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The Never Ending Book: The role of external stimuli and peer feedback in user-generated content production

Author

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  • Maria Marchenko

    (Department of Economics, Vienna University of Economics and Business)

  • Hendrik Sonnabend

    (Department of Economics and Business Administration, University of Hagen)

Abstract

This paper studies the determinants of the voluntary provision of user-generated (online) content. Using data from the largest fanfiction website, we find that writers respond differently to new original material: conditional on text length, writing times increase for the average writer and even more for the elite of prolific writer. We explain this finding with quality concerns. In addition, we find supportive evidence that community feedback encourages first-time contributors to continue publishing. For more established writers, we find that community feedback has a rather dampening effect on text lengths and writing times. Overall, these effects are more pronounced for high-quality community feedback ('reviews') compared to low-quality community feedback ('following', 'favoriting').

Suggested Citation

  • Maria Marchenko & Hendrik Sonnabend, 2022. "The Never Ending Book: The role of external stimuli and peer feedback in user-generated content production," Department of Economics Working Papers wuwp320, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:wiw:wiwwuw:wuwp320
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    fanfiction; user-generated content; online public goods; voluntary contribution;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods
    • C31 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models; Quantile Regressions; Social Interaction Models
    • D01 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Microeconomic Behavior: Underlying Principles
    • Z11 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economics of the Arts and Literature

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