Fandom Voices: Comments and Feedback by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Posted on 3 August 2024; updated on 9 August 2024
This article is part of the newsletter column Cultus Dispatches.
Fandom Voices: Comments and Feedback
Whenever I start to write an introduction about feedback on fanworks, I feel compelled to use the word "fraught." It seems I cannot consider a starting sentence that does not include this word. (Notice that I did in fact include it!) Authors worry about comments—or more aptly, a lack of comments—and readers worry about leaving comments, and both sides worry about whether their (very valid!) feelings around comments are offputting or even insulting to the other. The icebergs of feedback—just a tiny click but so much implied beneath the surface—one-click feedback like kudos and likes can also be fraught. (What does a kudos mean? What do data around clicks/hits versus kudos versus comments say about a work? How to interpret a reader who always comments but this time "just" kudos? Argh!) Authors don't want to alienate their readers; readers don't want to deter the creators who produce the fanworks that bring them so much joy. The result is sometimes a big emotional snarl where one's sense of competence and belonging ends up enmeshed in this small form field on a webpage.
Over the next few months, as part of the Cultus Dispatches column, I am exploring the topic of feedback on fanworks. I don't pretend that I can untangle the snarl; I don't honestly think it can be untangled. But I hope a few different approaches to studying feedback might at least let us pick out a few strings and follow them from end to end. This month's column is a Fandom Voices column. An occasional project as part of Cultus Dispatches, Fandom Voices features short surveys of no more than a question or two that fans can answer in as much or as little detail as they like, anonymously or with credit for their responses. From responses, I produce an article highlighting trends that I notice, and each article includes the full (lightly edited) responses at the end. The survey remains open indefinitely, and I update the response pool as new contributions come in.
This time around, I asked two questions:
- What has been your experience around receiving feedback on your Tolkien-based fanworks? You can consider any aspect of receiving feedback: different types of feedback, how different types of feedback make you feel, preferences for feedback, if/how feedback motivates or discourages you, lack of feedback, etc.
- What has been your experience of leaving feedback (or not) on Tolkien-based fanworks? You can consider any aspect of leaving feedback: how/when/why you leave feedback (or don't), emotions and challenges around leaving feedback, creator responses, what encourages and discourages you to leave feedback, etc.
It is interesting—and important—to note that, as of this writing, the survey has received thirty responses, and twenty-nine of them come from creators. That means that an important perspective is missing: people who read and view fanworks but do not themselves create. What motivates them to leave feedback, especially comments? What holds them back? Thirty responses later, we still do not have much insight to answer these questions. (If you are a reader/viewer of fanworks but not a creator, the survey is still open! I'd definitely consider a second article, spotlighting these perspectives, if I were to receive more responses.)
"all the bliss of that realm": Tolkien vs. Other Fandoms1
Several participants observed that, in the Tolkien fandom, feedback, especially comments, operates slightly differently than in other fandoms. "Generally, the Tolkien fandom seems to be especially good about comments," AdmirableMonster writes; "my Tolkien fanworks tend to have higher comments-to-kudos ratios than other fandoms, which makes it a very welcoming place to be writing!"
Another anonymous participant observed the same, connecting the higher number of comments and other feedback to the Tolkien fandom's long community-oriented history:
My Tolkien-based fanworks appear to have regular readers leaving likes/kudos/comments, whereas my fanworks in my old fandom had many readers, but almost nobody outside my circle of close friends expressing support. If I had to guess why this happens, I would say it might be because the Tolkien fandom seems to have more older, long-time fans who remember the days of fan community before influencerdom and binge watching/reading/etc.
It's not just the amount of feedback but the type of feedback, namely comments that can be very detailed and analytical, as another respondent points out:
Having Silm fans as your readership can be an amazing experience because we're obsessive, detail-oriented nerds (affectionate) and often bring the same lens that we bring to the source text to fanworks. I've had many experiences where a commenter surfaces textual insights that I had no idea were present in my fic. Even when posting a PwP [porn without plot], I've found that feedback often foregrounds analysis of lore/symbolism/character—with compliments on the sexiness coming secondarily. (This may also just be because people are shy! But in other fandoms I've seen comments on porn get much raunchier.)
The Tolkien fandom is indeed inclined toward analysis, especially once one ventures into the territory of The Silmarillion and its supporting texts that require shelves (plural) to hold. This ties as well back to the long tradition of Tolkien fandom—both pre-internet and online—containing active social spaces for discussions of the texts themselves. In the era of online fanworks, these spaces naturally shaded into applying the same analytical approach to fanworks about Tolkien. As we will see below, for readers who wish to comment but do not feel fully comfortable in this analytical—almost academic—mode, this tendency can become a double-edged sword.
Nor is this to suggest that feedback in the Tolkien fandom is a universally positive experience. As will be seen below, there are creators who do not feel their work is appreciated and who find the balance of attention toward some fanworks over others is uneven based on the genre (guyslash vs. femslash, for example), character, or pairing one writes, with one participant noting that low levels of feedback "is simply the price of not writing the fandom darlings. The Silmarillion fandom is a bit special when it comes to that."
"Is that thy desire?": Feedback Preferences
To say that there is no one-size-fits-all for what kinds of feedback creators prefer would be an understatement. Every kind of feedback imaginable was identified by one of the twenty-nine creators as something they particularly enjoy receiving. (The exception is that no one enjoys purely negative comments—more on that in a bit!) These are all types of feedback highlighted by respondents as their favorite to receive:
- One type of comment that makes me particularly proud is when someone expresses that the fanwork in question got them to consider a new perspective, ship, or character because I feel incredibly honored that someone gave it a chance regardless. (Anonymous)
- As a matter of fact, sometimes comments can be more stressful than enjoyable, because then I feel obliged to reply! (Shadow)
- I love to get feedback; I confess my ABSOLUTE favorite type of feedback is often of the longer-comment variety, which is understandably fairly rare (that sort of thing takes time and effort that people just may not have) but I really do treasure anyone taking the time to say they enjoyed something. When it comes to shorter feedback I love it when people mention their favorite part or discuss their interpretation. (AdmirableMonster)
- I'm most proud when my more niche work finds its small, targeted audience with less feedback. I know then that I've found people who perceive this character/situation/etc. the same as I do, or with an open mind to further interpretation, rather than sticking with the status quo ships or tropes, which can get boring to me quickly. (Anonymous)
- A comment is what makes an audience truly exist. Even the most simple comment is akin to the applause at the end of a performance. It is something beyond simply having been there, it's a reaction. It's a connection. (Anonymous)
- My attitude to feedback has changed considerably over my life, and also depends on medium. … But now, I've received so many comments and had so many conversations that I now tend to prefer kudos or short comments like "re-read this still love it." Kudos require no action from me at all; short comments are easy to reply to. (Anonymous)
- It is so very valuable for me as a writer to know how people felt when reading my works, what they liked, what they disliked, really any constructive feedback. It helps me grow and improve my skills as a writer, and gives me a way to talk about my very niche-within-the-niche special interests. (Anonymous)
What this collection of responses shows is the variation among creators in terms of their preferences. The typical assumptions do not always apply. Comments are not better than kudos for all creators, and all creators do not prefer lengthy, analytical comments to shorter notes of appreciation. Even though unsolicited constructive criticism has come to be seen as rude in most fan communities, not all creators are opposed to it.
Of course, this very phenomenon contributes to the snarl, where lacking any clear generalizations about preferences, readers/viewers sometimes second-guess whether a particular piece of feedback will be appreciated by that specific creator. I can almost hear some of you reading this now and thinking that your beautiful New York Times Book Review-caliber comments have been pissing off creators for a long time now. If you can, silence that voice. They almost certainly have not. Perhaps the overarching theme that ran through the responses to the question about receiving feedback were that positive feedback of all sorts is appreciated. (The full responses are below, so you can check for yourself!)
In fact, the only type of feedback that participants came out strongly against was unsolicited constructive criticism. (Although, again, this was not universal!)
Part of this ties in to shifting norms around the "purpose" of creating fanworks—especially an openness to the idea that making fanworks doesn't have to be done with the goal in mind of eventually writing publishable original fiction or even improving one's work. It was once much more common to assume that creators should be open to hearing what didn't work for readers and viewers, and posting fanworks should be a learning experience.2 Shadow's response captures this idea and shifting norms around the assumption that fanworks exist as a rehearsal for original works:
The only type of feedback I don't enjoy getting at all is constructive criticism, unless I have specifically asked someone to beta-read a story for me (something I usually do before posting). I have no interest in reaching some hypothetical point of perfection, and if I post a story, I'm usually satisfied with it as it is, no changes needed. Writing is a hobby, and something I enjoy doing, but it isn't something I continually strive to improve.
Other creators noted that hearing negative feedback on a finished piece can be discouraging. Again, this is something of a cultural shift from the idea of continuous revision and improvement, once present in some Tolkien fanworks spaces, to the idea that a fanwork should be assumed by readers and viewers to be a completed piece. One respondent writes:
The only feedback I've found discouraging is the habit some people have of leaving comments that just say things like, "You left out a comma in this sentence. This is set in the Years of the Trees, so this character should have said 'Atar,' not 'Ada.'" I get things wrong sometimes! But receiving comments that ONLY care about what I got wrong is discouraging.
As a veteran writer, Independence1776 notes that she has weathered her share of negative comments. However, she observes that the effect on a newer or less confident writer could be detrimental:
As a whole, my experience with the Tolkien fandom has been positive. There have been a few doozies—the person who demanded I rewrite a long-finished novel because they didn’t like it stands out—but those comments generally make me laugh because I have the experience to know some people will be assholes. If that would have happened when I was a newbie writer, I know I wouldn’t have been near as able to laugh and move on with my day.
Firstamazon's response, however, emphasizes that even negative or "constructive" criticism occurs in a context where creators know that they might also receive no feedback at all:
I think that any writer will say that they want to receive any kind of feedback on their work, but almost all fic writers I know—myself included—would rather avoid unsolicited concrit or vague comments about personal preferences (headcanons, characterization, and such). … I still prefer any kind of interaction than none.
What stands out to me in firstamazon's response is her acknowledgement that creators sometimes grin and bear negative feedback because they worry that the alternative is no feedback at all. Again, we have the snarl—what is stated, what is really wanted, what is assumed, and what is presumed—and the vast spaces between those things, and the doubt those gaps in the spoken and unspoken engender.
"set aflame with the desire of new things": Feedback as Motivation
Independence1776's comment above about the effect of negative comments on some creators gets at the broader point that feedback impacts a creator's motivation. It is not a revelation to state that most creators are motivated by receiving comments and other feedback on their work. (Though again not all!) However, complexity again arises in what creators feel is expected of them and how they actually respond to feedback.
