How do you react to negative feedback about your stories?

[JohnEngelman]

I avoid the use of obscene words. nudity, and sex. Those looking for pornography find my stories dull and clinical. If that is the nature of their criticism, I do not care. If it is something I can change and improve my story I appreciate it.

 

[Ren_eh]

Am I allowed to say that at my level I simply write my next story about a team of silent, black-clad, Ninja Assassins who "take care of" literary critics?

No?

Never mind.

 

[ChuckWolf]

For the most part, feedback has been positive, but when I get a negative comment, I'll just reply with something like, "Well, sorry you didn't like the story."

IMO, most of the negative feedback I've received came as a result of my posting a story in the wrong category (A lezdom story in the Lesbian category, when the BDSM category would've been a better choice.)

 

[Rob_Royale]

I avoid the use of obscene words. nudity, and sex. Those looking for pornography find my stories dull and clinical. If that is the nature of their criticism, I do not care. If it is something I can change and improve my story I appreciate it.

With respect, I'm wondering what drew you here then? Stranger in a strange land.

 

[JohnEngelman]

With respect, I'm wondering what drew you here then? Stranger in a strange land.

I have not found a website on the internet that specializes in non erotic literature. Literotica is a website that accepts the kinds of stories I like to write.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Bottom line? Never fret over criticism from somebody you wouldn’t have asked for advice in the first place.

 

[Areala-chan]

I try and have some fun with it. Had a drive-by anon a while back leave two comments on a story, pointing out where I'd made a gaffe to distress the English language. So I thanked them for pointing out my mistakes, then voiced my disapproval for their inability to locate all the other ones I'd made as well.

 

[Lifestyle66]

I take all criticism of my stories which quantify WHY they don't like it, and I remember that to be addressed in my next story on the same subject.

When they call the wife a slut or whore, I add context in the next story to show she's not just fucking everyone and anyone, and she doesn't charge for it. But they still call her a slut or whore, so it shows they need to be ignored as the illiterate trolls they are.

 

[Wifetheif]

If you can’t handle criticism, even unfair mean and nasty stuff you have no business being a writer. The writer that is flawless and has universal appeal does not exist. The only comments I take down are death threats. Remember the recent tic-tpcker who launched her own publishing house to issue her YA novel because she couldn’t stand criticism? He book tanked and was review disaster because she never learned how to properly write because she had never listened to critiques of her writing! There is a lesson for all of us in there

 

[Yarglenurp]

Depends. If it’s legit criticism, I’ll cherish it.

But mostly, it’s guys telling me that my submissive is a garbage human or that he should shoot his fiancée. lol, nope.

Not all readers are equal. In fact, since Lit is free to enter and free to comment in, it’s fair to say the bar is really fucking low. This means that the weight I assign to most criticism is somewhere between that of a dog’s fart and a mosquito’s semen.

 

[MiaBabe23]

Outwardly, I react with great magnanimity and gratitude.
Inwardly, I want to throttle them and make them understand how foolish they are for not appreciating my genius
Then I look back at it and realize what they’re saying is probably useful hahha

 

[CarmineBlancheJr]

It depends...

If the arguments makes sense, I will go back and look at what I wrote to see if I should edit it or correct it. It's very likely I made an error... Last I checked I am not perfect.

If the person leaving the comment sounds like they are just being a prick for prick's sake and the argument feels like it has nothing to do with the actual story, I delete it.

If the person is anonymous, I now have anonymous comments turned off, I delete them. If you want to criticize me, I want the option to respond.

Overall, I see feedback (both good and bad) as a tool for improving myself.

 

[Ren_eh]

. . . . When they call the wife a slut or whore . . .

Two words, that by their use, point out that the speaker / writer is a Neanderthal.

Definitions from the Oxnard English Dictionary. (Would you like a strawberry? They are quite lovely.)

slut
/slət/
noun

1. a woman who enjoys sex as much as a man.

whore
/hôr/
noun

1. someone who exchanges sex for money.

