Target Audience, Cult Followings, and the Problem in Mainstream Entertainment

[RepresentingWrath]

Sorry, but how can I take seriously a reader who, after reading 100 chapters, leaves a one-star review? Do you really think that's a fair evaluation? If it was so terrible to deserve a one-star rating, why did you read 100, and I repeat, ONE HUNDRED chapters? Were you forced? Did someone hold a gun to your head? Excuse the colorful language, but it serves to emphasize the absurdity of the situation. If you read one hundred chapters, it's because it captured your interest at least for a while and entertained you. It might have flaws and not be the work of the century, but a fair evaluation cannot be that low.

Err, excuse me? So you can't leave a 1-star rating after a couple of chapters since you hurt author. And you can't do it after hunderd chapters... Because... it's absurd? What? A fair evaluation cannot be that low? What? Huh? How did we go from one to another?

Guilty pleasure doesn't exist? Writing a review for other readers rather than author? Being actually... objective and fair? I don't know, to have like standards and not rating everything 5 star just because you've liked it? Since when did it became absurd?

 

[MatchaChocolate69]

Err, excuse me? So you can't leave a 1-star rating after a couple of chapters since you hurt author. And you can't do it after hunderd chapters... Because... it's absurd? What? A fair evaluation cannot be that low? What? Huh? How did we go from one to another?

Guilty pleasure doesn't exist? Writing a review for other readers rather than author? Being actually... objective and fair? I don't know, to have like standards and not rating everything 5 star just because you've liked it? Since when did it became absurd?

So it wouldn't be absurd; it's normal to anguish over reading something so horrible that it deserves a one-star rating for hundreds of chapters. A new kind of masochism, where every word is a stab to the eyes.

The precious time of this valiant reader, lost forever in reading this one-star garbage. Who will ever give back the precious time to this hero? Someone think of their lost time! And how useful it was for other readers!
"Stay away! Don't ruin yourselves like I did! Please, don't read this trash! Don't let my sacrifice be in vain! I have saved the world of literature! Another bad story judged for you by my supreme divine judgment!"

 

[NineHeadHeavenDevouringSerpent]

Obviously, I don't expect a great literary jury, nor do I want one. I just expect that if what I write doesn't match what someone expects, they move on without damaging my work with their opinion, which I don't care about, and buy a real book instead. That way, they can complain to an author who does it for a living and has the responsibility to meet their needs, while I don't. I don't take seriously those who leave 1 or 2-star ratings or reviews on this site. That's my opinion.

Seems to me you don't want reviews per se, more like promotional pieces to praise the work.

I mean personally i would not advice to placate your own works like that, perceiving them to be damaged by whether there's more or less good reviews than bad ones. But that's a personal opinion, there's nothing wrong in chasing trends, but it's ignorance to not realise what it entails.

No, a book publishing author is not actually subject to the whims of his readers. If that were true... George R R Martin would have..ah forget it XD.

There's no obligation from your side as well to cater to the reviewers, I don't think I implied that anywhere either. It's more of the hate that's targeted at them. I mean this is supposed to be a passion craft (atleast here) that's more of authors' own wish fulfilment, than any "virtual" success. Why does it matter if there are 1-2 star ratings?

This is also a contradiction i see in your post, you say you don't care and yet want them to stop it and feel it's damaging you?

At the end of the day, what matters is you enjoy what you are doing and don't feel it a burden.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

So it wouldn't be absurd; it's normal to anguish over reading something so horrible that it deserves a one-star rating for hundreds of chapters. A new kind of masochism, where every word is a stab to the eyes.

The precious time of this valiant reader, lost forever in reading this one-star garbage. Who will ever give back the precious time to this hero? Someone think of their lost time! And how useful it was for other readers!
"Stay away! Don't ruin yourselves like I did! Please, don't read this trash! Don't let my sacrifice be in vain! I have saved the world of literature! Another bad story judged for you by my supreme divine judgment!"

