Fanfic Writers' Virtual Water Cooler

[Ikorni]

Exactly! Not that I'm complaining but I think they're confusing the following with something else... like being a Twitter follower or something. Just calling them story alerts was better, although even then it still happened but not as much in my experience.

Oh and even if there's going to be a sequel then they won't get an alert unless said sequel is in the second chapter of that story, rather than its own story.

Ha! Yeah, I'm flattered as hell that people follow me really, but the logic behind it is confusing, especially if the sequel to a one-shot is a large piece of work and a multi-chaptered story on its own. There still wouldn't be an alert for that anyway, unless the author is 'followed'.

I think I do understand why people keep following stories rather than the author to a certain extent though. Some authors tend to write for several fandoms and a reader might only be interested in a couple of stories in a particular fandom, so having an alert for a story in another fandom you don't really care for might be a let down when the email alert teases you with an update that you aren't looking for.

[fems]

Yeah, I get the distinction between following stories and authors but my confusion is mostly over people who follow all my stories and me as an author too (especially when all the stories are complete)!

I've heard some people will follow a complete story as a way of reminding themselves to read it (kinda like the 'mark for later' function on AO3) and I can see how that might be useful, but I simply don't get why someone would follow a story after they've finished reading it, which is often indicated by favoriting and/or reviewing it.

Plus, when it comes to favoriting or following an author then you could just read their stories in the fandom you like, rather than favoriting/following all of those stories...

But then I'm one of those people who likes to organize a lot of things to have a good overview, maybe it's different for others.

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

What's the likelihood that these people who favorite and follow everything (stories and authors both) don't understand what the buttons actually do? I don't spend enough time on FFN to know.

Seaboe

[Whytewytch]

- that obviously doesn't make you happy...

It's like that fic I wrote in the Warehouse 13 fandom that gets lots of kuddo's and yet has not a single review.

Yeah, that one drives me nuts, like seeing all the hits on ff.net and no reviews--it makes me wonder.

Or those who follow just one-shot stories when it has already been made clear that that's pretty much it....and that puzzles me.

I know, I know, there might always be a chance of a sequel, but still...

Again, no sense to me. Why follow a finished story? Whatever. I'll take the flattery.

[Falcon Horus]

Yeah, that one drives me nuts, like seeing all the hits on ff.net and no reviews--it makes me wonder.

I guess I did something good with that story, but I'd like to know what it was so that I can do it again... ...you know.

[Whytewytch]

I guess I did something good with that story, but I'd like to know what it was so that I can do it again... ...you know.

Exactly. And with the hits, you wonder if something worked and they liked it or if it was awful and they didn't, but again, you don't know what was good or bad. I guess we're just needy. Before all this instant gratification internet feedback, authors didn't have that luxury--if their books sold, they were good. Or used to line the birdcage.

[Princess Awinita]

I remember when there was a group of fanfic.net that did a top ten list every week of the best stories. I think its long gone now. But for a while three of my stories dominated the list in the top three as best writing or some such. I can't find the group now though. I'd LOVE to upload to fanfic again, but I will stick with DA thankyouverymuch.

[Whytewytch]

I remember when there was a group of fanfic.net that did a top ten list every week of the best stories. I think its long gone now. But for a while three of my stories dominated the list in the top three as best writing or some such. I can't find the group now though. I'd LOVE to upload to fanfic again, but I will stick with DA thankyouverymuch.

I use DA mostly for inspirational pics. What are advantages of DA for fic? Please?

[Princess Awinita]

I use DA mostly for inspirational pics. What are advantages of DA for fic? Please?

