I was looking for a way to contact a reader who commented on one of my stories. I did reply to the comment, but given that it's the last story in the series, it's unlikely to be seen. Is there such a facility? If not, it would be useful (though I can see why it doesn't exist).
I'd find it useful too. Since all SOL mail is held in a database and presumably open to webmaster scrutiny, it should be possible to put facilities in place to report abuse.
AJ
If you wish to contact your readers via private email, you could provide your email address to readers in your blog and in your stories.
If you wish to contact your readers via private email, you could provide your email address to readers in your blog and in your stories.
That doesn't help if I don't have the e-mail addresses of the particular readers I wish to contact.
AJ
That is true. However, if they want to talk with you and you post your email address as part of your story, then they have a way to contact you.
I suppose that an inability to contact a reader who uses the comments section at the end of the last posted chapter to post to a comment is a weakness in that feature.
Of course that doesn't stop you from posting a comment in reply to the commenter in that section. If you wanted a private conversation, you post could be just your private email address and a request for them to contact you.
That doesn't help if I don't have the e-mail addresses of the particular readers I wish to contact.
I was curious because I didn't see the reader comments section at the end of Gay, so I checked. From what I can see you haven't enabled that section for at least the last 3 stories.
Since the section is not enabled, if a reader contacts you, you would have their return address, SOL or other. So what readers are you referring to?
I was curious because I didn't see the reader comments section at the end of Gay, so I checked.
Are you looking in the right place? Gay! has 40 comments.
AJ
There must be a setting that allows me to disable display of reader comments, but I haven't located it.
Go to the Detailed Info and Stats page for the story in question and you'll see a box labelled 'Hide Public Comments'.
IIRC the default is for comments to be hidden, so if you're getting comments you must have switched them on.
AJ
Go to the Detailed Info and Stats page for the story in question and you'll see a box labelled 'Hide Public Comments'.
That's a setting the author sets, and I often forget to set.
No private messaging yet, not from the forum and not from the story comments.
I will add it at some point in the future.
I will add it at some point in the future.
Thanks for being responsive! It's much appreciated.
I don't have this problem, because I have the following in my story End Note:
The site has a reader service to add comments at the end of the story for other readers. This is for readers to make comments for other readers. I do not track them or read them, so don't say anything there you expect me to respond to. If you wish to communicate with me, send me an email via the Author Feedback link.
If they want to tell me then they can send me a message, and we have a way to exchange views. Otherwise I ignore it.
The one exception I will make is sometimes another reader will message me about a comment someone made they think I should see, and I will view it and may reply there, but I'll usually reply via my blog.
I borrowed your sentiment for my own End Note:
"Although I appreciate comments, I don't think the Reader Comments section is the right place to hold discussions with readers. If you'd like an acknowledgement or reply to your observations, please use e-mail."
AJ
"Although I appreciate comments, I don't think the Reader Comments section is the right place to hold discussions with readers. If you'd like an acknowledgement or reply to your observations, please use e-mail.
Really? I have a lot of fun with the comment section.
Really? I have a lot of fun with the comment section.
You might, but for me to keep up with the comments would eliminate all of my writing time. With over 100 stories and many duplicated to Fine Stories and SciFi Stories that gives about 300 places to check, while the messaging system gives only one. I just don't have the time to deal with the comments.
You might, but for me to keep up with the comments would eliminate all of my writing time. With over 100 stories and many duplicated to Fine Stories and SciFi Stories that gives about 300 places to check, while the messaging system gives only one. I just don't have the time to deal with the comments.
The Wizard of SoL does the checking for me but that aside you're right, of course. I didn't intend to imply every author should participate in the comment section, only that I have fun with it.
With over 100 stories and many duplicated to Fine Stories and SciFi Stories that gives about 300 places to check
Actually, you can set things up to let you know when a comment has been added. If you don't get the notification, there's nothing to check.
I have a lot of fun with the comment section.
Others share that sentiment. However I think it would be too easy to get dragged into a flame war, so I prefer to leave the readers to their own.
AJ
Awnlee; there is an email link against your name in the Authors list. If you can put a note in your blog or story end which would distinguish the person(s) then you can ask them to contact you via that link.
For those of us who have been posting for a while, we typically already have most of our most frequent readers' email (from before the SOL message system was first installed). If you've contacted a reader previously, you can respond to the SOL email notification. Otherwise, you're stuck with responding via the messaging system.
Otherwise, the story messages are 'public' comments to your readers, while the messaging system is for private communication with readers (which is where I prefer to receive corrections, just so my mistakes aren't preserved for all to read forever and ever).