The idea that creators should be motivated by their art alone has persisted for the twenty years I have been active in the Tolkien fandom, creating feelings of inadequacy and guilt when a creator finds their work shifting in response to feedback or, in some cases, they pull back due to a lack of feedback. One participant challenges this idea:
I know many people insist that we should write "for ourselves." I write because I often feel I have no other choice but to write, but the reason I share it is because I want to exist in a community of people. Creating art is a fundamental aspect of being human, sharing that art is no less so. I want to make someone feel! I want them to laugh, to hurt, to cry, to feel comforted and soothed, to say "I am glad this existed."
Again, what is said ("I write/make art because I must") and what is not said ("But posting is a huge pain and I do it so I can hear nice things from you if you like it") can create tensions between creators and readers/viewers, with the creators assuming their audience knows that appreciation of their work is wanted, and the audience often taking at face value some of the myths of creativity: that art or writing is always a reward unto itself, that some pieces "must" be created and some people "must" create in an involuntary act a lot like breathing, that muses or other external forces make the creative process effortless and almost magical.
Spiced Wine discusses the experience of being a veteran writer and discovering the comment culture in Tolkien fanworks spaces:
When I began posting my work in ‘07, I actually did not expect any comments at all. I thought a fanfic archive was like a library (which it is) and people might read or at least look at my work then "put it back" on the "shelf." However I started receiving comments immediately and was so astonished I couldn't believe it. I must admit that I was thrilled as I had been writing for decades and never showed my writing to anyone.
Another participant acknowledges how feedback kept her from abandoning a piece:
Personally, I love it when someone sees something in my writing or art that wasn't even consciously intended to be there or differs from my own vision—after all, diverse interpretations are part of what makes good works of art, fiction, and otherwise good! A situation like this singlehandedly kept me from scrapping a piece recently and I consider myself indebted to the anonymous commenter (seriously, thank you!).
These are powerful testaments to the effect that positive feedback can have on a creator. As is the case with opinions on feedback, however (probably opinions on anything fandom-related!), not all creators find feedback to be a strong motivator. One participant appreciates feedback but doesn't find that it pushes him to create: "To receive comments is fun, and encourages me to provide in my responses additional details of the lore behind my stories. But comments don't affect my motivation to write (or lack of when applicable)."
Another respondent recognized the difficulty that leaving feedback can present for many readers and viewers, finding this helps her accept feedback at the levels she receives:
The first time I got feedback was a delightful surprise, as far as I remember! Feedback is rarely my primary aim in writing, but it is very steadying to get confirmation that I have succeeded in sharing a thing I wrote. But I am also willing to take things on trust. Not every reader needs to feel able to say something and, especially, not every reader needs to say a lot every time.
One respondent captured well the stew of emotions that accompany feedback on their work for many creators: gratitude, guilt, and disappointment.
I know full well that as a fanfic writer, I should be writing for myself, really. I know that, but I still find myself becoming very dependent (mentally) on the feedback I receive, especially on comments. Now, I do have readers who comment on everything I write, and I am more grateful for that than I can probably express. They carried (and carry me to this day) through writer’s blocks and hard times, they can really make my day. It is so very valuable for me as a writer to know how people felt when reading my works, what they liked, what they disliked, really any constructive feedback. It helps me grow and improve my skills as a writer, and gives me a way to talk about my very niche-within-the-niche special interests. Do I wish I’d get more feedback? Definitely, especially feedback that includes details on what moved the commenter and constructive criticism. Do I feel incredibly guilty and ungrateful saying this? Also yes. But it’s sometimes just very frustrating to be told by almost everyone who does comment that they like my works, but still receiving relatively little feedback in general.
Again, the assumed emotions that feedback provokes—creators should be grateful for feedback, readers/viewers should be eager to leave it, and those who don't leave feedback should feel guilty and be actively working to change—does not capture the emotional snarl that feedback actually produces. As this respondent's experience shows, it is possible to treasure the feedback one receives and still feel sad or frustrated that other works are receiving more. (Regarding statistics about feedback available on most archives, including the SWG, Anérea notes that "I also feel extremely sad when I see authors discussing their stats and how their sense of self and satisfaction hinges on them," observing that the ease of quantifying one's interactions is "a larger global social problem that seems to be leaking into so many parts of life as those elements come to fill the widening gaps in our society's genuine social connection, interaction, and fulfillment, but that's a whole other discussion.")
Finally, there is a succinct remark from one participant that captures where many creators find themselves where feedback is concerned: "I don't need feedback. Because if I waited for feedback I'll be totally discouraged."
"the heart of the host was upheld": Feedback and Community
Feedback does not occur in a vacuum but, as noted by the anonymous respondent above, within a fandom with a long history of fan communities both online and off. Community influences feedback, especially commenting: "I am more likely to comment on the work of friends, since it is easier to think of things to say," says one respondent in what is a common refrain among commenters. FeanorionRage sees the same trend from the creator's (versus commenter's) perspective: "Only a very small percentage of people do comment, and most of the feedback I have been given over the years has been from the friends I have made through the Tolkien fandom."
In the section above, the issue of how creators use statistics on comments and other feedback arose. Readers and viewers can also use these data, within the social context, to determine how they respond to a specific fanwork. "I also do a better job [of commenting] during fic exchanges," one respondent observes, "or when I notice a work that I love hasn't gotten much feedback from others. All of these things give me the push I need to get a good comment written!" Two interesting things are happening here. First, the respondent acknowledges commenting more readily on works created as part of events where there is already a community or collaborative component. Beyond that, however, fanwork statistics encourage commenting opposite to what one might expect due to consideration of the creator's experience and a desire to ensure that person feels comfortable and appreciated. This is opposite to how these types of data usually work. We don't typically order from the pizza place with the fewest five-star reviews or choose a movie based on the fact that relatively few people have watched it. However, within a community context, we use fanwork stats in the opposite way: to give limited time and attention to a creator or a work that we perceive would benefit from the positive feelings comments tend to produce.
Comments can also encourage conversations and even deeper relationships between fans, with one participant observing that "sometimes a comment sparks a conversation with a writer about their work, and that is one of the most beautiful things that can happen."
The social context of fandom does not always encourage comments, however. Like any community, fandom groups consider some topics more relevant than others, engage more (or less) readily with some ideas, and have language and practices that mark members as part of the in-group. Learning how to interact in a particular community or space is not automatic or even easy. Nor is learning how to engage with a community one was once a part of but has lost touch with, an issue especially for fandom veterans who have seen multiple platform shifts. As Independence1776 writes:
I want to get better at leaving feedback but there’s still that lingering fear I’m inadequate and also some shame for having become someone who doesn’t leave comments. There’s also the fact that I feel very out-of-touch (and quite probably out-of-step) with Tolkien fandom, don’t read much Tolkien fic anymore, and don’t feel that I know where to start with Tolkien fandom circa 2024. It feels easier and better to lurk.
Part of fandom interactions is the idea of reciprocity, the social give-and-take that underlies many social behaviors. While certain behaviors are presented as "the right thing to do," another way of looking at them is the creation of a community where such actions can be counted on—including for oneself. A real-life parallel could be seen as the tradition of cooking a meal for a neighbor who has experienced a death in the family. While "the right thing to do," there is also a measure of comfort in knowing one's community will provide for one's needs during a time of grief.
Feedback, however, is not so straightforward. It is motivated not just by being "the right thing to do" but also by the reader/viewer's interests, amount of time, and skill/confidence with commenting. To the person who has spent a lot of effort in making others feel their fanworks are appreciated, to not receive feedback when it's their turn can provoke discouragement, bitterness, and anger. One respondent observes that the social pressures to comment exceed the reciprocity she receives on her own work:
I feel constantly guilty (not guilted, to be clear) for not reading enough, not reblogging enough, not commenting enough, while simultaneously feeling so burnt out by the general lack of these things received that I feel like leaving the fandom entirely. One person cannot on their own support everyone else while getting so little in return.
Along these lines, firstamazon acknowledges that how people she knows treat her work in turn affects her likelihood of continuing to comment on theirs:
Lack of feedback, especially from people I interact regularly on Discord servers or Tumblr, is usually what discourages me more, and what will make me think twice before commenting on a story whose writers 1) don't reply to comments in their stories and/or 2) never bother to read my stuff as an exchange.
Firstamazon also raises the issue of author replies to comments. This was brought up by several participants, although the survey did not ask about it directly. Whether authors reply to their comments (or a reader/viewer's perception of the likelihood that they will) does, for some commenters, impact whether or not they will comment. According to one participant:
My sense is that comment feedback in Silm fandom is on average more generous than larger fandoms, where popular fics get relatively fewer comments ratioed to kudos or hits. Silm fandom authors also seem more likely to respond to comments; this is a relatively small community with a lot of personal relationships between authors and readers (not to mention a high percentage of authors who are also readers). And this creates somewhat of a virtuous circle—the experience of getting a long and detailed comment is such a delightful one that one wants to pay it forward to others.
Again, community is at the heart of this response. People feel motivated (and emboldened) to interact based on personal relationships. They act in ways that they perceive will make others whom they care about feel good. But, on the flip side, when a sense community proves an inadequate catalyst on its own to ensure that all community members receive feedback, strong negative emotions can result.
"the song most sorrowful": A Lack of Feedback
Lack of feedback was one of the most discussed topics among respondents to this survey. If, as observed above, many creators are motivated to create based on feedback, the opposite is also true: a lack of feedback can stymie creating fanworks, or at least posting them. As AdmirableMonster describes, a lack of feedback can compound negative feelings about a work:
Lack of feedback CAN be kinda tough, to be honest. I mostly try to write for myself, but I like to know that someone's enjoying it, and while I'm pretty good about not being GLUED to my stats or anything, a well-placed comment can really make my day, and conversely if I'm already having a bad day, a lack of feedback can sometimes make it worse (if I've posted something, I mean.)
For other creators, a lack of feedback influences the effort that they put into a particular piece. One respondent states:
Regarding the impact of feedback, I won't lie: Lack of feedback or discouraging feedback can have a significant impact on my enjoyment of a project and motivation. If I know something is "unpopular" and will be met with mostly silence or even dislike, I may choose to wrap it up more quickly or not explore as much as I would've originally liked to.
What is interesting in both AdmirableMonster's observation and the response by the anonymous participant is the use of "truth-telling" language: "to be honest" and "I won't lie." This language suggests that creators, in being honest about how a lack of feedback impacts their work, feel like they are speaking outside of what is generally acceptable to admit. As discussed above, I suspect this comes back to the long-standing notion in fandom that one "writes for oneself" and that to be motivated by feedback (or discouraged by its lack) is somehow a less "pure" form of creativity. In fact, as humans in a social environment, few of us create and share our work absent any social influence.
