UK Amazon Kindle Forum discussion
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General Chat - anything Goes
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A question about author threads. Group input requested, please.
I think it's fair. I've noticed a few author threads where the author says hello and introduces their book, but nothing after that
Don't mind, but..Something like that happens naturally anyway. A dormant thread slips further and further down the lists, getting furrier and dustier as it goes. Eventually it disappears out of sight.
Is there a reason for deleting a thread after six months of inactivity? It's a neat and tidy way of doing things, but it seems like more work for you and I'm not exactly sure what it achieves.
If there are space constraints on the website, then fine. Other than that, why not just let them go mouldy?
If nothing else, it means that they would show up on internet searches, which might be important for someone.
I know, I know, I'm rambling. Bottom line: I wouldn't have a problem with it, but not sure if I'd see it as a high priority.
Yep. I agree with the two posters above. I doubt it will encourage the Drop 'n' Runs to come back and, as my old gran would say, the threads are still there but they aren't eating anything.
My author thread is teetering on the six-month abyss, but I don't greatly mind either way. When I finally get around to having something to announce again, it'd be easier starting a new thread than trying to find the old one amongst the dust bunnies at the bottom of the server.
That's where book marking comes in handy, Richard.
I haven't posted to my author thread in a while, but I doubt anyone's noticed :p
What about leaving them for a year? That might be good for busy authors who've not noticed the flying time, and yet still gives you a chance to tidy up if and when you want to Patti.I don't want to cause you unnecessary work though.
Jacquelynn wrote: "I have occasional flashes of inspiration - if you can call it that, and want to put something on my author thread. They may not happen with the 6 month time frame. I think I'd still like my threa..."Good point. If the thread has disappeared, authors too busy to post regularly are likely to disappear too.
There is a difference between authors who post a couple of times and never come back, and authors who don't post that often, but are greeted happily when they do. Like Cornelius Harker, and Jon Rosenberg for example. Maybe the number of posts on the thread should be taken into consideration.
Is there a way to dump all fossilised threads in an 'Archive' folder? That way people can still find them if they need to. I'm thinking of that 7 day promo a week ago that I tried to go back to, but it had gone.(I know - that would still have gone, but author threads are still a useful contact point, if nothing else.)
That's not a dead thread, it's resting!
Jim wrote: "frantically dusted my thread off"Is that a euphemism?
Will wrote: "Jim wrote: "frantically dusted my thread off"Is that a euphemism?"
Nope, he's torching the cobwebs as we speak. Or at least the maid is.
I've just had a look and can't find my thread anywhere. Either something's eaten it, or I've never posted one! Back in a minute - got some frantic writing to do!
Seems to me that a thread that has enthusiastic interaction from several people, however intermittent, should be safe.A thread that appears from someone we never hear of again should be binned within six months.
Pete wrote: "I've just had a look and can't find my thread anywhere. Either something's eaten it, or I've never posted one! Back in a minute - got some frantic writing to do!"Ah, that's better! Check out my new author thread before dear mod decides it's in the wrong place and deletes my hard work!!(No Patti - that's NOT a challenge!)
I had one of those somewhere, but the wheel fell off
Will wrote: "I had one of those somewhere, but the wheel fell off"The wheel is supposed to fall off! What kind of authors would we be if things behaved normally?
Will wrote: "Successful ones?"A successful author? Now you are in the realms of fiction!
Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?
I'm all for making Patti work harder. I think that if a thread goes more than three days without a post then Patti has to track down the owner, speak to them in person and then decide whether or not to put the deletion down to a full vote of the forum with a quorum of 97%, which Patti is required to secure each time.
She'll just tell Simon to do it. And he'll ignore her because he's away somewhere working.
In all fairness, unless the rest of us come and play silly-billies on an author thread it's likely to lapse till the next book. An example recently is Martin Cosgrove whose second novel took 2 years but is a sequel to the first so if he started again we'd lose relevant chat. They are both fantastic and I'd be sad if enthusiastic spring cleaning lost us hard working authors.
I'd like to think that authors think of us as more than just punters and would pop in just to say 'hi', not only to flog their wares.
