Is Vocal Reciprocity Dead?

Introduction

When talking reciprocity I always go back to this excellent piece by Judey Kalchik, if you don't know it take a read and apply the principals.

My Observations

While there should be no obligation to return a read, comment, or subscription, I believe part of the success of the Vocal platform (and I still believe it is by far the best publishing platform for getting your work out there quickly) is us supporting each other by reading and commenting.

Recently comments on my piece have dropped significantly from other Vocal Creators. There are some who still regularly comment and I am grateful for that.

However many now thank me for my comments on their stories and that is it. Nothing more.

Also some leave comments on my Facebook shares of my work, but give no indication that they have read them (though their comments impluy that they have). It is almost as though they don;t want someone to know they have read my work, but that is just my paranoia and imposter syndrome creeping in.

Now part of this is that they may have read my stories and decided it was not worth leaving a comment, or they may just have decided that my work does not interest them.

Conclusion

As I say, no one owes anybody anything, but the thing that makes Vocal brilliant, and the community is strong, is the reciprocity.

So do I stop reading those Creators who don't reciprocate with me (I see they reciprocate with others)? That way I become even more isolated, so I will keep reading whether I get reciprocity or not. If we stop reading others' creations then Vocal will stagnate and die.

While it is nice to be thanked, it is nicer to receive positive unsolicited comments on your work. When that happens I always try and check out the creator's latest work.

Thank you for reading this, I really appreciate the support you give me.

The music is "Give A Little Bit" by Supertramp