How Much Input Do You As A Reader Like To Have On A Story?

[Zeebop]

I know that in Lois Lane's Night Out I base which chapters get sequels (and how soon) based on number of likes and bookmarks. I know that I also try to take comments into consideration when writing sequels, and other authors run polls on the forums or off-site, or ask for voting in the comments. Are these kind of feedback features things that readers like? DO you actually want to provide input into a story, or do you prefer to just follow an author's imagination?

Obviously, some folks like to actually jump in there and write their own chapters, but for the more passive readers whose enthusiasm doesn't quite rise to that level, how do you - or would you - like to have input into a story?

 

[SeriousBrainDamage]

I don't get to read much lately, so I wouldn't define myself as a good subject to answer, but since it seems there aren't many other readers either, I'll share my feelings about this.

First of all, polls are nice, but sometimes I feel like I reply to them even if the story doesn't appeal to me that much. That means that probably from a writer's perspective, they gather also the opinions of people that would possibly never read the actual story.
Though if you like the attention, they usually work. Just keep in mind some uninterested people will probably chime in and inflate the numbers.

As for other means of engagement, I'm usually very passive when I approach a new story, reading just the branches that look promising.
Eventually, when I have exhausted all the interesting stuff, IF I really liked the story I may start waiting for a new chapter and eventually post a comment with my suggestions/predictions.

Every now and then, when I'm reading something I'm getting invested in and a chapter really goes the opposite way I was expecting, I may voice my disappointment with an alternative suggestion.

Voting in the comments is a big no for me, I think it's just a way to inflate the engagement numbers of the story.

All considered, I think I prefer to just follow what the Author has in mind.

If he/she/them asks for suggestions I'm happy to help, but I always assume that even if my suggestion gets picked, the resulting chapter will probably never be what I am expecting.
That's why I started writing here in the first place