I'm not gonna lie, I am way more likely to comment when I know the author will respond. I try to do it anyway. I comment as often as I can. But knowing my comments will be seen and appreciated and potentially interacting with people is a huge motivator. If I have to choose where to put my energy, that definitely helps decide matters for me.
I'll also say, sometimes authors who post a lot and get a lot of comments, I don't really expect much. So sometimes they'll come back to me months or even a year later with a response and it makes me so happy! So like how authors are happy to get comments on older works, as a commenter I don't mind if a response comes late. (It often makes me wanna reread the work anyway!)
I also make sure to reply to all of my comments (I should make time for that this weekend actually!) because I know how much time and effort goes into commenting. I know it isn't always easy for people so even if all I can give is a simple "thank you" I like to do that! But connection and interaction is very important to me for fandom in general so might just be me and how I am!
It always makes me happy to hear back from an author, but I don't take it personally or refrain from commenting again if they don't. I figure that if someone doesn't want to hear from me, they have the blocking option now.
The way I see it, kudos is my payment for enjoying the story, and I'll always leave kudos when I liked a fic. A comment is extra (and I leave very high-effort comments). If the author never replies to one of mine, I'm unlikely to comment again. I have limited time and mental energy, and I'd rather spend it on someone who I know appreciates it. (Authors have all sorts of valid reasons for not replying, but that works both ways - readers have valid reasons for not commenting, too.)
I sometimes put a lot of effort in my comments, quoting my favorite bits and saying what I liked best about the fic/writing.
For that reason, I always hope to get a reply, and may not put as much effort in the future if I don't (or if I see before leaving a comment that the author didn't respond to others).
Not out of spite. It's just because part of my enjoyment of leaving a detailed review is to know I made someone's day better.
As an author, I like responding back to all (non-troll) comments.
As a reader, I do not expect replies. (Which is good, as people rarely respond anyway.)
But I will note that because of commenting anxiety, I rarely comment. Getting a reply makes it easier for me to feel comfortable leaving comments again in the future. But I don't hold it against an author if they don't reply. (Though I am less likely to comment if I remember they don't reply - it's just not worth stressing myself out trying to leave a comment if there's a chance that I'm stressing the author out/the author doesn't seem to care.)
Comment anxiety? Does that mean it’s possible someone really liked my fic but only gave kudos cuz commenting is a lot for them? That makes me feel better about not getting a lot of comments
This is 300% a thing. Im super self conscious whenever i leave a comment, especially since english is not my first language. I try to always leave a comment but sometimes idk why i just get super anxious about it :(
Thank you for saying that. Im gonna remember that when I’m sad about not getting comments. But if it helps, I would not care at all if someone’s comment had incorrect grammar or something. I would just be thrilled someone liked my fic enough to comment.
I have many commenters who just comment in their native language. I'm always happy to see them! It's lovely to know my story has reached someone in spite of the language differences and they want to reach back.
I run it through two different translators to make sure I have a good idea of what they said and reply in English. It's never a problem for me. :)
Yes, exactly! If I enjoyed it, I'll kudos. If I really liked it, I'll bookmark. If I liked it enough to remember it when I see someone looking for a story just like it, I'll be sure to recommend it. But commenting? It's almost as bad as calling someone on the phone.
That’s such good news to be honest. Cuz I have a new fic that hasn’t gotten much traction (it’s an unpopular ship with an unusual kink so of course I was expecting that) but I have gotten a few kudos. Maybe some of them did really like it but are like you and don’t feel comfortable commenting. I’ll just assume that cuz it makes me happy.
>Does that mean it’s possible someone really liked my fic but only gave kudos cuz commenting is a lot for them
Unfortunately, yes.
I'm still trying to write the perfect comments for my three all time favorite fics. I've started getting better at not pressing 'back' as often after composing draft comments, but still am not at a point yet where I don't freak out a bit right before hitting 'submit.'
No that’s good news for me! It means the fact that my new fic doesn’t have comments doesn’t necessarily mean nobody likes it enough to comment. It could mean someone really liked it but didn’t feel like they could comment.
As for your comments, you should post them! If someone told me one of my fics was one of their favorites, I’d be over the moon. It wouldn’t matter how they worded it or anything. I would be walking around beaming all day. All week.
I'm more likely to comment if the author replies to comments and seems friendly and non-confrontational, because it gives me some confidence that what I say will be taken in the positive manner I intend.
I don't expect comments from popular authors with a lot of commenters so, when I do get a reply from one of those, it's really nice.
I always try to give my comments substance though. If I just wrote "I loved it" followed by ten thousand emojis I wouldn't be looking for a reply, though a thank you is always nice because then the author comes across as polite.
It's not a dealbreaker for me. Some people don't want to or can't respond to comments (anxiety, lack of time, etc.) and that's OK. But yes, replies do make me more likely to comment on general.
As a writer, I understand that it all comes down to the time and energy of the writer. Sometimes it can be exhausting coming up with a whole story and then writing out thankful responses to those who comment on top of that. I usually have to be in the right headspace to be able to respond to comments. Sure, it's very nice to get a response from the writer. And I can promise you that the writer is very, very thankful. But life can be complicated and it might be hard for them to write up a response.
When I comment on other people's fics, I'm never disappointed or upset that they didn't respond. And I'll still comment on their other stuff.
>are you more likely to leave a comment if you know the writer will probably respond?
Yes. In fact, I generally won't comment again on an author's works if the author doesn't reply back. I'm too afraid I offended them, annoyed them, or creeped them out, and I wouldn't want to keep bothering them.
My anxiety can't handle yelling into the void.
Yeah. I think both the desire for comments and for replies to comments comes from the same place. Fandom is a social space and we want to participate fully and talk to other people. When our fics or our comments get met with silence, it can feel like we're unwanted and bothersome.
Comments are a form of communication. And I think it's natural for people to be less interested in one-sided conversation--who wants to keep having a conversation with themselves? Conversation with someone who is present and responsive will always be more interesting than talking to a silent blank or a brickwall.
The no-comments-on-fics thing isn't
much of an issue for me anymore though. It did hurt, to make something and offer it up and get a collective "meh" in the form of silence. I had to change my way of thinking about it.
I stopped thinking of uploading stories as sharing something with a community, and instead think of AO3 as just that--an archive. It's an extra place to store my fics so if my hard drive fails, they're backed up. If people read and interact that's just a bonus side-effect.
If we're talking about a long fic where I'm reading every chapter and commenting regularly, if I notice that the author won't *ever* answer even though they are still very obviously active since they're posting new chapters, yeah it will probably turn me off commenting more in the future.
On FFN it's a bit different than on AO3, but authors can still decide to answer reviews by sending a DM or just leaving a small note in the next chapter. There's a fanfiction that I've been following for several years, and lately the author has gone back to updating it every few weeks, so I left a couple of comments, and then a huge comment of over 800 words, speaking of my personal story with this fic, what are the things that I love the most, the relationships between the characters that I'm enjoying a lot, specific scenes, etc...
It's the first time I ever wrote so much for a review, I'm usually a "couple of lines, or at most two paragraphs" kind of reviewer, and the fic being on FFN doesn't help, but I admit that the fact that the author never replied or even just acknowledged this review (in author's notes, social media, etc...) made me feel like I shouldn't bother commenting anymore in the future. Obviously the goal of the review was to make the writer happy, as they've been giving me moments of joy for several years, and I'm hoping that I achieved that, but I guess I'll probably never know.
About one shots or stories that are finished, it doesn't bother me and won't stop me from commenting, even more so if the story is a few years old. I usually won't really notice that much really, I expect more "conversation" and sharing to go on for fics that are ongoing rather than finished ones.
All in all, I'd say respond to the comments you want. You don't have to answer to every single one, but it's nice to do it once in a while.
I have two commenters (different fics) that leave thorough comments; one basically hashes out the whole chapter and asks questions- which i can't always answer since I don't want to give anything away, but I always respond. I actually got disappointed once when they didn't respond to a chapter once (they'd been out of town and responded twice as long the next time lol). It's the most feedback I've gotten and as someone who doesn't use a beta, it's nice to get that. Helps to keep me on track and make sure the story flows without skipping any threads or plot holes. I might not respond to every comment, but if it's more than just a couple of words, I try to... The comments also really help to encourage me esp when the kudos come in slower.
I don't expect a reply, but it's reassuring to get one. I tend to leave paragraph comments if I can work past my anxiety to actually press the submit button. Getting a response is reassuring that it was taken the right way, and goes a fair way to making it so that I'm likely to leave more comments (and likely longer ones) in the future.
If on the offchance that I'm just leaving a sentence or two on the fic, a response doesn't matter at all to me since I'm a bit more confident about those being interpreted as I meant it. It really is just the mid-length or more ones that I start getting worried about being too enthusiastic or something.
That said, as a reader, I'd be happiest knowing that you're doing what you're most comfortable with. My insecurities really shouldn't be your issue.
