[NONFIC] EXPOSED: What Fanfic Readers REALLY Think!

"There are many things that make me stop reading a story, but I have to say I've never before imagined asking authors to stop any of them, because they won't!"
- Anonymous

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I was barely halfway through documenting my feedback study for fanfic writers, The Importance of Being Stroked, when it occurred to me that of course, I was now obligated to pursue the other side of the coin. After all, the whole process is very circular and interdependent. Writers create something special with their words, readers then enjoy the final product and somewhere in between, there's the potential for that important exchange that we call feedback. I don't think that it was ever any big mystery that authors appreciate and — in a sense, live for — feedback. It's fairly obvious that readers, however, are not involved in a similar love affair. So when it comes to pinpointing what motivates the average reader to send feedback, I think we're all a little more in the dark.

Since I was in charge of the questions, I had to ask something that I've always wondered about, and that is: with so much to choose from, are readers really picky in what they read? More precisely, is there anything specific that consistently irks the reader? The logic, of course, is that if your readers are being irked, they're not likely to send you feedback. To lend support to that theory, I also asked the potentially "hot" question of, have you ever sent negative feedback? I don't think I'm giving anything away if I tell you that the vast majority of respondents have not sent (and claim they would never send) negative feedback. They're way too nice. That said, these same respondents didn't exactly hold back when asked to reveal the items on their "irksome" list!

In between the potentially fun and funny stuff, the survey also asked readers what the best thing about fanfic was and why they read it. I know this may sound odd, but I could almost feel the affection that the respondents had towards this little indulgence of theirs from their answers.

Anyway, enough of this introduction stuff. Let's get on with the show. (NOTE: I have not changed the quotes that appear in this article in any substantial way other than to clean up spelling and typos.)

Just the Facts, Ma'am

I took the opportunity to gather a few "numbers" along the way. (Once again, I'm offering up the disclaimer that this is not intended to be a scientific study in any way, so take these statistics with several — perhaps many — grains of salt.) I figured that if I was going to ask people about their basic reactions to fanfic and the giving of feedback, I'd also like to know what their level of fanfic "experience" is. The first five questions, therefore, were of the "how long", "how many", and "how often" variety. (Hmmm... why do I suddenly feel like a census taker for the Kinsey Institute?)

The first question asked how long the reader had been reading fanfic. The general finding? Well over half of the respondents are fairly new to X-Files fanfic, having read for two years or less.

• 50% have been reading for 1 to 2 years
• 19% have been reading for less than 1 year
• 19% have been reading for 3 to 4 years
• 12% have been reading for more than 5 years

The second question asked how often the reader reads fanfic. I must admit, this one surprised me.

• 65% read fanfic at least once a day
• 35% read at least once a week

No one touched my "at least once a month" answer on the above. The third question asked the reader to approximate how many stories he or she has read. However you want to cut it, you people have read a lot of stories.

• 4% have read less than 100 stories
• 35% have read over 1000 stories
• 31% have read between 100 and 500 stories
• 31% have read between 500 and 1000 stories

The fourth question asked the reader to approximate how often they send feedback. In all, the results suggest that over 75% of the respondents send feedback less than 10% of the time. &nbsp :(

• 42% send feedback 5% to 10% of the time
• 35% send feedback less than 5% of the time
• 12% send feedback more than 10% but less than 50% of the time
• 12% send feedback more than 50% of the time

The fifth question asked where the reader finds stories to read. (Respondents were free to choose as many answers as applied to them, so the numbers will not add up to 100%.)

• 96% read at general archives like Ephemeral and Gossamer
• 88% read at the alt.tv.x-files.creative newsgroup
• 77% read at individual recommendation archives
• 62% read stories distributed via email lists

Are the results surprising? I must admit that they are to me. But maybe that's because I'm also one of the ones who's been in and around fanfic for only the past two years. And I've never read on a daily basis. I've probably read less than a hundred stories, although I've started reading many more. Which, of course, leads us straight to the most interesting question of the survey... what irks us most about fanfic, sometimes to the point of causing us to give up on a story?

What Really BUGS You About Fanfic?

Well, as one reader put it, "Let me count the ways..." is an apt description of the list of irksome things that were amassed for this question. Here is a collection of the most memorable and unique responses:

I get tired of the cliche "Insane, unstable and/or weak Mulder". The Mulder I see on TV isn't spineless or about to become a serial killer. Give the G-Man some respect!