Continuing the idea of reciprocity, another respondent sees a lack of comments as failing to uphold the reader's part of the bargain after accepting free content, writing, "People leave a kudo for a one hundred chapters of fanfiction and then remain silent. They seem to not care about the writer at all, they just take the free content and leave. If I didn't have friends who comment on my blog, I would have abandoned it after a few chapters." This sense that leaving feedback on a work they enjoyed is not a big request of readers and viewers occurs in other responses as well: "I have a feeling that only 1% of the people who read leave feedback, which makes me both angry and sad. Is it so difficult to type 'I like it'? Does it take more than ten seconds? No." Again, the community norm of leaving feedback coupled with the reality that, for many creators, the feedback they receive feels inadequate beside the effort they make (both to create and post their work and to give feedback on the work of others) provokes strong emotions, including anger.
For other creators, a lack of feedback makes creators feel sad, ashamed, or inadequate. "Very few people have the courage to share their art (any medium) to an audience of silence and darkness," says one respondent. "Nobody wants to feel invisible when they have sought to put themselves in the light." Here, they identify a sense of not belonging to the community in which they have tried to integrate themselves as an effect on creators who do not receive feedback. Independence1776 sees a lack of comments not as social commentary on oneself but as creative or critical commentary on the work itself: "I post because I want to know what people think; if a story doesn’t get a comment, I feel like I failed," she writes.
Not all creators feel strong emotions at a lack of feedback. For some, the silence around a particular work can generate introspection and analysis:
I might be mildly disappointed, but also, very interested that *this* was the piece that was greeted with silence. I might even make more about the same character or plot, or in the same format, to examine the silence and find out if it continued, or resulted from some quirk of timing. It would be a completely different thing to a new author getting tumbleweeds on their first story.
This participant also recognizes that the impact of low feedback is more damaging to a new creator than to a veteran, who is more assured of their skill and status within the community. They also raise the issue of analyzing aspects of a work beyond its artistic success and gaming the logistics of posting on the internet to maximize the exposure of one's work. Another participant observes that a lack of comments can encourage a creator "to start thinking about micromanaging one's posting times and/or self-publicity skills, when I would much rather just focus on writing."
In an earlier section, I noted that some participants noticed unevenness around which works receive feedback and which don't. This is not always correlated with the quality of the work itself. "While I've rarely received bad feedback," Elleth writes,
the fact that I write femslash or female-based fic, often with lesser-known characters, limits feedback somewhat. It's often frustrating to see other fics, often seeming less polished than mine and the work I put into them (or even the few of my own for popular m/m pairs) receive accolades and have others go unremarked.
Along the same lines, another respondent observes that some works do not receive feedback commensurate with their quality:
I've come to terms with the fact that certain tropes/scenarios are just "moreish" for a majority of the fandom—I think that has more to do with volume of feedback than anything else. Not everyone writes redemption arcs for Fëanorians. ;) And not everyone wants to read them, either! Going into writing and posting a fic knowing it will have a smaller audience makes me all the more grateful for the readers it does connect with. So many of my favorite fics I've read in this fandom have shockingly low feedback relatively to their quality and the impact they've had on my life, which can be demoralizing—but I take it to heart regarding my own fics that might have more cult fave than blockbuster status.
Interesting here is the analysis of one's own feedback in the context of other, similar works—as understanding that what is popular (and more likely to be read/viewed and commented on) will not serve as an accurate barometer of the feedback to expect on one's own work.
To this point, responses have focused mostly on comments and occasionally on one-click feedback such as kudos. Other forms of feedback exist, such as reblogs, rec lists, and creating art or other fanworks based on a work. One respondent noted that the latter—creating based on another creator's work without ever interacting with or acknowledging that person—discourages creating further fanworks:
Something I have never seen talked about publicly: authors yoinking from other authors, outright rewriting scenes or beat-for-beat dialogue while claiming the very specific ideas were original to them, but never leaving any feedback whatsoever for the original author, nor giving credit. Credit and inspiration in fandom are complex subjects but a kudos on the story that clearly deeply inspired them would go a long way. I know authors who were/are deeply hurt and bothered by this. Feels shitty! Makes an author not want to continue writing.
This observation is interesting to me (and I agree that I have never seen it discussed before!) because of the intersection of so many social aspects of fandom: the social context in which many of us create, the point at which ideas "in the air" of a community become outright borrowing and deserving of credit, and the obligation of the borrower to express appreciation for the work that inspired their own.
"they spoke before their people": What Motivates Comments
Respondents to the second question offered a variety of explanations around what nudges them to take the time and effort to leave a comment (especially on a site like Archive of Our Own or Tumblr where one-click feedback exists). "The stronger my emotional response is to a story, the more likely I am to be leaving feedback," Elleth writes, offering one reason that likely resonates with many commenters. Anérea likewise sees emotions at the root of commenting: "Comments are like giving little e-hugs. Or great big cuddles. For me they're a way to convey my gratitude for the enjoyment I've received through a fanwork, and to let the creator know just what feelings it evoked in me, what thoughts it sparked, how it inspired me."
In other cases, comments are socially motivated. For Erathene, knowing authors' love for comments encourages her to comment, another sentiment likely familiar to many who do: "I am aware that other writers in the fandom do appreciate comments more than likes. I used to just read fanworks and leave kudos, but now I do try to comment on things I've read and enjoyed."
Fredbassett introduces again the issue of reciprocity: "I do get discouraged, though, if authors never respond to feedback as it makes me feel they don't really value it, so in those cases, I often just read and leave kudos. If I like a story, I always leave feedback." As I noted above, creator replies to comments surfaced in several responses to the survey questions, with the consensus generally that replies to comments encourage commenting. Some commenters, for example, noted that they are less likely to comment on a fanwork where they believe they may not get a reply, such as when the fanwork is very old, has been abandoned, or where the creator has not replied to previous commenters. But, again, this is not a universal. Wisteria53 writes,
Responses to comments, even just an emoji, feel good to receive as well, but I'm not commenting just for that reason. Sometimes nothing comes back, which is fine. And if I've misunderstood something in the fic (or they've misunderstood my comment), it is good to get comment feedback on my comment.
Again, the social function of commenting emerges here, namely in creator replies allowing the opportunity for elucidation or clarification that further enhances enjoyment of the fanwork for the reader or viewer.
As noted above, "feedback" is not solely comments or likes/kudos. Several participants mentioned other ways that they show appreciation for fanworks they enjoy:
- I also do a monthly Fic Recs post on my Tumblr blog to shout about authors and their works. I've made friends with and become mutual with authors whose works I have commented on, which has been great! And it makes me feel happy to spread some love in the fandom and make others feel good about their work. (Erathene)
- Beyond hosting sites and archives, Tumblr's reblog system is another way I love to show appreciation for people being brave enough to share their creations. (Anonymous)
- Two absolutely lovely people have made fanart for my work, which delights me every time I look at it: it's so exciting to know that my writing inspired somebody else. … I'm also an artist, and when I really like a story or find an image within it striking, it's sometimes easier to make fanart than put how I feel into words. I've made fanart for a few fics now and so far it's always been received really positively. (LeucisticPuffin)
- [T]he most honest reactions to art are about sharing. If you like it enough to hang it on the wall or use it as your lock screen, that's a real compliment. … I also like it when people write stories inspired by mine: that's always fun. (Anonymous)
Connecting all of these means of offering feedback is a desire to not just show appreciation but to make the creator feel good about their work.
There are also behaviors from creators that cause readers and viewers to not want to engage by leaving comments. Already discussed are author replies, which some readers/viewers expect if they are going to continue to comment, and the norm of reciprocity, where a commenter ceases commenting on the work of a person who does not reciprocate. Shadow brings up another common reason why commenters will withhold a comment from a specific work:
There is only one dealbreaker for me that will make me not leave comments and close fics pointblank even if I enjoy them greatly and that's authors who demand a certain number of comments before they publish the next chapter. I don't like that sort of attitude. Sure, comments are nice, but the readers shouldn't have to pay a comment ransom before the author releases the next chapter.
Personally, I would think that would make me feel worse about comments that I receive, because now there is a prize attached to leaving them, instead of readers commenting because they enjoy the story, but maybe that's just me.
Another respondent notes that not all creators are courteous toward commenters, and this can discourage commenting: "I generally do not leave feedback because of creator treatment toward me in other fandoms, but Tolkien fandoms seem very chill in comparison, and I find it a good method to engage with others and possibly develop friendships."
"I would weep, if I were not so weary": The Hidden Cost of Commenting
Recently, increased attention has been given to the reasons why readers and viewers may want to comment but cannot. Some of these—technological limitations, social anxiety, lack of facility with the written English language—have been a part of the discussion for a while now. Newer in the conversation are the more nebulous cognitive and emotional demands of commenting that can make writing comments difficult even for neurotypical native English speakers.
Writing is difficult. It is one of the most cognitively demanding tasks in which we, as modern humans, regularly engage. This can be difficult for writers to understand. After all, we write for fun; it is a tool for expressing ourselves, and we tackle writing tasks that are relatively advanced in creating fanfiction. Writers often remain blissfully unaware of how many people—even people who love reading!—hate and dread having to write.3
As I hope should be abundantly clear by this point, writing comments also involves a significant social component. This is the emotional snarl of commenting: knowing how much comments mean to most creators, not wanting to fall short but also not wanting to say or do the wrong thing, which can be highly dependent on the individual, and second-guessing how a comment will land with a creator possibly halfway across the world in circumstances you cannot possibly envision when you hit that innocuous COMMENT button. Add in the cognitive demands of writing, and the task is leveled up yet again.
One respondent calls this cognitive and social lift "comment fatigue" that is exacerbated by the wealth of fanworks available—and the impossible goal of making all of their creators feel appreciated:
The flip side is a cycle of "comment fatigue" that I have observed both in myself and others—with so many great fanworks out there it's actually possible to encounter too much of a good thing, and exhaust your energy for close readership (especially if you've been maintaining it for an extended period of time). I know that I can feel like I'm letting someone down when I don't provide lengthy or timely feedback—but at the same time I know a lot of people feel similarly. I think we all have a lot of grace for one another's energy level and capacity for fandom, especially coming out of a period of intensive activity during the pandemic.
Another participant identifies social motives and influences on commenting:
I used to comment on stories/articles, mostly because I knew how important it was to the creator(s). Less frequently, because I felt like saying something. In both cases, wording a comment, even if short, has been hard. It took a long time and emotional effort to make sure the comment expressed what I wanted, to make sure the language was acceptable (not an English native), and try to make the comment a little meaningful, not repeating what was said in comments before mine.
