Shit · 12:32pm Jan 23rd, 2014
I should go back to not trying on my stories. Actually trying and getting fucking 15 upvotes is a waste of my fucking time. Now I've got a story I was excited to continue with no fucking readers after all that fucking work. It's also one of the better stories I've written, but that's not going to get it anything either, is it? MY FUCKING PEACH STORY GOT MORE VIEWS THAN THIS!
This site readership is bullshit
Fimfiction is bullshit
We're all fucking bullshit
Why the hell do I even keep writing on here? I already know every story I actually like is going to get shot down while everything comic and funny I write will get undue attention. Meanwhile, I spend more time prereading the works of others than writing my own stories. I used to rationalize that as being a nice dude, but I don't get any benefit from that crap either. I'm tired of this shit.
And I don't want a bunch of comments saying "You're awesome, don't go" and shit like that. I need a break, I don't know how long it will be. It might only be a week. I might never come back and find something more productive to do with my life. Most likely, however, I'll just consign myself to facts and stop writing serious stories in favor of comedies and light shipping that will get me the feature I want. I'm okay sacrificing what I like for the audience: I'm an artist, that's what artists do. I'm tired and I need a break. So don't expect any activity from me in the near future, but hopefully I'll be back refreshed, pleasant, and not having my massive failure to do anything with my effort hanging over me.
However, I will stick around to reply to comments to this, because I think you guys deserve that much after having to read this.
Oh, come now, just because it wasn't well received could be due to any number of facts. I, for one, think 15/1 is pretty good for something that you've worked on. Give it time. It's been a single day, and that's with no Higher-power influence (Obs I'm looking at you!), and your fic has near a hundred views and a good ratio. At least half of your followers have read this now, and it didn't receive a million downs. I, for one, would be pretty happy, as long as someone enjoyed the work.
I understand its pretty shitty to work so hard and receive so little, but it's gotta be that desire to get more attention, that wish for the spotlight, that you can't let go of. Don't let it get to you. And the peaches? Shit yo, Obselesence himself supported it and got everyone on the site to look for them. It was a fad, one that may have gotten your story a lot of views/likes, but that's all with his influence. You should be proud that that many people were reading it at whatever ungodly late hour you dropped it at. I'd venture to say most of Fimfiction's readers drop by near mid morning to late afternoon. Many of the readers weren't on last night, and that may be the reason your story got 'overlooked'.
Hell, I posted a new story, and it's barely passed 50 views, and it's at 4/2, so don't think you've thrown away your time. Relax, sit back, and remember, not everyone will be here to read a light shipfic about a pairing that you don't see all that often, and not everyone will read everything there is...
...Except Skeeter, but he's the exception.
Don't let the minimal reviews get to you. Promote it! Go put it in groups! Go tell the world you wrote a new story and build up hype. Blog about it the day before you drop it just to get us all riled up for your next work. Believe me, it works. All the 'feature-box' authors will usually post a small blog: "New story out soon!" and detail it. Then we, the readers, have to wait for it to drop. the hype makes it a better read, and more people read it. Don't feel so bad, now, y'hear?
I, for one, liked to see that come to an end at last, the whole thing resolved quite well. Well worth the wait and work, and I believe you wrote something truly good.
Perk up and be happy! Your story did better than most of the drivel in the New Stories box anyway, I'd be glad it wasn't flamed down in a bloody sea of downvotes. Just relish the feeling of completing, rather than the feeling of praise.
Dammit Garbo802, I cannot loose another!
I know exactly what you're feeling right now. It's unbelievably frustrating when you put weeks of effort into something, and it goes completely unnoticed, while other people who bash out messy, directionless, unedited tripe get all the attention.
I recently spent three weeks writing, re-writing, and polishing a story, only for it to take two weeks to pass 100 views. Then I spent two hours writing a story about Angel smacking Big Mac around, and it surpassed the one I worked so hard on in a few hours.
Unfortunately, that's just what happens when you don't write for the lowest common denominator. People are going to read what they want to read, and most of them won't pick up something that looks like it might challenge them unless it's already really popular.
If you feel like you need to take some time off, just do it. You don't owe anyone here a thing. Maybe you'll come back refreshed and ready to get back on the horse, or maybe you'll decide to move on to something else.
If you do decide to hang it up, though, I hope you'll at least keep in touch with us.
I have faith you already know your self worth so trying to add to it won't likely do much good.
As for what artists do it seems to be mostly up to the artist themself to decide. Some choose your path, some choose differently.
I wish you well on your break. I'd suggest you think about what makes you happy and how to achieve it that won't cause you harm and doubt. As it seems you've not found it yet.
Oh look, another one leaving. What a surprise.
Here is the skippy on this site.
Shit is popular, good is not, it's that simple
Fact of the matter is, you need to market your story to the max.
Otherwise, it will fall into oblivion.
Blog like crazy, check when the site has the most readers at any given time.
Just don't expect to get any readers. Most here have the taste of fecal matter.
Dude, you can't let the fact that a story that you put so much effort into didn't receive as much attention as you hoped for get you down. Trust me, I know how you feel, a couple of my stories that I put a lot of effort and time into didn't get that much views, and ya know what? I am okay with this. I am satisfied with what I wrote, and for me, that is all that matters.
I guess what I am trying to say, is that no matter if anyone else validates your hard work, you should still be proud of what you did, because you did it.
Also, telling me not to tell you that you are awesome? Have you forgotten who I am? Who you are dealing with here?
Hey Garbo? Guess what?