Cliche taken almost as canon: Mulder was physically and/or verbally abused by his father. Please show me relatively reliable evidence from The X-Files for this because I don't see it.

I hate Mulder introspection where he reflects guiltily about how much Maggie and Dana must hate him for all he's caused them to lose. He has a tendency to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, yes, but he's not into self-flagellation, from what I've seen.

On a related note, I only recently discovered that TXF fandom has very significant segments of people who "identify" with either Mulder or Scully. In fanfic, I'm speaking of cases where folks are so skewed in their ideas and tendencies towards one that the other's characterization suffers. Just as bad, I suppose, are the writers out there who see Fox Mulder as the poster boy for Dysfunctionals Anonymous, as alluded to by the above comments.

The "crisp salad" and spaghetti which Scully always prepares when Mulder stays for dinner at her place. It's always Italian food and a "crisp" salad.

Let me tell you, I can't begin to comprehend why we need to have any details about what Mulder and Scully cook for dinner, but I must admit that comment had me laughing when I first heard it.

Anything that forces M & S into situations where they start acting like high schoolers or college students, because the author IS a student and is writing from life experiences.

When reading an MSR it goes so gushy and against the characters' personalities that it makes you feel ill.

Then again, I suppose details about what's cooking are infinitely preferable to Mulder and Scully sounding like Archie and Veronica....or some other totally unrecognizable lovey-dovey couple!

I do wonder why there are so many stories which seem to be about nothing but angst for angst's sake. I'm not against depressing stories, just stories in which the author doesn't seem to know what to do with the characters other than torture them — physically or emotionally.

I don't think anyone mentioned that ever lovin' MulderTorture stuff (which must mean — disturbingly enough — that it doesn't bother many of you), but what about all that unnecessary angst? Like many readers, I appreciate an exquisitely executed angst story in which something serious is actually dealt with, but if the characters are put through angst merely because it's fun to do (??), then it just doesn't invoke the intended feelings and responses from the reader.

Mulder and Scully have sex and all their problems magically disappear. Yeah, right. Excessive violence and/or language with no compelling dramatic reason to be in the story.

Language and gratuitous sex. Two very different topics, but I have strong opinions about both. Not every second word that comes out of a full grown adult is, well, f***. I get pretty trigger happy with the delete button if I even see the letter F too much.

It may be that sometimes, given the freedom of the fanfic world, writers go just a little bit overboard in their various interpretations. In terms of language, Mulder and Scully probably do use epithets more descriptive than "ass", but likely only when they have good reason to do so, and not just because they can.

I will almost never read a story where the Author's Notes go like: "I soooo hope that everyone likes this fic!!!! :):):):):) Its my 1st one and I don't know if it's any good!!!! :):) ;) ;P So let me know plllleeeeeaaaaseeee how you liked it...........I will luv you frvr!!!! & :):):):):)"

What can I say about that one that isn't already apparent??

The thing I find most annoying in fanfic is when Mulder screws up or does something hurtful to Scully. It always seems to be that he has to make a huge apology to her or suffer a long period of penance, but [when] Scully does the same it seems all she has to do is say a small 'I'm sorry' and all seems to be forgiven.

Uh oh, I'm hearing the factions at war again. The above comment struck me as being very obvious and yet I've never really thought about it that much. It merits an answer, though, doesn't it? Why does Saint Scully get to trample over our sexy G-Man at so little cost? (Oops, I'm not trying to start something here... humour — humour is important for all X-Files fans; remember that!) And finally, those irksome works in progress:

WIPs that are never finished are going to be the death of me. Sometimes I just want to say "If you don't have any idea of how to end it, DON'T POST IT!"

I don't have a personal problem with those. I never read them.

You Stop Reading If....

I have to admit to being a harsh reader. If I don't hear Mulder's and Scully's voices during the first exchange of dialogue, I'm outta there. I also can't continue reading if I suddenly don't recognize the characters from their general behaviour. I recently stumbled across a story where Scully not only slaps Mulder but throws a punch at him shortly afterwards. It was quite a long story and I wasn't even halfway through, but I have no curiosity as to how it ends. The 1939 "Scully" notwithstanding, can anyone seriously tell me that she would behave that way on even her worst PMS day?? The following were raised as specific encounters that would cause the respondent to stop reading.