See, you can't have a fair discussion and always jump to extremes. I explained multiple reasons why a person might read to chapter 100, and how did you answer? Mock the imaginary reader by making strawman arguments. ?‍

 

[ConansWitchBaby]

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[Tyranomaster]

It doesn't stop the review from being helpful just because it doesn't apply to what you want to do with your story. Or are you saying you would rather get no reviews and get the 1 * without feedback on why that particular reader did it? If so, I'm still lost on why it affects you so much on what they said.

You've missed the point of the post then. Again, it's not about this particular review. I even say it's well written and thought out in the initial post. It's about the overall conditionality of reviews and a bigger problem in the industry. Your mindset is flawed related to the situation. It's not that this particular reader did anything wrong, in fact, they did everything right. It's also not that I'd rather have no reviews, or that I'm not thankful for their feedback.

In fact, it seems you'd be one of the best people to read this. Why can there exist no middle ground in this case, where I appreciate their feedback, but believe I know my audience better than they do, and that it should be disregarded because I prefer my audience over a hypothetical audience represented by their comment. I have an audience numbering over 1000. They haven't dropped the series. Following this review would be throwing the baby out with the bathwater in relation to my current audience.

Feedback doesn't mean rewriting the story. If you wish, it could be something you carry on to other stories you make. Or you can simply ignore it.

Sure, there are ways to read their review as "advice for future stories", but considering I already made a conscious decision about this particular novel that I won't be doing that, and that my next novel plans on having much more of it, the advice I could take away is trivial at best. I'm already aware of the general trends etc.

---

A separate aside, but I think way too many of you suffer from reader worship. The easiest way to point this bias out to any of you it may apply to is if you, by default, took the reader's side. My initial post is essentially a detailed review of how I took their review, but because you perceive me as an author, and them as a reader, I'm in the wrong by default, and held to some higher standard. If my post had been a 1 star review posted on an author advice book, without mentioning that it was a 1-star review, many of you would have drank it up, and been saying "Mmmm, how insightful, yes yes, very good." Be careful about developing a commenter bias when writing, it's one of many ways to end up writing something you don't like, and eventually dropping your own story.

 

[T.K._Paradox]

It's far more appealing than I had ever expected it to be, so no, I'm not upset by that. I dreamed of having maybe a few hundred readers, and I've long surpassed that. This comment smells like someone who categorizes everyone immediately based on trigger phrases. Most people who complain about 1-star reviews here fit a certain bill, and you've stuffed me in that. Think what you will. Their review isn't actually the triggering part, it's the culture that ruins media that is the triggering part.



TL-DR: A lot of you seem to be reading my post as "Someone is butthurt they got a bad review." and not "The industry is failing because too many people take well thought out reviews to heart, and change their work to fit that." Woke seeps into everything because woke people complain the most, and people running businesses don't realize that their target audience who is generally quiet and has been consuming their product for decades actually hates woke culture. Then, once captured, woke media says, "This isn't for you.", which the original media wasn't for them, but they've now captured it, and decided to no longer be inclusive. Don't be inclusive if it goes against what you originally intended. The lowest common denominator watches nothing but TV soap operas and reality TV, and that is what I'm ranting about. If your book fails, then it fails, if it has an existing audience, don't betray them for a new audience, it's cowardly and lame.

Brother I ain't trying to pigeonhole you to the 'whining SH user', I was trying to be sympathetic because I can see you obviously care about your craft and how much effort you put into it.

100 chapters of anything is no small deal after all.

Overall I was just trying to say to not worry about trying to seem like you're 'in the right' for writing something outside the norm.

I'm not some callous douchebag that tried to dismiss your opinions on media consumption, however I am a guy telling you to stop overthinking it and just pursue your writing.

 

[MatchaChocolate69]

There's no obligation from your side as well to cater to the reviewers, I don't think I implied that anywhere either. It's more of the hate that's targeted at them. I mean this is supposed to be a passion craft (atleast here) that's more of authors' own wish fulfilment, than any "virtual" success. Why does it matter if there are 1-2 star ratings?

This is also a contradiction i see in your post, you say you don't care and yet want them to stop it and feel it's damaging you?

At the end of the day, what matters is you enjoy what you are doing and don't feel it a burden.

You see, there's no contradiction, and I'll explain it simply.

