Cultus Dispatches: Fandom Chocolate... or Authors Love Comments

[daughterofshadows]

Nearly every author knows the feeling: the anticipation when opening your inbox after posting a new story to see if you've received comments. The walking-on-air feeling a kind word can give. And the disappointment that comes when days pass with only silence.

This month's Cultus Dispatches column kicks off our forthcoming exploration of comments on fanworks, looking specifically at Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data to provide one perspective on how authors view comments. We know nearly every author enjoys receiving comments; that is not really at question. But why? What do authors gain from comments? What happens to authors when they don't receive comments? And how do authors feel about one-click feedback like kudos and likes on their work?

You can read this month's column, "Fandom Chocolate … or Authors Love Comments," here.