What to do with my ever increasing hate on silent readers

SailusGebel

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If you're writing to get praise that's incredibly sad. Share your story regularly and comments will come. Some will say 'thx4chap', others will say 'wtf is this shit?'.
Patience!
Getting comments =\= getting praise. A comment is a tool to help you write better. They allow you to gauge the reactions, find plotholes, notice mistakes and typos, getting a different look at your novel, and many more. I don't know why people think that wanting comments is equal to wanting fame and praise. Yeah, you can ask around for help here, on the forums, but it's not the same. People on forums aren't your target audience.
 

Commander_Bimba

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I don't know any magical technique to make your readers active. From reading experience, the only way to do it is to git gut and write super well-planned out chapters with no fillers and a ton of room for suspence and reader speculation.
You can also maybe try creating false accounts pretending to be readers to make people believe that your community is very active and they might be swept under the atmosphere but that is something I can only speculate to have seen on some commercialised sites and is probably not the best idea.
What's there to speculate in a smut? I would also like to know. Can't maintain my own Ac don't even wanna think about another one, I think I already forgot the password for this Ac gotta ask the google!
 

The_3rd_Book

Pedagogical Cannibalism?
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I am a silent reader for two reasons. For one I don't really talk to people online. I grew up with a really cheap kindle fire. It didn't support anything that needed a camera like social media platforms. Basically I didn't build the habit of writing my thoughts down for the world to see. Secondly, for the most part growing up I read physical books. In those books I didn't stop, and put a sticky note about my thoughts on it. I just turned the page. It seems I tend to do that online too. Sometimes I do write something like "thank you for the meal," or respond to a comment that caught my interest. Usually though I just want to read, and relax. If you want me to say something ask for something that requires a unique response. Sometimes I would say something, but somebody already has.
 

Commander_Bimba

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Getting comments =\= getting praise. A comment is a tool to help you write better. They allow you to gauge the reactions, find plotholes, notice mistakes and typos, getting a different look at your novel, and many more. I don't know why people think that wanting comments is equal to wanting fame and praise. Yeah, you can ask around for help here, on the forums, but it's not the same. People on forums aren't your target audience.
Well Response Senpai! 🍻
Sure, what do you wanna discuss? The complex psychology behind an enlightened lurker? The not-logged in reader problem? The nirvana of laziness? The lethargy to put your thoughts into words? Or something even more intricate?
I wanna discuss "What's the market price of potato there?"
I am a silent reader for two reasons. For one I don't really talk to people online. I grew up with a really cheap kindle fire. It didn't support anything that needed a camera like social media platforms. Basically I didn't build the habit of writing my thoughts down for the world to see. Secondly, for the most part growing up I read physical books. In those books I didn't stop, and put a sticky note about my thoughts on it. I just turned the page. It seems I tend to do that online too. Sometimes I do write something like "thank you for the meal," or respond to a comment that caught my interest. Usually though I just want to read, and relax. If you want me to say something ask for something that requires a unique response. Sometimes I would say something, but somebody already has.
A good advice Noted!
 

Ddraig

<First Dragon of SHF> <Pokemon Goddess of NuF>
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I am a silent reader for two reasons. For one I don't really talk to people online. I grew up with a really cheap kindle fire. It didn't support anything that needed a camera like social media platforms. Basically I didn't build the habit of writing my thoughts down for the world to see. Secondly, for the most part growing up I read physical books. In those books I didn't stop, and put a sticky note about my thoughts on it. I just turned the page. It seems I tend to do that online too. Sometimes I do write something like "thank you for the meal," or respond to a comment that caught my interest. Usually though I just want to read, and relax. If you want me to say something ask for something that requires a unique response. Sometimes I would say something, but somebody already has.
Well said.
I wanna discuss "What's the market price of potato there?"
Since I am not in Ireland in 1800s, it is at a decent spot, slightly costly but what is not this days?
 

Commander_Bimba

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Imagine a world where payment to read the next X number of chapters by the author was a single comment within those X number of chapters.
Now the real ideas rollin
Should I post a request for this at request section?
Since I am not in Ireland in 1800s, it is at a decent spot, slightly costly but what is not this days?
The inflation indeed...
 

LostLibrarian

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Writing is only fun when you have the readers
Honestly, I would say: this here is the problem.

Of course, writing is more fun when you have reader-interaction and positive feedback, but writing (or telling a story) itself should also be fun for you. If you only feel good with success, this will become a really toxic hobby as - like with any hobby - a majority of the early stages are failures.


That said, the easiest way to get readers is the surprise them by either "going further than they thought" or "doing something different". Doesn't need to be something huge, but it gives the readers something to say...
 

whitesculptor

The princess whispers & the keyboard clacks.
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Not the praise but a single response. Doesn't matter if it's bad or good. Praising or shitting excluding the abuse obviously. I ain't no masochist!

A mastermind indeed...

You have my respect
Thank you for that kind sir, just make sure you don't become ill with scribble, I say this cuz it felt like you were obsessively refreshing the page, and idk, could be a bad thing...
 

