#rather than bombarded with asks about when the 150 thousandth words they’ve written in this calendar year will be published

[takenquicklys]

i think that’s there’s a really interesting fandom dynamic going on where people have gotten the idea that any kind of engagement with an author is a good thing, and it’s not. this post talks about comments, but i’ve noticed that (esp with really friendly authors) it extends beyond comments. authors are not content machines. we as readers need to remember that, “i need more now!” “omg when is this coming” “when is your next ___ being published,” especially with no other commentary attached, is not kind, or helpful, or actually expressive of your thoughts about their work. i get it- we say these kinds of things because we enjoyed what we read so much that we’d consume more of it in an instant. i know that most of the time the person behind these kinds of remarks is trying to be nice. but it attaches value to the author’s ability to create more content, rather than to them as a person or what they’ve already created. if you liked a fic and would read more, leave a kudos. or even a five word, “i liked this it was good” comment. that’s more encouraging than demanding new content will ever be.