marc

A lot of readers aren't writers. They don't feel comfortable criticising a form when they aren't well-versed in its usage. I admit, I can get a little short in my notes. When I put a load of time into writing a 12000-word chapter and I get not one review (aside from my beta, who reviews almost before I publish) from a few hundred readers on multiple sites it's a bit disheartening. In the future I'm going to try to take a different, more creative approach to it, writing facetious "alternate endings" that I allegedly would have used if not for the one or two people who gave me feedback. Said reviewers will obviously get their deserved shout-out/dedication. I think that's the key. Rewarding those that leave feedback rather than being passive-aggressive and lashing out at those who don't. The second one is natural and the former requires more work, but in theory it's more likely to work. Honestly though, this is something I don't understand. Do readers not realise that in general, authors are going to publish subsequent installments faster if they perceive heightened interest? Every time I get a review or email in the weeks between chapters that says "can't wait for update" I tend to put aside what I'm doing for the rest of the day and get down to writing. I'd write it either way, it's a therapeutic recreation for me, but I'm more likely to put it aside when I feel like it's not being anticipated.