I really need to start reading it, but I've been delaying so much and its getting lost amongst the other 2000+ submissions I need to get through. I'll definitely need to make time to have a look at your novel and give feedback.

Thanks, Striker! I really appreciate that! I know that there are a ton of authors out there (yourself included!), so reading is quite the commitment.

I've got to catch up a bit, but was enjoying it while i was current!

Thanks for the support! I appreciate knowing what people think. I’m not fishing for compliments, I’m just curious.

Since I'm trying to get reviews/ratings for my own books on Goodreads and Amazon, I have a standing offer to other furry writers that I'd be willing to read & review their work if they would do the same for me.

So far I have a grand total of 1 taker, and he still hasn't posted any review.

All the other writers I've asked seem inexplicably "too busy" to read themselves. One wonders how they expect to write decently if they don't read anything, but life is full of mysteries....

Clearly, I feel your frustration. In addition to yourself and several fandom-based authors, I am also watching my mother and indirect acquaintances in vastly different genres ‘struggle’ with the same lack of feedback. Compared to music and visual art, reading is a chore (as you know), and people just don’t like to work for their entertainment. Nothing new, obviously.

I’ve made similar deals with people ranging from my artwork to my stories, but I find the real impetus behind why they do not reciprocate is due to differences in genre preferences. I/They just don’t connect with the material and therefore do not know how to be objective or simply do not want to invest time in a narrative they do not connect with.

I may have just answered my own question, actually.

But I believe in the “if you build it, they will come” mantra. And I suspect that you share my belief that it is better to create something you enjoy for yourself and let the audience find you, rather than find an audience and create things for them.

Thank you for responding! I appreciate that muchly!

reading is a chore

If the book/story is well-written and Relevant to you Interests, reading is a joy. And no matter how great the book is, if the author doesn't work at getting it out there in front of people, (the more reviews and rating something gets on the online sites, the more it turns up in searches and recommendations) it won't do well.

Oh no doubt! Reading is wonderful when you connect with something. But the 'chore' comment was relative to visual/audio artwork which is delivered pre-assembled and the audience takes a passive role of recipient. Reading is more active, as it requires the audience to participate and engage; to understand the words and translate them into imagery of their own invention. One could argue that good art and music will also engage its audience, but not in the same ways. I can look at artwork with my brain turned off and still receive a base-line narrative. Reading requires energy to process and more importantly time, since you must complete several pages' worth of reading before you even know if you like the direction, style and flourish aside. There have been books where I've had to read half of it before I knew if I even liked it.