Anybody else's heart sink when they see their rating go down with no feedback?

[sister jenny]

Yes so much!!
Comments are a lot more helpful, wish I got more.

 

[Dcharger]

@sister jenny. You are simply amazing.

 

[sister jenny]

@sister jenny. You are simply amazing.

Awww, thank you
I needed that.

 

[EmpireOfFeet]

I find that comments can be broadly positive but not necessarily correlate to ratings. Though one of my lowest rated stories actually received the most comments. People were not shy telling me what they disliked! Some of my highest rated have next to no comments, but I have received feedback directly via emails/DMs which were positive/requests for more stories in the same space.

My writing is a hobby and whilst it can be initially disheartening getting a low rating it hasn't stopped me writing more!

 

[Rob_Royale]

The stories I've done that got the most comments, feature two people having great sex together with a happy, loving ending. There's nothing for anyone to object to or be triggered by and readers really loved it. They were in the mature category whose readers are usually very cool anyway.

 

[luv2custrip]

Does anyone else notice that favorites and star ratings seldom overlap? I have high-rated stories with two favorites; low-rated stories with lots of favorites.

 

[BobbyandtheCabin]

Yes so much!!
Comments are a lot more helpful, wish I got more.

Yep! I love hearing if my story turned someone on. That does the trick for me too!

 

[BgDaddy33]

However, it doesn't half give me a knock when my rating goes down and I've literally no idea why (e.g. no comments).

A new chapter to my story posted this morning, and in less time than it would take someone to actually read it, it was given a 1 star.

*Shakes head*

Thankfully, my short little story has made a bit of a comeback since then but talk about trolls trolling!

I had to remind myself that this is part of the experience and to try to develop a thick skin about it.

 

[BgDaddy33]

I honestly value comments more than stars, especially after I noticed that I had some hater that put one star on everything I posted. I noticed when they put one star on a story in a time too short to read it.

This just happened to me! So deflating!

 

[Usually_Lurking]

I understand completely. I was lucky, and my first story was very highly rated. However, I've posted my second chapter, and even though the ratings are still what I would consider to be good, they aren't as high or as quick as the first one. I think I really did a number on myself by setting my expectations so high.

This one just isn't taking off as quickly as the last, so it feels deflating even though there's almost nothing wrong with the feedback I'm getting. Writers are notoriously fragile about their work, and I suppose I'm no exception.

Lord knows what I'll do when I post my first story that really does tank.

 

[_vision_]

Exactly the same experience. First story got an H very quickly and it really spurred me on. Second story is same story but from the other person's pov and it started out well but is now just sinking. Such a deflating feeling.

 

[lovecraft68]

Stories also go up with no feedback.

Very few people take a minute to comment, hell, a lot of readers can't be bothered to take the two seconds it takes to vote.

I guess if I think about it the only thing disheartening is how much work authors put into their stories for the high percentage of hoovers sucking up free content who can't be bothered to reward that work with a vote or quick remark

 

[BgDaddy33]

if I think about it the only thing disheartening is how much work authors put into their stories for the high percentage of hoovers sucking up free content who can't be bothered to reward that work with a vote or quick remark

Amen to this. I try to leave comments on every story I read, at least a couple of words if I can't leave a proper review. Feels like the right thing to do for the effort put into them. Wish more people would do that in return.

I'm just a newbie here so the words of affirmation really refill my tank to want to keep writing.

 

[StillStunned]

My newest story was my first venture into I/T. A short stroker about a brother and sister trying to stay warm in their tent. After only 3 hours, it's already got more ratings than any of my other stories.

But the first four ratings went 5-5-4-1.

Now I can understand why someone would give a 4. There's always room for improvement in any story. Fair enough. And obviously I agree with both the 5s.

The 1 though? It can't have been for my grammar or spelling. I'll back my command of English against anyone else's. I'm a professional editor and proofreader, grammar and spelling are what I do, what I've been doing at the very highest level for the past 20+ years.

