A Writer's Observation

2K 163 79
                                    

I apologise for this chapter being here. But I must speak my mind now. 

BEAR IN MIND THIS IS NOT A CHAPTER FOR PEOPLE WHO VOTE AND COMMENT. IF YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE READERS THEN YOU CAN STRAIGHTAWAY GO TO THE NEXT CHAPTER SHOULD YOU WISH TO.

Before I speak my mind let me tell you what happened. In the recent days I have happened to come across several readers who added my 2nd book of the Tryst with Destiny series to their collection. Readers who have I have never seen voting or commenting on even 1 chapter of the 1st book of the series.

On asking them about how are they perceived the 1st book most of them told me that they rated the book a high 10 or some rated it a 9 or an 8.5 out of 10. But then when I asked them on how many chapters they voted or commented on some of them went silent as the grave. But that was not what pissed me of. What ticked me of was some people straight up told me that they are too lazy to click the vote button or leave a comment but they are not lazy when it comes to reading the huge chapters I write.

This is absolutely unacceptable. While other writers may not make a fuss about it but I am not them and I must speak my mind. All the writers here write for their and the readers' pleasure free of cost. We take out our precious time and put effort and other resources into writing a book. What pisses me of are silent readers who rate the book a high 10 out of 10 and don't even have the decency to leave behind votes or comments because they are too lazy to click a fricking vote button.

This is not just wrong, it's highly disrespectful. As writers who are writing free of cost for your pleasure. It is your duty as a reader to acknowledge whether the work, the effort and the time  that goes into creating a book for your pleasure is good or not.

If you rate the book a 10 out of a 10 and don't have the courtesy to leave behind a vote or a comment on the past 100 chapters then please do not read my book. I can do with less number of reads. But what I definitely expect is a certain level of response and respect from my readers as to whether the work I am doing is good or not.

Now I am not saying the book demands a 100 votes out of a 100. You can be the reader who only votes on very good chapters. I would happy to receive something like a 20 votes from such readers. But what ticks me of are readers who only read the chapter and don't bother voting or commenting on the chapter despite them finding the chapter excellent.

I take out my time. Put effort and thought into what I write. If you simply read ahead without even having the decency to leave behind a vote to show that the chapter you read was good or a comment to tell the writer you observed something, then there is nothing more shameful in my opinion. People says wattpad voting is an option. Yes it is but a right also comes with a responsibility. You are using your right but abusing your responsibility. You might not vote for all the chapters but if you find the book good and rate it a 10 out 10 then it's also wrong to the writer that you don't vote or comment on any of the chapters.

This in my opinion doesn't just hold for me but holds for all writers in general. Put yourselves in our shoes. If it was your story and other people were just reading it and not voting or commenting on it. It would piss you of too. 

Now some people who on contacting apologized to me and rectified their mistake. These are the kind of readers who I appreciate reading my book. They have strength of character. They made a mistake but they accepted that fact and atoned for it by going back to the very first chapter and voting on all the chapters from there till the chapter before this one in 1 case. Even I make mistakes. But I know how to make up for those mistakes. Accepting your flaws only makes us better human beings at the end of the day.

If you are the reader who forgets to vote and comments then if you have any respect for yourself as a reader and me as a writer then please go back to the very first chapter of the previous book and vote from there. You must vote on all the chapters you like from the very beginning and comment on the last 10 chapters. Now if you like all 100 chapters then you will vote for all 100 chapters. If you like 80 chapters then you'll vote on the 80 chapters. But what I will not accept is you rating the book a 10/10 and voting on 1 chapter or 0 chapters or 2 chapters.

Some people don't like to comment. They feel it's too personal. No problem. But from such people I definitely expect votes which are in lieu to the rating they give the book. 

Some people don't vote. They only comment. From such people I expect only votes if they are comfortable and super impressed with the chapters they read. If they don't vote I respect their judgement of the fact that there is scope for improvement in the chapter.

But if you rate the book a 10 out of 10 and you say I'll neither vote or comment because you are too lazy to do so but you do so for other books when I see your activity. That pisses me of greatly. This is my book and I expect some accountability to be there on the readers end as well. Some people message me with improvements for my book or something they wish to see or add in the book. I respect their wishes. In the same way I also deserve acknowledgement from your end too as readers.

I am sure even now there must be great souls who still don't know how to vote. If you are one of these great souls who have read till chapter 101 and are reading in phone then the icon with the big grey star on the top right corner of the screen when you load a chapter at the very starting of the chapter is the vote button. Please do the needful.

Many people after taking their feedback tell me they read the book in an offline mode where it's difficult to vote or comment given their poor wifi connections. From such people I at least expect them to do the needful when they catch up with the book's end or when they get good wifi signal. Because not doing so at the end is unfair to me despite your wifi circumstances or otherwise.

If you don't vote or comment. Please don't read my book. I deserve this basic level of respect and if I can't get it from you then I can do with less number of reads for my book. But if you feel that you have made a mistake knowingly or unknowingly and feel that you need to atone for them. I expect you to atone for your mistake now.

Now I am being very clear. I am not hogging you for votes. Only demanding my right. Only demanding what my book deserves. As a writer I have the right to ask you to acknowledge the portion of work you enjoy reading. Now if you don't vote on a few chapters because you feel something is not quite to my liking, that's fine. But if you don't vote on any of the chapters. That pisses me off. I hope that all readers who have done so have the decency to accept their mistake and atone for it even if it means voting on all 101 chapters before or 20 chapters.

Tryst with Destiny: The End of the BeginningWhere stories live. Discover now