What strikes me here is this participant's recognition of the social context created by previous comments and attempt to please the creator by saying something unique. Again, these ideals add difficulty to what may already be a challenging task for some readers and viewers.
Other respondents expressed worries around comments that were anchored in social expectations as well. "When I first got into fandom, I was embarrassed to leave feedback as it seemed so permanent and could be read by anyone," fredbassett writes before identifying the pull of reciprocity as stronger than the possibility of social embarrassment: "but I soon got over that and worked on the principle that as I loved getting feedback, it was only fair to leave it for others."
Another respondent worries over being misinterpreted by the very creators she is trying to bolster: "Writers new to me are more likely to misunderstand and maybe get worried about something I said so that makes me anxious as well." Again, hypercognizance of one's audience—the creator—during comment writing intensifies what is already, for many, an already challenging task.
Independence1776 has decreased commenting in part because of the difficulty of the task, coupled with worry about saying the wrong thing. In this case, the "wrong thing" is an incorrect interpretation of the fanwork she is commenting on:
But about a decade ago, I started being really self-conscious; I became afraid I was interpreting the story wrong or saying something silly or ridiculous or even stupid. So now I primarily leave comments either on gift-fics (like in exchanges or part of events like TRSB) or on fics I really, really like.
The emotional snarl: Independence1776's worry about offering a wrong interpretation was expressed by other participants as something they enjoy—hearing a new take on a fanwork from a reader or viewer, something they hadn't considered or done intentionally. Here, a writer's delight in seeing a new layer of a story revealed by a reader is in tension with that reader's sense that they missed the mark, coupled with, as fredbassett notes, the public (and sometimes permanent) nature of comments.
Another participant saw comment sections as a conversation in which she didn't feel fully welcome to take part: "I possibly left a few guest kudos on AO3, but had no accounts anywhere and also never commented, feeling like people were having their own conversations in the comments that I had no business interfering with." The same small, close communities that other respondents identified in the Tolkien fandom can feel impenetrable to someone who perceives themselves on the outside, and speaking up in such a context can feel difficult, even insurmountable.
Another thread running through responses that addressed the hidden cost of commenting was the burden of perfection. Just as one would take extra care with one's outfit before attending Fashion Week, it serves to reckon that commenters writing to an author they respect might feel an extra need to write eloquently or insightfully. While creators often think of their commenters as peers, my experience suggests that readers and viewers often elevate creators, who are often doing something they cannot do themselves. For example, Anérea, an artist, observes about commenting in a writer-dominant community:
Commenting is also, for me, often fraught with feelings of inadequacy/perfectionism, and my insecurity says I'm not as eloquent as authors who leave comments, that I absorb stuff subconsciously so can't analyze into words like others seem to do, and I need to really focus on how I'm going to express my impressions so it can take me ages to find the right words, so even a brief comment can take an hour or more.
Anérea's response acknowledges that cognitive lift of writing that many writers can overlook. Along similar lines, LeucisticPuffin writes:
I try to leave comments as often as I can because I know how encouraging it is, but I'm quite socially awkward and sometimes all the thoughts leave my head as soon as I open the comment box, so leaving a comment requires planning. I'm also a perfectionist and tend to obsess over the wording being exactly right. In the past I have avoided leaving comments because of this, but I'm trying to worry less about sounding "perfect."
In nearly all cases, when respondents mentioned barriers to commenting, they also mentioned (as Anérea and LeucisticPuffin's responses show) how they work to overcome those obstacles. Another anonymous respondent, recognizing the importance of comments to the authors she reads, also works to push past her anxieties:
I try to leave comments on most fics I read (along with kudos) as well as reblog other people’s fics and art on Tumblr. Because all of these fanworks are free and made out of love, I make sure my feedback is always positive. People worked hard on them! Sometimes I get worried about leaving comments because they might not be long or detailed and I am worried that the receiver will be unhappy, but that’s my anxiety brain talking and I’m working on ignoring it.
"I know all of these issues are a 'me-problem,'" Anérea continues in her response. In the past, I have seen people who struggle with commenting dismissed as offering excuses for not commenting. What I see in these responses, though, are people taking on a legitimately challenging task and working to develop the skills needed to rise to it, including identifying their own cognitive and behavioral patterns that hinder commenting.
Finally, several respondents noticed that it was easier for them to comment on some platforms over others. I am reminded again of fredbassett's observation of the public nature of comments and, because of this, their potential to embarrass. Shadow writes:
Something that I find extremely interesting is that it is much much easier for me to give people feedback through Discord messages. As soon as I'm faced with the comment box on AO3 or SWG the words just disappear, but if I can just send them a message on Discord, I can gush at them without feeling stressed out.
Along similar lines, FeanorionRage observes, "Most of the fanworks I read are written by friends, so the feedback I give them is through private messages." In these cases, the public, performative nature of comments is eliminated. The need to craft a comment that is unique from or in conversation with other comments (as identified by the anonymous participant above) is reduced.
Independence1776 notices, "For some reason, it’s also easier to leave comments to fics on Dreamwidth", and an anonymous respondent also states, "I would say Dreamwidth communities are where people are eager to comment." Again, Dreamwidth offers slightly more privacy and control than many archives and certainly Tumblr. While Dreamwidth posts can attract a public readership (assuming that they are open to the public), they tend to be read only by the poster's circle. Comments can be edited and deleted on Dreamwidth, and the lack of a central space where new posts are publicly available—the Dreamwidth equivalent of the Most Recent page on the SWG, a tag page on AO3, or your Tumblr feed—creates more of a sense of a confined, limited environment, like meeting a friend in her kitchen versus at a crowded public event.
But continuing another theme of this topic—there are no universals—worry, discomfort, and fatigue around commenting are not experienced by all commenters either. As one anonymous participant remarked, in full-on Yodaesque there-is-no-try mode: "Honestly, I do not angst about it too much."
"silences yet unmoved": Conclusion
The Cultus Dispatches column has been running monthly for over two years now, and despite having lots of data and research on comments and feedback, I have avoided discussing them until now. Part of that reason is because, as a fanworks creator myself and the owner of a fanworks archive, I am aware of how essential interaction is for the survival of that archive (is it too dramatic to say, for the survival of the fandom??) and also how fragile comments and interactions can be. Given the complexity of the topic, I worried that diving into that complexity would make giving and receiving feedback more fraught (there's that word again!) than it already is and make people more reluctant to comment and interact than they already are. Looking over the responses, it is impossible to pull out a single, tidy, and proactive statement about feedback, but a few takeaways do emerge.
First, feedback is incredibly important to most creators and shapes their choices regarding the works they create and how they interact within their communities.
What is often missing from the discussion of feedback is that silence is a form of feedback. Silence can mean a lot of things, most of them harmless, but when cavernous silence follows sharing a fanwork, our worst feelings about ourselves and our work often balloon to fill it. We see this in the responses. Creators rarely just wave away a lack of feedback but turn to either emotion or analysis or a combination of the two. There is a need to explain, to make sense of feedback when it comes in the form of silence, but by definition, this sense is made with a total lack of information and becomes a construction of no less imagination than the fanwork itself.
Feedback is also really challenging for many people who want to leave it, and sticking the word "just" in front of a piece of advice ("just write a sentence! just put a string of emojis!") doesn't magic away that difficulty.4 The responses show that the impact of silence is felt by those who feel responsible for it too, and guilt and helplessness and exhaustion follow.
With that glum bit out of the way, what also emerges is that community and friendships with other fans diminish the silence. Creators drew connections between community and friendships and feedback on their work, and readers and viewers reported that these lowered some of the barriers to leaving feedback, whether by providing more platform options (such as responding via direct message) or making it easier to find what to say. I don't want to turn this into yet another piece of just-advice ("just find a friendly Tolkien server on Discord!"), but as platforms continue to emerge and shift, it is perhaps useful to keep in mind.
I want to end with a comment from an anonymous respondent: "I also want to express gratitude for the people in the fandom who make it their mission to comment consistently, be it on a broad spectrum of fanworks or supporting a specific series or genre." Yes. The snarl that discussions about feedback tend to produce can leave those who want to leave feedback feeling that they cannot do anything right. But while all creators have preferences, what emerged from the responses is that those preferences are secondary to hearing something back from their readers and viewers. If you are trying, you are doing all right.
I also want to express gratitude for the thirty-plus people who responded so far to this project. This edition of Fandom Voices had more anonymous participants than most at 61% (the question about fanon was 63% anonymous but also had only about half the respondents of this one), and I suspect that is because this is a tough topic that provokes powerful emotions on all sides. I am grateful to all of you who shared with such insight and honesty your experiences on this topic.
Notes
- All section titles come from The Silmarillion: "Of Maeglin," "Of Aulë and Yavanna," "Of the Flight of the Noldor," "Of Túrin Turambar," "Of Beren and Lúthien," "Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor," "Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor," and Ainulindalë.
- Even the SWG's site etiquette once allowed constructive criticism with no option for creators to opt out, a policy that has since changed, and FanFiction.net's Community Etiquette (found under "Rules & Guidelines" for logged-in users) continues to capture the attitude that all writers should be grateful for help to "improve" their writing, with the implicit assumption that everyone does and should want this: "Respect the reviewers. Not all reviews will strictly praise the work. If someone rightfully criticizes a portion of the writing, take it as a compliment that the reviewer has opted to spend his/her valuable time to help improve your writing."
- I am a writing teacher. The Writing Rope is an illustration used in my field to show the variety of cognitive and mechanical skills that must come together to produce a piece of writing. I also teach other teachers, and at first, I was amazed at the number of colleagues who wanted no part of teaching writing. Often, digging a little past the surface of the usual reason of lack of time for curriculum, what I found was that these colleagues themselves hated and feared writing. These are highly capable and educated professionals! There is and should be no shame in finding writing difficult—it is!
- And, full disclosure, I have been guilty of waving away concerns from people who struggle to leave feedback in the past and given my share of just-advice, but in the intersection of my roles as a fan studies scholar and a writing teacher, I have come to understand that the challenges people face in leaving feedback are real and significant and deserve more from me than just glib advice. The issue is worth studying and approaching as any issue of encouraging and teaching a specific behavior is. For me, this is compounded because I own an archive that will not survive if people don't see it as a space where they can interact and feel like they belong.
Responses
All responses we've received are collected here without curation or commentary. Responses have been lightly edited.
If you'd like to share your views on feedback, we're still collecting responses and will update this page as new responses come in.
