Reader Feedback 101
Some authors on the site often beg for reader feedback, and some others contacted me and complained that the site's feedback system is not working for them, or is broken.
I took it upon myself to test various issues with the feedback system.
The biggest thing that I've noticed is that authors explicitly asking for feedback or complaining that the system does not work, do not answer their fan mail. How do I know that? Well, simple, I tried it.
I emailed many of the authors who complained about the lack of feedback from readers through the system with comments about their stories. Some were simply a 'thank you, keep up the good work' notes and other more detailed feedback. I sent three messages to each author, and the three messages to prolific authors that don't complain. Of course, I used different email addresses to identify myself.
I received no reply from the authors that complain and received a reply to each message from the authors that don't complain.
So, what's the verdict?
Well, just as authors want readers' feedback, readers want to know that the author received their feedback and appreciates it. A simple 'thank you for your note' is often enough.
In the past, when I had more time to read stories, I've always sent feedback to authors and always felt disappointed when I don't hear back from authors, and quit sending feedback to those authors that never replied. I understand that not everybody has enough time to answer each message, and I'm fine with 'thank you for your note, I appreciate it, but I don't have enough time to answer all my email' type of response.
So, to all authors seeking reader feedback, answer your email or you won't be getting more feedback from disappointed readers. You don't have to send a two page response back, but you have to send something back. Anything, whatever it is, is better than nothing.
And if you're a reader: authors need feedback to feel that their work is being appreciated. Votes are good, but email messages are much better. If you like an author's work, let them know about it, otherwise they may feel that they're not appreciated and stop writing.
I took it upon myself to test various issues with the feedback system.
The biggest thing that I've noticed is that authors explicitly asking for feedback or complaining that the system does not work, do not answer their fan mail. How do I know that? Well, simple, I tried it.
I emailed many of the authors who complained about the lack of feedback from readers through the system with comments about their stories. Some were simply a 'thank you, keep up the good work' notes and other more detailed feedback. I sent three messages to each author, and the three messages to prolific authors that don't complain. Of course, I used different email addresses to identify myself.
I received no reply from the authors that complain and received a reply to each message from the authors that don't complain.
So, what's the verdict?
Well, just as authors want readers' feedback, readers want to know that the author received their feedback and appreciates it. A simple 'thank you for your note' is often enough.
In the past, when I had more time to read stories, I've always sent feedback to authors and always felt disappointed when I don't hear back from authors, and quit sending feedback to those authors that never replied. I understand that not everybody has enough time to answer each message, and I'm fine with 'thank you for your note, I appreciate it, but I don't have enough time to answer all my email' type of response.
So, to all authors seeking reader feedback, answer your email or you won't be getting more feedback from disappointed readers. You don't have to send a two page response back, but you have to send something back. Anything, whatever it is, is better than nothing.
And if you're a reader: authors need feedback to feel that their work is being appreciated. Votes are good, but email messages are much better. If you like an author's work, let them know about it, otherwise they may feel that they're not appreciated and stop writing.
Comments
As writers we do have a responsibility to keep our readers happy if they take the time to write we should at least recipricate where possible - the ones who use the anonymous connection (pot and kettle comes to mind) are difficult to reply but they do write!
Wandering lanes (email wanderinglanes@hotmail.com)
Khanundrum, here. Also known as Arthur. :)
To alla you authors that have received my messages: I meant every word of 'em.
To alla you authors what replied: thanks! :)
It does mean alot to me that you care enough to speak back to your audience! And that is for sure what I am: sitting in my theatre seat, watching the marvelous pictures unfold on the screen of my mind as I voraciously eat your words and fall (usually) in love with your beloved characters.
It is so clear that most of you do love these folk who populate your psyche; and the fact that you share them here at old Lazeez' place with all of us is really terrific. I vote alla youse into the charitable hall of fame! :)
Most of the time, I do make it a point to send along a note of appreciation to you authors who've moved me.
Most of the time! :)
I don't write to every author I read, but I'm working on that! ;)
Then again, I know whereof Lazeez speaks on this issue: there are many 'o you authors what have received mail from me and ain't never answered. And your stuff sure did move me. And, in some cases, continues to regularly do so.
I don't sweat that: I know precisely what it is to be real busy in life. Right now, I'm gots some time to chat with y'all. And that is wonderful! :)
But I don't worry 'bout ya not respondin'. I just don't write again, thats all.
