To everyone,

Yo.
Durrendal here. I am sure most of you know what I am about to say but still I am going to. CUZ YA CAN'T CONTAIN ME MWAHAHHA!


Most of the authors posting their work here do it free. I rather think that most us do not want to ask for money. We are doing what we love, and that is all that matters.

So, what do authors really want and wish for? What is the least they could expect from a reader after they worked as hard as they did to bring that chapter to the readers?

Simple, some form of...thanks. A little recognition for their efforts. Something that makes them think that this is worth it. 

I am not here asking for money lol. What I am saying is, that many authors start their story here...then they feel demoralized after a while because their efforts weren't recognized. No one is asking for a 5-star rating if you didn't like it. But conversely, an author does  like a good review/rating if you liked the work. 

Some of us are good reviewers, who can judge works to their merit quite good. But some of us aren't. Does that mean we should stop posting a review and a rating the author we liked or didn't? NO! just a few simple lines stating why you liked the work or why you didn't, can really boost an author's morale.

A Rating and Review is always encouraging to an author, but you know what? we feel very happy if someone posts something in our Chapter threads too. It might be something you liked, some witty remark, pointing out a mistake or typo, maybe something you wondered while reading, maybe a simple thank you, no matter what it is...we like our readers talking to us, or about our work. It shows that they care. Saying that you didn't like something is fine too, it helps us grow after all. 

One more thing. It is absolutely fine to not like a work. It is fine to explicitly say why you didn't like it. Tear it apart  in erudite and pithy critique if you so desire. What is not fine however is giving someone 0.5 stars without even saying a line about why. Yesterday, a friend of mine got seven 0.5 stars in rapid succession. She never got an reason why. It is not cool to do that to someone who works hard, don't you think?  It is fine to give us 0.5s if you hated out work, just tell us how to improve or what you didn't like.

I think the post has gone a bit long...so I will bullet the important stuff.

1. Please leave a Rating or Review if you like a work. Those who can write good reviews are good but those of us who can't, a simple few lines are awesome too.


2. Critical and reviews that do not paint the work in a good light is fine. Do post them. Just give a reason for the 0.5 stars.


3. Even simple thank yous and communication on the chapter threads can brighten up the authors' day. They do work hard from what I know and this might give him or her  or it(in case the author is a doge. NO ONE KNOWS IF YOU ARE A DOGE ON THE INTERNET!) the energy to write that new chapter.


4. Important point:  An advanced review makes it to the front page, helping your author get even more readers. Please consider going back and giving that fiction you really like, an advanced review. However, post a legit advanced review otherwise the mods might remove it.  Honestly, it won't take time and your author will be grinning from ear to ear. Trust me.
   

I hope this letter reaches the hearts of readers. I just want to make the community a more encouraging place.

Yours sincerely,
Durrendal.


P.S.- A shout out to the awesome readers that have encouraged me through my work. I hope you will stick with me even in the future!
P.P.S- No matter who you are, don't hesitate to leave a comment or your thoughts about the matter.

It's unfortunate, but there's little traffic in the forums compared to the stories side of RRL. It may not be much, but I'll try linking to this when I update my next chapter.

'j0nn0' pid='509862' dateline='1454135499' Wrote: It's unfortunate, but there's little traffic in the forums compared to the stories side of RRL. It may not be much, but I'll try linking to this when I update my next chapter.

Thanks a lot, it will really be helpful.

I was thinking...how about we ask authors to pledge to this post and either link it or copy or write something to this effect in their next chapter? You know, sort of like a community movement. We would need volunteer authors though.

Couldn't have said it better myself. If I can upvote your OP I would've done so. Thanks for saying this.

Alright.
I made this as an announcement so that everyone will be able to see it.

Let me be the First to Pledge.

I, Durrendal, an author from my being, pledge to link this post to my chapters so that more readers will see this.
This is my promise as an author.

(Tis in my signature ;D

It's really nice reading stuff like this, it reminds me of authors who were brave to post their imagination & opinion on the internet infront of allot of internet-trolls :3

Welp, I'm just a reader that really loves the stories on RRL, and even hopes to become an aurthor one day, so I can't really make the pledge.
But I will promise to give my honest opinion & constructive crittesism after reading the stories I've read.
That way you authors are happy, and when you post a chapter we readers are happy.
Win-Win situashon for all X3

So thnx for posting, whatever you guys or we guys post :)

Signed by; Elina Violets

It has been a year since I joined RRL riding the MLS joyride. I had an idea to write something of my own, but I had no confidence to act upon it. When I joined here, I found many others writing a fiction of their own. Thus, I received confidence to write and post my story here. I had little to no expectation that anyone would read it and I was okay with that.

Man! I was so wrong. I received so much support since then. I was able to create a MLS of my own due to the support of the penguin community.

Within this year, I saw RRL get more popular, the amount of authors and fiction increased exponentially which in turn increased the quality of the stories written here. I was no longer a single ametuer fiction writer, but a part of a community of ametuer writers striving to help each other.

Alas, with popularity came problems. The knowledge of some RRL members harming other fellow members is very disheartening.

I have always wanted my viewers who lurk in the shadows to come out in the open and take part even in a small way in the RRL community.

I am sorry if I digraced from the point of the thread, but I applaud OP for making this pledge.

I, Leon Das will link this post in my story.

I couldn't have said it better myself. A big round of applause for you!

Yup those 0.5 star reviews without the explanation o__o or those 0.5 star reviews for something stupid.

"Why isn't you mc op?" 0.5 star.
"I don't like wuxia." 0.5 star.
"Is this a story? Jeeps derpa derp." 0.5 star

Like cmon o__o if your going to give me a review please at least let it be about if I had a lot of grammar errors or if the story flowed well or something that can help me get better not some bs review.