A low rating damages the overall rating of a novel, potentially driving away readers who might actually enjoy it—those are the ones I'm interested in. The negative opinion itself not only doesn't interest me, but I actually consider it, most of the time, to be of little or zero value. A misfortune.

But let me tell you, in the end, I'm just exaggerating with hyperbole and using colorful language. It's not a burden for me, and I've grown used to it. After all, when you put yourself out on the web, you also encounter these characters whose only satisfaction is in destroying what others create. It's part of life, but they should be taken for what they are—agents of destruction.

See, you can't have a fair discussion and always jump to extremes. I explained multiple reasons why a person might read to chapter 100, and how did you answer? Mock the imaginary reader by making strawman arguments. ?‍

I'm sorry, that's just how I speak and express myself. ?‍ As I mentioned before, I think my point of view is clear.
It's not my intention to change yours, and you won't change mine. For the most part, I don't see any value in 1 or 2-star reviews given on this site.
Readers have the right to do it; they're free to do so, but I'm equally free to mock them and consider them as harmful elements.

 

[Tyranomaster]

Brother I ain't trying to pigeonhole you to the 'whining SH user', I was trying to be sympathetic because I can see you obviously care about your craft and how much effort you put into it.

100 chapters of anything is no small deal after all.

Overall I was just trying to say to not worry about trying to seem like you're 'in the right' for writing something outside the norm.

I'm not some callous douchebag that tried to dismiss your opinions on media consumption, however I am a guy telling you to stop overthinking it and just pursue your writing.

Fair, and perhaps I misinterpreted your initial comment.

I'm not upset about the review, nor do I feel the need to be validated by the forum community. I'm content in my story, and don't need consoling or encouragement on it. The review simply catalyzed me to write something I'd been thinking about for the past few days, but most people seem to have taken it as I'm upset about the review. (In a weird way, the review was inspiring, just not about my novel).

What I've been frustrated about is how many people immediately think I'm complaining about the review, or who seem to worship reviews as some holy grail of perfect advice. The point of my post was that reviews, even good ones, need to be properly evaluated, and not worshiped. Yet many people immediately started to defend the review, and set up a dichotomy of me being opposed to the reviewer, (which I repeatedly said in my initial post was a well thought out review).

For anyone interested in what exactly initially inspired this thread, but was catalyzed by the review,

.

 

[KoyukiMegumi]

Sure, there are ways to read their review as "advice for future stories", but considering I already made a conscious decision about this particular novel that I won't be doing that, and that my next novel plans on having much more of it, the advice I could take away is trivial at best. I'm already aware of the general trends etc.

You do know that reviews aren't just for the author but for other readers, too. As I said, they may not be helpful to you, but they will be helpful to others who read your work to know what's coming. At least they stated their opinion, which is great and will always be great.

In fact, it seems you'd be one of the best people to read this. Why can there exist no middle ground in this case, where I appreciate their feedback, but believe I know my audience better than they do, and that it should be disregarded because I prefer my audience over a hypothetical audience represented by their comment. I have an audience numbering over 1000. They haven't dropped the series. Following this review would be throwing the baby out with the bathwater in relation to my current audience.

I don't see why I'm the best to read this. I'm just a lowly writer who writes for herself than anyone else. It's good you have 1000 readers and are growing. I hope your success continues! I didn't overlook your point; I am just stating mine. Believing your work is perfect the way it is will be your greatest flaw, whether for this reader base or the next, as eventually, everything will run to its end.

You can see that in old stories that overstayed their welcome or never evolved. Eventually, people just stop caring. Aka, one piece to name one, but there are many more. You know your story, you know where it will go. Wish you the best.

