Unpopular Opinion (sorry if I offend anyone (read at ur own risk then????))

Ok, I need to get this off my chest and it's not my intention to offend anyone!!! This is just my opinion, read at your own risk!):

I hate dislike it when people put 'subscribers only' on their story. It's like forcing everyone to subscribe, and I just... just don't like it. Like, I get it, when you like want to read a 'real' book (tho some fanfics I've red are just impure literature), you have to buy it (or u just go to the library but that's not free everywhere either). But why would you force people to subscribe?

Ok, when the fic has a trigger warning, then I can understand it, but just stories? Why do people do that?

For me! When I want to read a story, I like check it out first and when it seems interesting, I subscribe then read it fully n probably leave a comment. But when I come upon a 'subscribers only' thing I can't like check it out first because I'm like forced to subscribe first to check it out??? 

I just HATE it because when the description seems interesting I am forced to click subscribe and click 'next' and only thEN I see what the real story is like and when I instantly don't like it, I have to immediately unsubscribe again and it makes me feel so rude??? LIke the author sees someone is subscribed and are like "yay!" but then the person, me, unsubscribes again, I feel like I disappoint them??? I just hate it, ok.

I also can't feel happy for an author who puts their fic to 'subscribers only' and then they cheer about how many subs they have. LIke, duh, of course! Because you basically force them all to subscribe???

So I avoid all stories with 'subs only' because I'm just... just no (unless the desc really intrigues me). And more and more ppl put 'subs only' on their stories and it makes me sad. 

Sorry for ranting. 

And to y'all who DO put 'subs only' on their stories... I want to know why you do that. Just curious.

Comments

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IceHV05
#1
I think some authors (some) put that tag to avoid plagiarism (since this is common nowadays) and to protect their stories from people who write hate comments not bcos the story is bad but bcos they dont like the ship, characters or the author. Some of my friends use "-only tags" bcos they want to know who really reads their story even if they're not leaving comments. And sometimes they use it if they want to make the story available to their friends and subscribers only.

And I agree. Many were using that tag just to bragged how many subscribers they have. Well in my case as a reader, if I'm interested in a story foreword, I'll subscribe and if i dont like the rest, I'll just stop reading and leave it at that :)
cherryeol04
#2
I hate this too and a while I posted a similar blog. I find that usually the ones that have "subscriber only" are the ones that I can't stand to read. At least in my opinion they're the one's with some very bad grammar. And I know English isn't the first language of everyone, but these are the stories where you can obviously tell they're still learning English cause past and present tense gets mixed up a lot and it's difficult to understand what they're trying to say. Personally I think they put it that way because it's the only way they get subscribers or whatever because when I have to subscribe to a fic, I'm actually really lazy and don't unsubscribe unless it's a really really really bad fic.

I never understood it. Honestly, if people like your stories, they'll read it and subscribe and all that jazz. I can understand trigger warning being a good reason for having the "subscribers only" thing and even if you're like making a special fic for like your subscribers or friends on aff or something.

I guess in a way it also stops people who don't have an aff from reading and stealing your fics. But still to me, I hate seeing all the "subscribers only" fics that appear. I don't usually read them. Which means I may have missed a lot of good fics...but you know?
yen_xoxounicorn #3
Haha I do put it and normally on stories coz I don't want ppl who I know in real life finding it and reading it LOL idk if that makes sense haha I'm just scared TT I hope nobody I know knows about the I wrote on here !!! Hahaahah
BUT I also feel it's ok to put it on I mean the authors spent so much time and effort to write their fics so I guess it's just a little something,. A sense of achievement ? As a return for their hard work
But yes they shouldn't be bragging about their large amount of subs if they put it to subs only haah coz that's just dumb
ChanBaekInYourAeriYa #4
Oh I hate this too, but how do I actually take my fanfic off subs only?? I haven't set it to that setting but I realised that when I log out and go on my fanfic it requires you to subscribe to read the full chap...I don't want that setting though but i don't understand how to take it off T_T
ellip-sism
#5
I agree on this 100%, and I'd never put those limitations on my stories. But, i guess they have their own reasons (or not). One thing I just don't like doing is forcing other accounts to benefit on something, and that is kind of the essence for placing those "-only tags". Especially IF both subscriber-only and member-only are placed, and I'd leave it to them to figure out the advances to it. And also, you are correct, empirically speaking, you are unnerved by the doubt that you might have placed on the author by subscribing then unsubscribing immediately. It is too harsh if you think of it, yes.
shesamytheu
#6
I disagree. I don't think that putting a story on "subscribers-only" is forcing people to subscribe. It's the readers' choice whether they want to subscribe or not. The one who's "forcing" the readers to subscribe is their own self. At the end of the day, the author has zero control on the decision the readers have to make.

This is only my opinion though :)
AffSerJack
#7
I think putting subs only is to see how many people actually read your story. I did it to my first fanfic because I wasn't sure people would even read it. A lot of people just read your story without leaving any feedback at all so you have no idea if people even saw your story or not.
Emycyingztars
#8
Agreed! But I guess one of my main purposes of using the subscribe thing is because (other than being dumb and not knowing how AFF works even after being on here for like what, almost a year) I have self-conscious issues. I have a different approach to this issue. I feel like if you're dedicated to my story or fic and you subscribe, I will never take that for granted. If you leave, go ahead. No hard feelings. The self-consciousness kicks in when I make a story WITHOUT the subscribers only feature and nobody really subscribes and I get the feeling that I'm not good enough.

I'm faking a flawed reality to keep my instant gratification monkey happy, I guess.


(I usually subscribe to every single CB story I come across because HECK YEAH OTP FANDOM LET'S CRY A BIT MORE...I keep all my subscriptions because I would definitely want to come back to this account after (if) I leave the kpop fandom to see what sort of dark hell I've gone through)
Jumpdiva
#9
I agree with this. 100%.
bugarungus
#10
I put subscriber only on chaptered works because I know if readers are anything like myself they'll read the first few chapters that are posted but then if they're not subscribed they'll miss future chapters. I haven't completed any of my chaptered works yet but when I do I might take the subscriber only off
MissMinew
#11
You have to understand two things to understand why some of my stories are subs only. 1) TW scares people off. (Yes, it does.) 2) It gives me the security that people have - hopefully - read the entire foreword/description and thus agreed to everything it says, written trigger warnings included.

That is the only reason I use subs only. Because it's the only way I can be certain that people actually read the foreword and I need them to read the foreword.

I understand from a readers pov but if someone chooses some of my stories from (I have stories that are non subs-only), that's their choice. As long as they respect my choice too.
unintended #12
I AGREEEE !
sara_gg_xol #13
Agree agree its really on nerve.
BlackRosesTears
#14
I don't like to make my stories subscriber-only, I would like people to subscribe because they want to, they like my story, not because I force them.
I got a comment from someone who told me to make it subscriber-only so people can see when I update and I tried to explain the person that if they think the story is interesting enough they will subscribe without me forcing her/him