Anything dealing with Scully's grief over Emily — I've only read a handful that were done intelligently and realistically. Stories with physical violence between M and S — again, unrealistic and completely different characters than the ones I feel I know.

I stop reading a story immediately when the subject of rape is handled in a way that I feel is inappropriate. I don't want to censor anyone, but I'm not interested in reading stories where one or both of the main characters is turned on by rape. And I've stumbled onto a few disturbing ones.

When characters behave in ways that are completely contradictory to their personas and previous actions on TXF I find it difficult to remain engaged with the story.

I stop reading a fic if they get into heavy sex — like NC-17 territory — and there wasn't a warning beforehand as I am not old enough to read that kind of thing.

Mulder & Scully married with kids story where the whole story revolves around the KIDS' DAILY HIGH SCHOOL LIFE! What does this have to do with the X-Files? M&S are usually reduced to cameo appearances in these kind of stories. If I wanted to read about Kristy and Justin, I'd pick up the "Babysitter's Club."

Here's a reader after my own heart:

I am a true believer in the Mulder/Scully relationship, but, in reality, on the show they won't take it as far as we want it to go. I think writing fanfic should express what we want to happen with the characters, but what drives me nuts is when the authors take it too far. Nothing against NC 17, but things like that would never be shown on a show. When I read something that makes me think "Yeah right! That would never happen," then I stop reading it. When I read something that uses the characters in the way that Chris Carter created them, I am intrigued and will keep on reading.

When I first started reading fanfic, I came across a few NC-17 stories as a matter of course and — beyond the initial "I can't believe people actually write this kind of stuff" — considered them mildly entertaining. It wasn't long before I found myself looking for specific portrayals of Mulder and Scully that would realistically complement what I saw on the small screen. And to be honest, I wasn't finding a lot of it. That's basically when I ventured into writing my own stories. One respondent kindly provided me with a nicely itemized list that is reproduced here almost in its entirety:

• Scully miraculously getting pregnant after having sex with Mulder one time.
• Scully and Skinner stories.
• Skinner and Maggie Scully stories.
• Mulder and Scully married.
• Scully forced to investigate child molestation cases, or any other crimes involving children.
• Slash.
• Mulder and/or Scully confessing that they "loved" one another since the first moment they met.
• Any part of Mulder's anatomy hardening whenever Scully is near.
• NC-17 stories in general. Often some of the best writers will only write stories laden with implausible scenarios involving copious and acrobatic amounts of sex.

Can I add in a final two cents about the sex stories? I don't read NC-17 any more, period, but what stopped me in my tracks when I did read it was that awful combination of sex and angst. The "Oh God, I can't believe I actually slept with my partner and now we've lost everything" theme. I know there are "classic" stories out there built on this very foundation, but does anyone really believe that Mulder and Scully would react that way after they finally "do it"? Makes me think I should expand on my previous statement and say that there are those who obviously feel both M&S are poster children for Dysfunctionals Anonymous.

What's In A Name?

Okay, enough people mentioned this pet peeve/reason-to-stop-reading for it to merit its own little section. Not only do they sound jarring to the ears, but "Fox" and "Dana" have never been used by our favourite twosome often enough to convince us that they will do so just to be a "conventional couple". People in real life stumble over names that are unfamiliar to them, and the last thing they would scream out in the throes of passion (as opposed to the "throws" of passion that hang over the back of Mulder's couch, as one respondent humorously pointed out) are names with which they are not familiar! Here are the specific mentions of this and other "naming" issues:

"Fox" and "Dana" the second they profess their undying love - why? Unless there's an explicit psychological analysis of exactly why "I love you" makes them change their names, it doesn't make sense.

Mulder calling Scully "Starbuck" — and I've seen that in quite a few stories — doesn't ring true. Aside from the shudder-worthy association of Mulder with her father, Mulder has his nickname for her — "Scully". That's who she is.

"Fox" and "Dana". Get over it people, they use each other's last names.

My biggest pet peeve is "Fox" and "Dana". These two have never done that, and it's not going to change just because they wound up in bed together. Yes, the erotica writers are the worst culprits. It just makes me feel that they aren't secure in writing these characters.

Having Mulder and Scully call each other by their first names. Ack!

When Mulder and Scully call each other "Fox" and "Dana." Or when a story starts out "Fox William Mulder picked up his cellphone to call his lovely and beloved partner, Dana Katherine Scully." The use of the middle name just irks me.

