When I first started posting here I decided not to respond directly to any feedback via e-mail. It was a privacy issue, I was uncomfortable giving out my address. Since then I've been thinking if readers take the time to comment, I should really be responding. I'd be interested in how others handle this. Any opinions?
I was uncomfortable giving out my address. Since then I've been thinking if readers take the time to comment, I should really be responding. I'd be interested in how others handle this. Any opinions?
It's easily solved, create a separate, private 'author' email, link your SOL pseudonym to it, and you're set. After all, did you really think my natural name is "Crumbly"?
You can reassign your email under "Settings". Also, while it's not complete, you're protected by this being a 'private' site (i.e. it requires people to sign in before searching for IDs).
Ever since I began writing erotica it's been done under Switch Blayde. When I did that, I created an email address associated with it. So when I respond to an SOL feedback, that's the email it goes out on. It's another personality of mine. Switch Blayde at times seems like a real person to me.
When I published my novel, I thought the author name needed to sound more like a person so I created a new "person" as S.W. Blayde. Along with it I created a new email address.
So I wear multiple hats. I have several email addresses under my real name, one for Switch Blayde which is basically SOL and ASSTR, and one for S.W. Blayde which is my novel and wattpad.
So I wear multiple hats. I have several email addresses under my real name, one for Switch Blayde which is basically SOL and ASSTR, and one for S.W. Blayde which is my novel and wattpad.
Switch, as anyone who's ever read my stories knows, I'm a paranoid SOB, so I've always had multiple emails (long before I started writing). In case anyone I disagreed with on a forum got crazy, I could just kill the email and the problem would be solved. Thus I had an SOL log-on email, an author email, and a publisher email, plus several for different types of web services (that how I limit my 'stolen ID' risk).
I've told most of you about authors I've known who had their entire Google accounts deleted by Google (taking all their stories with it) on a single unsubstantiated complaint by someone who disliked their stories. They offer NO review process. Anyone registers a complaint of any kind, and you're history. Thus multiple IDs are really required.
I've told most of you about authors I've known who had their entire Google accounts deleted by Google (taking all their stories with it)
Why do the stories go away? What's the connection with Google?
Why d[id] the stories go away? What's the connection with Google?
They had a Google mail account. When Google deleted the account, they deleted everything attached to it. ALL of old emails, and everything they'd stored on Google Docs (or anything else stored on any Google service under that ID).
We were talking about why we need more than a single email, this exemplifies that.
They had a Google mail account. When Google deleted the account, they deleted everything attached to it. ALL of old emails, and everything they'd stored on Google Docs (or anything else stored on any Google service under that ID).
We were talking about why we need more than a single email, this exemplifies that.
Thanks. It also exemplifies why no one should ever trust iCloud, GoogleDocs or any other online storage service for their key documents without a backup they control entirely!
Thanks. It also exemplifies why no one should ever trust iCloud, GoogleDocs or any other online storage service for their key documents without a backup they control entirely!
Currently, ALL the 'cloud storage' sites offer free storage in exchange for free access to ALL your stories, and they also reserve the rights to everything stored there, including deleting the account with no notice.
The only exception is DropBox, which keeps their paws off of the data stored there. However, that will only last as long as the current owners maintain ownership. One of these days, one of the other sites will offer them hundreds of millions and they'll hand all of your data, but currently, they're resisting the impulse to capitalize on them.
Also, back up ALL your data! You never know when a computer, HD or computer infection will fail (here's hoping the infections fail!), and all your data since your last update will be gone.
I'm a bit obsessive, backing up to a spare HD on my computer, a bunch of external drives and USB sticks and dropbox. Yet I still forget to back up on occasion. I lost several chapters over Christmas when my solid state HD died (no way to recover on those). It was only months later that I discovered I'd also lost an entire unfinished story. Lesson only partially learned.
Stories stored on Google Cloud. And, showing all the security one should expect when one's content is stored anywhere other than on one's own machine, when one's Google account is deleted, so are the files stored in one's cloud account.
When I first started posting here I decided not to respond directly to any feedback via e-mail. It was a privacy issue, I was uncomfortable giving out my address.
You're welcome, Lostlady. But just to answer your original question, entering your email address isn't really a problem. Lazeez set it up so you can rule out automated spambots (with "confirmed addresses"). What's more, SOL is a private site, requiring users to log in (it's less visible to Google searches), and the only person receiving the email is the author (unless he's changed things lately, Lazeez doesn't store the email address you send to the author).
Heck even when the address isn't required, I personally add it as a part of the response to the writer. Its only fair that anyone I send mail to be able to reply if they want to. Although its not a requirement. If it boils down to either writing the story or sending me an answer. Write the story its an answer in itself.
Heck even when the address isn't required, I personally add it as a part of the response to the writer. Its only fair that anyone I send mail to be able to reply if they want to. Although its not a requirement. If it boils down to either writing the story or sending me an answer. Write the story its an answer in itself.
Still, authors often want to respond, either to get more information, or to explain their position/provide an answer. What's really frustrating is when someone asks a question and then doesn't provide an email address!
I think if a writer accepts feedback in the form of an email like on SOL or other sites. The user giving the feedback has to give a valid email address. It can be their default address or it can be one of those extras like on gmail or some other email server account.
While I don't require a reply, they are nice. The choice is the writer's not mine however.
I think if a writer accepts feedback in the form of an email like on SOL or other sites. The user giving the feedback has to give a valid email address.
I think what's happening (when a reader asks a question and then doesn't offer an email address) is they either hit send too fast, or they mistype their email address. Occasionally I'll respond in a blog, but usually they never see it, probably assuming I'm uninterested in responding.
From time to time (especially when I switch IP) SOL sends the reader an email requiring them to answer, thus proving that the address given in a message to an author is valid.
From time to time (especially when I switch IP) SOL sends the reader an email requiring them to answer, thus proving that the address given in a message to an author is valid.
That's SOL's 'authenticated response' technique, proving that the message was sent from a valid email, rather than from a spambot (an automated spam generator).
It's not used very often, but several authors end up using it when they start getting junk (or think they're getting dishonest, nasty responses). The idea is, people are less nasty when their IDs are known.