Ddraig

<First Dragon of SHF> <Pokemon Goddess of NuF>
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Imagine a world where payment to read the next X number of chapters by the author was a single comment within those X number of chapters.
a

There is your comment, I might mixed it up with some other letter once in a while too ~ As a bonus, this would make the comment section look increasingly garbage - removing any remaining possibility of a proper comment, not just from silent readers but also the talkative ones :)
If you make it any more annoying, well, most readers are gonna jist read something else.

Yeah it is not a good idea...
 

Commander_Bimba

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Thank you for that kind sir, just make sure you don't become ill with scribble, I say this cuz it felt like you were obsessively refreshing the page, and idk, could be a bad thing...
I wanna throw the ball right back at you... Stop stalking me!
Thank you for that kind sir, just make sure you don't become ill with scribble, I say this cuz it felt like you were obsessively refreshing the page, and idk, could be a bad thing...
Add with me being night time here. Got nothing to do. You can't blame me
 

Commander_Bimba

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*runs away and hides*
*Takes out ma shotgun and shouts* "whitieeesculptorrr! Where are you~?"
images - 2021-09-06T235138.588.jpeg
 

Snusmumriken

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Honestly, I think that one of the driving forces of comments is familiarity with the characters and setting. once your readers get a hold of how certain characters would react in any given circumstance they start to speculate. Once they start to get invested - they start to suggest the best ways forward so that their favorite character gets what they want.

More they are familiar and comfortable with the present story - more likely they are to talk about the future.

When I started out i had an occasional comment here and there, but as I kept writing (and responding to the comments) more and more showed up.
 

Biggest-Kusa-Out-There

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I have yet to be graced with this. Why is that? Grace me with your amazing knowledge, Kusa Senpai! :blob_aww:
Ah, you fortunate cat. I have gotten a few 'meh, this is shit' comments and some deleted their own comments shortly after.
Since when am I your Senpai? You've been here longer! You're the Senpai... no, the holy Cat to which we must sacrifice our worldly possessions.
Praised be Her Myagnificence Koyuki Megumi, the talking Feline.
 

whitesculptor

The princess whispers & the keyboard clacks.
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Honestly, I think that one of the driving forces of comments is familiarity with the characters and setting. once your readers get a hold of how certain characters would react in any given circumstance they start to speculate. Once they start to get invested - they start to suggest the best ways forward so that their favorite character gets what they want.

More they are familiar and comfortable with the present story - more likely they are to talk about the future.

When I started out i had an occasional comment here and there, but as I kept writing (and responding to the comments) more and more showed up.
This comment actually made more sense than I expected, it made me think on a lot of things, I am grateful.
 

Commander_Bimba

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Honestly, I think that one of the driving forces of comments is familiarity with the characters and setting. once your readers get a hold of how certain characters would react in any given circumstance they start to speculate. Once they start to get invested - they start to suggest the best ways forward so that their favorite character gets what they want.

More they are familiar and comfortable with the present story - more likely they are to talk about the future.

When I started out i had an occasional comment here and there, but as I kept writing (and responding to the comments) more and more showed up.
Gotta save this one...
Consistency and perversiveness is the key to success
 

KoyukiMegumi

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Ah, you fortunate cat. I have gotten a few 'meh, this is shit' comments and some deleted their own comments shortly after.
Since when am I your Senpai? You've been here longer! You're the Senpai... no, the holy Cat to which we must sacrifice our worldly possessions.
Praised be Her Myagnificence Koyuki Megumi, the talking Feline.
Heheheh, that is probably due to me long chapters <3 scare away the meanies~
Wait!?!? I am older... But, but... I came in June and you are in April. Kitty is uber confused! *Confusion attack was done and was super effective!*
* God-like properties have been disbanded because of a secondary effect!* K.O!:blob_dizzy:
 

Ddraig

<First Dragon of SHF> <Pokemon Goddess of NuF>
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Now the real ideas rollin
Should I post a request for this at request section?

The inflation indeed...
Now jokes aside, see whichever applies to you,
  • I tend to read a lot of completed stuff, lets divide it into some cases,
    • I am reading it as a pdf or on sites with no comment feature, cant blame me for that
    • I am reading something from like 2015, yeah it is a bit not worth commenting - if I really wanna talk about it, I will just go and annoy some forum members ... or not.
    • It is an old chapter, no point in commenting on chp 10 whwn the story is at chp 25
    • You are using blogger or something, yeahhhhh
  • You already are popular,
    • Well I am probably late to the party anyways
    • I wanted to make this comment but someone else already made it
    • Yeah I am not gonna be the guy who adds the thousandth thanks - infact I never will say thanks or comment if I dont have something worth bringing to the table
    • I am just gonna lurk and enjoy reading all this comments in peace
  • You are not so popular,
    • Yeah fam, everyone is waiting for someone else to start the discussion. You as an author are gonna need to make your community much more active - I aint wasting my time commenting in a dead comment section
Harsh but that is sorta how it goes, add in some laziness, unwillingness to frame a proper readable comment for the world to see and wanting to not want to interact on the internet does that.

Infact I would recommend you to check out how students behave in online classes - shit is so dead silent you would think you never connected to the call in the first place.

Some people just wont comment ever period. Some only comment if they feel like they can have an interesting discussion following the comment. Some just arent paying enough attention to really be able to comment anything.

As a further rec, if you really want a decent amount of reader feedback, check out quests on sufficient velocity - An interactive story with important choices after every chp or so tends to make for an active community
 
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