Youse guise, and you know who you is, that have corresponded with me: THANK YOU. It does mean alot to me that you care enough to talk back. If I send you a note about your stuff, take it to heart: you have moved me. So it makes me feel real good to see your answer waitin for me at my email inbox.
And it is so important to me that the messages I send are encouraging and light hearted; sometimes you authors have really hit me where I live. Your characters go wandering through the universe you created and they just nail my emotions and dreams to the nines. I find myself identifying with persons, regardless of gender. And the pleasure that I receive from that is just enormous.
And so I write to you.
Thank you, Lazeez, for keeping the faith for so long; this site has gotten so very fine these last few years. And the number of authors! :)
Wow! I just love it.
Thank you authors!! You make my free time so very rewarding! :)
It is so very good to be able to come here.
God Bless and keep you all.
Arthur (Khanundrum)
As a new author, I was surprised my the lack of feedback for my first story. Out of almost 800 downloads, I've gotten 38 votes, and 4 email comments (yes, I responded to all of them). While I have been happy with the results of the voting (and the comments), I was greatly disappointed by their lack of volume.
Basically, 5% of my readers voted, and a half percent commented. In a couple of discussions with other authors, I have found these percentages to be typical.
LordGarth
I ask, and beg sometimes for emails. Ok, so I'm not proud! I love to know what people are thinking out there. If I ask for an email, then I should respond to it. I am frustrated when I get an anonymous comment that I'd love to tell the person why I did something in the story. Email addresses that aren't typed in correctly are also a problem I have on occasion. It frustrates me that I can't answer them. My sort of rule of thumb is that my response length is in correlation to what they have written.
One time I threatened to stop writing if I didn’t get a lot of emails. I received over 100 of them. That was a good learning lesson, as I had to respond to every one of them! But I did. I think it is very important to do.
As an author I also think it is important to send emails off to the people I have been reading. I know it is always a good feeling for me, when I know another author is reading my work. So I should do the same.
John
Not an author myself, and have nothing truly substantive to add to this discussion, unfortunately. Just, reading what you've said here reminds me that I've been remiss, of late, in my part as a reader to provide feedback to you guys. Apologies to all, but especially those whose work I've enjoyed and failed to thank properly.
Though, anyone have a suggestion as to how often one should send such feedback? I mean, as a realistic & constructive act? It's easier to send more and more-in-depth emails towards the start of a tale because the revelations keep pouring in each chapter, but in longer stories (the kind I prefer, like the good John Smith's) there is a necessary amount of "fill". This "fill" isn't the dramatic stuff that makes it easy to analyze and wax on about, but is both what makes us truly *feel* the characters AND set us up for the more dramatic points. After all, if you want to scare someone out of their shorts, or make them shriek in joy from giving them their greatest wish, you don't want them expecting it.
So, balancing that with the need you good folks have, any practical suggestions as to how often to write in? A general rule of thumb that balances the author's need for reassurance with a thoughtful reader's wish to write something more than "Another nice chapter, thanks for the good read!" Or, for that matter, is getting something, even something that simple, helpful? Because I've felt frustrated, myself, when authors I follow religiously have moved there stories into those "fill" zones and I've not been clever enough to dredge up anything even mildly substantive to say.
Anyways, I want to thank you all again for your contributions. Things have been tight for me for a while, and having new tales by so many kind souls each night has been a great distraction and comfort. I'd list who among you have brought me such joy, but I don't want to unfairly omit those who I may forget (I regularly max out the free-downloads limit, so there are quite a few of you). Thank you all!
khyranleander (KB)
I agree with Lazeez's observations -- I always reply to every single feedback email I get. Every single one. Some, the really ugly ones, I may let simmer for a few hours until I decide how to respond. Most of those I reply nicely; some I have ripped their "verbal lips" off. :) But they all get at least an acknowledgement that I've gotten their email.
I didn't get an email from you, Lazeez, or if I did, I assume I replied to it. I hope your "sneaky email" wasn't that hugely ugly one I received last Saturday. :)
Best wishes to all of you and thanks for sharing your insights, Lazeez, and for all you do with this site.
Tom Land
I have noticed what seems to be another patern in reader feedback. Most of the comments I get occur within two days of an update being posted. Of course, that might be more due to the amount I have posted so far than an actual general patern.
Knight Ranger
First a strange comment. I couldn't get SO to recognize my handle so am having to use anonymous.