What has been your experience around receiving feedback on your Tolkien-based fanworks? You can consider any aspect of receiving feedback: different types of feedback, how different types of feedback make you feel, preferences for feedback, if/how feedback motivates or discourages you, lack of feedback, etc.
I think that any writer will say that they want to receive any kind of feedback on their work, but almost all fic writers I know—myself included—would rather avoid unsolicited concrit or vague comments about personal preferences (headcanons, characterization, and such). Luckily, I've received few of those to say I'd rather not have comments at all lol. I still prefer any kind of interaction than none. Fandom community is based on interactions via comments, so I try my best to give as much feedback as I can, even if it's just a few words (like "Loved this!") or a string of emojis. I know how this is important to most writers, as it usually makes my day to know other people are reading and enjoying my works. Lack of feedback, especially from people I interact regularly on Discord servers or Tumblr, is usually what discourages me more, and what will make me think twice before commenting on a story whose writers 1) don't reply to comments in their stories and/or 2) never bother to read my stuff as an exchange.
~ firstamazon, response collected on 1 June 2024
I suppose I've been lucky in that I have always received enough feedback to encourage me to go on writing and posting. And I have really appreciated that. The first time I got feedback was a delightful surprise, as far as I remember! Feedback is rarely my primary aim in writing, but it is very steadying to get confirmation that I have succeeded in sharing a thing I wrote. But I am also willing to take things on trust. Not every reader needs to feel able to say something and, especially, not every reader needs to say a lot every time. The occasional detailed, thoughtful, or enthusiastic comment is great, of course! Just a thumbs-up, in whatever way it is expressed, is good to receive, too, though. (I try to respond to comments, unless I am overtaxed.) I'm also lucky that I've never received a comment that really upset me, so far, because I know, of course, that that happens (fingers crossed).
~ Anonymous, response collected on 1 June 2024
I only have one fic posted on AO3, in a tribute for Keiliss. It is very short, and all the feedback received has been positive. I appreciated that people read and commented more than I expected. Comments are very satisfying, and brighten my day when received.
~ wisteria53, response collected on 2 June 2024
First of all I'd just like to say that returning/switching to the Tolkien fandom has led to a positive change feedback-wise. My Tolkien-based fanworks appear to have regular readers leaving likes/kudos/comments, whereas my fanworks in my old fandom had many readers, but almost nobody outside my circle of close friends expressing support. If I had to guess why this happens, I would say it might be because the Tolkien fandom seems to have more older, long-time fans who remember the days of fan community before influencerdom and binge watching/reading/etc. On that note, I also want to express gratitude for the people in the fandom who make it their mission to comment consistently, be it on a broad spectrum of fanworks or supporting a specific series or genre.
As someone who is pretty much always in smaller fandoms/fandoms that aren't blowing up currently and tends to prefer finding a cozy niche somewhere, I cherish every bit of feedback I can get. If I had to pick a preference, I would say that, while I absolutely adore the people who leave long comments sharing their opinions on a specific or various aspects of the story, length is no requirement. A one sentence comment can be amazing too, such as "I like this thing" or "that was nice". One type of comment that makes me particularly proud is when someone expresses that the fanwork in question got them to consider a new perspective, ship, or character because I feel incredibly honored that someone gave it a chance regardless.
If a potential commenter asked me what makes feedback good I would say: The more "personal", the better. I find that one thing my favorite pieces of feedback and those spoken about by other fanwork creators have in common is that the commenter shares their opinion or perspective, showing that they've engaged with the work. Personally, I love it when someone sees something in my writing or art that wasn't even consciously intended to be there or differs from my own vision—after all diverse interpretations are part of what makes good works of art, fiction and otherwise good! A situation like this singlehandedly kept me from scrapping a piece recently and I consider myself indebted to the anonymous commenter (seriously, thank you!). Even in case of a misunderstanding (which so far has happened only in very small and benign ways), another perspective is helpful feedback.
Regarding the impact of feedback, I won't lie: Lack of feedback or discouraging feedback can have a significant impact on my enjoyment of a project and motivation. If I know something is "unpopular" and will be met with mostly silence or even dislike, I may choose to wrap it up more quickly or not explore as much as I would've originally liked to. Even so, some "unpopular" or niche works occasionally spark feedback along the lines of "hey, thanks for writing this" or "finally someone writes about this" which motivates me a lot. Knowing that just one person out there wants and likes something I'm making and that I'm not screaming into the void and annoying everyone helps immensely. Positive feedback or someone expressing in advance that they would really love to read a certain thing from me is one of the most motivating things.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 2 June 2024
It's a mixed bag. While I've rarely received bad feedback, the fact that I write femslash or female-based fic, often with lesser-known characters, limits feedback somewhat. It's often frustrating to see other fics, often seeming less polished than mine and the work I put into them (or even the few of my own for popular m/m pairs) receive accolades and have others go unremarked. Getting enthusiastic responses, however, is definitely a motivator to keep writing since I know there are people out there who enjoy the same things I do and I'm not just shouting into the void.
~ Elleth, response collected on 2 June 2024
I generally enjoy receiving feedback, but it has never been a motivating factor for me, so I don't feel discouraged if I don't receive any comments or kudos. I know my subject matters, and I know they're not the most popular characters out there, so it's rarely surprising if not a lot of people read the stories, let alone comment or leave kudos.
There are a handful of readers that comment on nearly all of my Tolkien works, and I appreciate every single one of them, but I also know how difficult it can be to write comments, so I'm not upset at the lurkers. I do it often enough myself, it would be rather hypocritical of me to complain. ;-)
As a matter of fact, sometimes comments can be more stressful than enjoyable, because then I feel obliged to reply!
The only type of feedback I don't enjoy getting at all is constructive criticism, unless I have specifically asked someone to beta-read a story for me (something I usually do before posting). I have no interest in reaching some hypothetical point of perfection, and if I post a story, I'm usually satisfied with it as it is, no changes needed. Writing is a hobby, and something I enjoy doing, but it isn't something I continually strive to improve.
~ Shadow, response collected on 2 June 2024
Generally, the Tolkien fandom seems to be especially good about comments; my Tolkien fanworks tend to have higher comments-to-kudos ratios than other fandoms, which makes it a very welcoming place to be writing! Many people also clearly go to the effort to at least say something, even if they don't have a long comment (ie "<3", "reread kudos", etc), which is very encouraging. I love to get feedback; I confess my ABSOLUTE favorite type of feedback is often of the longer-comment variety, which is understandably fairly rare (that sort of thing takes time and effort that people just may not have) but I really do treasure anyone taking the time to say they enjoyed something.
When it comes to shorter feedback I love it when people mention their favorite part or discuss their interpretation. I also try to model this when I'm reading fanfic: if I have the spoons for it, I will write longer or more detailed comments and try to pull out the bits and pieces I like the most. If I don't, I'll at least try to drop something short saying I liked it or that I specifically read it again.
Lack of feedback CAN be kinda tough, to be honest. I mostly try to write for myself, but I like to know that someone's enjoying it, and while I'm pretty good about not being GLUED to my stats or anything, a well-placed comment can really make my day, and conversely if I'm already having a bad day, a lack of feedback can sometimes make it worse (if I've posted something, I mean.) There are specific commenters who are absolute treasures in the fandom because they will comment on EVERYTHING (somehow): in particular shout out to wisteria53 for being the most dedicated commenter on the face of the planet. She always has something to say and it's so reassuring knowing SOMEONE is going to read and care.
~ AdmirableMonster, response collected on 2 June 2024
I see feedback as definitely being "likes-based" and not based on comments. I get much more kudos/likes than I do comments. For me, this doesn't affect my motivation, because I write fanworks for myself and it's my hobby. I get enjoyment out of writing and that's what is most important to me. If someone chooses to like my work, that's appreciated, but I don't need comments to find my motivation.
~ Erathene, response collected on 2 June 2024
That's okay. I don't need feedback. Because if I waited for feedback I'll be totally discouraged.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 2 June 2024
While I like feedback, it depends on the type and niche circle of Tolkien fandom I present my work to. More general works I post receive a fair amount of feedback, but I'm most proud when my more niche work finds its small, targeted audience with less feedback. I know then that I've found people who perceive this character/situation/etc. the same as I do, or with an open mind to further interpretation, rather than sticking with the status quo ships or tropes, which can get boring to me quickly.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 2 June 2024
I have felt very blessed by the amount of feedback I have received! For the most part, the feedback has been very motivational. I love long comments that dissect all the reader's favorite part of the story; I love comments that ask questions about details not included in the story; I appreciate it deeply when someone just takes the time to tell me they enjoyed it.
The only feedback I've found discouraging is the habit some people have of leaving comments that just say things like, "You left out a comma in this sentence. This is set in the Years of the Trees, so this character should have said 'Atar,' not 'Ada.'" I get things wrong sometimes! But receiving comments that ONLY care about what I got wrong is discouraging.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 2 June 2024
I am always delighted to receive any feedback on my stories! Getting kudos is nice, but nothing is quite like the buzz from getting an actual comment! I'm delighted to get any feedback. One word makes me happy, and long comments that even quote readers' favourite lines or something more detailed is wonderful. In my experience only about 10% of readers bother to leave kudos and fewer still take the trouble to leave a comment.
Feedback definitely motivates me to write more and to engage in the fandom. It's very disheartening to get no comments at all.
~ fredbassett, response collected on 2 June 2024
When I began posting my work in '07, I actually did not expect any comments at all. I thought a fanfic archive was like a library (which it is) and people might read or at least look at my work then 'put it back' on the 'shelf'. However I started receiving comments immediately and was so astonished I couldn't believe it. I must admit that I was thrilled as I had been writing for decades and never showed my writing to anyone. To not receive comments would be depressing although I usually do receive some. I am nowhere near as highly read on AO3 as I was on the smaller archives however, so I have got used to just trundling along in a pretty niche corner with a few readers.
I have always given and loved feedback that discusses aspects of the chapter, the characters, etc. I will often quote passages when I leave comments and sometimes get into conversations on the comment thread, which is lovely!
~ Spiced Wine, response collected on 3 June 2024
People leave a kudo for a one hundred chapter fanfiction and then remain silent. They seem to not care about the writer at all; they just take the free content and leave. If I didn't have friends who comment on my blog, I would have abandoned it after a few chapters. (Sorry for my bad English.)
~ Anonymous, response collected on 3 June 2024
I appreciate all forms of feedback including kudos and likes, but prefer comments.
In the last few decades, the comments I have received have all been positive, with occasional concrit (which I do ask for). My favorite types are the detailed ones that point out what did/did not work for the reader, and the ones that say, "thanks, this cheered me up on a bad day."
