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Seeing a bunch of people posting about negative or “helpful” comments on fic. I’ve had a long day with family and a beer so I’m going to weigh in.
Background - I come from original fiction first, I’ve sold SFF short stories, been a member of critique groups and workshops etc...
Background - I come from original fiction first, I’ve sold SFF short stories, been a member of critique groups and workshops etc...
There’s a BIG thing in traditional publishing (and I assume in self pub to a degree as well) that reviews are NOT meant for the author.
The author can’t change things in a published work, correct things, etc. The work itself has gone through SO many rounds of...
The author can’t change things in a published work, correct things, etc. The work itself has gone through SO many rounds of...
... critique partners, betas, edits, more edits, even more edits... even for short stories the number of professional publishing people who have read the work and made suggestions is higher than you’d think.
So authors can’t really DO anything with reviews. Reviews are...
So authors can’t really DO anything with reviews. Reviews are...
... opinions of (usually) non-publishing non-author types. These opinions are INCREDIBLY valuable... to other readers.
But they can be incredibly harmful to authors. Writing is lonely, even with a bunch of others working in publishing who love your book/story and work with you.
But they can be incredibly harmful to authors. Writing is lonely, even with a bunch of others working in publishing who love your book/story and work with you.
A negative review that is sent to an author or that an author is tagged in can blindside them out of nowhere, months/years after they stopped working in that piece, and knock them off track for days. Weeks.
It’s not helpful. It’s not helping them improve their work.*
It’s not helpful. It’s not helping them improve their work.*
*caveat to that is if an author includes problematic things due to unconscious bias or ignorance. There is a need and a value to letting an author know and giving them a chance to grow and learn.
How does this relate to fic?
All of that is for an author who was PAID. They wrote a thing, and were given money for that thing.
A big part of that is knowing that they should expect public critiques and reviews. That’s part of the job, and anyone who sells a work...
All of that is for an author who was PAID. They wrote a thing, and were given money for that thing.
A big part of that is knowing that they should expect public critiques and reviews. That’s part of the job, and anyone who sells a work...
... no matter how much or how little they sell it for, is agreeing to that. It’s not fun sometimes, it can be awful. But reviews are part of the job you were paid to do.
Fic authors are NOT paid. We do what we do for love. Our “payment” is community interaction.
Fic authors are NOT paid. We do what we do for love. Our “payment” is community interaction.
That’s the only “payment” we can expect (barring people taking commissions etc).
Kudos and good comments are legitimately the currency fic readers spend to keep the author going. Every kudos they get adds emotional energy to the well they draw on to write the next thing.
Kudos and good comments are legitimately the currency fic readers spend to keep the author going. Every kudos they get adds emotional energy to the well they draw on to write the next thing.
That’s why it’s so incredibly important to interact in some way with work that you love, even with an emoji comment. You’re feeding the fic author, who then feeds you in return with another chapter.
That’s not the best analogy but I’ve had beer so it’s what you get.
That’s not the best analogy but I’ve had beer so it’s what you get.
So, a negative comment STEALS that emotional energy. Not just a little of it but a disproportionate amount of energy and drive is sucked away by a “constructive criticism” comment.
Kudos and comments = energy. It isn’t money, but in this analogy it IS currency.
Kudos and comments = energy. It isn’t money, but in this analogy it IS currency.
Unless a fic author asks for constructive criticism, giving them a negative comment is taking that energy from them. It makes it THAT much harder to keep going.
Fic authors do this for love. Of the show/book/whatever, but also in a very large and real way - for the community.
Fic authors do this for love. Of the show/book/whatever, but also in a very large and real way - for the community.
Fic authors have no contract. They are not obligated to create content. They do not have a publishing relationship with readers like they would with an editor or a critique partner.
Readers are absolutely free to leave whatever type of comment they wish (barring harassment etc).
Readers are absolutely free to leave whatever type of comment they wish (barring harassment etc).
I’m not arguing for censorship etc. I would fight against that if someone tried to limit what readers could say in comments.
But if you’re old enough and mature enough to read explicit content, then you’re old enough to realize the social contract you’re in. The conventions you’ve agreed to by being part of the community.
Writing fic is emotional labor, effort and time. As authors it’s a JOY when people like our work.
But commenters should intentionally guard against sucking energy and love out of creators (fic, art, whatever) whose only “payment” is energy and love received from the community.
But commenters should intentionally guard against sucking energy and love out of creators (fic, art, whatever) whose only “payment” is energy and love received from the community.
If a reader hated a fic, not commenting or giving kudos is enough to show it.
They consumed the content, made use of the fic author’s labor, but did not “pay” them with interaction because they weren’t satisfied.
That’s fair.
Draining ADDITIONAL energy from them is not.
They consumed the content, made use of the fic author’s labor, but did not “pay” them with interaction because they weren’t satisfied.
That’s fair.
Draining ADDITIONAL energy from them is not.
Every word of fic written is a love letter to the original work and to our community.
If you love fic or fan art, protect creators even if you feel they have room to grow as writers/artists, or their take doesn’t match yours.
Don’t risk draining them so much they stop creating.
If you love fic or fan art, protect creators even if you feel they have room to grow as writers/artists, or their take doesn’t match yours.
Don’t risk draining them so much they stop creating.
Thank you for coming to my Tipsy TED Talk. *bows*