My thoughts are it's a lot of work to take on for tidying up the section.I've found a ton of new authors to me in this group and although I see where your coming from I wouldn't want to miss out just because an author hasn't been present for a while or not posted in his/her thread. It's more likely we will spot the threads posted in regularly and take an interest in those titles but it does take longer than a year to write a book for some. Although that is the case authors would have a good idea when they hope to finish a book they are working on within a year so my two cents are is it better to do it after 12 months of not posting and make it clear to authors about that so they can post to let the group know a book is in the works and promote their old book as well.
I have seen so many people pop in to say 'Hi,' in their own thread or elsewhere, and be ignored. You don't bother to do that twice when you've got a full time job and you're working on a book. It does make sense to write in your own thread when you actually have something to say - as an author. About a new book.
Kath wrote: "when you've got a full time job and you're working on a book. It d..."Agree. Authors have different things pulling them which maybe ought to be reflected in the overall design of Goodreads.
Could you expand on that please, Terence?I'm not sure of the point you're making.
Kath wrote: "I have seen so many people pop in to say 'Hi,' in their own thread or elsewhere, and be ignored. You don't bother to do that twice when you've got a full time job and you're working on a book. It d..."Yes, I agree that it seems that many authors don't think of popping into other author's threads, or elsewhere, and simply use the group as a means of promotion. And fair enough.
Shaun wrote: "I haven't posted to my author thread in a while, but I doubt anyone's noticed :p"yep, me too. I generally end up talking to myself anyway. :-)
If a thread is a post and run then I'd say fair enough. If it's just dormant and has seen some activity in the past then I say leave it - they may come back.
There's no limit, is there? We don't need to remove them for operational purposes? If not, leave them.
Patti (baconater) wrote: "Kath wrote: "I have seen so many people pop in to say 'Hi,' in their own thread or elsewhere, and be ignored. You don't bother to do that twice when you've got a full time job and you're working on..."I seem to spend more time on other people's author threads than my own, and it's not fair to drop my promos there, is it?
No more fair than me burning the curtains, Will. ;)
Anyway, the point of my thoughts on this was using a time limit of some sort as a means of encouraging authors to use their threads more frequently, not as a rebuke in any way.Any other ideas are welcome, of course.
One problem with author threads is that it can feel a bit like chatting to yourself at times.If you're on the group to promote, yes, promote there.
But frankly most of the regulars don't really promote on the group.
(The obvious brilliance of our wit and repartee in casual conversation so dazzles other groupites that they dash off and buy the works of lesser minds as a way of relaxing from the over-exposure to genius)
So I can quite see why author threads can languish a bit.
But there again, languishing for six months?
I suppose it's a case of those who are active ought to wander down amongst the cobwebs and post a message on our own threads every so often
Jim wrote: "One problem with author threads is that it can feel a bit like chatting to yourself at times.If you're on the group to promote, yes, promote there.
But frankly most of the regulars don't really pr..."
Yes. Also, posting on my author thread often feels self-serving. "Have I mentioned recently you might want to buy my books?" What about authors who contribute to other threads but just don't post often to their own thread? Surely they're not considered fly-bys.
I think mine's definitely gone dormant (but feel free to delete it, Patti!) - I'm having a lot of trouble considering myself an author, so I'll happily stick to my challenge thread :)
I don't think I've updated my thread for a while now, and if it needs to go, then out it goes. I don't post often in this group, yet I do read through many of the discussion threads when I get the chance. Maybe that makes me more of an eavesdropper than a member, I don't know.
Not sure. I sometimes have big gaps in between posts - dunno if it's ever been six months though. Could it depend on number of posts as well as last update so that loyal members who happen to be having a quiet spell don't lose their threads?
I'm more of a lurker than a poster, though I will comment on a thread if I feel I have something useful to add. As for my author thread, I only tend to post there when I have some news to report: completion of WIP, pub dates, etc, but I don't like to overdo it.
I don't intend on culling threads anytime soon, groupites.Simon and I will add it to our list of things to discuss over our Christmas Eve dinner together.
Although we seem to spend most of our time discussing beer and cheese...
Patti (baconater) wrote: "I don't intend on culling threads anytime soon, groupites.Simon and I will add it to our list of things to discuss over our Christmas Eve dinner together.
Although we seem to spend most of our time discussing beer and cheese... "
Mmmm. Bacon, brie and cranberry. Very seasonal!!!
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Would mean more work for me to keep it tidy, but might help to encourage authors to return.
Good idea! Bad idea?
Could I have your feedback, please?