author's note

I must have missed the explanation but since I can't find it anywhere, I'd like to know the significance of the "author's note" at the start of some stories.

Ordalie I can't speak for everyone but where it appears on mine it's usually just a few words I wanted to say about the story.

Those are usually helpful to the reader.

An author cannot "comment" on one of his/her own stories, but is allowed (encouraged?) to make an author's note to make explanatory remarks or answer questions raised by readers' comments. The only significance is that an an author has chosen to do so. Since, at one time, authors were not prevented from commenting on their own stories, in some cases Februs has converted those old "Self comments" into "author's notes."

But where's the note? You can't click on it!

When there is one, it appears in green at the top of the "Comments" list.

Aren't we talking about two separate things here? There may be an "author's note" at the top of the story, and also an "author's comment" above the other comments.

An author's note should be visible without clicking. Not being so would be some sort of technical problem perhaps?

On the lSF an "author's note" where an author has chosen to provide one, and the librarians have approved it, appears at the front, in a white box beside the words "author's note" (for an example see my "The Swing by the Shore"). The librarians will only load an author's note if they feel it is helpful to the general reader -- I have had a couple declined or trimmed. Not every story has one. An "author's comment" appears above the list of comments by others. (for an example see my "Sam's Fit") An author can make an author's comment by simply posting a comment in the usual way to his or her own story. The admins will validate it, and place it in the special author's comment position, if it appears to be of general interest to readers. If it seems to be simply a response to a specific previous comment, it may be rejected with a note to use the popup system for such responses. I have had such a rejection.

^ ^ What DLandhill said ^^

Nothing of the sort in Dr Keate's "Postman Pat and the fire..." even though there's an "author's note"!