Scully and Mulder expressing their undying love and insisting that they call each other by their first names.

Let's face it: Mulder and Scully started out unconventional and they will remain unconventional. I think they would find it rather awkward to call one another by their given names after all this time, regardless of the nature of their relationship.

If You're Going to Right, Do it Write...or Something Like That

Last but certainly not least, the most commonly stated irksome thing was simply bad writing. This covers atrocious spelling, misuse of words (it's really not that hard to learn the difference between they're, their and there; your and you're; its and it's) improper grammar, careless typos, what have you. I was sort of surprised by how often this came up — over 60% of respondents mentioned it — as I had always thought that it was just me being overly picky. But the general opinion is that any appearance of the above would be enough to mar an otherwise great story, and an overabundance of it simply shows a lack of care that makes it impossible for the reader to enjoy reading. Some choice quotes:

Poor writing skills (bad grammar, punctuation, so many misspellings they can't possibly be typos) will turn me off every time. Reading fan fiction should be fun, not work! If the writing is so bad it brings out the editor in me, I'll stop reading. It's just not worth it.

Spelling errors, like Mudler. For the love of God, at least spell their names right!

If the quality of the writing starts to become poor, and I'm not really intrigued in it because there are so many errors, I probably won't finish it.

Poor spelling/grammar to the extent that the story is too difficult to follow. I don't mean occasional typographical mistakes, or even a particular word misspelled several times but when a story has several errors per sentence which mashes meaning I will stop reading, unless there is a good reason to continue, such as interesting plot, good characterisation, or the author's summary states that English is not the first language of the author and the author is either seeking feedback or trying to learn the language.

Misspelled words and poor grammar throw me out of the story; very annoying. Cliched phrases are also irksome; such as, "He/she let out a breath he/she hadn't realized he/she was holding".

Just plain bad writing. Disjointed, not smooth, not descriptive or just poor phrasing. I guess I want lyrical to a point, writing that is smooth, flows well, just takes you along for the ride. I need to be able to see these characters doing this, saying this, in this particular situation.

It really annoys me when spelling and grammar are mangled. If the author doesn't care enough to run a spell and grammar check, it's hard to believe they care enough to write a good story.

In my RL life, I come across a lot of resumes and have influence on hiring decisions. I've never considered hiring anyone whose resume contained typos. In the same vein, I find it difficult to forgive mistakes in stories that any ten dollar word processor can identify. Microsoft doesn't have a monopoly on spellcheck, people: find one and use it!

Why You Read Fanfic

The answers to this question were amazingly similar and consistent. Simply put, the best part about fanfic is the way it allows us to see characters that we have grown to love in situations that the show simply has no time — or desire — to develop. Fanfic gives us that extra "fix", that extra "escape", between Sundays. (And pretty soon, between movies!) And most respondents were quick to add that many fanfic writers were far and away better than the writers who are sanctioned by the show to pen the official TXF novels. As one person put it, "So many of the writers are great writers, period, and I would read the back of a cereal box if they wrote it." With so many people echoing the same essential thoughts, I think the following responses summarize the overall sentiments quite accurately. These are truly eloquent descriptions of the feelings that virtually all of the respondents have towards fanfic.

The best thing about fan fiction is when a story expands on the XF universe, either by forcing the characters to deal with new situations in different ways, or by delving more fully into the characters' inner motivations/feelings and exploring their interactions. The best fanfic gives depth and focus to the episodes we see, filling in the blanks and discovering territory that can't be adequately portrayed in the medium of television.

I can't write fiction. For as long as I can remember, I've been telling myself stories in my head about characters from books, films or television. But my few attempts at writing them down have quickly convinced me that I don't have either the talent or enough interest in the writing process. So to have complete strangers writing about characters that I'm interested in, making their stories freely available, writing more stories — it's amazing. Now I'm starting to feel guilty about all the feedback I haven't sent for these wonderful gifts.