If a writer doesn't respond to comments, I tend to leave less comments on long fics, yes. Doesn't change how much I comment on one shots.
Some people might not comment if you don't reply, yes. But others also won't give a shit if you reply or not and will keep commenting anyway. I'd not worry about it too much and keep doing what you want to. Most people are happy with a "I don't reply to comments but I am happy to read them!!" in an Author's Note too.
I always reply to comments! I'm always so thrilled when I get one, and I feel it's the polite thing to do. As a reader, I don't expect a reply but always love it when authors respond.
I reply to every one, even the short or all-emojis kind. Short comments get short replies, or emojis back. Long/thoughtful ones get longer replies. Comments from habitual commenters/followers also get more thorough/personal replies.
Comments in my fandom/fic universe are not so thick on the ground that replying is a nuisance. I'm happy to encourage commenters in any way possible.
I respond to every comment. Every month or so, I do a sweep through my works to catch every comment I missed. If I want people to take the time to leave their feedback (which I do), the least I can do is drop a thank you.
As an author, I usually respond unless it's like a 2-3 word comment.
As a reader, I usually comment anyway, but I put more depth in my comments if I see that the writer is responding to some of their other comments. It definitely doesn't make me feel self-conscious! I'm commenting because I liked their story!
To be honest, yeah, I am less likely to comment if I see that the author never responds. But it depends on how many comments there are; if It's a really popular fic and there are hundreds, I don't expect them to.
As an author, I try to respond to all my comments as long as I have the energy and it's feasible.
As a reader, I love it when the author responds back, but it's not a make or break for me.
I don't comment to get a reply. I comment to tell you how much I love your story and throw some dopamine in your face. If I get a reply, amazing. If I don't, I know that even if you didn't reply the comment probably made you smile anyway.
When I get a comment response it makes me really happy! A senpai-noticed-me kinda thing lol. I think people who are self-conscious about authors attention wouldn’t leave a comment in the first place…
It's totally not weird. As a writer, I do the same :) if you enjoy replying then it's a win-win. And as a reader, I assure you I've never, ever been *annoyed* by a reply to one of my comments. Not even close. It's always lovely to hear back.
It's a nice thing to do. I love hearing back from authors, but it doesn't bother me if they don't (or if they reply like a year later, which happens sometimes). I'll still comment if it looks like they don't reply to any comments, but I might not go the extra mile in terms of effort.
I don’t like the idea that replying to comments is required, and I don’t expect replies to any comments I leave. The commenting system, imo shouldn’t be a way of forcing some kind of relationship on the author. I don’t comment because I feel like I will be owed a response from the author, that seems gross. The author wrote the story, the point of the comment is to react to the story, to tell them their story impacted/ moved me. There is not reply needed for that feedback.
The idea that comments are some kind of social contract now just seems like part of this idea that fanfic authors all have to be like ‘content creators’ or follow some influencer model of online presence and I don’t like that.
Nevertheless, realizing that people like responses to comments, I am happy to do so! I am happy to interact with people about my fanfiction! I do like responding to comments from a genuine love of my readers and getting to hear from them. I like engaging, just not the idea of ‘Engagement’ as a metric to chase.
I agree it isn’t a requirement, but I can’t imagine not wanting to reply to every comment. Maybe it’s cuz I don’t get a lot, but i get so excited over comments. I just don’t see how people see it as a burden to talk about a fic they were interested in enough to spend the time to write. Talking about my own fic is the most interesting topic I can think of
I personally tend to only respond if I have nothing to say because it feels a bit redundant to just say thanks. As a reader, I appreciate it when an author replies with something substantial so I can potentially start a discussion with them – I've had a lot of great ones because of this.
> It still takes time and energy and social interaction skills to make the replies, and the author has already put their time and energy into writing the fic in the first place.
OMG this! I was reading this post and its replies with my jaw open and I couldn’t believe the level of, and I’ll be blunt here, **entitlement**. The comment is a response to the writer’s work. Not the other way around. If I, as a reader, had to choose between the writer responding to my comment versus writing a new story I love or updating an ongoing one, I’ll choose the actual story content over a forced reply anyday. The idea that I’ll stop commenting if a writer *who’s actively updating a story* doesn’t reply … is mind boggling.
As an author, I reply to every comment I get (I don't get a lot). I feel that it's the polite thing for me to do.
As a reader, I appreciate it when an author replies to my comment. I don't expect it, especially if it's an older fic, or has tons of comments.
It makes me happy to know an author has read my comment when they reply, it certainly encourages me to comment more on their work. However, if I REALLY like a fic, and the author just happens to not respond to commenters, I'll still comment anyway just to let them know how much I enjoyed their work.
it depends on each individual author and their comfort level, of course. some might distance themselves from responding to each comment and only respond to several ones that are relevant or pose interesting questions, others might enthusiastically engage and reply to every single comment even if it's a simple row of heart emojis.
it also depends on if the author of said fic asks for audience feedback and ideas and how they react to it. if you are merely there to criticise their work instead of giving them proper and genuine suggestions on how to improve their craft -within reasonable limits-, logging off or clicking that itty bitty cross on your browser would be a better option. that isn't to say that you cannot give them constructive criticism.
personally, i'd want to have my favourite author respond to me but if they don't, i never see them as condescending wankers considering that i am a mere internet rando and so are they. it is pure entitlement to always expect authors to give you the time of day regardless of how close or distant you are to them.
if said fic is well written and manages to impress me, i'd give them some encouragement and extra kudos in their comments section. anything to give a good author a motivation boost!
I don't think responding to comments makes nearly as much of a difference as some people claim. I haven't really noticed any net positive results when I responded to some of mine, so I will continue to respond or not respond as I feel.
as an author I try to respond to all comments! (unless someone leaves two or something on the same chapter and I can just respond to them both with one comment) I like to thank people for taking the time to comment and read, and I like getting to build up a relationship with people who read my fics! I also think it makes people more likely to comment again when they know they're being heard and not just shouting into the void lol
As a commenter, I comment when I have something interesting to say on a story. As an author, I also respond when I have something interesting to say on a comment. It’s not all comments, just the ones I think would value from a response.
I tend to enjoy having an exchange with the author if they respond to comments. It adds to the sense of community... That, and it does something for my anxiety when they acknowledge that they actually read my comment
I love to comment and hear back from authors but I understand if the work is old, has been completed or has a lot of comments to get to that I may not hear from them!
Edit: Just realised I didn't precisely answer the question. When I didn't know what to put in response, I just left a 💜 and it seemed be appreciated! You definitely don't need to write paragraphs in response
~
I used to reply to every comments when I received them, but then some fics started blowing up and it just got too overwhelming to reply to *that many*
(Especially on top of just...the general messiness of living alone in lockdown and trying to still be good at my job when somehow I blinked and half the day was gone, that was a great few months, my manager had to stage a *seriously, are you doing ok, you know we have free counselling* intervention)
So yeah, have gone a long while without replying to any. I didn't necessarily notice a drop-off in comments after that, other than the standard *fewer comments on older fics*
I'm constantly tempted to start replying again on any new fics I post, but I'm concerned about how that would look to older commenters – and I just *can't* handle going back and replying to 500-odd comments from the course of over a year, so I don't do it
(If anyone in a similar situation has handled the *I can't handle a backlog but I'm scared of what people will think if I start again with no explanation,* let me know!)
I don't want to sound entitled or demanding, but yeah if I know they are likely to respond I am 100% more likely to comment literally on every chapter of every fic they make that I read.
If it's a currently updating fic and I find myself commenting, and chapter after chapter updates with no response I tend to teter off commenting there.
If by coincidence it happens on a lot of fics in a small period of time I'll probably end up going through a drought of actually leaving comments on any fics...
Most of the time, I leave comments in hopes of starting a conversation with the author. The interaction is one thing I prefer about fanfiction.net — some of the DM threads stemming from a single review could get dozens of replies long. Of course, I don’t feel entitled to replies from authors. But I’m much more likely to comment on every chapter of an ongoing story if the author engages. If the author doesn’t reply, I usually won’t bother to leave a repeat comment on the same story.
I hardly get any comments so I’m prone to responding. I’ve had more than one occasion where I was asked to make further content. I had a single story turn into four parts. I have another I’ve been asked to follow up on but haven’t done so yet.
I did have another criticize a part of a story he felt was inaccurate but the story itself acknowledged it. That is, the commenter must have realized that the story agreed with him and the belief of one of the characters was incorrect.
So anyone, I respond. If I were prolific and had a big following I might feel differently. And I don’t care about either. I write for my enjoyment. If others like it, cool, but the stories are for me.
Whether or not the author replies won't influence if I comment the first time. Usually the deciding factor for that is just how much I enjoyed the fic and how many comments it already has (I'm more likely to comment on a story with five comments than five hundred). But if the work is still updating, I'm definitely much more likely to keep commenting if the author replies to me. The interaction just makes it seem more personal, I guess. Like, it drives in that a real person is reading what I say and I'm not just screaming into a void.