Good comments, ones that seem to understand what I am trying to achieve, absolutely do motivate me and encourage me to keep (or restart) writing.
On the flip side ... it is definitely discouraging to post a work that gets little feedback, since it is hard not to read that as rejection/criticism. And/or to start thinking about micromanaging one's posting times and/or self-publicity skills, when I would much rather just focus on writing.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 4 June 2024
I feel constantly guilty (not guilted, to be clear) for not reading enough, not reblogging enough, not commenting enough, while simultaneously feeling so burnt out by the general lack of these things received that I feel like leaving the fandom entirely.
One person cannot on their own support everyone else while getting so little in return.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 7 June 2024
Something I have never seen talked about publicly: authors yoinking from other authors, outright rewriting scenes or beat-for-beat dialogue while claiming the very specific ideas were original to them, but never leaving any feedback whatsoever for the original author, nor giving credit. Credit and inspiration in fandom are complex subjects but a kudos on the story that clearly deeply inspired them would go a long way. I know authors who were/are deeply hurt and bothered by this. Feels shitty! Makes an author not want to continue writing.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 8 June 2024
I have a feeling that only 1% of the people who read leave feedback, which makes me both angry and sad. Is it so difficult to type "I like it"? Does it take more than ten seconds? No.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 9 June 2024
I know many people insist that we should write 'for ourselves'. I write because I often feel I have no other choice but to write, but the reason I share it is because I want to exist in a community of people. Creating art is a fundamental aspect of being human, sharing that art is no less so.
I want to make someone feel! I want them to laugh, to hurt, to cry, to feel comforted and soothed, to say "I am glad this existed."
So yes, I share my writing specifically to have a connection with a reader, even if only briefly. And deafening silence is not connection. Kudos are lovely; they are a nice little "I was here" scrawled on the wall. But I will admit, a comment is what makes an audience truly exist.
Even the most simple comment is akin to the applause at the end of a performance. It is something beyond simply having been there, it's a reaction. It's a connection.
Some people say, "If you were doing a book reading/signing and five people were there and listened and shook your hand and said they loved it—" okay but five "hits" on a work are not five people who "listened and said they loved it".
And yes, people who show excitement for more are the reason that more gets shared. It doesn't matter how much a person loved a fic if they express absolutely nothing to the author, the author might as well have left it in their drafts folder for all they felt like anyone cared.
Very few people have the courage to share their art (any medium) to an audience of silence and darkness. Nobody wants to feel invisible when they have sought to put themselves in the light.
Comments are that rare spark that says, "I saw this, I felt this, I need to tell you that!"
It feels as if people are beginning to treat members of the community—fellow fans—as if they are separate, published authors. As if they need to keep their distance, not bother them, not excitedly gush over this character or that sentence.
Honestly I sometimes wish my creativity existed in some form other than writing because it feels like it's the least appreciated art in fandom.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 10 June 2024
I love AO3 comments and find them very motivational. :) Having Silm fans as your readership can be an amazing experience because we're obsessive, detail-oriented nerds (affectionate) and often bring the same lens that we bring to the source text to fanworks. I've had many experiences where a commenter surfaces textual insights that I had no idea were present in my fic. Even when posting a PwP, I've found that feedback often foregrounds analysis of lore/symbolism/character—with compliments on the sexiness coming secondarily. (This may also just be because people are shy! But in other fandoms I've seen comments on porn get much raunchier.)
The other side of the coin, of course, is that a lack of comments can be deeply demotivating, especially when you see other fics getting more hype and engagement. I've come to terms with the fact that certain tropes/scenarios are just "moreish" for a majority of the fandom—I think that has more to do with volume of feedback than anything else. Not everyone writes redemption arcs for Fëanorians. ;) And not everyone wants to read them, either! Going into writing and posting a fic knowing it will have a smaller audience makes me all the more grateful for the readers it does connect with. So many of my favorite fics I've read in this fandom have shockingly low feedback relatively to their quality and the impact they've had on my life, which can be demoralizing—but I take it to heart regarding my own fics that might have more cult fave than blockbuster status.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 10 June 2024
When I post a story, I post it because I want to know what people's reactions are. I typically don't post WIPs. The one time I did post a WIP, knowing people were reading because they left comments was both inspiring and intimidating because I very easily start second-guessing myself and my story about the audience and disappointment/anger. It's why I typically don't post WIPs; I need to write without an audience in the background. Also, I have plenty of drawerfic I write strictly for myself that I have no plans to post. I write for myself first, even with the fics I post. But fandom is a community and I post to share with that community.
As a whole, my experience with Tolkien fandom has been positive. There have been a few doozies—the person who demanded I rewrite a long-finished novel because they didn't like it stands out—but those comments generally make me laugh because I have the experience to know some people will be assholes. If that would have happened when I was a newbie writer, I know I wouldn't have been near as able to laugh and move on with my day. My experiences on SWG have been uniformly positive.
As far as the types of feedback, I'm not much of a fan of one-click feedback like kudos; it's better than nothing but I greatly prefer comments. I'm not interested in concrit; the story is posted because it's done and I do not and will not go back and edit. I like ANY positive comment, no matter how short or long: emojis, a heart, gifs, an “I liked this,” or deep analysis or anything in between. As I said above, I post because I want to know what people think; if a story doesn't get a comment, I feel like I failed.
~ Independence1776, response collected on 13 June 2024
Not a lot of feedback, but what I do get has generally been kind, and a high frequency addresses particular details of my work. I'd love to get more feedback in general, but I'm happy with what I get in terms of how much it feels like people actually read the work rather than trying to tick a box off on their personal rubric based on some popularity metric.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 20 June 2024
Positive so far. I only allow registered AO3 members to comment on my work. SWG is less active, but I don't have the need to be as cautious, given the community's members have a sense of courtesy. I would say Dreamwidth communities are where people are eager to comment.
To receive comments is fun, and encourages me to provide in my responses additional details of the lore behind my stories. But comments don't affect my motivation to write (or lack of when applicable).
~ Anonymous, response collected on 29 June 2024
I've been working on a 250k+ AU for the past two years, and have a small group of readers who leave comments on every new chapter. Getting their feedback really gives me a boost and reassures me that I'm doing a good job, especially after so long working on the same story. I especially love when they point out their favourite parts of the chapter. If I notice a chapter isn't getting as many comments I do start to worry that it wasn't up to standard (probably an unfounded fear: in most cases the chapters with fewer comments are those not focused on the fan-favourite characters).
Two absolutely lovely people have made fanart for my work, which delights me every time I look at it: it's so exciting to know that my writing inspired somebody else.
I also love it when a new person starts reading and fills my inbox with comments on every chapter, though responding can be a bit overwhelming!
~ LeucisticPuffin, response collected on 29 June 2024
I know full well that as a fanfic writer, I should be writing for myself, really. I know that, but I still find myself becoming very dependent (mentally) on the feedback I receive, especially on comments. Now, I do have readers who comment on everything I write, and I am more grateful for that than I can probably express. They carried (and carry me to this day) through writer's blocks and hard times, they can really make my day. It is so very valuable for me as a writer to know how people felt when reading my works, what they liked, what they disliked, really any constructive feedback. It helps me grow and improve my skills as a writer and gives me a way to talk about my very niche-within-the-niche special interests. Do I wish I'd get more feedback? Definitely, especially feedback that includes details on what moved the commenter and constructive criticism. Do I feel incredibly guilty and ungrateful saying this? Also yes. But it's sometimes just very frustrating to be told by almost everyone who does comment that they like my works but still receiving relatively little feedback in general. That constantly makes one (or me at least) wonder if one's fanworks are just bad or what else might be the problem. On the other hand, I do know that this is simply the price of not writing the fandom darlings. The Silmarillion fandom is a bit special when it comes to that.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 30 June 2024
Feedback on fanworks is minimal to almost nonexistent in my experience. Only a very small percentage of people do comment, and most of the feedback I have been given over the years has been from the friends I have made through the Tolkien fandom. However, any feedback I have received has always been positive, and of course gives a boost to a person's confidence, and a renewed sense of determination to finish the next chapter, or start a new piece.
~ FeanorionRage, response collected on 15 July 2024
I will get comments on my AO3 fics and as fun tags when I post on Tumblr. I really love it! It's exciting to see what people think of my interpretations or AUs, how I view certain characters, etc. I've also found it helpful when working on long fics, as some comments can give me new ideas or highlight new directions that I hadn't thought of. And it's always lovely to hear that how I wrote a character changed how people viewed them.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 15 July 2024
My attitude to feedback has changed considerably over my life and also depends on medium. For art, I like it when it gets shared or used as an illustration, but I don't care so much about comments. I used to like art comments more, but I've never much liked long ones: the most honest reactions to art are about sharing. If you like it enough to hang it on the wall or use it as your lock screen, that's a real compliment.
For fic, I was once, years ago, very keen on comments, particularly long engaged comments and getting into conversations with readers. I found those early conversations, including critical and negative feedback, inspiring and they inspired new stories. I worried if I didn't get many comments back then, though I was never really bothered if I didn't get feedback after a day or so. My timescales for feedback have always been in weeks, not hours.
But now, I've received so many comments and had so many conversations that I now tend to prefer kudos or short comments like 're-read this still love it'. Kudos require no action from me at all, short comments are easy to reply to.
I also like it when people write stories inspired by mine: that's always fun.
But nowadays I mostly write because I've got something I want to say, rather than reacting to feedback. I am now more confident in my work and don't feel in need of validation in the way I did when I was younger/less established in my art.
I don't know how I'd feel now if I got no feedback at all on a Tolkien story or art that I shared publicly. It's never happened.
I might be mildly disappointed but also very interested that *this* was the piece that was greeted with silence. I might even make more about the same character or plot, or in the same format, to examine the silence and find out if it continued, or resulted from some quirk of timing. It would be a completely different thing to a new author getting tumbleweeds on their first story.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 15 July 2024
Mostly comments that tend toward something in a longer format. I'm generally happy to get the comments I receive though sometimes the comments feel a bit lackluster/rote. I prefer to get thoughtful and/or inquisitive feedback. Feedback generally encourages me to write more, and lack of feedback is discouraging, so I might finish a work but not publish it—or take an extraordinarily long time to work on something new.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 17 July 2024
What has been your experience of leaving feedback (or not) on Tolkien-based fanworks? You can consider any aspect of leaving feedback: how/when/why you leave feedback (or don't), emotions and challenges around leaving feedback, creator responses, what encourages and discourages you to leave feedback, etc.
As I said, I try to give feedback on the stories I read, trying to focus on the things that I liked (even if there are few things).
