Comments on our work are a heck of a lot more likely to bring you ~visitors~ than spam is. Honest.
I for one, am, truly not interested.... but when someone goes to the trouble of reading and commenting on any of my articles - or even those of my friends - and/or asking what I need votes for ....see, there... in my name? ....I do make the effort to at least go and have a look.
Honestly, I have a lot on my plate right now...and truth is I am disinclined to spend time that I could be doing other things on your first chapters...(Is it on the test?)..... but I will go look...and possibly even drop a 10 .... if you've bothered to make an effort ..... I might even bother to read it, if its really well written and grabs my attention.
But filling up my inbox with requests to go read your first chapter is not what I call 'making an effort' ...and truth is, sending me an email when I've never even seen your name before.....that would be about the fastest way to make sure I don't go there ....especially when I am an outsider, and not even allowed to enter.
Bet I'm not the only one!
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I'm a very busy mom of five children. I try to hit as many of my connections articles as possible, and I don't do it daily, but I try as often as I can to go through those people who have left comments on my articles, and I go and leave two comments for them to show my appreciation, and sometimes if I really get caught up in the conversation on an article I'll leave more than two comments.
Best way to get my attention is by leaving comments as then I see who you are (if you're not one of my connections).
the rest can just go away.... been blocking them as I receive even ONE email asking me to go read.
I'm sure some people are new to Gather and just don't know how it works... but give me a break.... spend a bit of time to find OUT!
I get 200+ emails a day with articles from my connections, and i try , really i do!
But I'm with Melanie, 4 kids all in school 2 school district, 2 in football and 1 in cheer, there just aren't enough hours in the day!
I just delete them!
LIfe does get in the way sometimes, doesn't it?
I dont know I dont have a chapter and I have never mass emailed.
unless it's on the test :)
I have one FCR entrant that tried to post an Ad for their entry to all my groups ... even the specific themed groups ... there is no way to appropriately reward their actions since only 10's count this time ... They also sent out email appeals several days in a row at the start of voting period ... I do have to say this person has recently begun commenting on some articles and images, however ... they post an image of their FCR entry with every comment ... ;-p
but I only did it for a day .... and will likely do it for one more day when the voting for the contest I'm in at tooWrite is almost over.... and I make a point of trying to comment on my connections (non game/non email/non freebies) stuff.... so I don't feel too guilty about doing it once in a blue moon
If I WAS able to compete in Gather's competitions, I wouldn't even have bothered going elsewhere... but since I'm not....
it's an image,
a mock-up cover for their book.
Blessings
I think we all have a right to be here.... and to be heard... not like anyone HAS to read anything that they don't want to .... I'm glad there is such a broad range of people and interests and skills on Gather....
it would be SOOOOOOOOOOOOO boring ...and intimidating ... to be among only so called serious writers
I still read and comment on my connections' articles... just miss whatever mail they send
It seems presumptuous to me. I figure if someone reads my work and likes it, they will come back and read more. If they don't, then I assume they aren't interested and I wouldn't want to bug them.
I also try to read something by each person who comments on my articles.
I've e-mailed quite a few people to ask for votes, but I don't send out mass e-mails because I hate them myself. I also work hard to avoid sending e-mails to the same person twice, and I've been trying to screen people as much as possible to make sure they are people likely to actually enjoy my story. Why annoy people when there is very little chance they'll like the story?
Now see, people? Dale commented on my article and now I'm off to have a look at her story :)
As a former fist chapers contestant who did not mass e-mail, I have to say...Thank you for saying what you had to say in such a constructive and helpful way. Obviously, all the people mass e-mailing are trying their best to be heard...and many of us are writers, we understand what that's like. So, I'm not saying I disagree with what they are doing...I'm just saying that it's nice to see someone handle their complaint so positively.
*with a subtle butler's bow*
Jeff
Boy, am I red in the face. Folks, no more spam from me...unless it's fried up in butter and in between two slices of whole-wheat bread.
My sincerest apologies to one and all.
Click on this book cover
This is not meant as an affront to those authors that have entered the contest. I'm sure that many of you are quite talented. Romance fiction is simply not my cup of tea, so please don't send me multiple emails asking me to read & vote. I choose to spend my leisure time pursuing other activities.
I'm sure Gather will be offering First Chapters contests for other genres in the future, and I will again read, comment & vote. In the meantime, please don't ask me to spend my time in an activity I dislike.
And thank you, Flit, for posting such a constructive article. BTW - I voted for French Fries too! :-)
tis much appreciated
And I can attest to flit checking out articles from comments :)
This week-end I am going to go over to the Contest and peruse some of the entries but I will do so based on my interest NOT that someone spammed me to go.
The spam is bouncing on my nerves and I've already promised to read them all without question.
I will be guilty of one email, though I've already thought to make it personal instead of mass. And only to those people whose comments have pulled my attention from other threads. I would never have enough gull to mass email other groups that have nothing to do with the contest.
For that matter it took me three weeks to get enough nerve to do that to family and friends, then only after being listed on a top 5 picks of a critique'er(K no idea how to spell that and I'm not going to go look it up atm). It was more to show, wow look than please come help.
Flit I wish more of my fellow entries would come read this for etiquitte purposes.