Always Anonymous

As authors, feedback is our bread and butter - it's the only real reward we get for our work. It's the whole reason we write; we want to share a story with the world and we want it to make them happy. We love the feeling we get a few hours after we've submitted a story, right before we head to our Submissions Page - which we've had to physically restrain ourselves from visiting every fifteen seconds - to see what our fans think of our precious work. Yes, it's one of the most exhilarating feelings in the world when we find out if people loved - or hated - our story enough to leave a note about it. Just like childbirth (only less painful), you can't imagine it until you've experienced it.

So when we finally untie our wrist from whatever stationary object we've cuffed it to and race to our computer to read our fan mail, we expect that everyone will look at our work and give us valuable and honest feedback about how good or bad it was. We read our comments, and there's a mixed bag of approvals and disapprovals. How can we discern which are valid and which are not? Isn't everyone's opinion important? Shouldn't we take all feedback we get to heart, and try to remedy all of the problems that are revealed to us? Isn't that the purpose of the feedback section?

While it is noble to think that all of your commenters have your best interests at heart and want to help improve your work, it is also rather naïve. Not everyone who leaves a note at for you does it to help you become a better writer. While most comments are valid, honest attempts at letting you know where your weaknesses are, some are written for a different reason and by a different type of person.

Some people just want someone to put down, to kick at and spit on. Some people want a place to rant, to spew fury and to show their ugly side. These people don't care about you or your work. They don't want you to get better. They are the Haters. And the true haters are always, always anonymous.

There are many different breeds of Hater, and they all want different things. Some Haters are easy to pinpoint; others are sneaky and devious, and can disguise themselves, often remarkably well, as constructive critics. Do not think that one is more dangerous than the other - they are equally hateful, and both can affect you in different, but equally negative, ways.

Haters are not to be confused with Naggers, Venters, and Politicians - these subgroups are not out to hurt you. They're more about themselves, and we'll address them momentarily. The most important thing to remember about Haters is exactly what sets them apart from the other groups - Haters want to hurt you.

Before we get into the dark world of the Haters, let's point out the commenters who aren't Haters, but can be mistaken for them.

The Naggers

The naggers are the mildest of the negative subgroups. They usually just annoy, and pose no real threat to you or your self-esteem. They'll usually leave negative comments about your story, not because they didn't like it or there was anything wrong with it, but because it wasn't exactly what they wanted to hear about. After every story you submit - Naggers are often repeat offenders - they'll say they liked it, but next time you should do A, B, and C instead of D, E, and F. They'll do this at every available opportunity, demanding that you do what they want, and only what they want. They'll leave you personal message after personal message, clogging up your inbox with their incessant nagging:

I really liked your story. It had great characters, and I loved the sex in the car! It was really hot. But, I would rather they had had sex on the hood of the car than inside it, and I really think Ronald should have had brown hair instead of black. I also think Leah should have been a DD instead of a C, and she shouldn't have been wearing any underwear. Keep writing, you'll do better next time, I'm sure.

Expect many, many messages like this one if you happen to catch the eye of a real Nagger. Keep in mind that Naggers will always give you a 3. Always.

Naggers will probably leave their screen names visible. They love feedback too, and would love to hear from an author they've been leaving feedback for. Naggers just want attention - they don't want to tear you down or make you feel bad. This is what separates them from Haters. Their feedback isn't horrible, and their positive notes are probably valid. You can use choice information the Naggers provide you with, but don't get caught up in the trivialities. Pick out what's valuable, and don't stress the rest.

Venters

Of all the commenters you're likely to encounter, Venters are the most amusing. They'll read your story and some aspect of it will remind them of something - a past relationship, their dead cat, their favorite talk show host - and they will proceed to bombard you with everything that has been building up inside them about that topic for the last eight to ten years. Nobody in their lives is willing to listen to them rant, so they'll use your comment page, who cannot escape them, as their personal dumping zone:

I loved the ex-husband character - he got everything that was coming to him. His wife was such a bitch, I can't believe she cheated on him and expected him to forgive her. Do you know how it feels to be cheated on? It's awful, you feel like your going to vomit! And if you catch them in the act, liked I caught my ex-wife, it's even worse. Do you know that she tried to explain it to me? Like I'd caught her reading a skydiving magazine or something, like it was just some sort of unusual hobby! I couldn't believe it, I just wanted to kill her! Just like the wife in this story got killed by that bus. It served her right! I'm glad the husband got all the money from her insurance, he needs it more that that whore ever did. This is one of the greatest stories ever written on this site. It should get an Editor's Choice. You're fantastic, don't ever stop!

As nice as it would be to believe that your writing is the most amazing thing to ever hit Literotica, the story might not have been as good as this writer is making it out to be. He really only liked it because it resonated with him, and he approved of the outcome. He had a similar experience in his life that didn't turn out so well, and he's glad that someone in his shoes got what they wanted.

It's okay to feel the warm, good-comment fuzzies when you read this, but don't take a Venter's advice too seriously. Maybe your story was good, but there are always elements that need improvement, and you'll never know what they are if you only take the Venter's comments seriously because they make you feel good.

Venters can have a strong negative reaction to your story, too. If they do, recognize it for what it is and don't let it stop you from writing. If somebody didn't like the events that took place in your story because they were reminded of a bad experience in their own lives, don't take it as an objective critique of your own work. It's not.

Venters differ from Haters because they're only getting something off of their chest. They don't want to hurt you, they just need somebody to unload on. They probably aren't even cognizant of your writing style or any mistakes you might have made - they're just reacting to the part of your work that they identified with. Like Naggers, it's all about them. Venters will give you either a 5 or a 1.