Now the comment: I get to talk to lots of nice, and some not so nice people, via comments. Apparently some of the comments go astray for occasionally someone will say they never got an answer from me from an earlier comment. If it didn't go astray, they sent the thing anonymously. I ALWAYS respond to those writing. If someone takes the time to tell me what they think, they deserve an answer.
And I have had a number of authors complain that no one ever sends them feedback. Now I have something to say to them.
I like and use feedback whether it tells me I am good, or it tells me I should never waste anyone's time posting. As long as the negative gives me some idea what I did wrong.
For the writers who never answer, you are missing a lot of the best part of writing. I have made some good friends exchanging emails with commentors. And sometimes my ego gets stroked big time when one of my favorite writers comes back and identifies himself. My goodness gracious I say (or words to that effect) SHE/HE likes my junk?
One last comment to readers AND writers. Identify yourself, at least with a nom de plume. And give the author an address to respond to themselves. Sometimes I get feedback on specifics, and want desperately to get a conversation going; but with no return address it is impossible! There are sometimes reasons for what the reader feels is a problem. And sometimes I want to know what the reader thinks should have been done.
To the writers, you jerks! NEVER respond to a reader with a flame! LEARN from what they have to say. I do admit I've never gone to soak my head, but I have stored the problem in my mind. If I agree with it, or see how my approach could have been different, that is what happens.
Doug
the Troubador
One
Lazeez, that is a *very* interesting finding. Thanks for taking the time to do your study.
I received only 1 email for my single story at SOL (which, ironically, was because of a Blog post), but that may partly be because my story was externally linked and it's more difficult for the reader to provide feedback (Lazeez explained, offline, why that's the way it has to be).
I received a lot of feedback over the years from readers (shall I dear say fans?). And I can honestly say, I answered every one of them. Funny thing is, I have a Yahoo group to discuss my stories. Since I created that, my feedback has dropped off considerably. I wouldn't mind if the Yahoo group replaced it, but there's basically no posts there although the number of members keeps going up (almost 450).
Now for my confession. As an author, I love feedback. As a reader, I used to provide feedback to many authors. But, for some reason, I rarely provide feedback any longer. So, authors, if you're a reader too, "do unto others as you want them to do unto you." I guess after reading some of the comments here I plan to.
Switch Blayde
I like to read as much as possible, and reading around 300-400 pages in six hours makes for alot of reading...
I like to read various genres but am not much for replying about a story. For some of it, it is just not perservering enough (read: being lazy), and also since I do use the voting system I let that be my response, I don't believe I have ever read a story and not voted, and everything has been at least a seven in my eyes.
I usually do see some things that could be fixed, mostly grammar or spelling, but I figure since I know what they meant or at least what I think they meant when they were typing out the story I let it go to next reader to reply about it cos it doesn't really bother me in the least and don't base my votes by it.
I figure I'm a typical such reader as there is out there making these types of decisions to not respond to authors by email, but authors I do read your stories so don't feel that no one is appreciating your [work/creative outlet...].
If you're an author that hasn't gotten any responses or want some more really bad to actually hunt down your readers or prospective readers as it may be, well occasionally I look up my email at hotmail (but seriously, even my mom, and grandmother call me on the phone asking me if I ever got their emails cos I never reply ;-) ) but I guess if you're determined go for it, I might shock you with a reply...
tur_prymael@hotmail.com
btw, long live all the authors out there and keep on writing!!!
After every posting, I had a couple of readers that emailed with a comment of appreciation. They were almost like friends and I appreciated their comments.
Though I didn't get many emails, I tried to answer each one. Many were comments about the location of a story and their connection to the location. Most of the negative comments were polite criticism. The nastiest personal attack I ever got came on Friday Knight Writers' Lounge, not from a SOL reader. Who needs a smart ass on a supposed support group? I'm don't go there anymore.
I didn't ask for feedback. Since I only sent feedback to authors about stories that touched me and were special, I guess I expected other readers would only do the same. I didn't expect much feedback. I knew my stories didn't approach the quality of stories by Downey, Wylie, or Scipio.
Most feedback was supportive or justified criticism. For the last few chapters of my thirtieth story, I had a couple of editors. Both editors offered to help me in feedback comments about my stories. Both helped and cut out most feedback on form. Non-form problem feedback is more enjoyable.
