#basically I have let my ao3 inbox accumulate like 1600 comments | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

marimbles · 7 months ago

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It seems to be pretty well established that most fanfic authors don’t mind when readers leave comments on old fics and in fact welcome it. But what about authors replying to old comments?

Do readers care in general whether an author replies? Is it expected and seen as rude if they don’t? Is it nice when they do but not expected? Is there a time limit to the welcomeness of replies? Like is it nice if they respond within a few weeks but if it’s been months or years it feels awkward because you don’t remember the fic anymore? I’m curious!

#basically I have let my ao3 inbox accumulate like 1600 comments #and I am wondering what to do about it lol #historically I was very good about responding to comment bc it’s important to me that my readers feel appreciated #cause genuinely I’m so grateful that they took the time to read and especially to comment! most don’t so it means a lot when they do!#but then I went through a very long phase where I was too lazy/overwhelmed/tired to reply to comments #so I just stopped doing it except for occasionally when I had energy or when a comment was particularly detailed/heartfelt #I always felt bad about it and wanted to eventually catch up again #but now I’ve let it build so much that it’s overwhelming and it’s been so long that it’s awkward lol #and every reply would need to begin with an apology and explanation #but anyway. I was thinking I’d at least like to respond to comment on particular fics #or that are within a certain threshold of time #or that are more thoughtful #but idk #just curious what the vibe is #personally I don’t expect authors to respond to me but it always feels nice when they do #especially if it’s a comment I put a lot of thought/energy into #and I think I’d be pleased to hear back even if it had been years #I might feel a little awkward if I don’t remember the fic lol #but it also could be nice to jog my memory and go ah yes that was a nice time!#haha #anyway #mine #polls

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