Readers who declare that they're dropping the series they're reading

[DubstheDuke]

I'll be completely honest, I used to really get sad when someone would do this, but honestly as people did it more and more I was less and less disappointed with each one. Most of the time they would at least say why they were disappointed, which at least allowed me to think about some stuff to try and improve the story- which is better than them just leaving a 1 star rating for no reason.

 

[Jamminrabbit]

How else will they feel important? The real thread you should be creating is "readers please don't make death threats to the author"

 

[Pujimaki]

I experienced this one but it's okay, after all, I can't force them if they don't like my story. I will write even if they did like it or not.

 

[zelotwo02]

It's really sad, I just got 1star rate on my novel, I mean I get it if you really hate it but the timing!!! just right when I was going to write a new chapter I saw a 1star rate Now I don't want to continue anymore

 

[CL]

If I drop a story it's very rare that I would leave a comment saying so-usually I'd just stop reading the story and remove it from the tracking/reading list if it's there. The only times when I might consider leaving a comment are when I've gotten invested into a story and there is a sudden and dramatic shift in the story in a way that makes it much, much worse (to me at least), usually quite far into the story. Even then though I don't leave negative reviews, downvotes, or anything like that though.

As an example-

Spoiler

a story that had the MC personality type as fairly kind, intelligent, striving to improve things for those they cared about, getting stronger to protect them, and generally trying to improve things around them. General tone of the story was comedic. Decent pacing and all, setbacks and triumphs. About 120 chapters in there was an out of nowhere swerve where MC and company got trapped in a place where the power scaling was absolutely 50 orders of magnitude higher than anything else before, MC gets kidnapped/saved by some new character who is even stronger than that. MC is returned to group, group freaks out for no reason and abandons MC, causing MC to have a mental breakdown and "forced evolution" into a demon that almost completely erases their personality and replaces them with a complete psycho, plus boosts their power level to be above the new character. MC now basically an idiotic insolent brat handed near unlimited power without any effort who hates humans for some reason, but likes demons/monsters and is willing to help them out or leave them alone if they don't want to join-but all humans must submit or die, and MC will and does hunt down any remaining humans who haven't sworn obedience. There were a few parts where the MC's remaining companions were still like "the old MC is still there somewhere since they helped someone or implied they would help people who tried to improve themselves", but...

Later the MC enjoys corrupting some of their old friends (and tortures and kills any that refuse to be corrupted) and about 40 chapters later eventually returns to their main base and has one of their friends gruesomely murder their only remaining family member who was mad at the MC for abandoning them for several years (getting a large number of the MC's old friends and followers killed) with no word even when the MC had the chance to return before-the context being that the MC had promised to keep them safe and had been working towards that before their original personality was killed and replaced, and the relative was someone who helped MC even get that far since they supported them when the MC was weak and alone. That's the point where I dropped the story and left a comment saying that the characters we knew from the first 100+ chapters were dead and replaced with complete psychos who are the polar opposite of what their characters were like at the start, and these personality shifts came out of nowhere and were incredibly forced.

I skimmed ahead about 100 chapters after that point and they were basically in a similar position, but at a higher scaling-higher body count, more stupid pointless drama, more allies betrayed and killed because it amused the MC or the ally didn't approve of the MC doing something stupid and psychotic. I think the MC also completely made humans extinct by that point-slaughtering anyone who didn't bow down and forcing all that did to be turned into demons.

That spoiler example sounds as if the author got bored and wanted to write something else instead.

That's fine if the complaints were legit, but otherwise? Well you wont see giving in to some little shit bitching about my work.

The complaints were apparently legit enough for the author to make changes. I wouldn't have rearranged something that hasn't been presented with a problem for years until this guy showed up with an instructor's manual on "How to Nitpick", but that's me.

 

[Blackout]

It's really sad, I just got 1star rate on my novel, I mean I get it if you really hate it but the timing!!! just right when I was going to write a new chapter I saw a 1star rate Now I don't want to continue anymore

it's okay. it happens to eveyone at some point. just stay strong and keep writing

 

[Mynamejeff]

As a reader, I prefer directly messaging authors if I have complaints (legitimate ones like plot inconsistency or writing quality becoming worse) and or suggestions. I don't like leaving public comments because it feels like trying to pressure the author into changing especially if its not a legimitate complaint. If its a valid complaint, then the author should still take it seriously although without other people supporting the complaint it might just look one guy's opinion.

 

[Shard]

Quick note for those discouraged over comments of people leaving, and/or low ratings... Just keep in mind that those mean people think you are important enough to actively put effort into interacting with. Someone telling you they are not reading anymore could mean any number of things, but it always means they put effort into interacting with you instead of just ignoring you, so in some way or another, you are important to them for a while at least. Likewise, someone going out of their way to leave a low rating (valid or not) is going out of their way to do so, with the 'hostile' ones thinking you are important enough for them to try to drag down.

So long as you enjoy what you are working on, just treat minimum ratings and 'I am leaving' comments as highly vocal fans that are not very nice.

Now if only I could convince myself to get enough of my own stuff written and good enough quality to allow myself to share and get people to hate me too... lol

 

[CL]

As a reader, I prefer directly messaging authors if I have complaints (legitimate ones like plot inconsistency or writing quality becoming worse) and or suggestions. I don't like leaving public comments because it feels like trying to pressure the author into changing especially if its not a legimitate complaint. If its a valid complaint, then the author should still take it seriously although without other people supporting the complaint it might just look one guy's opinion.

It also prevents other Readers from pulling out of their immersion and becoming more aware of whatever was publicly pointed out.