Fanfic allows us to go where the show and CC haven't, or never will, take us. It gives us a chance to follow up on season finales in our own imaginations. Our show tends to end abruptly, leaving some of us going "you're ending it here? Now? But what happens next? And what about..." so post-eps satisfy in us that desire to see the show go on in that storyline. It lets us get a different take on the myth-arc aspects, and some writers make us say "Hey, I missed that" or "I never thought of that angle on this one". Most of all, for all us shippers and those of us that like NC-17, it lets us deal with real life. CC expects us to believe that these two people, who are totally devoted to one another, have no personal lives, have put their life and careers on the line for one another numerous times, face death together regularly, travel to the ends of the earth to find and/or rescue the other, have no one but each other — he expects us to believe that they are so pure of heart and devoted to their quest that they aren't human beings. Needing to love, touch, feel and reassure that the other is there and alive. The most natural reaction to facing death is sex. When in pain you turn to someone to make you feel better, or simply to block it all out for a little while. Mulder is no Sir Percival and Scully is not Joan of Arc. If they weren't shagging like bunnies by the end of season one, they definitely would have started after Scully's return from her abduction.

I love all the different takes on the characters by all the different authors. So many people are inspired by one TV show, in so many different ways. I love reading all the Mulders and Scullys and Skinners with all the quirks that the authors give them. And I love that fanfic gives me an outlet for my love of the TV show. I can only watch one ep a week, but I can read 50 different stories, if I want.

Supposedly, we're soon to enter a time when fanfic will be all we have for awhile (the season eight rumours notwithstanding). It's comforting to know that we will always have interesting reading to fill our spare moments. When you get right down to it, the role of fan fiction is no more — and no less — than what is summarized succinctly by the following:

Simply? It's fun, it's innocuous, and it reassures me that there are other people just as obsessed with the show as I am.

Sometimes, we just gotta do it 'cause it makes us feels good!

You Send Feedback If...

This, I believe, is where I originally came in...exploring the addiction that is feedback. My previous survey of authors and their feelings towards feedback established how much the creators of all these wonderful stories appreciate kind words from total strangers that say something to the effect of, "Hey, that was terrific!" The thing is, though, feedback is not always easy to get. Obviously, readers have to connect with the author's work on a significant, emotional level in order to inspire the urge to send feedback. So what reactions in particular qualify as an emotional connection? What makes the reader say, "I gotta send a message about this one!"?

...if the story makes me smile at the end...

...a sad but "wow, that was good" feeling...

...when the characters' emotions affected me enough to have a physical reaction...

...a feeling of overwhelming perfection...

...if it is so well written that it makes me cry...

...when the writing and situation created a mood that made me feel pulled into the story...

...a story that has lifted my mood and improved my day...

...stories that leave me with a lot to think about...

...any story that makes me wish it wasn't over...

...if it agrees or disagrees with one of my private XF theories...

...when I can see that the author shone that big flashlight in the darkest parts of themselves, took notes, and were brave enough to share with everyone...

...if I'm saying, "WOW!!!" at the end of the story...

...when I am emotionally engaged with the characters as a result of reading a story...

Pretty awesome comments, huh? Now all you writers have to do is ensure that your work produces the above effects. Here's what else readers say guarantees feedback from them:

An unexpected turn of events in a story, something I didn't see coming but then turns out to be a pleasant surprise. Witty dialogue.

I send feedback on the exceptionally well executed stories. Sometimes I send feedback on a story with a less unique plot just because the writing is so fabulous. Other times the writing may be a bit prosaic but I send feedback because the plot was clever and interesting.

Incredibly well-written prose with excellent characterizations. Also, perhaps an exceptionally witty, funny, or unusual story.

I'm a character junkie, so good characterization always prompts me to hit reply. I also love when an author puts a new, unexpected twist on an old scenario. And humor is always great.

The last sentence in the following response deserves to be highlighted. It should only be obvious that if you like a certain author's work that you tell them so. Lack of feedback — while not guaranteed to make one stop writing — rarely encourages one to continue.

When I read a truly wonderful story, when it reminds me of the show, I send them feedback. I feel that talented authors deserve credit, and in doing so, I hope that it encourages them to keep writing.

All that aside, remember what my unscientific numbers said about feedback: most readers are sending it only five to ten percent of the time. The following responses might explain why, to a certain extent:

I usually send feedback if I really liked the fic — but that's about it.

Some months I send feedback on everything I have the slightest positive feeling about, other months I don't send any, even though I am finding the time to read some stories.

I send feedback when I am angry or curious regarding a story.

[When] a mostly-good story has something that seriously needs fixing.

You may wonder about those last two, but I suppose that's what constructive (?) criticism is all about, which leads us to our next question...