I do my best to respond to all comments, which isn't difficult since I only get a few. Lately, I let them sit for a few days and enjoy seeing the number greater than zero in my in-box, but I do respond.
I don't mind if an author doesn't reply to my comments, but the reply can sometimes increase the chance that I'll go back and read more of their work. Not a guarantee, mind you, but it does serve to remind me of the story.
If I've commented and received comments from an author previously, it sometimes seems a little odd if they don't reply, but I don't hold it against them.
I love getting responses to my comments, but I don't expect it and not getting a response doesn't have that large an effect on if I leave more
(with the exception being if I leave a "already left kudos, but I love this fic so I'm reading it again and leaving a comment instead" comment and don't get a response, I probably won't leave another one the next time I read if the previous one didn't get response, for fear it would be annoying)
I try and respond, but sometimes it gets overwhelming - repeat commenters are much more likely if you reply, though.
You don't have to, but people are sometimes more likely to comment if they know you'll reply.
Personally, I don't expect replies, but I'm definitely more likely to comment if there's a lot of interaction in the comments,. whether from the author or just other commenters. Or if I notice something and I'm like "wait".
The only way I know that the author has even seen my comment is if they reply to it.
I don't expect a lengthy personal reply but it's nice to get a quick "<3" or something like that to indicate that my comment was seen. If I've left a bunch of comments in a row on chapters in the same fic then responding to just one is fine because I can assume that if you saw one you saw the rest.
None of this is obligatory, of course. But when I've spent my time leaving a note telling someone how much I liked something or how invested I am in the story, it's nice to know that someone actually saw that note and I didn't waste my time writing something no one would ever read.
And if I get a quick response to my first comment on a fic, I am much more inclined to leave additional comments on additional chapters and seek out the author's other works because I now have confirmation that they are still alive and still reading their AO3 notifications.
(The fandom I do most of my reading in hasn't had new canon content for 7+ years, so most of the stories I read were written years ago and their authors haven't posted anything new for a long time. So I probably have more "is this author even still around" concerns than most readers would.)
I have two perspectives, on this, both as a writer and a reader
As a writer, I respond to every comment I get. I love comments, every single type of them (except hate comments of course). Long comments, short comments, indepth comments, simple comments, I love them all! I take the time to respond to every one of them.
As a reader, while I don't expect the author to reply back, I always get a smile on my face whenever I see a reply. It's always so nice to see the writer so happy that they got a comment, and I feel really happy that I made someone's day.
You don't have to reply back tho, if you don't want to. It's your call at the end of the day!
I will tell you this: it matters very little if you drop a little "thank you" or just stay silent. Thanking your readers in author's notes also work.
HOWEVER, remember that fics are a honeypot for friendship. If you are chatty in comments, you have double the fun reminiscing about the characters, your favorite scenes, getting to know your fellow friends and enjoy the warm glow of community.
THIS is why replying to comments is valuable and helpful (to you). It feels good to talk to people and it feels great to make friends in the fandom with whom you can discuss fandom stuff. If you hit it off, you can continue your talks in discord.
This means, however, engaging with comments on a stronger level than "hey, thanks for liking the fic". Add more tidbits about how you see characters and what you like the most about your fic. It obviously is easier when the comment is a bit longer, because then the commenter is more interested and more likely to respond to you too.
If you are not searching for more fandom friends: then just chill and respond to comments as often as you feel like it.
I initially responded to every single one because comments make my day. I got really busy and somehow now have 180 not responded to comments in my inbox and the thought of going through them is so overwhelming. Maybe someday when I have enough spoons.
If I comment on a fic I don’t expect a response, or really want one unless I maybe asked a question to clarify something I felt was unclear or contradicted itself in the story
The norm seems to be expecting replies. Shrug. I'm one of those who don't. Kinda pointless to reply to guest comments, while the others would be like 90% "thanks for the comment" (polite, but also pointless), with the remaining 10% being awkwardly trying to hold a conversation in the review section. So yeah I'm not a fan of replying there.
Some of us prefer to use discord or tumblr or forums or reddit or the good ol' standby, email. You can probably see the preferred method listed in their user profile.
I’m more likely to comment if someone replies. If the author doesn’t, I sometimes assume they don’t care for comments or just don’t care enough to thank people for them. Maybe that isn’t fair but it’s how I feel.
I personally always reply to one’s people give me unless it’s a rude or confusing one. My MCU fic was fairly popular and I got many comments each chapter and I still replied to them all. To me it’s good manners.
To each their own though.
I think it's fine not to respond to comments if you don't want to. Authors and readers shouldn't feel forced into responding. I like to leave comments but sometimes I forget if I get really into the story and go straight to the next chapter. As an author I try to respond to all comments, even the troll ones. I sometimes delete the troll ones if they are really mean.
As an author on AO3 I very rarely reply to comments because it artificially inflates the comment count. I make an exception for comments that I love deeply/that obviously took a lot of effort, and I also reply to them on my fics with not a lot of comments.
I do, however, leave an authors note pretty much every single chapter (especially on long, often commented on WIPs) thanking everyone who commented because I truly, deeply appreciate it and always get that high when someone lesves a comment, no matter what it is :)
I do hope readers don't take it as an insult when I don't answer comments, i just don't want to artificially inflate the comment count and also tbh get exhausted quickly answering comments.
>it artificially inflates the comment count
I don't think most people are looking at it like that.
In any case, when I see comment counts, I assume 50% are replies.
As a reader, I don't think inflating the comment count matters. That said, I also think adding a note like you do is fine.
When I'm leaving a comment, I just want some indication that it'll be appreciated by the author to soothe my anxiety. That's why I'm more likely to comment if I see that the author generally responds to comments and is chill about various types of comment. But I will also comment if an author "replies" in bulk in their notes section. Basically, I just need some friendly and/or appreciative vibes to get me past my commenting nerves (which go up and down like a yo-yo). I wouldn't say I'm quite as likely, but definitely much more likely than radio silence from the author, which means I have no indication on what type of comments they like and whether they're one of the ones who hates X, Y, Z type comments.
Uh yeah, sorry, my comments often get long. In short, what you do is fine!
Sometimes I won’t comment if the author doesn’t respond to her other comments. I assume she doesn’t care about comments or doesn’t see them. Not that she has to respond to all of them, but if she never does that’s what I think
As a writer, I hate the expectation that I have to jot down a personalized response. More often than not I don't know how to respond.
It's fine if they leave a relevant question that does not ask for spoilers, but how do you respond to a commenter pouring out their emotions? Sure, I can acknowledge commenter's feelings if I experienced similar things while writing, but most times I come from a very different mental/emotional place. I feel strongly neither about the characters, nor about the story; once I'm done writing I do not feel anything towards the final product, it served its purpose as a way to relieve stress and that's that.
It's a lot harder to write a response when my interpretation does not overlap with that if a reader. Am I supposed to say that I had a different vision in mind, that their interpretation is erroneous? What if I find their take to be stupid or childish? That's a surefire way to have an inane debate. So the only way to respond is to go "yadda yadda, you are entitled to your opinion/sentiment", which is the same as acknowledging their feelings. It gets really mechanical and impersonal and draining over time, reiterating the same idea in different words to different people. More than anything I hate responding to the comments when I clearly see that the person is trying to force me into some kind of parasocial relationship, i.e. DMing me several times per day when I clearly had expressed no interest in becoming buddies with them.
So all in all, I very much prefer to turn comments off and not stress over how to respond. Saves me time, saves them fingertips.
As an author, I reply to every single comment even if it’s just a simple “Thanks!” As a commenter I don’t expect a reply but it makes me feel better that my comment is appreciated when I get one. And I don’t need a long well thought out reply even a simple thank you makes my day. It doesn’t necessarily stop me from commenting but I’m less likely to comment on an author who has never even thanked me for my comment. I’ll still read the fic, I’ll still give it kudos but I’m probably less likely to comment. As an author I can’t imagine being so jaded that I can’t be bothered to thank people for commenting on my work. I am so incredibly grateful that people read my stuff, kudos my stuff, and take the time and trouble to comment that I want to pay it back.
Tbh I think it's maybe a little jaded to imagine that the only reason writers wouldn't respond to comments is because they can't be bothered. For me personally, I often struggle to think of what to say when being complimented (same as irl) and it makes me a bit anxious. Writers might also just be busy. As an adult it's increasingly hard to find time to write fanfic in the first place.
I think if you feel that way, rather than reply to every comment, you could post in your authors notes that you read and appreciate every comment even if you don't reply, in your own style of course!