Quick note for those discouraged over comments of people leaving, and/or low ratings... Just keep in mind that those mean people think you are important enough to actively put effort into interacting with. Someone telling you they are not reading anymore could mean any number of things, but it always means they put effort into interacting with you instead of just ignoring you, so in some way or another, you are important to them for a while at least. Likewise, someone going out of their way to leave a low rating (valid or not) is going out of their way to do so, with the 'hostile' ones thinking you are important enough for them to try to drag down.

So long as you enjoy what you are working on, just treat minimum ratings and 'I am leaving' comments as highly vocal fans that are not very nice.

Now if only I could convince myself to get enough of my own stuff written and good enough quality to allow myself to share and get people to hate me too... lol

We still have to consider those who would attack anything with a specific tag (as in they never bothered to read it, just judged it for the tagged content).

 

[CupcakeNinja]

That spoiler example sounds as if the author got bored and wanted to write something else instead.

The complaints were apparently legit enough for the author to make changes. I wouldn't have rearranged something that hasn't been presented with a problem for years until this guy showed up with an instructor's manual on "How to Nitpick", but that's me.

I really feel that nitpicking thing you mentioned
I remember on guy saying, "for the love of God stop using the word crap. No self respecting man uses that word" about one of my stories. And I didnt even use it more than maybe a few times? I couldnt even remember using it once, to be honest. Anyway i must've, but the whole thing was such a stupid thing to nitpick over.

Like men cant say the word crap? Lol what nonsense even is that?

 

[Mynamejeff]

An author here. Dear readers, if you want to drop our series, please do so quietly and don't drop a comment just to tell the whole world that you're doing it. I've got used to it at some point but you might crush the spirit of some newbies. Please and thank you

As a reader, I feel like it kinds depends on the situation. For example if I feel like an author genuinely ruined a series that I really liked, I would probably do the whole "I'm dropping this series and here's why" rant. If its something like the series takes a turn that I don't personally like but I know that its just because of my preferences in stories that I don't like the series anymore, I just drop it quietly.

 

[Michuyu]

Prepare yourself, especially if your work goes popular.

I kind of doubt it xD but if it does, how do you suggest I prepare myself? T^T

 

[gaylolis]

i just tell them my story is not for everyone and move on, i guess.

 

[ForestDweller]

I wrote it in one novel but put down valid reasons upon doing so. It had a scheming 5 year old for a start and I thought it was horrible that the parent was happy about it. I'm talking about scheming and ruining someone's life here! If I had a 5 year old was like that I'd be shit scared lol. I thought something like that was wrong...
Each to their own I suppose...

That's a common trope in isekai stories where it's about noble politics and such.

And people want the MC to be smart, even as early as a five year old.

 

[happypanda]

well... as long as they don't drop a 1 star as well.

 

[Mynamejeff]

It also prevents other Readers from pulling out of their immersion and becoming more aware of whatever was publicly pointed out.


We still have to consider those who would attack anything with a specific tag (as in they never bothered to read it, just judged it for the tagged content).

Was that an argument against or agreement to what I said? (Genuine question out of curiousity btw, I'm not being sarcastic or want to start a debate)

 

[Zero300]

If someone comments that on one of your chapters, just reply with “Okay, bye. The exit is right there.”

 

[MarkofWisdom]

That spoiler example sounds as if the author got bored and wanted to write something else instead.

The complaints were apparently legit enough for the author to make changes. I wouldn't have rearranged something that hasn't been presented with a problem for years until this guy showed up with an instructor's manual on "How to Nitpick", but that's me.

It might have been.

Spoiler

I came across the story quite a while after it happened but apparently around that point, or maybe about 20 chapters earlier, the author had introduced a new character and fast tracked a romance with the MC, ignoring all prior love interests and having the old love interests suddenly pair off with characters they hadn't been interested in before. The author apparently changed their mind about it, not sure if bad feedback or just thinking it was poorly written and handled, and rewrote a fair portion of it to backpedal the romance stuff with the new character and not destabilize the established character personalities and relationships as much, but they kept the personality corruption into psychos and abrupt dramatic power escalation in the story and continued from there. I found this out from comments the author left on some of the chapters before/shortly after that character was introduced when some people commented on the situation and how it didn't make sense this new character was suddenly deeply trusted by the MC and a sudden soul mate type thing, to the exclusion of old love interests

During the quick skim 100+ chapters after I stopped I did see some attempts at comedy, but they fell pretty flat since they were between (or during) bouts of genocide and mass slaughter and the jokes weren't very good even on their own. Also situations that were like "see? MC still gets embarrassed or acts sweet toward their lovers like they used to. ...when they aren't murdering entire races for looking at the MC the wrong way or because MC felt their murder quota hadn't been reached for the day."

Like someone else mentioned-leaving a comment or response like that usually only happens because the person cared enough to do so-whether it be feeling disappointed in how the story turned out or annoyed at something the characters/author did, if the readers didn't care they would just tune out and leave no response or reactions. Doesn't excuse the really rude or trolly comments though

 

[CL]

That's a common trope in isekai stories where it's about noble politics and such.

And people want the MC to be smart, even as early as a five year old.

A story starring Stewie Griffin?

Was that an argument against or agreement to what I said? (Genuine question out of curiousity btw, I'm not being sarcastic or want to start a debate)

What I said was support towards your point. I can't fully agree, but I can point out the good those authors would get out of it. An opinion on what that Reader considered "wrong" (for them) might not be a problem for other Readers. But if it is announced for everybody to see, that in itself becomes an issue. It can distract and pull someone out of the world that that author created. Why? Because now they are too busy searching for this "problem".

 

[Mynamejeff]

I kind of doubt it xD but if it does, how do you suggest I prepare myself? T^T

If its not constructive criticism, just remember that its just one person whining and that there are so many more people that like your work and want to see more of it.