Politicians

Politicians are the most opinionated - they'll look for evidence for or against their beliefs in every written work they encounter. Politicians are the group most often confused with Haters - their tactics are often the same - but their motivations couldn't be farther apart. See, Politicians don't comment for you or for themselves - they comment for the other commenters. Politicians have a point to prove, and if your story includes any elements related to their cause, they'll exploit them:

I really enjoyed the theme of your story. Global warming is such an important issue right now, and I can't believe that some people refuse to believe it exists. We have to address this problem immediately - our future depends on it. At some point, crude oil is going to run out, and we have to have an alternative energy system in place long before this happens. Imagine the struggles between nations for resources if we don't. Washington needs to wake up and smell the roses - global warming is real and it's destroying our habitat as we speak. We can't allow this atrocity to continue; we have to take control of our planet, and our future.

Politicians come in many forms, and not all of them will write to you about political issues. Any cause that interests them - chess tournament guideline reform, church attendance levels, the quality of Civil War reenactments in the South - with the slightest mention in your work will catch their eye and bring out their inner activist. Unlike Venters, Naggers, and Haters, Politicians write to get the attention of other commenters. They want the other people who read your story to read their comment and react to it. Like a Venter, this person doesn't give a rat's ass about your writing ability or providing you with valuable information about the quality of your piece - your work is simply an excuse to rant about their cause. And it's an excuse they'll take full advantage of. You don't have to worry about whether their opinion of your story is valid or not, because they won't give you one. The thing that really sets a Politician apart from a Hater, though, is the fact that a Politician will never be anonymous. They welcome any and all chances to fight for their cause.

Also like a Venter, this person will award you either a 1 or a 5 - you agree with them, or you don't.

Haters

At last, we arrive; the group we've all been waiting for. Haters usually fall into one of two categories - the overt, and the covert.

The Overt Hater

The overt Hater is out there, right up front in in your face. They'll be perfectly blunt about their Hater status, and are unashamed of their attitudes:

I hate you, you stupid fucking nigger.

I hate women and none of you can write. Just get off the site and stop killing us with your awful stupid stories. Their shitty, and you're a stupid bitch.

You fags can go suck a dick. There's no way something you wrote can be good so go suck a dick or something.

Overt Haters, like most Haters, are always anonymous. Their comments usually contain unreasonable amounts of profanity, misspelled words, and no real message about your work. These comments are designed for maximum shock value. Don't think that they can't hurt you - these comments will stay on your mind long after you've read and probably deleted them. They drag your mood down and make you angry or upset. It's natural to feel this way after you've been personally insulted, but don't let it discourage you from writing, especially if you really enjoy it. Overt Haters love nothing more than thinking that their comment has hurt someone enough to stop them from doing something they love.

The Covert Hater

This type of hater is the one most often confused with the other commenter subgroups. This type of Hater will try to disguise themselves as someone worth listening to. They'll make their comments seem like they're about your work and your ability, when in reality they're just about inflicting pain:

Your writing style is a little stupid. The characters can't possibly be real, nobody would ever do this. The whole thing is dumb and sick. You really need to get some help because you can't do any type of writing correctly. It's probably better that you don't submit anything else, you'll just embarrass yourself. It's for your own good.

This type of Hater will try to make it seem as though they are giving you valuable information, when in fact their just insulting you. Note the very vague and general terms they use to describe your story. They advise you to quit writing instead of telling you to get and editor or collaborate your ideas with a better writer. Even though it seems they are trying to help you by telling you not to "embarrass yourself," in reality, they're not. Most writing, even by amateur authors, isn't so bad that it can't possibly be fixed. Advising such a harsh course of action reveals their true nature as a Hater. If your writing is really so bad that it is unsalvageable, an honest commenter will let you know why.

I can't believe your trying to tell me that I'm doing something wrong. You can't lecture me about misspelled word when you have one in your own story. You misspelled 'auction,' you wrote 'aucation.' It makes your whole article worthless. You don't have the right to criticize others when you can't even do it right. So go back to wherever you came from and don't write another piece like this.

This brand of Hater is quite common, especially in the How-To section. This person will definitely be anonymous; they don't want you to be able to contact them or look at their work. Most times, this Hater had such a violent reaction to your story because it points out something that they themselves frequently do wrong. You writing something that calls attention to it will be taken as a personal insult, even if you've never read their work. Even if your story helps many, many people, they will attempt to discredit it by pointing out your mistakes, however small. By making you seem like someone who doesn't have and credibility, their own mistakes look less glaring and they don't feel so bad about having made them. Beware of this type of Hater. Apart from pointing out your one faux pas, this comment is of no value to you. Don't let it get you down.

This story isn't really very good. Even though these other people think it is, it's really not that good. I teach American History and this scenario isn't good. Other people might not be aware of your stupidity, but you can't sneak it past me.

This type of Hater is perhaps the most dangerous of all. They will attempt to take your joy at all of your good comments while simultaneously building their own credibility, hitting you with a one-two punch. They're attempting to shake your confidence by displaying their 'expertise' and telling you that your work is no good. Don't buy it. Most people who have read your story are very educated, and one Hater's comment shouldn't be allowed to undermine their honest opinions. If most of the people who read your work think its good, it probably is. They're not stupid. Additionally, if this person was really an expert, they would provide you with a way to contact them for future submissions involving their subject area. If they do, by all means, take them seriously and consider their opinion. Experts in a field are a great resource, and will most likely have a better approach to critiquing your work; they'll want you to contact them for help. Haters will most likely be, as expected, anonymous.

Haters will always be around - being in the business of writing will always attract them. You'll have to deal with them for as long as you live, in every aspect of your life. But you don't have to let them get you down. Take the words of honest commenters to heart and use the information they give you to make your next work better that the last. When Haters attack, ignore them - they offer you nothing of value. Remember - it's not what they call you, but what you answer to.