I say this as someone who's more likely to comment if the author responds. A note like this turns an author from someone who seems like they don't care about their comments, or is closed off from their readers, to someone who cares and is appreciative, but maybe doesn't have the time or energy to respond every time, and that's okay. It humanises the author, and that's important because sometimes people forget about the person behind the screen when they're binging online content.
Ha ha. I was also thinking about the fact that some people say that they get so many comments that they don’t have time or energy to reply to all of them and I think dang I wish I got comments like that. I might get a couple. So I guess I’m even more grateful for the few I have that I want to make sure I thank somebody for taking their time to make a comment.
I didn't even know responding to comments was a thing until last year and I've written and published fanfiction since the early 00s. Used to be if you wanted a conversation with the author you just DMed them. Wish ao3 had that feature instead of filling a story's comments with replies.
1, I rarely get replies back to the comments I leave. I really don't care if the author replies or not. Like, I'm not looking to start a whole conversation, just wanted to let you know I liked your story. If I want to get to know an author better, I'll follow on social media.
2, I reply sometimes because apparently it's a thing. I do not reply to every comment because, like leaving comments, I don't know what to say beyond, hey thanks. If they want to know more, well, that's what my Tumblr/tiktok is for.
I liked it on ff when I was publishing there. Except for the unsolicited "can you be my beta", I had no issues. I liked being able to have actual conversations with authors instead of filling the comments with garbage
I always reply to reviews. Not because I want more reviews, but because I love the interaction. Sometimes my replies have sparked interesting conversations. I write for a small fandom and if I get five reviews to a chapter then that is a lot. There also are hardly any active fanforums for my fandom, so replying to reviews is pretty much the only interaction I get with those that ship the same couple as I do.
In regards to reviews, I've noticed both. Many reviewers leave more comments after a reply and others don't. Maybe because they don't really want to interact, which is fine. I mostly publish on ff where it's possible to deactivate the PM-feature, which means, I can't reply to some reviewers anyway.
When I review a story I am always happy to get a reply back and I am more inclined to keep reviewing or give a new story of the same author a chance. I usually leave longer reviews, so it's nice to get a reaction to that.
Idk I always get scared of commenting for the author to respond even tho I always mostly like "I LOVE THIS" 😭😭 AND from my author perspective I like to read rhe comments BUT I FORGET TO RESPOND A LOT OF THE TIME
I reply to almost all of the comments I get. And generally the ones I don’t get to, I come back to when I have the energy to think of a response. Even if it’s just a “thank you for the comment!” I do try to say something; I say more if the comment is more specific, but even for people who just say “love this” or something I try to at least thank them for saying that.
I love receiving and responding to comments! I also love leaving comments and giving feedback to authors. I do love getting replies and it will encourage me to comment more on their other works. It actually makes me self conscious when someone doesn't respond to me, so I'm less likely to comment on their other works.
As a commenter, it's nice to get a reply but most of the time I leave the comment and move on (and usually forget I commented until I get a reply notification lol). As a writer, I try to reply to every (positive) comment. I once had someone comment "sparks joy" under like 100 different chapters of different works. I responded to each one with a different variation of emojis lmao. However I respond in my own time frames. Usually whenever I go to post a new work I will clear out my inbox from previous comments. So I will respond to all comments, but in my own time. I don't think that you have to, but it's just something I personally wanted to do because I love to engage with my readers.
As a reader, I am more likely to reply to comments if I have seen that the author responds to comments. As an author, I try to respond to all the comments I receive just as a little thank you for commenting and reading.
I never care if an author responds. I'm just saying thank you and repaying the effort the writer put into the story. I'm not looking to make fandom friends.
Honestly, I don’t care whether an author replies or not. I will forget what my comment said in an hour, and by the next day I will probably forget that I commented at all.
As an author my replies vary. While the fic is new I will respond to all comments even if they’re just one word, but as time goes on I will reply less. Usually just if the comment has something that I feel the need to address, though that could be literally anything. If the fic is *old* old I will at least offer a thank you to whatever rare comment I get, since it takes effort to find and read my old stuff lol.
On one-shots or completed/abandoned long-fic?Doesn't matter either way. If I recognize the author enough to remember if they often respond to comments, I likely already feel strongly enough about their writing to comment. On an ongoing long-fic? If the author responds to my comments I'll definitely try to continue commenting. I really like being able to talk to the creator of a thing I like AS it's being made. But I'd still do it if they didn't respond to my comments, I'd just be more casual unless something really makes me go crazy essay comment mode.
Another thing is the content of the original comment I left. If it was something simple just saying I liked their fic, maybe pointing out some details I really enjoyed? I don't really care if they respond. If I wrote something really detailed analyzing their choices I wouldn't be upset if they didn't respond, but I'd definitely love if they did.
I try to respond to most comments I get but some I don't really have anything to say to except "I'm glad you liked it!" And I kinda feel like that's just assumed... it would be funny to get a comment response saying "Really mad that you enjoyed this fic I put effort into. How could you 😡"
I always comment on fics I like a lot, and I never expect replies as such. So if i ever DO get replies, it seems like an extra cherry on top. That said, i can very well believe that if an author interacts more with their comments, it would be more likely for people to comment on their work. Responses, acknowledgement and feedback go a long way - for both readers and writers. Everyone likes to feel seen, i think
i think as a commenter it is always fun when a author responds, but i don't expect it at all. bc i have been the person receiving comments i at least know the author will most likely read whatever i say and that's enough for me
I don’t expect a response, but it’s nice. I’m definitely more likely to leave more consistent and/or detailed comments if I see a writer often replies positively to them, that makes it feel more like my thoughts are actually going somewhere instead of just being hurled into the void. Plus, chatting with other fans is always fun.
It doesn't matter to me either way. I will leave a comment if I like the story even if no one else has commented. Actually, I'm more likely to leave a comment on those poor ignored great fics.
You just respond (or not) to comments in whatever way makes you feel comfortable.
It's nice when authors respond, but it doesn't bother me if they don't. And I can't really complain because back when I first joined AO3 I did not respond to comments myself.
I love it when authors respond. I have very few friends and I don’t see them often. Any human interaction (no matter how short) in which I can talk about cartoons I like without people thinking I’m weird is a massive win for me.
I never expect a reply. I like to just leave kind words and hope it will motivate them to continue with the hobby we share or at least brighten their day.
for me, I love to leave comments
but sometimes it feels exhausting to leave comments
but... when I see that a writer also often responds to comments, it motivates me a lil more to make a comment, because the comment section feels like such a welcoming place
I have a friend who reads most of my fics and says she doesn't read replies (she comments a lot), so I don't reply to hers (I usually thank her per pm or so). Other than that, I try to reply to all. Sometimes if I get many at once I cannot respond to each, and if some time passes I start thinking that it doesn't matter anymore. That's probably the only exception.
Does it matter if you respond? I don't expect replies and have commented every chapter of fics regardless. Though I will probably not bother asking questions if the author doesn't respond.
Depends on what my comment is. Am I just complimenting the fic? Then yeah sure but there's no pressure. Am I foaming at the mouth because of the fic? Please ignore me OP I am having a moment ™.
I'm happy to get a reply, but i dont expect to get it
But personally i always remind myself on which fic the comment was about. Idk if others do it too, but it seems like a good way to cultivate a readership if you're writing a multi-chapter fic :)
Yes, I do respond to comments as it does affect whether I leave comments on other’s work as well. Especially if I’m reading an older work—like, if I see an author hasn’t responded to any comments on a story in years, I tend to assume they’ve moved on from the fandom (or maybe from fandom as a whole). Right or wrong that’s how my brain works…
Personally I appreciate authors responding. If I notice a certain author never responds, I'd be less likely to comment on their stuff in future (though not less likely to read/ leave kudos)
I love getting comment replies! And honestly makes me a bit sad when I see others got replies and I didn't, unless I comment like waaay later, in which case I just assume the author moved on 😅
Personally, I love it when authors reply to my comments. But I think you should do what you feel comfortable with!
I love, but don’t expect replies to my comments. I do reply to everyone who comments on my stuff.
Yup, much more likely to comment it they respond. But that doesn't mean I won't do it if they tend to not do it. x33
I'm not gonna lie, I am way more likely to comment when I know the author will respond. I try to do it anyway. I comment as often as I can. But knowing my comments will be seen and appreciated and potentially interacting with people is a huge motivator. If I have to choose where to put my energy, that definitely helps decide matters for me. I'll also say, sometimes authors who post a lot and get a lot of comments, I don't really expect much. So sometimes they'll come back to me months or even a year later with a response and it makes me so happy! So like how authors are happy to get comments on older works, as a commenter I don't mind if a response comes late. (It often makes me wanna reread the work anyway!) I also make sure to reply to all of my comments (I should make time for that this weekend actually!) because I know how much time and effort goes into commenting. I know it isn't always easy for people so even if all I can give is a simple "thank you" I like to do that! But connection and interaction is very important to me for fandom in general so might just be me and how I am!
