Commenting By The Numbers

I have always said I am lucky when it comes to comments, even now when I have archive locked my fics. But I saw a thread on another blog and my brain went that cannot be right so I decided to check it out.

People always are begging for comments, that they make a writer feel like they matter, that they keep going/feel motivated because of comments. People respond, they are tired, scared, they have no spoons, don't know what to say, it already has so many comments does what I say matter.

But I think we all need some perspective on this.

There are 12.2 MILLION FICs on AO3.

Now lets sort by comments, lowering the number each time:

Fics with 1000+ comments - 17,041

Fics with 500+ comments - 50,223

Fics with 100+ comments - 361,390

Fics with 50+ comments - 742,970

Fics with 25+ comments - 1,488,302

Fics with 10+ comments - 3,297, 072

Fics with 5+ comments - 5,149,438

SO THAT MEANS ABOUT 7 MILLION FICS HAVE LESS THAN 5 COMMENTS ON THE ARCHIVE.

I exist in all these columns, because I had luckily timing on a few of fics. But looking at the hard numbers was a real eye opener for me as a fic reader. When people say they don't get comments THEY ARE SERIOUS.

Please, for the love of fandom and community give a writer a keyboard smash, a 'loved this', 'awesome fic'. You will honestly be making a difference in someone's life, when they have already made a difference in yours.

And I reply to every single comment I get, so at least half of them are my own replies.

My fic with the most comments (301) currently has a hit count of 8835 (not my highest hit count). If you divide that by 2 (150) and then divide that by the number of hits, that is a comment rate of 0.17%. My fanfic with the most hits (26,462) has 38 comments. When I divide that by 2 (19) and then divide that by the number of hits, I get an error on the calculator.

THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND NOT FAIR TO FANFIC AUTHORS WHO ARE PROVIDING CONTENT TO YOU FOR FREE

OP mentioned excuses that readers have for not commenting.

"I don't know what to say" - say "Great chapter" or even just a simple ❤️ That's it. That's all we need to feel encouraged and that our efforts are worth it.

"I'm too shy." - Fanfic writers aren't all extroverts FYI. Probably a majority of us are introverts and just as shy as you are. We're really not that scary. You can do it.

"I don't have time." - We don't expect a comment within seconds of posting/updating a fic (even though we will always refresh every 5 minutes anyway because you never know). If you are reading a chapter with a 10K word count and aren't able to leave a comment right then and there, that's fine! Just PLEASE comment when you can, because it means more to an author that you took the time to read their work and share how it made you feel than you can imagine.

"I'm too tired." - You know the stereotype that writers are sleep-deprived and live on caffeine? Fanfic writers do not write fanfic for a living. Many have day jobs or are in school. Writing fanfic is a hobby, and writers set aside what little free time they have for it. Some writers can crank out a one-shot in a couple of hours. Some writers need more time. It usually takes me between 1-3 weeks to finish a chapter if my health is good (if I'm sick or suffering from migraines or having to work overtime, it will take longer). By the time we're done writing our draft and editing, we're exhausted, too. If you have enough energy to read a fanfic, you can take 2 seconds to leave a comment.

"There are already a bunch of comments, so would one more really matter/would what I have to say really matter?" - Yes. Yes, it would, and I am sorry that you feel that your voice doesn't deserve to be heard. And you know what? Your two-word comment or heart emoji could be the one that encourages the author to continue rather than give up.

For the love of whatever deity or cosmic entity you may or may not believe in, PLEASE COMMENT

No one reblogs on tumblr anymore.

No one leaves comments on Ao3 anymore.

Seriously people the lack of fandom interaction these days makes me genuinely depressed, it never used to be like this, makes me wonder what's the point of coming online to do anything anymore.

Reblog a post so other people can see it.

Leave a comment so the author doesn't feel like giving up.

Fandom cannot live on Likes or Kudos alone.

I have been on Tumblr since 2009 and on AO3 since 2012. The amount of engagement has gone down SO MUCH in recent years.

Fanfic writers may publish their fics only on AO3. Fanfic writers may only publish their fics on Tumblr. Fanfic writers may publish their fics on both. Fanfic writers may publish their fics on other sites (Wattpad, Fanfiction . net, LiveJournal, etc.).

I have seen both writers and readers comment that they only post/read fics on Tumblr because AO3 is confusing. Listen, AO3 really is not as scary as it seems. There is a FAQ that explains how to use the html codes. There is a FAQ that explains how to leave kudos or post a comment on a fic. There is a FAQ that explains how to tag a fic. There is a FAQ that explains how to insert images/gifs into your story. Don't let AO3 intimidate you. There are resources that help make it user-friendly (or ask someone who has been using it for a long time if you need help - we promise you are not bothering us).

Here are a few things that readers should know about AO3:

AO3 does not have a direct messaging feature. The only way that readers can interact with fics on AO3 is by reading, leaving kudos, leaving comments, bookmarking, or subscribing.

AO3 only allows you to leave kudos on a fic ONE TIME. It is not like Tumblr where you can like each individual chapter that a writer posts. Once you leave kudos on a story once, THAT'S IT.

You DO NOT have to make an account to leave comments on AO3. You can create a username and leave comments as a guest. I have had many readers in the past leave comments who did not have an AO3 account, and I could still reply to their comments like I could for people who do have accounts. The only time not having an account might be an issue is if you want to read a fic that is restricted (there will be a blue padlock next to the title), which only allows you to read if you have an account.

Another thing I see frequently on Tumblr posts is "I never leave comments because the fic is 7 years old" or "I never leave comments because I'm shy"

Listen

An author won't get mad if you leave a comment on their fic that they finished years ago. People still read Austen. People still read Tolkien. People still read The Iliad. There's no expiration date for commenting on completed fics.

An author won't get mad if you leave a comment on their WIP that they haven't updated in months (unless you're demanding an update which is rude).

And for the shy people - I get it. I'm shy, too. I have panic attacks when I call my own relatives, because I'm nervous that I'm bothering them when they're busy, despite knowing that voicemail is a thing. I get anxiety when I'm out with my mom and she decides to drop by a close friend's house "since we're in the neighborhood" for the same reason, because I think I'm bothering them.

Let me tell you something - I PROMISE you are not bothering writers or artists when you leave comments on their work. Getting a notification that someone commented on or reblogged our work is often the highlight of a creator's day. Whether it's a multi-paragraph comment with excerpts from the fic or something as simple as "Beautiful" or "Amazing." As I said earlier, you can leave comments as a guest on AO3, and there's this handy little feature on Tumblr called "anonymous asks". I'd say most people allow anonymous asks, but if they don't, it's probably because they've been harassed by anons in the past.

You might think a writer is unapproachable because of how eloquent their style is, or that if they only write angst that they won't take kindly to humor. Trust me, we're all weirdos. I put memes or funny gifs in my replies to comments. I will rant about my favorite blorbos all day and half of it is keyboard smashing. I will show you pictures of my cats for no reason except CATS.

(We interrupt this broadcast to bring you blep)

TLDR; writers and artists are begging for more engagement on their creations. Likes/kudos are nice, but they do not have as much impact as reblogs/comments/messages. If creators are no longer seeing engagement on their work, that WIP fic that you love is going to be abandoned or deleted and that artist whose style makes you feel things is going to stop sharing their art.