I figure positive feedback is related to how well I develop a character and not because of bad readers.
Low scores are negative comments enough and I don't send them. If I were a nicer person, I would send encouragement to the writers with scores in the mid to high 8's. They're the writers who need it the most.
rougher63
I agree with the comments made by other authors, particularly what JiMC and Troubador said.
Even when a regular reader sends a simple message such as "keep up the good work" or "great chapter" and similar, it is nice to respond with a simple thank you message.
Then there are those that send-in analyses of the story or the chapters, which usually starts an ongoing convesation if they supplied an e-mail. Otherwise I have to resort to my 'chapter-end' notes, and ask them to contact me. The anonymous feedback is a nice feature, but sometimes it's a pain in the neck. But, usually that gets a response from the anonymous reader, if he wants to initiate a conversation.
I have some anonymous flame and other crappy mail, and most of the time I ignore that crap, unless they go too far away. The problem is then to decide whether I should respond publicly, and the only way is using the 'chapter-end' notes. I'm wondering about how some of the other author's deal with that issue.
Up to now, I have responded a handful of such messages. I only respond when the reader thinks he knows where the story should go, or what a character should do, such as: "What loser... He should forget about that girl and move on..." I guess that really bugs me, when somebody tells me what to do, when, from his comments, and reasoning, it's obvious that he has "no idea" about what's happening. What's more, the readers are never privy to all the info we have about our characters and plotline...
Anyways...
Dai
I have never replied to fan mail of any extreme (good or bad). Partly due to laziness, partly due to the fact that I don't want my inbox full of shit. (viagra pills anyone?)
What I have done in the past is add footnotes to the end of posted stories. Since much of the feed back is asking the same question, that generally takes care of it. (did I say I was lazy?)
On a side issue. I really liked the feedback system on the old 'Sex Stories Post' site. Before they came up with a "New improved site" that is, quite frankly, shite. I no longer go to or post there.
People had the chance to comment at the end of stories, so many did so (probably to see their name 'in print'). This meant that if an author replied to a post, anyone else with the same question would get some sort of an answer to their query without actually having to type.
On the downside was probably the extra space these 'chats' required and the fact that some of the resultant discussions were better than the stories they belonged to!
In fact, it was very much like what we are doing now, on the end of every story.
On yet another tangent: I, like some of the other 'Bloggers' keep every email sent. I know it's a bit anal but it helps to spot potential fans. Also I have kept a record (Out of curiosity, honest!) of how well my stories are doing since my first post in 2002 and some of the information it throws up, is that I only average about 2.8% for people who read and vote. Which I suppose demographically means that the resultant vote scores are not really indicative of the quality of writing and of the opinions of my readers.
Anyway what was I doing before I got side tracked…..
There is probably some way of hiding the senders address in hotmail, but to be brutally frank, I’ve got better things to do than learn the ins and outs of email systems.
Pixy
Pixy
If anything, the comments amuse me and remind me that I am not the only fucked-up-bastard alive.
Too many 'authors' take this shit way too seriously. Chill and enjoy - thats what the readers are doing as well.
:-)
Caesar
Lazeez, you are absolutely right. I try to answer everybody who takes the time to send a comment my way (though sometimes it takes me awhile to do so), and it irritates me when I send off a comment to a fellow writer and receive no acknowledgement. The biggest issue with this series of messages is that you're preaching to the choir. The ones who really need to see these comments are exactly the people who won't bother to check them out.
What's to be done? Ultimately, nothing. Most of us write because we want to or have to, and we post to free sites such as SOL because otherwise our work exists only in a near-vacuum.
So here's a shout-out to all the writers who have taken the time to make their feelings known. Thanks for doing what you do. And thank, Lazeez, for so generously providing our forum.
RCM
This is an very interesting thread which simply reinforces Lazeez findings. I have sent comments to and received comments from a fair number of the posters. They are all who like me, respond to reader feedback. This is hardly surprising. In any interest group there is only a small percentage who are genuinely supportive - they are the backbone of the group who help, support and encourage because they genuinely care. You find them in any voluntary organisation.
However, in fairness to everybody else, I suffered a Damascene conversion when I changed from reader to writer last year. As a reader I did not even consider disturbing the peace of the august presence that was the author! It felt like sacrilege. I am sure many must feel the same way. As a writer, of course, I eagerly seek the scraps of solace an e-mail from a reader brings.