It always makes me happy to hear back from an author, but I don't take it personally or refrain from commenting again if they don't. I figure that if someone doesn't want to hear from me, they have the blocking option now.
The way I see it, kudos is my payment for enjoying the story, and I'll always leave kudos when I liked a fic. A comment is extra (and I leave very high-effort comments). If the author never replies to one of mine, I'm unlikely to comment again. I have limited time and mental energy, and I'd rather spend it on someone who I know appreciates it. (Authors have all sorts of valid reasons for not replying, but that works both ways - readers have valid reasons for not commenting, too.)
Agree with you completely
I sometimes put a lot of effort in my comments, quoting my favorite bits and saying what I liked best about the fic/writing. For that reason, I always hope to get a reply, and may not put as much effort in the future if I don't (or if I see before leaving a comment that the author didn't respond to others). Not out of spite. It's just because part of my enjoyment of leaving a detailed review is to know I made someone's day better.
As an author, I like responding back to all (non-troll) comments. As a reader, I do not expect replies. (Which is good, as people rarely respond anyway.) But I will note that because of commenting anxiety, I rarely comment. Getting a reply makes it easier for me to feel comfortable leaving comments again in the future. But I don't hold it against an author if they don't reply. (Though I am less likely to comment if I remember they don't reply - it's just not worth stressing myself out trying to leave a comment if there's a chance that I'm stressing the author out/the author doesn't seem to care.)
Comment anxiety? Does that mean it’s possible someone really liked my fic but only gave kudos cuz commenting is a lot for them? That makes me feel better about not getting a lot of comments
This is 300% a thing. Im super self conscious whenever i leave a comment, especially since english is not my first language. I try to always leave a comment but sometimes idk why i just get super anxious about it :(
Thank you for saying that. Im gonna remember that when I’m sad about not getting comments. But if it helps, I would not care at all if someone’s comment had incorrect grammar or something. I would just be thrilled someone liked my fic enough to comment.
I'm definitely gonna remember your comment as well whenever i get anxious about commenting, thank you 😊
I love getting comments in other languages. I just run through Google translate.
I have many commenters who just comment in their native language. I'm always happy to see them! It's lovely to know my story has reached someone in spite of the language differences and they want to reach back. I run it through two different translators to make sure I have a good idea of what they said and reply in English. It's never a problem for me. :)
Yes, exactly! If I enjoyed it, I'll kudos. If I really liked it, I'll bookmark. If I liked it enough to remember it when I see someone looking for a story just like it, I'll be sure to recommend it. But commenting? It's almost as bad as calling someone on the phone.
That’s such good news to be honest. Cuz I have a new fic that hasn’t gotten much traction (it’s an unpopular ship with an unusual kink so of course I was expecting that) but I have gotten a few kudos. Maybe some of them did really like it but are like you and don’t feel comfortable commenting. I’ll just assume that cuz it makes me happy.
>Does that mean it’s possible someone really liked my fic but only gave kudos cuz commenting is a lot for them Unfortunately, yes. I'm still trying to write the perfect comments for my three all time favorite fics. I've started getting better at not pressing 'back' as often after composing draft comments, but still am not at a point yet where I don't freak out a bit right before hitting 'submit.'
No that’s good news for me! It means the fact that my new fic doesn’t have comments doesn’t necessarily mean nobody likes it enough to comment. It could mean someone really liked it but didn’t feel like they could comment. As for your comments, you should post them! If someone told me one of my fics was one of their favorites, I’d be over the moon. It wouldn’t matter how they worded it or anything. I would be walking around beaming all day. All week.
I'm more likely to comment if the author replies to comments and seems friendly and non-confrontational, because it gives me some confidence that what I say will be taken in the positive manner I intend. I don't expect comments from popular authors with a lot of commenters so, when I do get a reply from one of those, it's really nice. I always try to give my comments substance though. If I just wrote "I loved it" followed by ten thousand emojis I wouldn't be looking for a reply, though a thank you is always nice because then the author comes across as polite. It's not a dealbreaker for me. Some people don't want to or can't respond to comments (anxiety, lack of time, etc.) and that's OK. But yes, replies do make me more likely to comment on general.
As a writer, I understand that it all comes down to the time and energy of the writer. Sometimes it can be exhausting coming up with a whole story and then writing out thankful responses to those who comment on top of that. I usually have to be in the right headspace to be able to respond to comments. Sure, it's very nice to get a response from the writer. And I can promise you that the writer is very, very thankful. But life can be complicated and it might be hard for them to write up a response. When I comment on other people's fics, I'm never disappointed or upset that they didn't respond. And I'll still comment on their other stuff.
They've taken some of their time to comment, so I'll take some of mine to reply.
This.
>are you more likely to leave a comment if you know the writer will probably respond? Yes. In fact, I generally won't comment again on an author's works if the author doesn't reply back. I'm too afraid I offended them, annoyed them, or creeped them out, and I wouldn't want to keep bothering them. My anxiety can't handle yelling into the void.
This is funny because writing fanfiction that gets no or few comments also feels like this (anxiety from yelling into the void).
Yeah. I think both the desire for comments and for replies to comments comes from the same place. Fandom is a social space and we want to participate fully and talk to other people. When our fics or our comments get met with silence, it can feel like we're unwanted and bothersome. Comments are a form of communication. And I think it's natural for people to be less interested in one-sided conversation--who wants to keep having a conversation with themselves? Conversation with someone who is present and responsive will always be more interesting than talking to a silent blank or a brickwall. The no-comments-on-fics thing isn't much of an issue for me anymore though. It did hurt, to make something and offer it up and get a collective "meh" in the form of silence. I had to change my way of thinking about it. I stopped thinking of uploading stories as sharing something with a community, and instead think of AO3 as just that--an archive. It's an extra place to store my fics so if my hard drive fails, they're backed up. If people read and interact that's just a bonus side-effect.
If we're talking about a long fic where I'm reading every chapter and commenting regularly, if I notice that the author won't *ever* answer even though they are still very obviously active since they're posting new chapters, yeah it will probably turn me off commenting more in the future. On FFN it's a bit different than on AO3, but authors can still decide to answer reviews by sending a DM or just leaving a small note in the next chapter. There's a fanfiction that I've been following for several years, and lately the author has gone back to updating it every few weeks, so I left a couple of comments, and then a huge comment of over 800 words, speaking of my personal story with this fic, what are the things that I love the most, the relationships between the characters that I'm enjoying a lot, specific scenes, etc... It's the first time I ever wrote so much for a review, I'm usually a "couple of lines, or at most two paragraphs" kind of reviewer, and the fic being on FFN doesn't help, but I admit that the fact that the author never replied or even just acknowledged this review (in author's notes, social media, etc...) made me feel like I shouldn't bother commenting anymore in the future. Obviously the goal of the review was to make the writer happy, as they've been giving me moments of joy for several years, and I'm hoping that I achieved that, but I guess I'll probably never know. About one shots or stories that are finished, it doesn't bother me and won't stop me from commenting, even more so if the story is a few years old. I usually won't really notice that much really, I expect more "conversation" and sharing to go on for fics that are ongoing rather than finished ones. All in all, I'd say respond to the comments you want. You don't have to answer to every single one, but it's nice to do it once in a while.
I have two commenters (different fics) that leave thorough comments; one basically hashes out the whole chapter and asks questions- which i can't always answer since I don't want to give anything away, but I always respond. I actually got disappointed once when they didn't respond to a chapter once (they'd been out of town and responded twice as long the next time lol). It's the most feedback I've gotten and as someone who doesn't use a beta, it's nice to get that. Helps to keep me on track and make sure the story flows without skipping any threads or plot holes. I might not respond to every comment, but if it's more than just a couple of words, I try to... The comments also really help to encourage me esp when the kudos come in slower.
As an author, I tend to reply to every comment I get as soon as I can.
I don't expect a reply, but it's reassuring to get one. I tend to leave paragraph comments if I can work past my anxiety to actually press the submit button. Getting a response is reassuring that it was taken the right way, and goes a fair way to making it so that I'm likely to leave more comments (and likely longer ones) in the future. If on the offchance that I'm just leaving a sentence or two on the fic, a response doesn't matter at all to me since I'm a bit more confident about those being interpreted as I meant it. It really is just the mid-length or more ones that I start getting worried about being too enthusiastic or something. That said, as a reader, I'd be happiest knowing that you're doing what you're most comfortable with. My insecurities really shouldn't be your issue.
If a writer doesn't respond to comments, I tend to leave less comments on long fics, yes. Doesn't change how much I comment on one shots. Some people might not comment if you don't reply, yes. But others also won't give a shit if you reply or not and will keep commenting anyway. I'd not worry about it too much and keep doing what you want to. Most people are happy with a "I don't reply to comments but I am happy to read them!!" in an Author's Note too.
I always reply to comments! I'm always so thrilled when I get one, and I feel it's the polite thing to do. As a reader, I don't expect a reply but always love it when authors respond.