Also yea love it when people comment in the chapters, give us authors/writers/brave souls a chance to meet those who read what we write.

Well, I used to write a story too here, but since I don't have much time to write and lack of grammar, I discontinue it ... well, other than that is lack of motivation too, my first story was rated really bad and I don't get enough reason why my story is rated like that. anyway~

I love to read all those fantasy story here when I need a bit escapism from my work, but sometime I stumble upon 'bad review' for some newbie here.
So I wish people at RRL is bit less harsh, I mean, they are new here, no matter how worse or bad they are. (I know some of you are not and probably you didn't meant it that 'harsh' but lack of choosing word might made your review look 'harsh')

everyone at first is newbie

Since I don't write anymore, I frequently visit ART forum

aaaaaaaaaannddd, sorry about my bad grammar, I'm just not good at it no matter I learn it

Man, I'm in with this movement! I'll add it to my signature and put the link on my latest chap! this somehow coincides with my quality uprising movement,!

Like Leon Das I visited this site for the first time about a year ago. I think it was in the earlier days of January 2015.

I remember when I discovered this site, full of beautiful stories, damnable haters and bad grammar.

I remember the time when at least 70% of the stories seemed to have the reincarnation theme, when Spectral Regalia had just started, when Forgotten Conqueror "clones" started to pop out everywhere (some even surpassing it in popularity).

The time when most users didn't know of the now extremely popular chinese webnovels and I was still lurking the hell out of this site.

I admit that, compared to many other members on this site,I am still quite new here. But in this year I have seen far too many stories being abandoned due to some people flaming it for no apparent reason.

I want to stop that or at least limit it as haters(with no real reason) wil always appear.

As such I pledge that I, Jahnes, will link this in my story.

Hah..... This is exactly what I've wanted. Just some feedback for what I post would be very nice. I'm glad that someone posted this.

Thanks for adding this as an announcement.

Always a good reminder for readers and authors alike. I'm a big fan of giving advise, especially if you don't like it. Not only does it show you took the time to read the work the author put together, but that you want the person to improve. A lot of us do aspire to one day be a professional writer, but we know we have work to do before we ever get there. If you can't encourage by giving positive review, give positive critique.

Great post!

Just linked to it in my most recent chapter.

I did a story as well but it didn't let me down I will continue writing but a different story also I can pr for any author that needs it just pm me

So just link this post?

'Durrendal' pid='509848' dateline='1454134730' Wrote:

An Open Letter to the Readers, Authors and Lurkers, Doges and Penguins of the internet.

To everyone,

Yo.
Durrendal here. I am sure most of you know what I am about to say but still I am going to. CUZ YA CAN'T CONTAIN ME MWAHAHHA!


Most of the authors posting their work here do it free. I rather think that most us do not want to ask for money. We are doing what we love, and that is all that matters.

So, what do authors really want and wish for? What is the least they could expect from a reader after they worked as hard as they did to bring that chapter to the readers?

Simple, some form of...thanks. A little recognition for their efforts. Something that makes them think that this is worth it. 

I am not here asking for money lol. What I am saying is, that many authors start their story here...then they feel demoralized after a while because their efforts weren't recognized. No one is asking for a 5-star rating if you didn't like it. But conversely, an author does  like a good review/rating if you liked the work. 

Some of us are good reviewers, who can judge works to their merit quite good. But some of us aren't. Does that mean we should stop posting a review and a rating the author we liked or didn't? NO! just a few simple lines stating why you liked the work or why you didn't, can really boost an author's morale.

A Rating and Review is always encouraging to an author, but you know what? we feel very happy if someone posts something in our Chapter threads too. It might be something you liked, some witty remark, pointing out a mistake or typo, maybe something you wondered while reading, maybe a simple thank you, no matter what it is...we like our readers talking to us, or about our work. It shows that they care. Saying that you didn't like something is fine too, it helps us grow after all. 

One more thing. It is absolutely fine to not like a work. It is fine to explicitly say why you didn't like it. Tear it apart  in erudite and pithy critique if you so desire. What is not fine however is giving someone 0.5 stars without even saying a line about why. Yesterday, a friend of mine got seven 0.5 stars in rapid succession. She never got an reason why. It is not cool to do that to someone who works hard, don't you think?  It is fine to give us 0.5s if you hated out work, just tell us how to improve or what you didn't like.

I think the post has gone a bit long...so I will bullet the important stuff.

1. Please leave a Rating or Review if you like a work. Those who can write good reviews are good but those of us who can't, a simple few lines are awesome too.


2. Critical and reviews that do not paint the work in a good light is fine. Do post them. Just give a reason for the 0.5 stars.


3. Even simple thank yous and communication on the chapter threads can brighten up the authors' day. They do work hard from what I know and this might give him or her  or it(in case the author is a doge. NO ONE KNOWS IF YOU ARE A DOGE ON THE INTERNET!) the energy to write that new chapter.


4. Important point:  An advanced review makes it to the front page, helping your author get even more readers. Please consider going back and giving that fiction you really like, an advanced review. However, post a legit advanced review otherwise the mods might remove it.  Honestly, it won't take time and your author will be grinning from ear to ear. Trust me.
   

I hope this letter reaches the hearts of readers. I just want to make the community a more encouraging place.

Yours sincerely,
Durrendal.


P.S.- A shout out to the awesome readers that have encouraged me through my work. I hope you will stick with me even in the future!
P.P.S- No matter who you are, don't hesitate to leave a comment or your thoughts about the matter.

Couldn't agree more with everything you said. I will be posting the link to this thread on my chapters from now.

Hmm... I seem to have reached the signature character cap exactly. It took a bit of editing and revision to do that. :P
It's all linked now, though I'll still be linking it in my chapter, for what it's worth.