 

[Gray_Mann]

where everything devolves into politics and interpersonal relationships, and the kingdom is an afterthought. The discussion of the kingdom disappears and becomes just general discussions

While I admit Kingdom-building novels tend to drop the ball at some point....I definitely do not agree that politics and interpersonal relationships between the big players are the aforementioned problem. Politics is by far, THE MOST important thing when it comes to Kingdom-Building. Now, I don't mean in the sense that it takes politics to make a Kingdom, although that IS TRUE, I'm saying more on the external side. Politics are the most basic level of interaction between a Kingdom and external factors. Also internally, politics make up nearly the entirety of the basic-building blocks of how leaders and high-ranking officials within a Kingdom interact with the populace. To remove any chapters heavily invested with politics in a Kingdom-building novel....is absolutely absurd. I mean, technological development is LITERALLY CONSUMED with political machinations. The Innovation of technology doesn't just happen because someone had a good idea. Sure it STARTS that way, but it takes way more than that. Politics and kingdom development are inseparable. I can't see how you would even go about doing one without the other without completely sawing away massive plot development. If you yourself are doing that, I imagine you have some very shallow developments in certain areas of your story. Admittedly however, I have not read it, so I can't really come at you with a fully-developed opinion. It's just a general observation.

Also, interpersonal relations....I'm not really sure how to critique you here. You COULD minimalize this....but a Kingdom isn't a living breathing thing. A Kingdom isn't a character. It needs the people living within it to give it life, and personal relations between characters are a must....but again, I haven't read the story so I may be getting the wrong idea or angle about this particular critique.

I lost a lot of willingness to hear you out as soon as you said politics wasn't part of building a kingdom.

Yeah this, threw me really hard. I kind of fumbled a bit with my own response because I'm not really sure how this kind of thinking comes into play.
It's like saying "Red apples don't really need to be red." I mean, how do you begin to address this? But as I said earlier, maybe I'm misinterpreting something with that bit.

In short, about three readers complaining in all of the first 20 chapters about how they didn't like my novel because of the novel being a Harem. Even though such a thing was the main focus of the whole story and characters, there is simply no way to negotiate with them, for them Haren is bad and should be wiped off the face of the earth, because with that Tag alone your novel is complete garbage.

This is common and growing theme I've noticed with readers. If they don't like it and do not wish to enjoy it, no one else should either. Reminds me of western cancel culture, but in a smaller form on a lesser-known site.

I am probably the only person on this forum who thinks like that, so I don't know. Get well soon?

Nope, me too.

Wrong. The very fact they felt concerned enough to leave a review behind shows they care. You've misinterpret that caring should always be positive, they care that the time they spent reading it was wasted, they care that the story that they felt invested in betrayed them at some point.

Yep. People thinking reviews should only be positive, EVEN when they include critiques just smacks of entitlement and narcissism. Peak spoiled behavior and attitudes.

Woke seeps into everything because woke people complain the most, and people running businesses don't realize that their target audience who is generally quiet and has been consuming their product for decades actually hates woke culture. Then, once captured, woke media says, "This isn't for you.", which the original media wasn't for them, but they've now captured it, and decided to no longer be inclusive.

Yep. Been saying this for years. But I'm always called bigot or racist at some point rather than an actual response. It's almost always Leftists too.

If that review had been a 3/5 would you have made this thread in the first place?

Probably not.

The fact that reality TV, soap operas, smut, porn, and Stephen King are all incredibly popular show that the masses want slop. They have plenty of slop. In fact, they've been turning things like Ghost Busters, Star Wars, and even Marvel into slop for a while now too. There is a whole slop buffet. People make a lot of money making it. However, I think that most people within the writing space recognize that most of it is, in fact, slop. It's sloppy, shallow, and poorly written, and by god do the people love it. More power to the people who write and read it.

Actually, much of it ISN'T making money. That's why Hollyweird and the gaming industry is in something of a panic-mode. Deadpool & Wolverine was the first profitable movie Marvel made since Endgame if you ignore the Spiderman films. Star Wars has made nothing but flops except for MAYBE the first 2 Seasons of The Mandalorian and then they immediately crashed with the Strong wahmen nonsense in Season 3 causing ratings to tank. None of the Star Wars movies did well and I've even heard rumors of a reboot of the last trilogy....but I'm not holding my breath on that one. As for Stephen King, I don't know. I couldn't even get into his Dark Tower series. The last thing I read by him was Billy Summers and I quit 1/3 of the way in because he kept bashing Donald Trump and praising Hillary Clinton over and over and it was getting weird for a story supposedly set in a fictional town, at least up to that point when I quit. Very unnecessary. The MC was an assassin. Really weird to have a hired killer talking morals

 

[Hans.Trondheim]

Imma just say this:

I did my assignments (like research and watching out for plotholes). I edited my work to the best I can do. And I published it for free.