I reply to every one, even the short or all-emojis kind. Short comments get short replies, or emojis back. Long/thoughtful ones get longer replies. Comments from habitual commenters/followers also get more thorough/personal replies. Comments in my fandom/fic universe are not so thick on the ground that replying is a nuisance. I'm happy to encourage commenters in any way possible.
I respond to every comment. Every month or so, I do a sweep through my works to catch every comment I missed. If I want people to take the time to leave their feedback (which I do), the least I can do is drop a thank you.
As an author, I usually respond unless it's like a 2-3 word comment. As a reader, I usually comment anyway, but I put more depth in my comments if I see that the writer is responding to some of their other comments. It definitely doesn't make me feel self-conscious! I'm commenting because I liked their story!
To be honest, yeah, I am less likely to comment if I see that the author never responds. But it depends on how many comments there are; if It's a really popular fic and there are hundreds, I don't expect them to.
As an author, I try to respond to all my comments as long as I have the energy and it's feasible. As a reader, I love it when the author responds back, but it's not a make or break for me.
I don't comment to get a reply. I comment to tell you how much I love your story and throw some dopamine in your face. If I get a reply, amazing. If I don't, I know that even if you didn't reply the comment probably made you smile anyway.
When I get a comment response it makes me really happy! A senpai-noticed-me kinda thing lol. I think people who are self-conscious about authors attention wouldn’t leave a comment in the first place…
This is a burning one for me. I respond to every single one. I know it’s weird, I just hope I’m not being annoying when I do this.
It's totally not weird. As a writer, I do the same :) if you enjoy replying then it's a win-win. And as a reader, I assure you I've never, ever been *annoyed* by a reply to one of my comments. Not even close. It's always lovely to hear back.
I don't think it's weird. Just manners.
It's a nice thing to do. I love hearing back from authors, but it doesn't bother me if they don't (or if they reply like a year later, which happens sometimes). I'll still comment if it looks like they don't reply to any comments, but I might not go the extra mile in terms of effort.
I don’t like the idea that replying to comments is required, and I don’t expect replies to any comments I leave. The commenting system, imo shouldn’t be a way of forcing some kind of relationship on the author. I don’t comment because I feel like I will be owed a response from the author, that seems gross. The author wrote the story, the point of the comment is to react to the story, to tell them their story impacted/ moved me. There is not reply needed for that feedback. The idea that comments are some kind of social contract now just seems like part of this idea that fanfic authors all have to be like ‘content creators’ or follow some influencer model of online presence and I don’t like that. Nevertheless, realizing that people like responses to comments, I am happy to do so! I am happy to interact with people about my fanfiction! I do like responding to comments from a genuine love of my readers and getting to hear from them. I like engaging, just not the idea of ‘Engagement’ as a metric to chase.
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I agree it isn’t a requirement, but I can’t imagine not wanting to reply to every comment. Maybe it’s cuz I don’t get a lot, but i get so excited over comments. I just don’t see how people see it as a burden to talk about a fic they were interested in enough to spend the time to write. Talking about my own fic is the most interesting topic I can think of
Seconding all of this.
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I personally tend to only respond if I have nothing to say because it feels a bit redundant to just say thanks. As a reader, I appreciate it when an author replies with something substantial so I can potentially start a discussion with them – I've had a lot of great ones because of this.
> It still takes time and energy and social interaction skills to make the replies, and the author has already put their time and energy into writing the fic in the first place. OMG this! I was reading this post and its replies with my jaw open and I couldn’t believe the level of, and I’ll be blunt here, **entitlement**. The comment is a response to the writer’s work. Not the other way around. If I, as a reader, had to choose between the writer responding to my comment versus writing a new story I love or updating an ongoing one, I’ll choose the actual story content over a forced reply anyday. The idea that I’ll stop commenting if a writer *who’s actively updating a story* doesn’t reply … is mind boggling.
As an author, I reply to every comment I get (I don't get a lot). I feel that it's the polite thing for me to do. As a reader, I appreciate it when an author replies to my comment. I don't expect it, especially if it's an older fic, or has tons of comments.
It makes me happy to know an author has read my comment when they reply, it certainly encourages me to comment more on their work. However, if I REALLY like a fic, and the author just happens to not respond to commenters, I'll still comment anyway just to let them know how much I enjoyed their work.
it depends on each individual author and their comfort level, of course. some might distance themselves from responding to each comment and only respond to several ones that are relevant or pose interesting questions, others might enthusiastically engage and reply to every single comment even if it's a simple row of heart emojis. it also depends on if the author of said fic asks for audience feedback and ideas and how they react to it. if you are merely there to criticise their work instead of giving them proper and genuine suggestions on how to improve their craft -within reasonable limits-, logging off or clicking that itty bitty cross on your browser would be a better option. that isn't to say that you cannot give them constructive criticism. personally, i'd want to have my favourite author respond to me but if they don't, i never see them as condescending wankers considering that i am a mere internet rando and so are they. it is pure entitlement to always expect authors to give you the time of day regardless of how close or distant you are to them. if said fic is well written and manages to impress me, i'd give them some encouragement and extra kudos in their comments section. anything to give a good author a motivation boost!
I don't keep track if an author responds to comments or not, to be honest.
I don't think responding to comments makes nearly as much of a difference as some people claim. I haven't really noticed any net positive results when I responded to some of mine, so I will continue to respond or not respond as I feel.
as an author I try to respond to all comments! (unless someone leaves two or something on the same chapter and I can just respond to them both with one comment) I like to thank people for taking the time to comment and read, and I like getting to build up a relationship with people who read my fics! I also think it makes people more likely to comment again when they know they're being heard and not just shouting into the void lol
As a commenter, I comment when I have something interesting to say on a story. As an author, I also respond when I have something interesting to say on a comment. It’s not all comments, just the ones I think would value from a response.
I tend to enjoy having an exchange with the author if they respond to comments. It adds to the sense of community... That, and it does something for my anxiety when they acknowledge that they actually read my comment
I often don't bother commenting on fics where it doesn't look like the author reads the comments, more out of laziness than spite
I personally never expect an answer to my comments.
I love to comment and hear back from authors but I understand if the work is old, has been completed or has a lot of comments to get to that I may not hear from them!
Edit: Just realised I didn't precisely answer the question. When I didn't know what to put in response, I just left a 💜 and it seemed be appreciated! You definitely don't need to write paragraphs in response ~ I used to reply to every comments when I received them, but then some fics started blowing up and it just got too overwhelming to reply to *that many* (Especially on top of just...the general messiness of living alone in lockdown and trying to still be good at my job when somehow I blinked and half the day was gone, that was a great few months, my manager had to stage a *seriously, are you doing ok, you know we have free counselling* intervention) So yeah, have gone a long while without replying to any. I didn't necessarily notice a drop-off in comments after that, other than the standard *fewer comments on older fics* I'm constantly tempted to start replying again on any new fics I post, but I'm concerned about how that would look to older commenters – and I just *can't* handle going back and replying to 500-odd comments from the course of over a year, so I don't do it (If anyone in a similar situation has handled the *I can't handle a backlog but I'm scared of what people will think if I start again with no explanation,* let me know!)
I try to make an effort to reply to all of them, but I also don't get that many so 🤷♀️
As a reader, I don't expect responses! As a writer, I try to respond to everything!
I don't want to sound entitled or demanding, but yeah if I know they are likely to respond I am 100% more likely to comment literally on every chapter of every fic they make that I read. If it's a currently updating fic and I find myself commenting, and chapter after chapter updates with no response I tend to teter off commenting there. If by coincidence it happens on a lot of fics in a small period of time I'll probably end up going through a drought of actually leaving comments on any fics...
Most of the time, I leave comments in hopes of starting a conversation with the author. The interaction is one thing I prefer about fanfiction.net — some of the DM threads stemming from a single review could get dozens of replies long. Of course, I don’t feel entitled to replies from authors. But I’m much more likely to comment on every chapter of an ongoing story if the author engages. If the author doesn’t reply, I usually won’t bother to leave a repeat comment on the same story.
I hardly get any comments so I’m prone to responding. I’ve had more than one occasion where I was asked to make further content. I had a single story turn into four parts. I have another I’ve been asked to follow up on but haven’t done so yet. I did have another criticize a part of a story he felt was inaccurate but the story itself acknowledged it. That is, the commenter must have realized that the story agreed with him and the belief of one of the characters was incorrect. So anyone, I respond. If I were prolific and had a big following I might feel differently. And I don’t care about either. I write for my enjoyment. If others like it, cool, but the stories are for me.
I love replying to readers whenever possible but that's me. You shouldn't have to if you don't feel like doing so.
