Ficlets

R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #2: Comment and Rate It!

by Robotech_Master

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For every one of my ficlets, I see something odd. Fully ten times as many people read my ficlets as bother to comment or rate them.

This is a shame. The comment and rating system is there to help writers improve, and to help make posts more visible. You may not be aware of this, but showing up on the “Most Popular” and “Most Active” list isn’t based only on views, but also on number of ratings or comments. So if you read a story you enjoy, pausing a moment to rate it or leave a comment can help that story stay visible after it’s aged off the “Most Recent” list.

If someone does something really well, or really badly, please leave them a comment explaining and offering suggestions. If you give someone a low rating, you should definitely either leave a comment or send them a note telling them why so that they can try to improve.

If nothing else, a comment saying “I read this and I really liked it, write more!” is likely to get more of that story written. Without it, the writer might assume nobody cares.

Prequels

R_M's Ficlets Best Practices Introduction
by Robotech_Master

Write a prequel

Sequels

Write a sequel

Comments

Average Reader Rating:

R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #2: Comment and Rate It!
Lone Writer
Posted 5 months ago

True, but this has been said many times.
LoA
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #2: Comment and Rate It!
Mask By The Moon
Posted 5 months ago

I must admit, I have failed to do this on occasion. we should have a ficlets confession.

“help me, Kevin, for I have sinned. I failed to comment or even RATE R _M’s ficlet.”
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #2: Comment and Rate It!
Lone Writer
Posted 5 months ago

dies laughing at MBTM ’s comment.
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #2: Comment and Rate It!
THX 0477
Posted 5 months ago

The comment is all the funnier if you picture Kevin sitting piously on the other side of the confessional screen. Trust me; it’s frigging hilarious. And three cheers for comments! 50+ League of Awesomeness members agree: commenting is awesome.

I do comment like a madman, but I will confess that I don’t rate super short ficlets, non-fiction stuff (usually, but this was about commenting), or poetry…cause I don’t feel qualified to rate them.
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #2: Comment and Rate It!
Blusparrow
Posted 5 months ago

lol! nice. Hey I can’t help agreeing with you. I love to comment! I do I do I do! On top of that if they say they don’t like it, at least they could do is say why. Most don’t. It has been said more and more and there are many ficlets said on it, but there is a lot of quiet writer that are just quiet. I do wish though they would comment.
LoA
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #2: Comment and Rate It!
Storykeeper of Fae
Posted 5 months ago

Comments are wonderful, true. There is a little euphoria that comes from receiving them.
LoA
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #2: Comment and Rate It!
thebetweenspace
Posted 5 months ago

You’re right on here. Why do folks on here read a story and not rate it? I love the League of Awesome because they seem to do what I feel like this community should be doing. They read, rate, sequel/prequel, and write…
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #2: Comment and Rate It!
Trying to Blend
Posted 5 months ago

Good one mate!
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #2: Comment and Rate It!
Crown Me Tarzan, King of Mars
Posted 5 months ago

Great advice. I rarely comment because I can’t usually think of anything constructive to say, other than “It was good” or “Excellent”, but saying just that would at least be encouraging to the author.

But I do rate every ficlet that I read and I recommend that everyone else do the same.
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #2: Comment and Rate It!
Robotech_Master
Posted 5 months ago

I suspect that some ratings may not get left due to confusion. I’ve noticed that you sometimes have to click more than once, or hold the button down, to get the rater to kick in and rate. It’s possible some people may think that by clicking once, they’ve rated, when in fact they didn’t actually click long enough.
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #2: Comment and Rate It!
Blusparrow
Posted 5 months ago

I have noticed that too R_M and it is really annoying because sometimes I think it was finally rated and I submit it and it wasn’t.
LoA
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #2: Comment and Rate It!
Russell Ruffino
Posted 5 months ago

Yeah, sometimes I think I’ve rated and I haven’t. I am awful at leaving ratings though, especially if it’s a series and I just want to read the next one.
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #2: Comment and Rate It!
Melia
Posted 5 months ago

I try to at *least rate every ficlet I read and commenting is fun, esp. knowing that you might be encouraging someone who’s gunshy about writing, or who truly blows your mind with their excellence. And as someone who’s working on a series, I can tell you that getting at least a comment or two or a rating on each part of the series is incredibly helpful. Sometimes wonder, when no one comments on a part of it whether the series is worth continuing or should I end it. With no comments, it’s hard to know.
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #2: Comment and Rate It!
wytherwings
Posted 5 months ago

I completely agree too. I try to always comment or at least rate.
and lol to the confession comment! haha!!
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #2: Comment and Rate It!
Jenunique
Posted 5 months ago

I am probably the world’s worst (or at least ficlet’s world’s worst) at leaving comments, especially if in a series, because I am always in such a hurry to get to the next sequel. Yeah, I know, excuses excuses. :) I do, try to stop at every third or so and comment. I should probably take a punishment. Or write sentences. Or something of that nature. Maybe not. I’ll just sit in the corner with a dunce cap on for a while and leave a few comments. :D
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #2: Comment and Rate It!
OrangeOreos
Posted 5 months ago

Ummm…

can’t think of any inspirational things to say, but I had to comment, just because it’s about commenting.

Still thinks its crazy how popular these ficlets are…

LoA
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #2: Comment and Rate It!
Robotech_Master
Posted 5 months ago

I think it shows people have been really hungry to discuss the practice of writing ficlets, but haven’t had an outlet to do so because there’s still no forum even though it’s been over a year since the site launched.

So they’re doing it in these ficlet comment threads. I’m not exactly disappointed about that. :)
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #2: Comment and Rate It!
SKermitgorf
Posted 5 months ago

THX and I comment more than anyone. so this isn’t meant for me. And perhaps in the title the word non-fiction should be placed in case we dont wish to read any thing but fiction. I myself never go to tags for stories i read what’s on the home page and my favorite authors and titles that catch my eye.
LoA
and in the interst of not helping you stay on the most active i shall not rate this ficlet . lol.
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #2: Comment and Rate It!
Stovohobo
Posted 5 months ago

I felt I couldn’t really leave this without commenting. You tricky schemer, you.
Anyways, I do kinda fall behind on this, mostly like Jenunique. I agree with THX too.
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #2: Comment and Rate It!
yoITSme
Posted 5 months ago

if its really good then i will comment. if its really bad then i will comment. if there is nothing to comment then what is the point of commenting?
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #2: Comment and Rate It!
Alexa ♥
Posted 5 months ago

I’ve often noticed that people’s biographies will say, “Please comment” or something like that, but they themselves haven’t commented.
.
Because I wanted comments, I started writing my own. (And Kermit, it took you & THX 3 months to get more comments than I had.)
.
Although, I will add that if something is terribly, terribly wrong, I’d prefer to send a private note to the author. Leaving it in their comment space is like having a teacher say, “This is crap,” in front of the whole class.
R_M's Ficlets Best Practices #2: Comment and Rate It!
Apostrophe
Posted 5 months ago

i must be honest here, when I write something, I look foward to reading the comments. Its encouraging to see them. What is said in said comments helps me determine weither or not I continue with what I am doing. I never get that many comemnts so its hard to say weither or not my stuff is really any good. I sorta base the quality of my work on the response it yields too. Call me crazy but thats just what makes sense to me.