The Difficulty With Negativity

What's up with readers and feedback, authors ask. Why is it so hard to come by these days, and why aren't more readers letting us know what works and what doesn't? Well, you know the saying... be careful what you ask for because you may get it. Okay, so most of us have a hard enough time being constructively negative to those that we know. To send something even remotely negative to a stranger, well, some readers say it's just difficult. However, my evil little horns were sprouting when I constructed this question. I wanted to know how many of you had been tempted to send negative feedback, and the dirty details of the circumstances that provoked the temptation. The following people were more forthcoming than most when it came to disclosing their darkest temptations: (hey, remember that sense of humour!)

I haven't ever sent any negative feedback, but I have been tempted to. Any fic where the author misspells the characters' names, for one — "Moulder"?? What's that? Green fungus? The least an author can do is respect the characters enough to write their names correctly.

I have been tempted to correct heinous grammatical errors, but I restrain myself because this isn't English class.

I have only been tempted on those rare occasions when I thought the writer had some real talent for generating interesting plots but needed a composition class.

Tempted, hell yes! Something along the lines of "you did go to high school, correct? And you did PASS English? Or composition? Or something?" Nasty, I know. But the simple fact is, a lot of fanfic could compete in the national market in its quality, God knows it would beat the hell out of the last published X-Files novel, and some of it should never have been put out for ANYONE to read.

I have been tempted, though, when I read a story about a year ago that just disgusted me SO much. But I restrained myself, and I didn't.

A few of you described actual past experiences — mostly unsuccessful — of sending constructive criticism (which is not to be confused with nasty feedback):

I've sent constructive feedback to a few authors. One author had spelled Scully as 'Skully' throughout the story. The story was so-so at best, but I fibbed and said I liked it but the 'Skully' spellings were terribly distracting. I figured if I was going to poke at her story I should try to even it out with something nice. I got this horrifying response where the author said that maybe this was a sign she shouldn't be writing. She thanked me for pointing out her error and that she didn't know if she'd post another story. (She did.) Jeez Louise, that kind of response will make you gun-shy.

Got burned by some people in other [non-XF] fandoms responding to what I thought was constructive criticism by saying something along the lines of "how dare you suggest that I can improve my writing!" To me, it isn't worth the negative karma to send negative feedback.

I have sent very slightly negative feedback once or maybe twice. I know that though I included generous praise for what I did like, I felt horrible after I sent it and thought about it some more. I think I decided that I didn't have any right to criticize, since I'm not a writer. If I remember correctly, the author responded graciously, but I haven't sent negative feedback since.

I have told a writer that her characters were following her motivation (to set up a boffo climax) instead of their own. I have told another writer that a scene was beautifully dramatic, but it just wouldn't work under the circumstances. Both writers professed themselves grateful.

My personal opinion? Writers want to hear something about their work, even if it's a few levels below "that was the best story I've ever read". If you can provide some sort of feedback as to how the author can change to improve his or her work, by all means go for it. On the other hand, if it's something really bad where by some chance you finish reading the story but can't find anything good to say about it, then it's probably not worth your while to try to find a nice way of saying that you didn't like it. It comes down to this: do authors need to be told that their stories stink? I think these results indicate that even if we think the answer is yes, our ultimate actions say no. (Because we're "chicken-s**t", as one respondent confessed.)

Do Authors Respond?

Some time ago, I was intrigued enough about this question to have started a thread about it at ATXC. I asked it of authors, however, to see if they normally responded to feedback messages. I seem to remember that the vast majority of the authors who joined in on the discussion were of the opinion that feedback deserves a "thank you". I would personally find it appalling not to respond to feedback and can only fervently hope that no emails of mine have ever gone missing in the process. That said, I remember sending feedback once that got no response. (I don't know if the author was peeved that I suggested that she clean up her typos, but I hope not since that was not the main point of the feedback message. She had written an exceptionally strong story of a genre that I didn't normally read and my comments were actually extremely positive.) Obviously, I expect an answer to any feedback that I send out. The respondents were fairly evenly split on this one, though. Counting only the ones who explicitly said something about "expecting" a reply, 52% of you expect authors to reply — however briefly — to your feedback. Those who said that they didn't expect a reply generally thought that it may be a time-consuming activity for the recipients. All, however, expressed delight in receiving an acknowledgement of some kind.