~ firstamazon, response collected on 1 June 2024
I started leaving feedback only after I had started writing and receiving it. Now I try to leave it often, but I also sometimes reach my limits. It can be daunting. I want to reassure fandom friends and writers I know that I appreciate their work as much as ever, but I am certainly not always able to craft a comment with the same care. At least I can usually trust that they believe in my good intentions, though, even if the form of the day maybe only allows something minimal. Writers new to me are more likely to misunderstand and maybe get worried about something I said so that makes me anxious as well. I appreciate how vulnerable writers can be! Sometimes I need to come back later because the words are just not there at all.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 1 June 2024
I used to comment on stories/articles, mostly because I knew how important it was to the creator(s). Less frequently, because I felt like saying something. In both cases, wording a comment, even if short, has been hard. It took a long time and emotional effort to make sure the comment expressed what I wanted, to make sure the language was acceptable (not an English native), and to try make the comment a little meaningful, not repeating what was said in comments before mine. Usually, I got a response from the creator which made me feel it was noticed. In fact, thinking of this now that I write, makes me understand how a creator would feel when waiting for some feedback.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 1 June 2024
I was originally afraid to comment on fics when I first found AO3 (and through that SWG) in 2018, because I thought that comments were meant to be analysis, or constructive feedback about the ideas or writing style, but an AO3 post by Dawn Felagund, and her answer to my comment there, helped me to realise that feedback comments could be appreciation as well. I have since tried to leave a comment on every work that I have read and enjoyed. And I also want to encourage writers of all levels. There are a few tropes I avoid, and I won't kudos or comment if I really didn't like a story.
Responses to comments, even just an emoji, feel good to receive as well, but I'm not commenting just for that reason. Sometimes nothing comes back, which is fine. And if I've misunderstood something in the fic (or they've misunderstood my comment), it is good to get comment feedback on my comment.
My worst experience was been being blocked by a writer on AO3 for no reason I could fathom, but I have moved on (and still finished their multi-chaptered fic in spite of not being able to comment along the way). If I am an annoyance, I would hope that the writer would just tell me, but perhaps the anonymity of blocking a reader is easier.
~ wisteria53, response collected on 2 June 2024
When I first got into the Tolkien fandom and until I set up my "official" blog to interact with the fandom, I was a lurker. I possibly left a few guest kudos on AO3, but had no accounts anywhere and also never commented, feeling like people were having their own conversations in the comments that I had no business interfering with.
Once I came back/made myself known to the community, now having the experience of posting fanworks myself and realizing how much feedback means to people, I wanted to make up for that. While it was and is impossible for me to find every single fic or art that I loved again, I was able to find several artists and authors and overcome my shyness enough to contact them. It was an amazing experience, seeing how much they appreciated it and chatting about old works of theirs, and it also provided a sense of closure in a way, like that old chapter of my fandom history now found its happy ending.
Giving feedback can be exciting, I find. Sometimes there's something I'm really eager to point out or talk about or I had a question for the author/artist or saw something that I wanted them to confirm and then I await their response as eagerly as feedback on my own works. In general it's nice if someone answers, which I understand is not always possible or everyone's style; I don't let an author or artist not responding to feedback decide whether I leave it or not, but it can be factor in my overall motivation to do so or how much I want to talk about, not wanting to bother or offend them.
On the other hand, leaving feedback can feel like ... I don't want to call it a chore, but it can be a bit of a task to complete. Sometimes I just want to read a fic or look at art and don't have the time and/or energy to formulate some thoughts about it, in which case I will either leave short, more generic feedback or save a link to compose some better feedback later. I really want to say something nice whenever I can and not be stingy with feedback, just like I want the community to be welcoming and motivating, and thus hold myself to that standard.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 2 June 2024
I don't find leaving feedback challenging per se—sometimes an "I loved this" is absolutely sufficient, while I've found myself even taking notes in a document for longer or more involved fics to base a response around. If I don't find things to say (rarely), the "kudos" function on AO3 is something that I appreciate to show the author my enjoyment of their story, even if I still prefer to leave a written response. The stronger my emotional response is to a story, the more likely I am to be leaving feedback.
~ Elleth, response collected on 2 June 2024
I often struggle with how to word comments, but I've been trying to get into the habit of at least leaving kudos on all the stories I enjoy. Additionally, I currently mostly have time to read late in the evening, before going to bed, and I cannot be trusted to write comprehensible comments in English when I'm tired.
Something that I find extremely interesting is that it is much much easier for me to give people feedback through Discord messages. As soon as I'm faced with the comment box on AO3 or SWG the words just disappear, but if I can just send them a message on Discord, I can gush at them without feeling stressed out. So if I know the author and chat with them regularly, I might just skip leaving a comment altogether, and go straight to their DMs.
When leaving comments on fics, I don't expect or require a response, but it makes me happy to receive one. Especially when I left the comment months or even a year ago, because that usually makes me reread things I really enjoy, so it's a win-win situation.
Since I don't enjoy receiving constructive criticism, I also don't give it, unless the author explicitly asks for it, and I try to keep my comments positive. Sometimes that's just a bunch of key-smashed and heart emojis, sometimes that's quoting back my favourite passages, and sometimes that's wild theories on what could happen next. I don't really have a system there. Whatever my brain and energy levels are currently able to produce.
There is only one dealbreaker for me that will make me not leave comments and close fics point blank even if I enjoy them greatly and that's authors who demand a certain number of comments before they publish the next chapter. I don't like that sort of attitude. Sure, comments are nice, but the readers shouldn't have to pay a comment ransom before the author releases the next chapter.
Personally, I would think that would make me feel worse about comments that I receive, because now there is a prize attached to leaving them, instead of readers commenting because they enjoy the story, but maybe that's just me.
~ Shadow, response collected on 2 June 2024
I kind of mentioned this previously, but I try to leave feedback where I can: when I have spoons, I leave longer feedback and when I don't, I still often try to leave a little something, though I'm not always consistent. As long as I have something I can say, I'll usually give it a shot. Reasons I don't leave feedback are usually: I didn't finish the fic, or I read the fic on an e-reader (which is unfortunately usually an extra hurdle to leaving feedback—big shame because I really enjoy reading on an e-reader but I do think feedback is important), or I'm just tired and drained and don't have the energy to even type "<3" into the comments box. If I really didn't like something, though, then I won't leave feedback, because everyone is doing this work for love of the fandom, and that, to my mind, is wholly inappropriate (unless someone is specifically asking for concrit, of course).
~ AdmirableMonster, response collected on 2 June 2024
I am aware that other writers in the fandom do appreciate comments more than likes. I used to just read fanworks and leave kudos, but now I do try to comment on things I've read and enjoyed. In my comments, I try to go further than just saying "this was great" by picking out sentences I really liked or theories about where the story will go next. I also do a monthly Fic Recs post on my Tumblr blog to shout about authors and their works. I've made friends with and become mutual with authors whose works I have commented on, which has been great! And it makes me feel happy to spread some love in the fandom and make others feel good about their work. :)
~ Erathene, response collected on 2 June 2024
Depends on the site. If I can share it I'll do that so more people can discover it and give better feedback. If I have nothing to say, because I don't express myself very well in English, I just don't say anything more.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 2 June 2024
I more often leave feedback on works that spark latent excitement on unexplored situations, interpretation, and/or ships. However, because these works can be somewhat rare or long-abandoned, I don't do it very often.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 2 June 2024
I do my best to leave feedback, but I don't do it as often or as well as I feel I should. I do a much better job of leaving feedback when it's for someone I follow or have some other sort of relationship in the fandom with. I also do a better job during fic exchanges, or when I notice a work that I love hasn't gotten much feedback from others. All of these things give me the push I need to get a good comment written!
~ Anonymous, response collected on 2 June 2024
I often read on my phone, so leaving more than a couple of sentences is difficult, but I do try to leave some sort of feedback for the writer if I've enjoyed the story. I think it's important to try to give something back to the writers for all the effort they put into writing and sharing their work. When I'm on my laptop, I do my best to leave longer comments and to pick out things I particularly liked about the fic. When I first got into fandom, I was embarrassed to leave feedback as it seemed so permanent and could be read by anyone, but I soon got over that and worked on the principle that as I loved getting feedback, it was only fair to leave it for others. I do get discouraged, though, if authors never respond to feedback as it makes me feel they don't really value it, so in those cases, I often just read and leave kudos. If I like a story, I always leave feedback.
~ fredbassett, response collected on 2 June 2024
If I like something I always leave feedback. I love to comment as soon as I've read, when I am so eager to let the author know what I liked!
~ Spiced Wine, response collected on 3 June 2024
I always leave feedback if the fanfiction is more than one chapter (exception if I didn't like the fic). For a one-chapter fanfiction I leave at least a kudo on AO3. Concerning fanart I like and reblog on Tumblr.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 3 June 2024
I tend to leave kudos when I appreciate a work (and remember to press that button) and comments when I really enjoyed it and think I have something to say to the author.
The latter means that I am more likely to comment on the work of friends, since it is easier to think of things to say.
Honestly, I do not angst about it too much.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 4 June 2024
I think my first response answers both.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 7 June 2024
I don't leave feedback in those cases when I don't like the story I just read because I don't want the author to feel bad because of a negative review. To be more precise, if the story is not my cup of tea, then I don't review; if I like the idea, but at the same time I see poor writing, then I try to be polite and write constructive advice. And if I like the story, I say so.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 9 June 2024
I try my best to leave a comment on everything I read. I do not always succeed, but I try. And I don't just mean leaving a comment on things I liked—I can almost always find *something* in a fic, and barring that, just a "thank you" or emoji to reach out.
Being a fic writer has absolutely made me appreciate exponentially more the power of commenting. It has even bled over into other areas, I find myself leaving positive comments on small-time YouTube videos, even just a "this was neat!" makes people so happy.
I am not good at analyzing things, I can't say, "Oh I loved how you used this thing to this effect," and am in awe of people who are good at it. But I can still say, "I loved this so much!" even if I can't even tell why; I know it made me feel.
Beyond hosting sites and archives, Tumblr's reblog system is another way I love to show appreciation for people being brave enough to share their creations.
And I do love it when a comment gets a response, because it's that human connection from the other side of the equation, which is just as nice. But I know responding can also be hard for some people. I try not to let a lack of response affect whether I comment in the first place, but it does sometimes affect how much effort I put into the comment. And it happens that sometimes a response comes a year or more after the comment, so it's not always so black and white.
I don't let the age of something stop me from leaving a comment, and sometimes I'll set out to specifically leave comments on fics without or with very few.
Commenting, again, is that human connection, the "I'm glad we're in this together", the "we're all fans of the same thing, isn't it amazing!?"
