Forum: Editors/Reviewers Hangout

Some reviewers award high scores to stories which satisfy their particular kinks but have less general appeal. How do you review those reviewers without coming across as negative?

I would start by giving a score of 1 to any reviewer who scores any story as 3 tens.

I would start by giving a score of 1 to any reviewer who scores any story as 3 tens.

I suspect there aren't any reviewers who pass your test.

Celeste

I am glad you mentioned her name. She was the other reviewer I was going to recommend. She only reviewed 25 stories here all but one in 2002 and 14 of those reviews were stories by a single author. No, I don't know if he was married or not. Her reviews were literate and experienced as she had done reviews on ASSTR and before it was ASSTR. I looked her up on line and there wasn't much I could reach but there were several favorable comments, comparing her reviews favorably to the ones by other reviewers on SOL. Perhaps her most useful lesson is that the length of a review does not have to be the same from review to review. Really short ones sometimes work as well as longer ones.

You are right. I was just looking at the first of 3 pages of reviews by Celeste, and I didn't count correctly that page. It was late, or maybe early, and I am only partly awake at that hour.

I would start by giving a score of 1 to any reviewer who scores any story as 3 tens.

That's the main reason why I find the reviews unusable. Way too many stories with only 9's and 10's. So which are the exceptionally good ones? Those numbers should be reserved for just a few exceptional stories. A generally good story should have 8's.

That's the main reason why I find the reviews unusable. Way too many stories with only 9's and 10's. So which are the exceptionally good ones? Those numbers should be reserved for just a few exceptional stories. A generally good story should have 8's.

One thing I find limiting as a reviewer is the ability to assign cardinal scores only if I choose to assign one. It would be helpful to have at least one decimal place available. The reason is I feel that the scoring system isn't on an even scale; rather it appears to be mildly exponential, i.e. the gap between 7 and 8 is a lot larger than the one between 3 and 4 in terms of the change in quality. Having decimal ability would alleviate that somewhat.

One thing I find limiting as a reviewer is the ability to assign cardinal scores only if I choose to assign one. It would be helpful to have at least one decimal place available. The reason is I feel that the scoring system isn't on an even scale; rather it appears to be mildly exponential, i.e. the gap between 7 and 8 is a lot larger than the one between 3 and 4 in terms of the change in quality. Having decimal ability would alleviate that somewhat.

I agree that there's psychological gap differences. If a story scores 3 or 4 makes no difference, it's "not a good" story. 7 to 8 makes a 'normal' story a good story so that gap seems indeed much bigger. Compared to the current status of existing scores it might be even better to remove those scores and let the review text speak for itself.
Comments like "good for romance lovers" or "science fiction geeks will like it very much" are much more usable.

Way too many stories with only 9's and 10's.

That's about it.

I was exaggerating a bit, and I wouldn't want to be dictatorial about what any number should mean, but when there's almost no range in the scores reviewers give out then they have no meaning at all: a review means nothing more than the story is one of the reviewer's personal favourites. :(

See my comment to Jim S.

I would start by giving a score of 1 to any reviewer who scores any story as 3 tens.

Unless they're a rookie. It is a beginner's mistake after all.

I would start by giving a score of 1 to any reviewer who scores any story as 3 tens.

I wonder what score people like me would get. I don't use the scores. If you want to know what I thought about the story you have to actually read the review.

I don't use the scores. If you want to know what I thought about the story you have to actually read the review.

That's downright devious. I love it. :-)

I think your 6 for quality could be considered a little harsh - I've read worse stories to which reviewers have awarded 10s.

First of all, I consider Technical Quality not just to be the "quality" of the story (including things like character development, theme, consistent story line, etc.), but also to be the "science" of writing and should reflect things like grammar and sentence composition. If I've got that wrong, please let me know.

I've read stories that were a lot worse and got a "10", as well. I consider that "fanboy'ing" when that is done. I don't mind only writing generally positive reviews, but giving all "10"s undermines the rating system, IMO.

In the subject story there were multiple instances of improperly used synonyms and tenses that affected readability, so I was trying to keep it real and "rate it as I saw it", which would be a Technical "6" (which still equates to "not bad").

I also know that JPB usually writes MUCH better then that, so I might have been in a "tsk, tsk" mood when I wrote that review. LOL

SB

I'd include things like character development and consistent story line in Plot.

Plot is the components that make up a story.
Technical is how you tell the story.

Theme? Why would you rate theme? If you don't like the theme of a story, like revenge in my novel Sexual Awakening, wouldn't that be Appeal?

Your definition of "plot" is different than what I learned (granted a LOOOOOONG time ago). I take a lot of liberties with the definition as it is, but I was taught that a "Plot" is the cause-and-effect relationship between major events in a storyline. When I review a plot that is what I TRY to stick to, but usually end up adding in the storyline. For things like character development, I usually include them under appeal because they help me flesh out "why" the story does or does not appeal to me. (and, yeah, I know that's a bit backasswards.)

BTW, have you ever read a story you thought, because the author told you, was about one thing and went a totally different direction? I ding for an inconsistent theme when I see it. I rate divergence from the stated theme, not the theme itself. It's like being told I was going to get Romeo & Juliet and end up with Mein Kampf. It basically is the writer being dishonest or oblivious (and I don't care which) and reflects a lot on the tags he/she selects, as well.