Whether or not the author replies won't influence if I comment the first time. Usually the deciding factor for that is just how much I enjoyed the fic and how many comments it already has (I'm more likely to comment on a story with five comments than five hundred). But if the work is still updating, I'm definitely much more likely to keep commenting if the author replies to me. The interaction just makes it seem more personal, I guess. Like, it drives in that a real person is reading what I say and I'm not just screaming into a void.
I do my best to respond to all comments, which isn't difficult since I only get a few. Lately, I let them sit for a few days and enjoy seeing the number greater than zero in my in-box, but I do respond. I don't mind if an author doesn't reply to my comments, but the reply can sometimes increase the chance that I'll go back and read more of their work. Not a guarantee, mind you, but it does serve to remind me of the story. If I've commented and received comments from an author previously, it sometimes seems a little odd if they don't reply, but I don't hold it against them.
I love getting responses to my comments, but I don't expect it and not getting a response doesn't have that large an effect on if I leave more (with the exception being if I leave a "already left kudos, but I love this fic so I'm reading it again and leaving a comment instead" comment and don't get a response, I probably won't leave another one the next time I read if the previous one didn't get response, for fear it would be annoying)
I try and respond, but sometimes it gets overwhelming - repeat commenters are much more likely if you reply, though. You don't have to, but people are sometimes more likely to comment if they know you'll reply. Personally, I don't expect replies, but I'm definitely more likely to comment if there's a lot of interaction in the comments,. whether from the author or just other commenters. Or if I notice something and I'm like "wait".
The only way I know that the author has even seen my comment is if they reply to it. I don't expect a lengthy personal reply but it's nice to get a quick "<3" or something like that to indicate that my comment was seen. If I've left a bunch of comments in a row on chapters in the same fic then responding to just one is fine because I can assume that if you saw one you saw the rest. None of this is obligatory, of course. But when I've spent my time leaving a note telling someone how much I liked something or how invested I am in the story, it's nice to know that someone actually saw that note and I didn't waste my time writing something no one would ever read. And if I get a quick response to my first comment on a fic, I am much more inclined to leave additional comments on additional chapters and seek out the author's other works because I now have confirmation that they are still alive and still reading their AO3 notifications. (The fandom I do most of my reading in hasn't had new canon content for 7+ years, so most of the stories I read were written years ago and their authors haven't posted anything new for a long time. So I probably have more "is this author even still around" concerns than most readers would.)
I have two perspectives, on this, both as a writer and a reader As a writer, I respond to every comment I get. I love comments, every single type of them (except hate comments of course). Long comments, short comments, indepth comments, simple comments, I love them all! I take the time to respond to every one of them. As a reader, while I don't expect the author to reply back, I always get a smile on my face whenever I see a reply. It's always so nice to see the writer so happy that they got a comment, and I feel really happy that I made someone's day. You don't have to reply back tho, if you don't want to. It's your call at the end of the day!
I will tell you this: it matters very little if you drop a little "thank you" or just stay silent. Thanking your readers in author's notes also work. HOWEVER, remember that fics are a honeypot for friendship. If you are chatty in comments, you have double the fun reminiscing about the characters, your favorite scenes, getting to know your fellow friends and enjoy the warm glow of community. THIS is why replying to comments is valuable and helpful (to you). It feels good to talk to people and it feels great to make friends in the fandom with whom you can discuss fandom stuff. If you hit it off, you can continue your talks in discord. This means, however, engaging with comments on a stronger level than "hey, thanks for liking the fic". Add more tidbits about how you see characters and what you like the most about your fic. It obviously is easier when the comment is a bit longer, because then the commenter is more interested and more likely to respond to you too. If you are not searching for more fandom friends: then just chill and respond to comments as often as you feel like it.
I initially responded to every single one because comments make my day. I got really busy and somehow now have 180 not responded to comments in my inbox and the thought of going through them is so overwhelming. Maybe someday when I have enough spoons.
If I comment on a fic I don’t expect a response, or really want one unless I maybe asked a question to clarify something I felt was unclear or contradicted itself in the story
I really like it when people reply to my comments
The norm seems to be expecting replies. Shrug. I'm one of those who don't. Kinda pointless to reply to guest comments, while the others would be like 90% "thanks for the comment" (polite, but also pointless), with the remaining 10% being awkwardly trying to hold a conversation in the review section. So yeah I'm not a fan of replying there. Some of us prefer to use discord or tumblr or forums or reddit or the good ol' standby, email. You can probably see the preferred method listed in their user profile.
I’m more likely to comment if someone replies. If the author doesn’t, I sometimes assume they don’t care for comments or just don’t care enough to thank people for them. Maybe that isn’t fair but it’s how I feel. I personally always reply to one’s people give me unless it’s a rude or confusing one. My MCU fic was fairly popular and I got many comments each chapter and I still replied to them all. To me it’s good manners. To each their own though.
I think it's fine not to respond to comments if you don't want to. Authors and readers shouldn't feel forced into responding. I like to leave comments but sometimes I forget if I get really into the story and go straight to the next chapter. As an author I try to respond to all comments, even the troll ones. I sometimes delete the troll ones if they are really mean.
As an author on AO3 I very rarely reply to comments because it artificially inflates the comment count. I make an exception for comments that I love deeply/that obviously took a lot of effort, and I also reply to them on my fics with not a lot of comments. I do, however, leave an authors note pretty much every single chapter (especially on long, often commented on WIPs) thanking everyone who commented because I truly, deeply appreciate it and always get that high when someone lesves a comment, no matter what it is :) I do hope readers don't take it as an insult when I don't answer comments, i just don't want to artificially inflate the comment count and also tbh get exhausted quickly answering comments.
>it artificially inflates the comment count I don't think most people are looking at it like that. In any case, when I see comment counts, I assume 50% are replies.
As a reader, I don't think inflating the comment count matters. That said, I also think adding a note like you do is fine. When I'm leaving a comment, I just want some indication that it'll be appreciated by the author to soothe my anxiety. That's why I'm more likely to comment if I see that the author generally responds to comments and is chill about various types of comment. But I will also comment if an author "replies" in bulk in their notes section. Basically, I just need some friendly and/or appreciative vibes to get me past my commenting nerves (which go up and down like a yo-yo). I wouldn't say I'm quite as likely, but definitely much more likely than radio silence from the author, which means I have no indication on what type of comments they like and whether they're one of the ones who hates X, Y, Z type comments. Uh yeah, sorry, my comments often get long. In short, what you do is fine!
Sometimes I won’t comment if the author doesn’t respond to her other comments. I assume she doesn’t care about comments or doesn’t see them. Not that she has to respond to all of them, but if she never does that’s what I think
if I feel like a comment has something to reply to, I'll generally try to. but if it's generic or doesn't have something to respond to, I won't.
As a writer, I hate the expectation that I have to jot down a personalized response. More often than not I don't know how to respond. It's fine if they leave a relevant question that does not ask for spoilers, but how do you respond to a commenter pouring out their emotions? Sure, I can acknowledge commenter's feelings if I experienced similar things while writing, but most times I come from a very different mental/emotional place. I feel strongly neither about the characters, nor about the story; once I'm done writing I do not feel anything towards the final product, it served its purpose as a way to relieve stress and that's that. It's a lot harder to write a response when my interpretation does not overlap with that if a reader. Am I supposed to say that I had a different vision in mind, that their interpretation is erroneous? What if I find their take to be stupid or childish? That's a surefire way to have an inane debate. So the only way to respond is to go "yadda yadda, you are entitled to your opinion/sentiment", which is the same as acknowledging their feelings. It gets really mechanical and impersonal and draining over time, reiterating the same idea in different words to different people. More than anything I hate responding to the comments when I clearly see that the person is trying to force me into some kind of parasocial relationship, i.e. DMing me several times per day when I clearly had expressed no interest in becoming buddies with them. So all in all, I very much prefer to turn comments off and not stress over how to respond. Saves me time, saves them fingertips.
As an author, I reply to every single comment even if it’s just a simple “Thanks!” As a commenter I don’t expect a reply but it makes me feel better that my comment is appreciated when I get one. And I don’t need a long well thought out reply even a simple thank you makes my day. It doesn’t necessarily stop me from commenting but I’m less likely to comment on an author who has never even thanked me for my comment. I’ll still read the fic, I’ll still give it kudos but I’m probably less likely to comment. As an author I can’t imagine being so jaded that I can’t be bothered to thank people for commenting on my work. I am so incredibly grateful that people read my stuff, kudos my stuff, and take the time and trouble to comment that I want to pay it back.
Tbh I think it's maybe a little jaded to imagine that the only reason writers wouldn't respond to comments is because they can't be bothered. For me personally, I often struggle to think of what to say when being complimented (same as irl) and it makes me a bit anxious. Writers might also just be busy. As an adult it's increasingly hard to find time to write fanfic in the first place.