At this point, whatever the readers say or rate to me doesn't affect me much anymore. Especially when I accepted I'm not a talented writer.

Why I write? I just wanna tell a story. Don't like it? Tis your problem.

 

[Tyranomaster]

You do know that reviews aren't just for the author but for other readers, too. As I said, they may not be helpful to you, but they will be helpful to others who read your work to know what's coming. At least they stated their opinion, which is great and will always be great.

Some other people have argued the review shouldn't exist. I never said that, nor did I say it was bad. It's a good review. The point of this post is that even good reviews can be detrimental in crafting the future of your story.

I don't see why I'm the best to read this. I'm just a lowly writer who writes for herself than anyone else. It's good you have 1000 readers and are growing. I hope your success continues! I didn't overlook your point; I am just stating mine. Believing your work is perfect the way it is will be your greatest flaw, whether for this reader base or the next, as eventually, everything will run to its end.

You can see that in old stories that overstayed their welcome or never evolved. Eventually, people just stop caring. Aka, one piece to name one, but there are many more. You know your story, you know where it will go. Wish you the best.

You're the best to read this because you seem to be conflating good intentions with good advice. I know my writing is flawed, and I also have grown drastically since I started writing. I also know enough to recognize when following good intended advice would actually be detrimental, and conscious enough of it to try to point out that it's a good example that others should learn to recognize. The reviewer was kind, and good intentioned, and their review is helpful to other readers. That does not mean that I should follow the advice.

While I admit Kingdom-building novels tend to drop the ball at some point....I definitely do not agree that politics and interpersonal relationships between the big players are the aforementioned problem. Politics is by far, THE MOST important thing when it comes to Kingdom-Building. Now, I don't mean in the sense that it takes politics to make a Kingdom, although that IS TRUE, I'm saying more on the external side. Politics are the most basic level of interaction between a Kingdom and external factors. Also internally, politics make up nearly the entirety of the basic-building blocks of how leaders and high-ranking officials within a Kingdom interact with the populace. To remove any chapters heavily invested with politics in a Kingdom-building novel....is absolutely absurd. I mean, technological development is LITERALLY CONSUMED with political machinations. The Innovation of technology doesn't just happen because someone had a good idea. Sure it STARTS that way, but it takes way more than that. Politics and kingdom development are inseparable. I can't see how you would even go about doing one without the other without completely sawing away massive plot development. If you yourself are doing that, I imagine you have some very shallow developments in certain areas of your story. Admittedly however, I have not read it, so I can't really come at you with a fully-developed opinion. It's just a general observation.

Also, interpersonal relations....I'm not really sure how to critique you here. You COULD minimalize this....but a Kingdom isn't a living breathing thing. A Kingdom isn't a character. It needs the people living within it to give it life, and personal relations between characters are a must....but again, I haven't read the story so I may be getting the wrong idea or angle about this particular critique.


Yeah this, threw me really hard. I kind of fumbled a bit with my own response because I'm not really sure how this kind of thinking comes into play.
It's like saying "Red apples don't really need to be red." I mean, how do you begin to address this? But as I said earlier, maybe I'm misinterpreting something with that bit.

Obviously, there is a decent amount of political intrigue. However, again, it's written in something of a journal format. So while some conversational back and forth occurs, it's from the perspective of what the MC would remember and write down. We get the MC's inner thoughts on how to do things, and the outcome of their actions, but we don't frequently get the exact event in question. So while you get the (XYZ happened, you don't get six chapters of the events and interactions that occurred to get us there. It's something like reading "The Histories" by Herodotus.) So while I say politics isn't present, it's functionally there, but largely just recorded.

