A Powerful Reason to Respond to Comments on Your Writing

For the past three years, I’ve been slowly cultivating the skill of thoughtful commenting.

Nine times out of ten, I’m doing it on short form notes that hit me right in the feels or brilliantly articulated long form articles on either Medium or Substack. That remaining tenth comment? Usually to respond to the occasional comment that pops up when people read my work.

While I’m embarrassed to say that it doesn’t happen very often these days, I also realized something incredibly obvious.

Plagiarism is Rampant

It is one of those things that you come to accept, or at least something that you come to terms with.

It applies to those who are a few steps ahead; those who are gaining traction and building substantial momentum in their visibility, their revenue, and their impact as they build their audience. Success attracts the less scrupulous masses, the bottom feeders who are in it purely for the monetary gain.

These individuals could care less about the message or the true effort it takes to express an idea from personal experience. They’re out here to take what’s popular and pass it off as their own, and AI is just the latest tool in their shed.

For every thoughtful comment on a big creator’s latest work, there are dozens more that are devoid of meaning outside of begging for attention.

• Single-word comments

• Spammy links with a short “read mine” or “subscribe to me”

• Sketchy blurbs replete with emojis and AI-generated avatars attracting followers

These examples are the slop in the comment section.

The absolute bottom of the barrel don’t waste their time here, though. They take the entire article and copy/paste it to a blank page and hit the “Publish” button. The claps, hearts, likes, or whatever other external metrics come flooding in just the same, but I’ve noticed something in these articles:

Not a single one of the comments from these plagiarized ones have meaningful responses.

Authors that actually put in the effort to write their work are happy to engage with comments that add to the conversation. As a minnow in this sea, I have the luxury of responding to every single one that comes along in my work. I do my best to acknowledge the response and to thank the individual for taking time out of their day to add their two cents. I also strive to do one more thing:

It may be a small gesture, but it’s a powerful indicator of proof of ownership of your work. It’s the difference between putting a potted plant and a bouquet out on display. One is a living, breathing thing that thrives from attention. The other wilts, dries, and turns to dust over time. A thief will never dare to offer any meaningful context to the work they steal because they have no idea how it came to be or why the message matters.

It’s the Social Proof that Matters

I can hear some of you right now: “What difference does it make? Comments won’t matter in the long run when someone lifts my writing! It speaks for itself.”

It’s not your skill as a writer that attracts people to you…it’s your personality, your style, your ability to nurture small connections that may grow into a dialog over time. What these pathetic individuals will never understand is that a body of work reflects the author. There is continuity and a pattern that separates someone dedicated to a craft rather than a copy/curator.

Comment thoughtfully and with care — not just on work that impacts and inspires you, but also on as many who respond to your own as well.

It’s the fine print of authenticity that cannot be stolen.