YOU ARE AWESOME!
So don't let the fact that a story didn't garner attention detract the hard work you put in. Be proud that you put the amount of effort into that you did.
Story of my life.
Honestly, I don't aspire to be a well-known writer or a revered author. I don't hope for the feature box and hang on every follower. I don't squee every time I get an upvote or a fave. Hell, I don't really write at all.
I edit for others, and I never get any recognition for it. No one clicks on that 'edited by' link to my page, and I don't get any follows, faves or comments for doing any editing.
But as I already said, I don't really care about that. I meet some really awesome people on this site, several of whom I'm proud to call my friends. I'm not really lacking friends in real life, but the friends I have on this site are some of the best people I've ever met.
I'm happy that I am able to edit for them, to help them write those pieces that get into the featured box, that get featured on EQD, that get all those views, comments and faves.
Where was I going with this? I think this was a motivational piece, but all I did was talk about writing and such drivel.
But yeah, don't be sad, Mr. Garbo. Everyone's Magnus Opus is always the underrated piece.
Same thing happened to me, I peaked 23/3 on a story I spent a lot of emotion and hard work on
but you'll be back man, we know you will; I'm not saying this in a condescending way, it's just that it alway happens. We'd miss you, you're a decent writer, and if you ever need a signal boost, just PM me. I could get at least a few more people interested for you.
just remember
the ride never ends
1750426 You really are awesome, ya know that?
Thanks for your comment.
I know how you feel.
The stories we put tons of effort into are ignored, while the touch-and-go ones are given the attention.
I haven't been writing very long; maybe about six months. But I have learned something. I learned that the feeling of being proud of something is much better than the feeling of it being popular. Taking a small break from it all can help. I took one and came back rearing and ready to go, and with a newfound appreciation of stories and the writing medium.
I know it's hard to see a story you put time into not get the attention it deserves; everyone goes through it at some point or another. But there is only one thing we can do to get our stories attention, and that is to keep going. To stare in the face of uncertainty, to tell it 'fuck you' and to keep doing what we love, be it writing or pre-reading.
If you ever need someone to vent to, my inbox is always open.
1751959 y-you too
Your work is great just because you don't have a huge amount of likes and dislkies dosen't mean that your work is bad.
You may just need to "advertise" more, I mean not in your face but if it comes up tell someone about it and then maybe they will tell other people.
Just because your story dosen't have a million views on it doesn't mean its bad, like I said it isn't like your writing is bad it just seems that you are either looking at it for reassurance that you are good rather then doing it because you like it, and beleve me you aren't the first person to do that.
For those who know, doing all the advertisement work all by one's lonesome is very difficult on this site. Let me describe a couple reasons why:
Most groups do not allow self-promotion, which is the bread-and-butter of self-marketing on this site. Heck, even in places and groups that allow it, everyone does it, so one's stories get lost in the morass. Also, if self-promotion is the extent of one's interactions with groups and other users, that author will be stigmatized into automatically being crap, because there is soooo much self-promotion going on that the supply greatly outstrips the demand.
This is because of how the average reader sees stories: why should I believe this author over my own judgment? Why should I go through these groups when I can find entertaining stories using the Browse function? Why should I dictate my entertainment by the desires of another person? You have to be at least a half-decent person to give a self-promoted story a shot... or another writer.
One thing most people forget is that the majority of the groups are for WRITERS, NOT readers. Readers are what a writer needs, and sometimes other writers (for things like editing/proofreading/sanity-checking). So self-promotion on the site often targets the wrong audience. All the self-promotion effort ends up wasted, or at least inefficient.
Garbo, you need to connect with more READERS, and find ways to get them to read your stuff. As such, I understand the need to take a break... FROM THE SITE.
Do not stop writing. Period. End of story.
While on your break, keep writing. Don't limit yourself to PONEH. Don't limit yourself to anything. Don't publish it, just write it. Keep it to yourself. Write for yourself, and only yourself. Don't think about "getting an audience" or "getting good ratings."
This is to give yourself some distance from the stress of finding an audience. Once you are at a point where you have written a lot just for the heck of it, and you write a piece that you inherently say to yourself "I REALLY WANT other folks to read this," then you can turn to the question of how to reach that audience FOR THAT SPECIFIC STORY.
The site also encourages writers to form their own "cliques" of readers through the follow system. Followers are much more consistent than the random nature of the front page, which encourages writers to gain these followers. However, followers are most quickly gained through writing lots of content, whether it be multiple chapters of one story, or several short stories. The end result requires writers to burn themselves out to put out high-quality content at an unrealistic pace, or to churn out easy-to-make, low-quality content. Not playing this game makes the writer end up deprived of those crucial, consistent followers.
Again, this is to emphasize why a break from the site is a good thing, and why advertising and self-promotion on this site are not nearly as effective as folks claim they are. However, PLEASE do not stop writing. Keep up the craft, because the skills you learn and the experience of creating something are unparalleled. Learn from this experience, and move forward.
Those are my 2 cents. Make of them whatever you will.
Sincerely,
Mr. Album
1766468
Funny thing is, people are telling me to advertise. I'm really good at that. I'm in practically every group that is relevant to the stories that I write and I post them in all of those groups (though over a series of a few hours so I don't get called a view whore). To put it another way I'm in half of the major groups on the site. I've also been endorsed by other authors on occasion, put my stories in review groups, Blog about stories annoyingly often before they're published and a bunch of other stuff. In this particular case, that wasn't the problem. I don't know what was.