I think it's absolutely valid to feel discouraged when you realize you aren't getting any views or reviews. After all, a little encouragement can go a long way, especially in the field of creation, where it's helpful to know that someone is enjoying what you are doing.
But let's think about why exactly we write. Is it because we want views? We want to be famous? We want to be popular? I mean, those are all valid goals. I want to be famous, to have thousands of readers, to have a fanbase. But isn't there a deeper reason as to why we write?
For myself, I rarely publish things, or show them to others. But occasionally, people might say something, through a review swap, or something else. Sometimes I show my work deliberately to people, just to see their reaction to it, or maybe because I want a little encouragement. And when they say things like, "You know, that story you wrote...I'm still thinking about it." "Your story made me cry." "It made me feel something.", every time someone says something like that, I am reminded, once again, why I write.
As long as my story can even touch one person, that is enough. My work there is finished.
As long as my story can change someone, make them feel something, make them think deeper about something, then that is enough. I need nothing more than that.
Sometimes, when I'm working on my three thousand chapter work, I wonder if anyone will actually read it. If anyone will like it. But even if they all hate it, as long as one person, even one person, is changed by it, or thinks of something they haven't thought before, or feels something, then that is enough.
And even if no one reads it, no one likes it, there is still one person who is changed.
Me.
After all, isn't it the author who is most greatly affected by the work which they write?
Throughout every single work, the author goes out on a journey, somewhat a journey of self-discovery, because what can reflect someone's soul more than when they write honestly, genuinely, things of their own heart?
But that is very personal, and is a conversation for yourself...
So in concluding, when I am down about the lack of views or reviews or comments, I remind myself, "Hey. That person that one time. They said that they were still thinking about it, days later. And that other person, they said it made them feel something. That is enough. I have accomplished what I have set out to do." And so I move on, to write more, write more things which I hope can change the hearts of others.
Even if it's just one person.
So why do we write? I think it's important to evaluate the reasoning behind it. It doesn't have to be very complicated. It can be really simple. I started to write because it looked like fun, because I had a story I wanted to tell. And now that I have worked hard to master the basic tools of the craft, I can move on and focus on other goals. Without a reason to write, it is very easy to give up.
So when your views are down, and you feel like quitting, just remind yourself of why you write. And it's okay to ask for reviews. It's okay to promote yourself, to ask others to tell you what they think. And if you don't trust review swaps, just mention to them that you want to hear what they really think. I myself always give semi-honest reviews, meaning that I give enough encouragement (and I do mean the encouragement; I do see potential to be a writer in everyone) while giving things that I think could be improved. There is an art to balancing criticism and compliments when giving reviews.
I think I've rambled on for too long. So I'll just drop it here. If you bothered to read this, thanks. I'll take my leave now.