Because it’s annoying when you fall in love with a story and then you wait a week for an update and then another and then another and then another till it’s been 2 months and you think ok maybe they posted something, so you check their social media and nothing.
So by this point you’re reading another story and it’s the same thing so you read another, same thing
I understand authors have lives and maybe they can’t publish right away and they’re certainly not obligated too but I don’t think it would be that hard for a quick statement I would accept that over months of nothing
I have 10 stories that I’m currently reading because of it and in the past 7 months only one updated.
I think there should be “last updated” as well before a reader decides to read a story to give some insight