When someone provides feedback directly to an author I think it is good netiquette to respond so that the reader is aware that feedback is valuable and a great encouragement to the author. As someone who has both written and received feedback, I think that if a writer fails to respond, it gives the impression that feedback is negligible in the writer's estimation. There is no indication that they read it, that they appreciate it or that they thought about it. For many fan fiction writers who write only for pleasure and personal enrichment, feedback is the only reward and the only acknowledgement for the time and effort involved in creating a work of fiction. So it seems important to encourage every reader who has taken the time to provide feedback. I would make an exception to unjustifiably harsh or ill-considered criticism, not expecting an author to respond, particularly where offensive language is used by the reader, i.e. 'it sucked.' etc. I certainly wouldn't expect a response if I wrote that kind of feedback, other than an escalation in terms of abuse. :)

Yes, most authors usually respond, and they're very gracious. If I send detailed feedback, I usually get a response in kind. If I just send an "I like it," I usually get back just a "thanks." I expect authors to respond, if they've asked for feedback. It doesn't have to be long, but it just seems like good manners to say thanks. I've had experiences where I've sent long, detailed feedback to authors, and never had a response at all. I've read (and enjoyed) other works by these authors since, but I've never sent another word of feedback. Maybe I'm wrong, but I figure if they don't say anything, they probably don't want feedback. Also, I tend not to send feedback to authors who seem flip about it ("send it if you want"). I'm probably taking it the wrong way, but if they don't seem to care, why should I?

Yes, about 99% of authors respond to my feedback which surprises and delights me. I do not expect them to respond because of time constraints or because I assume my email is part of an avalanche of feedback saying essentially the same thing.

It's safe to say that a high percentage of authors respond to their feedbacks. Given the fact that a relatively low percentage of it is sent out, however, I would expect authors to make the time to respond. After all, writing fanfic is no one's job. If people have the time to indulge in that hobby, they obviously have time to acknowledge the readers who make the hobby more fulfilling. (And if writers didn't care about anyone reading their work, they wouldn't post their stories.) It's not like the answer has to be immediate; a late response is better than no response.

In this era of instant (and easy) recs at Ephemeral, actual e-mail feedback is getting harder and harder to come by. If I can take the time to write out a personal message, then they should be able to take the time for at least a "Thank you."

And on the flipside:

I do not expect a response at all because I know how time consuming this entire exercise could become. I would prefer good writers to spend their time writing good stories, rather than feedback on my feedback!

In case any authors think that readers don't particularly care to receive anything back, check out these responses:

Yes they usually do respond, and it's gratifying to know that they care what we think. Let's face it, none of us write for anything but pleasure, and the knowledge that maybe someone else will enjoy our stuff.

I've noticed lately that when send feedback, I do wait and look for a response. I like getting responses from feedback. I'm more likely to send feedback to authors who respond to me.

It's nice to receive feedback, but you don't always get it.... Any replies of fb are always welcome. I keep all the replies I get.

If I've learned anything from this study, it's that readers are almost as happy to receive an acknowledgement as authors are to receive their feedback. That must mean something. Give and you'll get back more. It's the final effort that completes the feedback circle.

Thank You!

My heartfelt thanks goes out once again to everyone who responded to this survey and so eloquently expressed his or her opinions on this on-going fascination of mine. As with my previous project, I would not have been able to accomplish this without your tremendous assistance. After all, in the world of writing, an idea is simply an idea until it becomes realized with actual words. And in this case, most of the above words are not mine. Some of my respondents requested anonymity and to them I've passed on my personal thanks; once again, you know who you are. Special thanks goes to Toniann for her thoughts and input on the survey questions. To cover the rest, I'd like to thank the following (in no particular order) for contributing copious amounts of text to the entire study: Binah, Eve Harper, Matilda, Eliza Bennett, cyberkat, Allison, tuatha, Jennifer Kelley, Carolyn Dougherty, Lee Burwasser, angelina, Lauri Price, J. Nelson, Emily C. Stevens, Kronos, Maggie McCain, Paul LaRocque, Lavinia's Premonition, Jessica, JudyTXS, and Kailee White.

To close, I'd also like to pass on my appreciation to at least four individuals who attempted to answer the survey but whose responses unfortunately came through as a blank email. Incompatible browsers, technical difficulties, what have you.... I didn't want to develop a form that would have required extensive programming so I implemented the simplest solution that I could think of, which unfortunately does not work so well with Internet Explorer. Anyway, to those whose words "got lost" in cyberspace: your intent was much appreciated!