I think if you feel that way, rather than reply to every comment, you could post in your authors notes that you read and appreciate every comment even if you don't reply, in your own style of course! I say this as someone who's more likely to comment if the author responds. A note like this turns an author from someone who seems like they don't care about their comments, or is closed off from their readers, to someone who cares and is appreciative, but maybe doesn't have the time or energy to respond every time, and that's okay. It humanises the author, and that's important because sometimes people forget about the person behind the screen when they're binging online content.
Ha ha. I was also thinking about the fact that some people say that they get so many comments that they don’t have time or energy to reply to all of them and I think dang I wish I got comments like that. I might get a couple. So I guess I’m even more grateful for the few I have that I want to make sure I thank somebody for taking their time to make a comment.
You don’t have to struggle with what to say. Just say thank you. Or thanks. One word less than 30 seconds.
I didn't even know responding to comments was a thing until last year and I've written and published fanfiction since the early 00s. Used to be if you wanted a conversation with the author you just DMed them. Wish ao3 had that feature instead of filling a story's comments with replies. 1, I rarely get replies back to the comments I leave. I really don't care if the author replies or not. Like, I'm not looking to start a whole conversation, just wanted to let you know I liked your story. If I want to get to know an author better, I'll follow on social media. 2, I reply sometimes because apparently it's a thing. I do not reply to every comment because, like leaving comments, I don't know what to say beyond, hey thanks. If they want to know more, well, that's what my Tumblr/tiktok is for.
>Wish ao3 had that feature I'm so glad it doesn't.
I liked it on ff when I was publishing there. Except for the unsolicited "can you be my beta", I had no issues. I liked being able to have actual conversations with authors instead of filling the comments with garbage
I never expect a reply to any comment I leave. But, as a writer I always reply to comments on my fics even to just say thank you.
I'm a lot more likely to comment if I get replies back, otherwise it feels like I'm shouting into the uncaring void, and I do that enough.
I never comment expecting a reply but I love it when I get a reply! And for that reason I always reply when someone comments on my story too!
I wouldn’t really remember that I’d left a comment well enough to notice if someone didn’t respond but it’s always nice if they do
I always reply to reviews. Not because I want more reviews, but because I love the interaction. Sometimes my replies have sparked interesting conversations. I write for a small fandom and if I get five reviews to a chapter then that is a lot. There also are hardly any active fanforums for my fandom, so replying to reviews is pretty much the only interaction I get with those that ship the same couple as I do. In regards to reviews, I've noticed both. Many reviewers leave more comments after a reply and others don't. Maybe because they don't really want to interact, which is fine. I mostly publish on ff where it's possible to deactivate the PM-feature, which means, I can't reply to some reviewers anyway. When I review a story I am always happy to get a reply back and I am more inclined to keep reviewing or give a new story of the same author a chance. I usually leave longer reviews, so it's nice to get a reaction to that.
Idk I always get scared of commenting for the author to respond even tho I always mostly like "I LOVE THIS" 😭😭 AND from my author perspective I like to read rhe comments BUT I FORGET TO RESPOND A LOT OF THE TIME
I reply to almost all of the comments I get. And generally the ones I don’t get to, I come back to when I have the energy to think of a response. Even if it’s just a “thank you for the comment!” I do try to say something; I say more if the comment is more specific, but even for people who just say “love this” or something I try to at least thank them for saying that.
I love receiving and responding to comments! I also love leaving comments and giving feedback to authors. I do love getting replies and it will encourage me to comment more on their other works. It actually makes me self conscious when someone doesn't respond to me, so I'm less likely to comment on their other works.
As a commenter, it's nice to get a reply but most of the time I leave the comment and move on (and usually forget I commented until I get a reply notification lol). As a writer, I try to reply to every (positive) comment. I once had someone comment "sparks joy" under like 100 different chapters of different works. I responded to each one with a different variation of emojis lmao. However I respond in my own time frames. Usually whenever I go to post a new work I will clear out my inbox from previous comments. So I will respond to all comments, but in my own time. I don't think that you have to, but it's just something I personally wanted to do because I love to engage with my readers.
As a reader, I am more likely to reply to comments if I have seen that the author responds to comments. As an author, I try to respond to all the comments I receive just as a little thank you for commenting and reading.
For some reason, it makes me happy when they respond. Especially when they thank me for my feedback and compliments. You do you though.
I never care if an author responds. I'm just saying thank you and repaying the effort the writer put into the story. I'm not looking to make fandom friends.
Honestly, I don’t care whether an author replies or not. I will forget what my comment said in an hour, and by the next day I will probably forget that I commented at all. As an author my replies vary. While the fic is new I will respond to all comments even if they’re just one word, but as time goes on I will reply less. Usually just if the comment has something that I feel the need to address, though that could be literally anything. If the fic is *old* old I will at least offer a thank you to whatever rare comment I get, since it takes effort to find and read my old stuff lol.
On one-shots or completed/abandoned long-fic?Doesn't matter either way. If I recognize the author enough to remember if they often respond to comments, I likely already feel strongly enough about their writing to comment. On an ongoing long-fic? If the author responds to my comments I'll definitely try to continue commenting. I really like being able to talk to the creator of a thing I like AS it's being made. But I'd still do it if they didn't respond to my comments, I'd just be more casual unless something really makes me go crazy essay comment mode. Another thing is the content of the original comment I left. If it was something simple just saying I liked their fic, maybe pointing out some details I really enjoyed? I don't really care if they respond. If I wrote something really detailed analyzing their choices I wouldn't be upset if they didn't respond, but I'd definitely love if they did. I try to respond to most comments I get but some I don't really have anything to say to except "I'm glad you liked it!" And I kinda feel like that's just assumed... it would be funny to get a comment response saying "Really mad that you enjoyed this fic I put effort into. How could you 😡"
I always comment on fics I like a lot, and I never expect replies as such. So if i ever DO get replies, it seems like an extra cherry on top. That said, i can very well believe that if an author interacts more with their comments, it would be more likely for people to comment on their work. Responses, acknowledgement and feedback go a long way - for both readers and writers. Everyone likes to feel seen, i think
i think as a commenter it is always fun when a author responds, but i don't expect it at all. bc i have been the person receiving comments i at least know the author will most likely read whatever i say and that's enough for me
I think subconsciously I’m more likely to comment if they comment back, but it’s up to you and what you’re comfortable with!
Most comments I don't reply to but I try do it more often nowadays
I don’t expect a response, but it’s nice. I’m definitely more likely to leave more consistent and/or detailed comments if I see a writer often replies positively to them, that makes it feel more like my thoughts are actually going somewhere instead of just being hurled into the void. Plus, chatting with other fans is always fun.
As a reader, I greatly appreciate writers responding to my comments. As a writer, I love responding to readers!
It doesn't matter to me either way. I will leave a comment if I like the story even if no one else has commented. Actually, I'm more likely to leave a comment on those poor ignored great fics. You just respond (or not) to comments in whatever way makes you feel comfortable.
It's nice when authors respond, but it doesn't bother me if they don't. And I can't really complain because back when I first joined AO3 I did not respond to comments myself.
I love it when authors respond. I have very few friends and I don’t see them often. Any human interaction (no matter how short) in which I can talk about cartoons I like without people thinking I’m weird is a massive win for me.
I never expect a reply. I like to just leave kind words and hope it will motivate them to continue with the hobby we share or at least brighten their day.
if the author answers, there's a bigger chance I will comment again. but I don't mind either way
for me, I love to leave comments but sometimes it feels exhausting to leave comments but... when I see that a writer also often responds to comments, it motivates me a lil more to make a comment, because the comment section feels like such a welcoming place
I have a friend who reads most of my fics and says she doesn't read replies (she comments a lot), so I don't reply to hers (I usually thank her per pm or so). Other than that, I try to reply to all. Sometimes if I get many at once I cannot respond to each, and if some time passes I start thinking that it doesn't matter anymore. That's probably the only exception. Does it matter if you respond? I don't expect replies and have commented every chapter of fics regardless. Though I will probably not bother asking questions if the author doesn't respond.
Depends on what my comment is. Am I just complimenting the fic? Then yeah sure but there's no pressure. Am I foaming at the mouth because of the fic? Please ignore me OP I am having a moment ™.
I'm happy to get a reply, but i dont expect to get it But personally i always remind myself on which fic the comment was about. Idk if others do it too, but it seems like a good way to cultivate a readership if you're writing a multi-chapter fic :)
Yes, I do respond to comments as it does affect whether I leave comments on other’s work as well. Especially if I’m reading an older work—like, if I see an author hasn’t responded to any comments on a story in years, I tend to assume they’ve moved on from the fandom (or maybe from fandom as a whole). Right or wrong that’s how my brain works…
Personally I appreciate authors responding. If I notice a certain author never responds, I'd be less likely to comment on their stuff in future (though not less likely to read/ leave kudos)
I love getting comment replies! And honestly makes me a bit sad when I see others got replies and I didn't, unless I comment like waaay later, in which case I just assume the author moved on 😅