Obsessed?

Since making that last post, I've been asking myself some hard questions. Chiefly, am I getting just a little bit obsessed with what these weirdoes are saying about my stories? Why should I care? Let's face it, does it really matter what a bunch of socially maladjusted fruitcakes think? After all, if they believe in these whacked out conspiracies, they can't really have much in the way of critical faculties, can they? Does the fact that someone, even if they are nutters, is talking about me in some way validate my existence? Is that what I'm really seeking - some kind of acknowledgement for what I'm doing?

There's no doubt that web publishing can be a very lonely business. No matter how high your traffic gets, the lack of feedback from readers is deafening. You bang out stories, each one, you're sure, so controversial that it will result in a flood of angry e-mails. But there's nothing. Not a bloody thing. This complete lack of reaction is quite disturbing. It isn't just confined to me, either. Most satire site editors I've asked about this have had the exact same experience. So there you have it - clearly, I'm so desperate for some kind of feedback on my literary efforts that I'll even seize upon the demented ramblings of the sad bastards on conspiracy sites! Jesus! I've really got to get a life!