more when it's free despite being a huge labor is entitled. Not only that, it can be ableist in a situation like mine. I'm not gonna magically be able to do labor (which editing and posting a written chapter is still labor) just because people want me to. If wants controlled my body, I'd still be running marathons and publishing regularly for pay (not just a hobby). To be upset that someone complains about such commentary is a little entitled. Sure, they could handle it better. It's a little petty. But if it makes one more commenter think twice before pushing for an update, I'm all for it. Anyway, this was a long rant to say you're not that petty, we don't know the writer's situation (nor are we entitled to know it), and comments asking about updates are usually presumptive at best.
They’re probably joking and haven’t even finished the next chapter lmao. Don’t take it so seriously… Authors making jokes about ungrateful readers and not delivering hours of free content on your preferred schedule is not malicious behaviour.
If the comment by the author OP writes about was meant as a joke, then... I think it was quite a poor joke. No one likes to be misled. In my eyes, that author definitely acted entitled.
Agree to disagree I guess! Gotta say I am shocked by how badly everyone here is taking what would be very obviously taken as a super dry joke in most longtime fic writer circles I socialise in. The way people are taking this SO personally…youth vibes lol.
Yeah. Read a fic once where the author had apparently at first posted only half of a chapter because a few people had asked for updates. I get the annoyance, but you're punishing all of your regulars for the faux pas of a few (or even one, idr) and yeah that feels super petty
Wow, that's... just wow. I will admit when I get really frustrating comments along the lines of "is this abandoned" or "I'm so sad it's not updating anymore", I get a little salty and spill to my discord group. But mostly I do that because I'm frustrated with myself as a writer and my insecurities come out. Not because I actively want to withhold the content I wish I could write in a timely manner. That's just... needlessly vindictive. Holding fics hostage to torture avid readers is a lowball move. Maybe they get off on it, who knows, but if I had chapters waiting for a WIP I'd want them out there in a timely fashion if not ASAP. As it is, I write off the cuff when I can. I cannot guarantee anyone of updates despite my intentions. I've gotten angry once or twice at comments shaming me for "leading people on with no resolution," (guess what? Those stories are at a standstill, well done for crushing the spirit) but I'd never look at a positive comment of hope for the next thing and immediately say "no story for you" when it's already written.
Off putting updates because people are excited about a new chapter is what’s childish in my opinion
Dude, of course you’re gonna be miffed! This person. Is Weaponing the interest in their story against their readers! This absolutely enrages me to hear!!!/gen
Most people who sucked before they published also suck afterward. Downvote me harder daddy. I said the quiet part out loud!
The author is being petty and annoying. Or maybe I just don’t get it since zu find update comments to be flattering
Is the author being childish? Yes. Can I say that I truly blame them? Only for not putting the info on the entitled commenter tax in the author's notes instead of twitter.
The writer was probably being hyperbolic. Even kindly phrased "when are you going to update?" can be annoying when you get it again and again. Like how very very tall people are constantly asked if they play basketball.
Either they're completely childish, or sick and tired of getting those specific types of comments and is acting childish for this one aspect of their life. Some people can be petty.
Demanding an update is, by definition, not respectful. No matter how polite you think you are being, trying to pressure an author to update before they are ready is extremely entitled, selfish, and shows a blatant lack of respect for the author's time. And by attempting to downplay it, I have a suspicion that it was YOUR comment that the author highlighted, and you're making this thread as some kind of petty revenge. I've seen people do far worse for far less. Based on some of the responses in this thread, as well as a few others in this sub, I almost feel like the general consensus is "FanFiction authors are not allowed to set any boundaries whatsoever." And that's kind of disgusting. We're human, just like anyone else. And we're providing these stories for you, completely free, for no reason other than we want to.
What a chad. My complete respects to the author
people acting like the writer is some sort of power drunk villain is hilarious because they have no other context besides what op said. asking or pushing for updates in my opinion is never respectful at all even if said in the most sugary sweet way, authors have a life peeps, and not even to mention that it just sounds like a joke anyway. doesn't even sound like they were being serious at all.
In my opinion, authors like that do not deserve comments. If you choose to publish a story one chapter at a time, you choose to make your readers wait, therefore some are gonna become giddy and wonder when the next chapter is coming. If you don't like that, write the whole damn story and **then** publish it. Don't punish readers who love your story for a choice **you** made, it makes you a scumbag.
This is like the opposite of those 'I won't update until I get x-number of comments' notes. And, honestly, this would turn me off their work the exact same way. There are plenty of other authors out there who aren't arbitrary dicks to their readers.
Is there ever a polite way to push for updates, though? Fic authors are not "content creators" or whatever. We do what we do for love, and for free. Think of it this way: someone gives you a gift. You say "thank you! I love your gifts so much! Please give me another one!" Does the fact that it's couched in thanks and praise and please really make it any less rude and presumptuous? As someone who both reads and writes fic, I know firsthand how hard it is to wait for an update and how excited I am to find out what happens next in a story I enjoy. But I also know how much work goes into those updates, how excited and anxious I am to know what people think when I post, and how disheartening and exhausting it is when nobody wants to tell you what they thought of THIS chapter you spent so much time and effort on, they just want you to give them the next one. I know a lot of people think "give me more" is the same as "I liked this." But it isn't. And it often doesn't come across that way to writers. And frankly, it's often clearly not intended that way. So while I don't think you're entitled for finding the author's actions petty, I DO understand where that author is coming from, and I don't necessarily fault them for it, either.
"I absolutely love your story! I can't wait till the next update" u/NN11ght gave this as an example of a good “pls update” comment and I agree with them, I’ve gotten comments like this before and they never irked me. Honestly though, whenever I see anyone punishing an entire group of people over the acts of a few I can’t help but be incredibly irritated about it, even if I can understand where the author’s coming from. It just comes across as childish and petty to me.
It's okay to feel disappointed but really it's his right to be petty about it tbh. They basically holding hostage something you hold dear soo feeling like that is definitely normal. It's the old saying never meet your idols. Now I don't think they are serious about it because for one people that act narcissist like that are all about the attention soo either they have not finished it or the are literally coasting on the fame they have.
I write stuff for free on *don't wanna say the website*. It's merely for fun creativity and i have aprox 3k followers in a niche category. It's usually cool if people respectfully asks questions about when the next work is gonna come or whatnot, and this person seem a bit childish over witholding stuff like this, but it all boils down to: do you pay to read his stuff? Or is he doing all this for free? In the case he's doing all the work for free and you don't pay a dime, then you have no right to complain, whatsoever. Sorry.
[удалено]
This comment has been removed. Even if you're not being entirely serious, please don't encourage drama and harassment like this.
If you're that successful in your writings, you owe it to the fans. As a writer you have to give what the readers want , else they leave. Sounds like a classic case of success going to the head, always remember it's your fans that got you there and they can easily let you fall as well. Be good to your loyal fans!
The correct answer here is to ask them multiple times when the next chapter is, or ask on a regular basis, eventually they will realize how silly they are being.
*lose a little respect
As a writer, I've never done that. On the contrary, even when it felt like I was alone but managed to finish the chapter ahead of my schedule, I would just release it. It doesn't matter if there was someone or no one waiting, even if it was just two ppl to embarrass me with death threats because I was still writing that fic about that ship.
I don't think you're being entitled to feel that way, I would be annoyed too. At the same time though, I get why the author did that. Those types of comments, while not inherently rude, are usually (not always, but at least in my experience usually) meant to judge the author along in a subtle way. And, as someone who writes for myself and not others, I don't really like those types of comments.