There are many advantages for posting text files {by method of copy/pasting unless you want to upload a PDF which are allowed, I've never done it myself personally though.} I'll list them

1. Individual content ratings; on fanfic.net I was unable to individually rate a chapter mature or why a chapter was rated mature. on DA you an set the mature level {moderate or strict} and why the upload is considered mature
2. Blocking trolls. On fanfic they have yet to impliment blocking system like DA has, when someone offends you in some way on DA all you need to do is click on the little pencil icon on the comment and select block user, when that occurs, the user in question wont be able to comment, fav, or contact you about the work in question. {this also keeps down the spammers!}
3. Pick and Choose what readers see in the comments; this is one of my favorite things of DA, if a comment offends me or another person, simply by clicking on the pencil icon, I can select hide comment, either as spam or just hidden. Nobody can see the comment, but in its place is a line stating "Hidden by Owner"
4. Unlimited space; "How many items in your gallery Mr Smith ? five thousand ? oh a million ?! Wonderful! yes we have room for you too!" basically sums it up.
5. More readers/viewers; DA has a strong "fair view" type of system that means everything gets their fair time to get viewed.
6. DA is completely free unless you want to purchase a premium membership in which case you can either upgrade your profile with all sorts of widgets and even outfit your journal on DA with cool colors and themes, or even be a beta tester and help test and find bugs in new features coming out!
7. There are however some limits
   1. Text files {copy/paste files} are limited to 64KB in size {unless uploading a PDF which is limited to 30MB in size}
   2. There is currently no limit to how many uploads one can make. This service is completely free and is well worth it. Multisubmit is still in beta at this time though.
   3. If hotlinking direct from your own gallery DA allows this perfectly fine. As long as it is YOUR image. Text files are not hotlinkable and must use the fav.me link system to share with others. {A fav.me link is automatically generated when a submission is uploaded}

Anymore questions ?

[Sealurk]

On the subject of favourites and follows versus reviews, I just feel that somebody going through your profile and favouriting/following every one of your fics ends up being very impersonal as well as pointless. While it is nice to know somebody wants to read my fics, when somebody does that mass fave/follow thing it feels like I am invisible to them and they're just out to build up some vast archive or library, often so big they can't possibly read or have read everything they stick in their favourites.

Frankly, I'll take one review over fifty favourite or follow notifications. At least that means somebody took the time to let me know what they thought and are aware that somebody actually put time into working on this for no real reward (reviews essentially ARE the reward). Hell, in all honesty I feel this way even for reviews that might be negative, because even then the fic elicited a response, an emotional reaction that the reader felt they needed to address.

I wonder if a lot of FF.net readers understand that reviews don't have to be thousand word in-depth analytical essays consisting of their observations of character design and motivations, plot structure and similarities to classic literature. While long, detailed reviews absolutely make my day, I'm also very happy to get one or two word reviews: "Great!", "Enjoyed it", "Bit crap really".

Of course one friend suggested the mass favouriting could essentially be reconnaissance and target painting ahead of a Critics United purge...

[Falcon Horus]

Of course one friend suggested the mass favouriting could essentially be reconnaissance and target painting ahead of a Critics United purge...

A what now?

[SF_and_Coffee]

Critics United is a self-appointed group of cyberbullies masquerading as critics. Their essential purpose, it would seem, is to rid FF.net of any fic that gets their panties in a wad/shorts in a knot/blows an uncomforting wind through their short-and-curlies.

More response and pushback here.

[Falcon Horus]

Right...

[Princess Awinita]

Of course one friend suggested the mass favouriting could essentially be reconnaissance and target painting ahead of a Critics United purge...

That is normally what that is. Normally when I get one of my stories favorited I get a review as well on it.

In fact this might seem good or bad take it as you will. but when I posted up a note on Bullies United {Critics United} I got a PM from another writer saying "THANK YOU for taking a stand against Critics United!! They are nothing more than a bunch of bullies looking to ruin other writers!"

I even put a CU reviewer in their proper place as well when one of them contacted me on one of my stories, slandered it and all I said was "I am just the editor, I know the lore. And think about this, on a ship of that size. Writing about every single crewmember is insane." Then when I saw his 'signature' I said "Now do me a favor and walk in front of a bus to stop your cyberbullying" and since then I've had no trouble from them anymore.

Since then in fact I am just using DA for my writing. heck I barely even use Live Journal as it is!

[Sparky She-Demon]

Is there any way to tell if someone is in Critics United?