Actually, much of it ISN'T making money. That's why Hollyweird and the gaming industry is in something of a panic-mode. Deadpool & Wolverine was the first profitable movie Marvel made since Endgame if you ignore the Spiderman films. Star Wars has made nothing but flops except for MAYBE the first 2 Seasons of The Mandalorian and then they immediately crashed with the Strong wahmen nonsense in Season 3 causing ratings to tank. None of the Star Wars movies did well and I've even heard rumors of a reboot of the last trilogy....but I'm not holding my breath on that one. As for Stephen King, I don't know. I couldn't even get into his Dark Tower series. The last thing I read by him was Billy Summers and I quit 1/3 of the way in because he kept bashing Donald Trump and praising Hillary Clinton over and over and it was getting weird for a story supposedly set in a fictional town, at least up to that point when I quit. Very unnecessary. The MC was an assassin. Really weird to have a hired killer talking morals

They're not making AS much money, and it's a downward trend, but not that many are outright failing. You can look up the exact figures, they're profitable, but not nearly as much as they used to be.

Imma just say this:

I did my assignments (like research and watching out for plotholes). I edited my work to the best I can do. And I published it for free.

At this point, whatever the readers say or rate to me doesn't affect me much anymore. Especially when I accepted I'm not a talented writer.

Why I write? I just wanna tell a story. Don't like it? Tis your problem.

Hans, you're a treasure, and an inspiration, literally. Maybe it doesn't mean much from a random internet person, but I admire your attitude and work ethic far more than someone like Stephen King.

 

[Gray_Mann]

t's something like reading "The Histories" by Herodotus

I think I just came. Bit of a mess really.

 

[melchi]

I don't know about the reader worship thing. But I think it is important to be open to feedback. Good ideas stand up to critics. If someone comments that the story would be more enjoyable if the passive voice was cut back on that is not really bashing. There is also some bad reviews. Like I read about an author on royal road getting frustrated about how his stories slow drip plot advancement. Some people like to write that way and that's fine. Some people don't like reading stories like that which is also fine.

Only speaking for myself here but for kingdom building stories I like to see advancement and overcoming problems. I also don't like stories with no dialogue. Yet, at the same time I don't like stories with endless dialogue. Every reader is unique so I suppose the lesson is to take reviews with a grain of salt, some people only give bad reviews anyway. I wouldn't take those types too seriously.

 

[Lysander_Works]

I can see what they mean by lack of conversations. In the end, many readers have a baseline for what they feel makes them comfortable while reading. I took a peek into two random chapters to see it for myself, and it's not a big deal to me. If you wanted to change anything at all (not change but add), it could be having the character talk to themselves just a little, to express their character and emotions a bit more.

However, I've read the full post and understand that you're not really into those suggestions. The target audience probably likes your style as is cut and dry, and you clearly have the view/reader/subscriber count to prove it. Feel a little more to me like that one person disliked your story simply because it wasn't their thing, but instead of walking away they one-stared it. I'm not rating or reviewing how this even looks at a glance, because I'm very picky about story styles and diction too.

There is a difference between improving the story and changing it.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

I'm envious that you somehow managed to get that much attention in such short of time. I wouldn't take one person's problematic review too seriously.

 

[KoyukiMegumi]

Your the best to read this because you seem to be conflating good intentions with good advice. I know my writing is flawed, and I also have grown drastically since I started writing. I also know enough to recognize when following good intended advice would actually be detrimental, and conscious enough of it to try to point out that it's a good example that others should learn to recognize. The reviewer was kind, and good intentioned, and their review is helpful to other readers. That does not mean that I should follow the advice.

Okay, yep, I'm not the best to read this as we are just going in circles, and I'm getting off the merry-go-round. Good intentions don't equal good advice, who doesn't know that, I don't know! Even if that feedback was actually good? Ah whatever! I never said to follow the advice, even if it's good or to even change your story!

All I said at the start was to be grateful that they said anything. It's better than getting a 1* with nothing said, even if it's detrimental to your writing, or at least you think it is because if you don't follow it, it really doesn't do anything at all. The rest was about staying open-minded to feedback no matter how crappy it is! However, your mind is closed to this matter.

Hence, there is no point in this conversation. Have a nice day!