So it must be the story itself. But who goes into I/T and then drops a 1 on a brother-sister stroker? Were they expecting something else? Were they offended? Do they think only particular familial relationships are acceptable as the subject of an incest story?

(The only other possibility I can think of is that the characters joke about a waterfall called King Arthur's Beard, and the reader was offended that I wasn't showing the proper respect to the legend. To which I say, sod off and come back when you've read "The Awnturs of Arthur", and know how to pronounce "Gawain".)

All right, I think that's all the steam I needed to blow off for now.

 

[ElectricBlue]

So it must be the story itself. But who goes into I/T and then drops a 1 on a brother-sister stroker? Were they expecting something else? Were they offended? Do they think only particular familial relationships are acceptable as the subject of an incest story?

More likely just some clown giving it a one-bomb because he's got nothing better to do. It's a common phenomenon, nothing to do with your story content. We all get them, some categories are worse than others.

 

[Stimtheone]

A new chapter to my story posted this morning, and in less time than it would take someone to actually read it, it was given a 1 star.

*Shakes head*

Thankfully, my short little story has made a bit of a comeback since then but talk about trolls trolling!

I had to remind myself that this is part of the experience and to try to develop a thick skin about it.

Reminds me of how I noticed that someone was just one-starring my stories without reading. Took me 8 hours to read through chapter 8 of DE to proofread it. Posted 2 hours ago, someone already gave it one star. Bruh, I know you didn't read that.

 

[Usually_Lurking]

Reminds me of how I noticed that someone was just one-starring my stories without reading. Took me 8 hours to read through chapter 8 of DE to proofread it. Posted 2 hours ago, someone already gave it one star. Bruh, I know you didn't read that.

Wouldn't surprise me if a significant proportion of 1-star reviews came from people who don't read the whole thing. They probably get to one thing they don't like and bail out.

Honestly, it would be kind of shocking if someone said "I hate this" and still finished it.

 

[BgDaddy33]

Reminds me of how I noticed that someone was just one-starring my stories without reading. Took me 8 hours to read through chapter 8 of DE to proofread it. Posted 2 hours ago, someone already gave it one star. Bruh, I know you didn't read that.

That irks me. Seeing how much someone goes into these stories, you'd think there'd be something to filter out the haters. Then again, so few people leave any kind of feedback as it is. That is also pretty demoralizing.

 

[Stimtheone]

It's best to consider the many people who might have been moved by our stories and said nothing. Maybe because they couldn't admit it or maybe because they jumped on something else right after. But I am sure that those feedback statistics are but a glimpse into the many people to like my stories. After all, they just keep coming.

 

[StillStunned]

Yesterday someone went through half my stories and dropped 3s everywhere. Just enough to drag a couple of stories down below the 4.5 mark, but in one case I was only one rating shy of the ten I needed for a red H.

 

[Tabauthor]

I’ve been surprised at how sensitive I am to ratings, and try not to read too much into it! But perhaps I should.

 

[StillStunned]

I’ve been surprised at how sensitive I am to ratings, and try not to read too much into it! But perhaps I should.

Our stories are purely products of our mind, of who we are. When people don't like them, no matter what we tell ourselves, it feels personal, like people are downvoting us as persons.

 

[BgDaddy33]

Yesterday someone went through half my stories and dropped 3s everywhere. Just enough to drag a couple of stories down below the 4.5 mark, but in one case I was only one rating shy of the ten I needed for a red H.

Just went through your stories to see which ones were close. Only found one that was teetering and I'd already given you 5 stars on it

 

[BgDaddy33]

I’ve been surprised at how sensitive I am to ratings, and try not to read too much into it! But perhaps I should.

That caught me by surprise too. I didn't care too much about it until I realized that I look for the red Hs when I am looking for a new story to read, and then I started to care. Of course, I would much more dearly love some comments to go with the votes but maybe I am just being greedy about that.

 

[BgDaddy33]

Our stories are purely products of our mind, of who we are. When people don't like them, no matter what we tell ourselves, it feels personal, like people are downvoting us as persons.

This is very true. Impossible not to take it personal either way, good or bad.