#some ppl are reading silently and trying not 2 commit slewerslide and we're asking them for peer reviews

[sailoryooons]

Hello 🤗🙋🏻‍♀️ I hope it’s okay to ask this, I am asking a few people so no need to answer if you have no desire to. I’ve read alot of writers on both ends today. Some saying that if readers don’t engage they will be driven away. But now some are saying that readers don’t need to interact. I feel torn because I couldn’t help but interact with a few authors but sometimes I don’t know what to say. What do you think?

My short answer: do whatever you want, whenever you want. You're not required to leave feedback, but it's also appreciated if you do. Writers are not required to give you content, and you as a reader, are not required to provide feedback on the content.

My long answer:

Expecting readers who come to this website to read for free to provide you reviews and feedback is hypocritical. So many writers, myself included, have reiterated multiple times that we write for free and we don't owe readers updates, perfection etc. Well, readers are also reading for free, they don't owe us reviews and feedback.

There are people who really rely on feedback which is fine, but at the end of the day, the negative feelings you have regarding the lack of feedback and reviews is an internal problem, and ultimately your problem to overcome. Relying on others to make you feel better about your art is asking a lot of people, especially on a website where most people are strangers.

I also want to point out the fact that a ton of readers on this website don't speak English as their first language and don't feel comfortable leaving reviews. It's sometimes hard when English isn't your first language to confidently tell someone how you feel, especially if you're insecure about coming off wrong or sounding imperfect.

We're also disregarding the fact that there are neurodivergent people on this website too, who do not owe you a reason for why they don't feel comfortable reviewing your work and providing feedback. Everyone is different, but making the people who can't confidently comment on your work feel like they're a problem isn't the answer.

At the end of the day, everyone is allowed to have their own feelings about feedback. vs. silent readers, but when you make public posts telling readers that you want to leave Tumblr because they aren't doing enough for you, I really want you to consider: your writing might be a safe space for someone, and now you're telling the people in that safe space that you have created that they aren't doing enough to be there, or that the safe space is strictly transactional.

As someone who is exhausted from surviving the human condition and who is tired from participating in existing, I think we can stop asking people to perform the way we want them to in every single space of relaxation available to them.