 

[Tyranomaster]

I can see what they mean by lack of conversations. In the end, many readers have a baseline for what they feel makes them comfortable while reading. I took a peek into two random chapters to see it for myself, and it's not a big deal to me. If you wanted to change anything at all (not change but add), it could be having the character talk to themselves just a little, to express their character and emotions a bit more.

However, I've read the full post and understand that you're not really into those suggestions. The target audience probably likes your style as is cut and dry, and you clearly have the view/reader/subscriber count to prove it. Feel a little more to me like that one person disliked your story simply because it wasn't their thing, but instead of walking away they one-stared it. I'm not rating or reviewing how this even looks at a glance, because I'm very picky about story styles and diction too.


Couldn't have said it better myself.

I'm envious that you somehow managed to get that much attention in such short of time. I wouldn't take one person's problematic review too seriously.

You completely understand the point I was (apparently very ineloquently, though) trying to make. I have conversations on RR with commenters about intricacies of engineering and clever solutions to problems experienced in the story, the story is what it is, and the format is what it is.

I think getting the attention I did is something like 60% luck and 40% careful planning. The story definitely isn't for everyone, and I even went so far as to say that the review is still very good, and probably helpful to other readers to help them steer clear. Too many people here are taking this as me being ungrateful. Part of that was the language I used, but it was directed at the entertainment industry, though I see how easy it would be to assume it's directed at the review.

 

[Deleted member 166076]

I agree and disagree with a lot of things said.

For one thing, I'm pretty sure a lot of people would say Taylor Swift has a cult following. Those people are obsessed and will ruin your mental health if they think you are missing their idol even a little bit. It's kind of scary.

For another, I think there is room for both conversations, interpersonal relationships, etc. and kingdom building content. My Her Beasts series doesn't really have a ton of politics and war isn't really a big theme in the story either. Well, the main focus in the romance fantasy harem, but the second main focus is building a city-kingdom and advancing the primitive civilization using a system. I address these issues by doing things like introducing farming, animal husbandry, foraging, cooking, sewing and embroidery, etc. to the world through the MC. The people around the MC go from eating raw meat they hunted themselves and living in caves to growing crops, raising livestock for dairy, preserving and cooking food, and living in stone brick homes with proper architectural design considered. Later in the story, there are even trade routes established, schools set up for education, and jobs with hierarchy established. There's guards, teachers, farmers, city officials, etc. instead of just everyone fending for themselves.

I'll admit that most of my readers come for the romance, but I've received plenty of passionate comments about how much my readers enjoy the character building, how much care is put into world building and the city management aspects, etc. So, yeah, I am a firm believer that you can have both conversations and city building.

 

[Tyranomaster]

I agree and disagree with a lot of things said.

For one thing, I'm pretty sure a lot of people would say Taylor Swift has a cult following. Those people are obsessed and will ruin your mental health if they think you are missing their idol even a little bit. It's kind of scary.

For another, I think there is room for both conversations, interpersonal relationships, etc. and kingdom building content. My Her Beasts series doesn't really have a ton of politics and war isn't really a big theme in the story either. Well, the main focus in the romance fantasy harem, but the second main focus is building a city-kingdom and advancing the primitive civilization using a system. I address these issues by doing things like introducing farming, animal husbandry, foraging, cooking, sewing and embroidery, etc. to the world through the MC. The people around the MC go from eating raw meat they hunted themselves and living in caves to growing crops, raising livestock for dairy, preserving and cooking food, and living in stone brick homes with proper architectural design considered. Later in the story, there are even trade routes established, schools set up for education, and jobs with hierarchy established. There's guards, teachers, farmers, city officials, etc. instead of just everyone fending for themselves.

I'll admit that most of my readers come for the romance, but I've received plenty of passionate comments about how much my readers enjoy the character building, how much care is put into world building and the city management aspects, etc. So, yeah, I am a firm believer that you can have both conversations and city building.

Then I would just be writing a worse version of your story, rather than my own story. That is the point of this. Word count is a limiting factor. I cannot both write what I am writing, while writing what you are writing, all at the same pace and in the same physical space as just my novel. That's the point.