~ Anonymous, response collected on 10 June 2024
My sense is that comment feedback in Silm fandom is on average more generous than larger fandoms, where popular fics get relatively fewer comments ratioed to kudos or hits. Silm fandom authors also seem more likely to respond to comments; this is a relatively small community with a lot of personal relationships between authors and readers (not to mention a high percentage of authors who are also readers). And this creates somewhat of a virtuous circle—the experience of getting a long and detailed comment is such a delightful one that one wants to pay it forward to others.
The flip side is a cycle of "comment fatigue" that I have observed both in myself and others—with so many great fanworks out there it's actually possible to encounter too much of a good thing, and exhaust your energy for close readership (especially if you've been maintaining it for an extended period of time). I know that I can feel like I'm letting someone down when I don't provide lengthy or timely feedback—but at the same time I know a lot of people feel similarly. I think we all have a lot of grace for one another's energy level and capacity for fandom, especially coming out of a period of intensive activity during the pandemic.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 10 June 2024
I used to leave comments on any work—chaptered, one-shot, novel, whatever—when I liked it. (As a rule, I don't leave comments on fics I dislike.) I didn't used to have problems leaving comments. But about a decade ago, I started being really self-conscious; I became afraid I was interpreting the story wrong or saying something silly or ridiculous or even stupid. So now I primarily leave comments either on gift fics (like in exchanges or part of events like TRSB) or on fics I really, really like. For some reason, it's also easier to leave comments to fics on Dreamwidth. I want to get better at leaving feedback but there's still that lingering fear I'm inadequate and also some shame for having become someone who doesn't leave comments. There's also the fact that I feel very out-of-touch (and quite probably out-of-step) with Tolkien fandom, don't read much Tolkien fic anymore, and don't feel that I know where to start with Tolkien fandom circa 2024. It feels easier and better to lurk.
~ Independence1776, response collected on 13 June 2024
I generally do not leave feedback because of creator treatment toward me in other fandoms, but Tolkien fandoms seem very chill in comparison and I find it a good method to engage with others and possibly develop friendships.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 20 June 2024
I struggle to find the words to express my experience of reading others' stories. I'm usually well immersed in them. I either leave short comments or highlight parts from a story I liked the most. I read less fanfiction nowadays, but when I do, I remind myself to leave a comment, as I know most authors appreciate them. I don't expect authors to reply, but when they do, it's a nice gesture!
~ Anonymous, response collected on 29 June 2024
I try to leave comments as often as I can because I know how encouraging it is, but I'm quite socially awkward and sometimes all the thoughts leave my head as soon as I open the comment box, so leaving a comment requires planning. I'm also a perfectionist and tend to obsess over the wording being exactly right. In the past I have avoided leaving comments because of this, but I'm trying to worry less about sounding "perfect".
A lot of the time I read late at night and leave the page open so I can leave a comment the next day, in hopes that my brain will be working better, but sometimes I forget and then leave it so long I can't remember why I opened the page in the first place.
I'm also an artist, and when I really like a story or find an image within it striking, it's sometimes easier to make fanart than put how I feel into words. I've made fanart for a few fics now and so far it's always been received really positively.
~ LeucisticPuffin, response collected on 29 June 2024
Now having complained about not receiving the amount of feedback I would like, I do very much appreciate how hard it is to do so. I find myself staring regularly at the blank commenting box at a complete loss of what to write. I still try to comment on everything that I read and like. First because that is the reward for any writer after all, and secondly because sometimes a comment sparks a conversation with a writer about their work, and that is one of the most beautiful things that can happen.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 30 June 2024
Most of the fanworks I read are written by friends, so the feedback I give them is through private messages. I myself like to read to the end of a piece before leaving feedback. However, oftentimes I find myself being dissuaded by finishing a work due to an addition to the content not in line with Tolkien's writings. I strive to work as close to canon as possible, so when I read huge changes being made to the legendarium, I do find it offputting. Though I do admit the amount of Tolkien fics I consume is minimal. As a writer myself, I prefer to keep my works organic, and not cross-compare my works to others, or accidentally find myself taking ideas from another source.
~ FeanorionRage, response collected on 15 July 2024
I try to leave comments on most fics I read (along with kudos) as well as reblog other people's fics and art on Tumblr. Because all of these fanworks are free and made out of love, I make sure my feedback is always positive. People worked hard on them! Sometimes I get worried about leaving comments because they might not be long or detailed and I am worried that the receiver will be unhappy, but that's my anxiety brain talking and I'm working on ignoring it. And I love getting creator responses! I love reading them explain why they made certain writing/art decisions!
~ Anonymous, response collected on 15 July 2024
I make an effort to leave some kind of feedback, particularly on the work of newer writers and artists because I think it's a whole different thing to put out your first few works than your hundredth. I don't notice if people reply.
I also beta read when asked and leave extensive comments and suggestions. I have learned when betaing that I tended initially to be overly critical for the taste of most writers, and now I make much more of an effort to be encouraging and help the writer get to the end, rather than trying to make it into something I might write myself.
~ Anonymous, response collected on 15 July 2024
Generally the same experience as Tolkien-based fanworks, though in lesser quantity. Creators are either more nonresponsive or more hostile, which discourages me from leaving any feedback at all or to only leave rote feedback (my most common one is saying "Re-read kudos! <3" and seems to generate the least amount of aggression and the most amount of creator response).
~ Anonymous, response collected on 17 July 2024
Comments are like giving little e-hugs. Or great big cuddles. For me they're a way to convey my gratitude for the enjoyment I've received through a fanwork and to let the creator know just what feelings it evoked in me, what thoughts it sparked, how it inspired me. So often, while in the midst of reading, I'll have a little one-sided conversation with the author, or send a telepathic "wow!" or "this is so clever/evocative/provocative/etc."
But to my utter dismay, I don't comment nearly as much as I'd like to—as much for my own wish to express myself and share my experience of the creator's work, as for my empathetic desire for the creator to receive that little emotional boost I know I receive from comments on my own work.
Commenting is also, for me, often fraught with feelings of inadequacy/perfectionism, and my insecurity says I'm not as eloquent as authors who leave comments, that I absorb stuff subconsciously so can't analyse into words like others seem to do, and I need to really focus on how I'm going to express my impressions so it can take me ages to find the right words, so even a brief comment can take an hour or more. (This is not purely a fic/comment issue, it happens with simple, unimportant things like emails to contractors and "quick" WhatsApp messages to family too.)
I tend to read short works less than 1k on my phone and will almost always comment straight away. Anything longer I'll download to my Kobo and read offline, mostly only reading complete fics to accommodate my short-term memory issue. My Kobo's highlight feature is also a real boon for said memory! But, often, my good intentions to go back online to comment get hijacked by More Pressing Things, compounded by the fact that while previously I could happily spend a whole morning on a long comment for a single fic (and my desire to do so has remained), my capacity has dwindled. (I have a number of published comment-WIPs too, with promises to come back and finish sharing the thoughts and feels the work inspired; I feel so awful that I haven't gone back to finish most of them, although I do still aspire to when the energy-time aligns!)
Also, I noticed an interesting downside for me with my desire to leave detailed comments: before I discovered newer fanfic and active authors, I'd become blissfully immersed in their fic as I tend to do with any book I'm enjoying. However, I've found that immersion no longer happens when my thoughts are making notes to the author about how particular bits have affected me. I found my fanfic-reading enjoyment diminished, and I was dismayed to find it's no longer quite the divine relaxing escape it used to be. I feel as if I can either read to read, or read to comment, but not both.
I see posts from time to time saying that a simple comment of "I really liked this" is lovely to receive and enough of a comment, yet I still feel it's nowhere near enough, especially for longer fics. I tried retraining my mind to just focus on the fic and not to worry if I can't remember everything I loved, or wanted to ask about or comment on ... It's a work in progress.
My conundrum is: is "I love this" really enough? Especially for something long, detailed, nuanced, etc. that really touched me deeply? Would the author not feel underappreciated for all their effort? Or insulted? (But hide their hurt and respond politely?) [Maybe this survey will answer some of my questions! And help find a way to resolve some of my personal issues with leaving comments!]
(Yes yes, I overthink (overfeel!) this, but I can't help feeling awful about not commenting sufficiently. So much goes into creating these works that give me so much enjoyment, or much needed escape from daily problems, and the very least they deserve is a good comment. And yes, I know that my capacity limitations are not an insult to others, but others don't know that the lack of comments is not because of their work.)
When I know an author pretty well but I don't have the energy to bake (an Otto Correction, but yes, sometimes comments do need to be "baked") an official comment, I'll sometimes send a little PM to let them know their fic is providing me with whatever form of nourishment. And yet, even though I've done that, I often feel that's insufficient and that I need to go and make an "official" comment as well.
I know all of these issues are a "me-problem", that I just need to figure out a healthy balance between my own enjoyment, my desire to express my appreciation and gratitude to the author as well as engage with them about their work, and my available energy-time
Bookmarks: I bookmark fics I download to read on my Kobo, or have enjoyed reading online, initially doing this for my own records, but when a couple of authors mentioned they feel good seeing that I'm reading their fics on my Kobo, I realised that that's a kind of expression of appreciation, or at least interest, too.
Kudos: they're kind of meaningless to me although I realise they mean more to some others, and I don't know how best to use them. It's nice seeing the note in my inbox, but beyond that I delete the email and forget about it. Out of curiosity I've looked once at the stats page when I heard—to my horror—that AO3 had one, and have ignored it since. I also feel extremely sad when I see authors discussing their stats and how their sense of self and satisfaction hinges on them. (Although that's a larger global social problem that seems to be leaking into so many parts of life as those elements come to fill the widening gaps in our society's genuine social connection, interaction, and fulfilment, but that's a whole other discussion.)
[Thanks so much for working on this topic, Dawn. I find Fandom Voices is always so interesting (despite my seldom letting you know in a comment!) but having had a little window into my comment-angst, you'll understand how this topic feels of particular benefit for me, and I'm really looking forward to hearing what others have to say, and the dots you join up.]
~ Anérea, response collected on 25 July 2024
The views of writers are fascinating, and so diverse....
....and having read that some feel angst when one of their fics has little or no engagement from readers makes me look quite sadly at my reading backlog of unopened emails and open browser windows, and want to try a bit harder to catch up.
AdmirableMonster's comment about me is very sweet. I feel seen....
You are very seen and…
You are very seen and appreciated ((hug))
Fraught, indeed, as you say!…
Fraught, indeed, as you say! And as you said, these varied responses are mostly from people who do both reading and writing. And apparently quite a number of them are also part of fannish networks of some kind. For relative outsiders, all that must be even harder to penetrate!