Well, speaking as someone who has maintained her "amateur" status for over 40 years, I'm offended.

 

[Lifestyle66]

Two words, that by their use, point out that the speaker / writer is a Neanderthal.

Definitions from the Oxnard English Dictionary. (Would you like a strawberry? They are quite lovely.)

slut
/slət/
noun

1. a woman who enjoys sex as much as a man.

whore
/hôr/
noun

1. someone who exchanges sex for money.

Well, speaking as someone who has maintained her "amateur" status for over 40 years, I'm offended.

My wife has the best attitude toward such insults.

She often criticizes me about things, and I call her a "bitch". Or she often points out sexy young ladies to me saying "in your dreams.". She'll also point out guys saying "oh, yeah! I'd do him." To which I'll respond calling her a "slut.". Her response is always the same to my name-calling: "But I'm YOUR slut/bitch!"

If any man were to dare call her a whore, she'd ream them with "You WISH you could afford me, little man! Just run along now and play with yourself."

Such insults don't work on my wife, because she KNOWS who she is, and insults just confirm the lower intelligence of the person who wields them.

 

[StillStunned]

slut
/slət/
noun

1. a woman who enjoys sex as much as a man.

I thought the definition of a slut was "a woman who sleeps with everyone except me".

 

[MillieDynamite]

Including lesbians?

I thought the definition of a slut was "a woman who sleeps with everyone except me".

 

[StillStunned]

Including lesbians?

Especially lesbians, presumably.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Hum, you mean I'm a slut? What a funny little man you are.

Especially lesbians, presumably.

 

[StillStunned]

Hum, you mean I'm a slut? What a funny little man you are.

That depends on the "sleeps with everyone" bit. For purposes of the definition.

 

[SimonDoom]

Here's why I don't react much to the feedback I get. I enjoy the good and I ignore the bad.

These are the last two responses I've received to the same story:

My latest feedback comment, today:

Thanks for the wonderful experience. So well written and so imaginative and erotic!

And here's the next-to-last response I received to the same story:

What was I expecting I guess? I find one out of twenty authors here to be really talented. The man writes half decently but this was just pervy and unimaginative and smelled like the insides of one of those creepy old porn shops I've actually stepped inside on a few occasions with my significant other out of curiosity and trying to spice things up. An actual woman and wife would never write anything like this. Pure pervy fantasy by a creeper male perv whose had little true long term interaction with a REAL woman.

This story, published two years ago in the Letters category, has 23,000+ views, 57 favorites, 32 comments, mostly good. It won a monthly contest, although its score is only 4.44. Why would I want to react to the negative feedback? Why would I even consider doing so?

 

[TheLobster]

I thought the definition of a slut was "a woman who sleeps with everyone except me".

I'd say it's even stricter: "a woman who sleeps with someone who's not me."

 

[ElectricBlue]

This story, published two years ago in the Letters category, has 23,000+ views, 57 favorites, 32 comments, mostly good. It won a monthly contest, although its score is only 4.44. Why would I want to react to the negative feedback? Why would I even consider doing so?

Bloody hell, that's yin and yang, for sure. Unhappy guy sure was unhappy, wasn't he?!

Creepy old porn dude, huh? @SimonPervDom

 

[MillieDynamite]

Not I, I sleep with one and only one. Only play tickle and poke with her as well.

That depends on the "sleeps with everyone" bit. For purposes of the definition.

 

[THBGato]

I got this on Desire and Duende:



No idea what it means. Are they objecting to the slow burn nature of it, as not much sex happens? Or are they objecting to the presence of a non-binary character? Or, unlikely I know, actually praising it? (if you squint the the right light this could be seen as positive feedback.)

In terms of how do I react to it. Well, seeing as parts 2 & 3 are written, edited, submitted and scheduled to publish, I'm probably not going to react to it at all.

The next story after this one will be in Non-Erotic. I hope anonymous doesn't see that as me reacting to their comment. That one has already been written and submitted too.

 

[TheLobster]

Probably #2. It'd be news to me that slow burn is not well-received in Lesbian