Dear reader, please write. Our lives are empty without you.
Connard
My BDSM femdom-malesub stories tend to get the most praise -- equally from submissive men and from dominant women.
While my maledom-femsub stories tend to get more varied feedback -- praise from submissive women, but flames from feminist-type women -- and not much at all from men.
Hungry Guy
The vast majority of my reader replies, consist of the "When are you gonna post the next chapter!?!?" type messages. I know because I've saved every one of them.
I don't reply to all of them. I know, I'm a wicked, evil person. But for the ones that write more than a paragraph I usually always reply, and I do reply 99% of the time to people who ask a question (other than the when are you gonna write more stuff). Maybe I should reply, but lately I've just been refering folks to my blog where that question is answered.
If you've sent me a comment and gotten no reply. PLease forgive me. I can barely even find time to write these days.
PB1
by DiscipleN
First, thanks Lazeez. Your commentary on this issue is exactly what we need. Yes, every author would be very wise to answer their fan mail. It's a lesson I was lucky to have learned early from the community on ASSD. Answering fan mail will greatly enhance future feedback, up to as much as 1 percent of readers, if you're a great writer and very lucky.
Now, I'm going out on a limb and declare the other 99% are a mixed bag of slackers, busy people, quick JOs, and many other types who won't be providing feedback anytime soon. I think there's an underlying notion that porn writers just ain't worth it.
Like cheap whores, why should johns look at us after tossing five bucks worth of their attention to our stories? We are a shunned profession!
I am not ashamed of the stories I write, and I'll bet nearly all the other authors are quite proud of their efforts. I'm also a great proponent of completely decriminalizing prostitution. Yet, I know in my heart, the only way to get the public to respect us is to...
Publicly respect ourselves. So, again, I thank Lazeez for his steps in this direction. I hope everyone, readers and writers realize how awesome it is to have a place were we can create a mutually supportive community that, unlike ASSD, is free from the spammers and hate mongers.
If we made this community as public and as self-reaffirming as possible, our peerage would grow. I can almost guarantee it.
One idea, as an example ONLY, would be having authors forward 'cool', recent feedback into a pool that Lazeez could pick from and insert directly between stories in the new stories and updates sections, as 'interesting/humorous/intriguing bits from the SO community'.
This puts not only our stories into the hands of the 'mob', but fun slices of what goes on between authors and readers who participate in the community.
Truly, that was an example only and could be a nightmare to actually implement, but there must be many ways we can show our pride and what we're proud of, as well as our art. And attract more interest in participating.
thoughts?
BIG apology from DiscipleN
Now, you've done such a professional job at programming SOL, Lazeez, that I doubt that the problem is with SOL. I applaud you for your efforts and writing and maintaining SOL!
As we all know, there are a billion things that can go wrong with computers! The authors' inbox might be full, their ISP might be screwing up, their spam filter might be blocking email from SOL (a known "porn site"), they may have mistyped their email addy when they registered (or changed it) on SOL, and lastly (sorry Lazeez) there may indeed be a funky special character or some other unusual circumstance peculiar to those particular authors' accounts that is causing SOL to fail sending the outgoing feedback email to SOL's SMTP server.
Like most of the writers who've posted replied here, I try to reply to every email I get, although to be honest when someone sends 'Great Chapter' for six months in a row, I run out of unique replies.
One issue I would like to bring up to those of you who are readers: SOL's anonymous posting system requires you to type in your email address to be recognized. Spelling counts, as we all know on the net. At least once a week someone misspells their address and the email bounces back. Sometimes I can figure it out, and sometimes not.
Last, and most frustrating of all, are comments like: "You never reply so I'm not going to read anything of yours again." -- with the anonymous return address. In the faint hope that some of those people will read this and understand that you have to put in your email address or I can't even begin to guess. Well, once I guessed, but that's another story.
Well, the real last thing: I want to thank Lazeez for hosting SOL, all of the other writers for putting up a heck of a lot of nice stuff to read and you readers for reading it! Thanks loads everyone!
Gina Marie
> by the wayside.
Actually... I do in fact reply to everyone that writes me with a valid email.
It is a matter of simple courtesy.
I've had a few bounces but nothing egregious though I don't try to 'figure' out what the right email address unlike Gina.
I have taken to posting interesting or question-asking anonymous emails in my blog and replying that way.
