How influential are comments?

[kitmarlowe]

if I average everything out over the decade, every story, it's a lower ratio overall. But for those stories that I know are better (by my own self-reference, mind), it's still a pretty good indicator. It would be nice to get more, and to have more interactive comment threads. Maybe next year, haha!

I'm actually quite happy with that sort of ratio but that's because I mostly want to be left alone a lot of the time. It's nice to know that people are reading what I'm writing, of course, and it's always great to hear from people enjoying the work, but I get burned out on social contact very easily and my brain can't differentiate reading comments from actual socialising

 

[Belegon]

far more influential than votes... though of course it does depend on the comment and at times on the commenter. I can think of several people who could write "This was good." in a comment on one of my stories that would absolutely thrill me.