Anytime that I don't have the time to give an email a courteous amount of time, I hold on to it until I can.
I have another reason to reply to everything... there's a lot of things I don't think about in a my stories.
I understand somethings conciously but am too surprised by how well certain 'additions' work out to believe that somewhere in my head the story is being worked out at a different level. Communicating with readers who have their own perspectives and questions is one of the most reliable ways for me to access that level.
So it is not a 'cop out'.
Then again... my life could just be that pathetic :(
ElSol
Every author is about to hate me, but, hey :-). I can't reply to every email. I get too much. (And you'll never hear me begging for it).
Every time I post a new chapter or a new story, it's a couple hundred (from here and ASSTR). When I posted Chapter Nine of Rewind, it was *six* hundred. In four days. You want me to respond to all that, or you want me to write?
Anyone reading this who's been tempted to write to me: don't. Pick one of the other worthy authors right here on this thread that are begging for your feedback and write them.
Yes, it's a 'nice problem to have' and one shouldn't consider this a complaint. One should consider this a warning that you probably won't hear from me. Especially for the one-line 'great chapter!' or 'when's the next chapter?' feedback. Right now my life is in such an uproar I don't have time to *write*--this is the first time I've been on SOL in two months--and when I am writing I barely have time for that.
I think you misunderstood part of what I said. I never said I don't *read* my feedback. I do. All of them. And I *do* appreciate it.
But you'll never see me begging for it :-)
As for constructive feedback that helps me as a writer--this is why I started a Yahoo discussion group. They're picking me apart constantly over there :-). And, quite honestly, one of the reasons I started the group is to cut down on the emails.
As for the 'masturbating' thing--I get my download reports from ASSTR and see the stats here on SOL. I know how many people are reading my stuff. I don't need them to all email me. I don't need a 'thank you' or a 'great chapter'. Just keep reading. I know from the stats whether people are or not. That's my feedback.
Frank Downey Blogging: Anyone reading this who's been tempted to write to me: don't. Pick one of the other worthy authors right here on this thread that are begging for your feedback and write them.
Frank Downey Profile: Thanks for reading--and, like most writers, I love mail. The raving lavish praise kind especially but even the constructive criticism kind. –Frank
C’mon Frank, Which way do you want it? You have an itch, just as the rest of us, or you wouldn’t be posting on SOL. You like to be scratched- - -to soothe your itching - - - and those emails are just the thing.
I would presume because of your writing ability you get one as---le a month at most. (I have one of those also, but he sends the same message EVERY chapter I post so I know he continues to read my postings)
The remainder are ‘scratching the itch’ by voting 9 and 10. BTW, that’s super and I applaud you.
I don’t have the words to express my appreciation to the authors (and readers) who have sent me valuable criticism. The only way I can repay your comment(s) is by a short note, and making the next posting more reader friendly.
LAZ: Great work on the site. I live by ‘My Library and Suggested reading’.
Sausage Dog
I haven't been getting much feedback lately, but that is due to the fact that I have not published anything for a month or so. However when I do, I try and answer everyone who takes the time to write, even just a couple lines.
One habit I have found that works for me is to set aside a day and time just to handle the feedback. For me, it is Sunday morning. The rest of the family sleeps in and I have the quiet time to handle replies. When a new chapter comes out, it will sometimes take 2 hours or more to finish, but it is a system that assures I reply to everyone.
Heathen-
Now to be quite frank I love reader comments, but I usually dread the ones that I recieve from SOL. Its a really nice site and I appreciate any place I can post what I'm working on. In fact my scores aren't even all that bad. I know that I'm not a great writer, but I really don't like recieving hate mail which is the usual fair I get from here. I know that other writers mention the nice community. I just haven't seen it. Guess this is probably why I haven't updated or added more stories in a while. Still my hat goes off to Lazeez for a great site.
You say that in order to receive feedback, authors must respond to feedback. But no reader can know how often an author responds. So it's not like a story is posted and the reader is like, "Oh, he only responds to 22% of his e-mail... I won't bother writing."
The rule should be, and basically is, that an author does not have to respond to feedback, but a reader must give feedback. It's a pretty fair trade.
Doc Holladay
rbholladay@bellsouth.net
I usually vote, but rarely leave feedback. My wife has recently started writing though, and I have seen how much she values the feedback she gets, so I hereby pledge to increase my comments! And those of you who have taken the additional time to share your thoughts here will be first!