Forum: Editors/Reviewers Hangout

Credits for Reviews?

awnlee jawking 🚫
Updated:

I do a lot of proofreading and a, thankfully diminishing, amount of editing, so I tend to focus on the flaws in stories. As such I wouldn't pass muster as a SOL reviewer because I'd be far too negative. So I'm asking the following question from academic interest only: do reviewers earn credits towards premier membership? And if not, would it be a good idea?

Having 'taken', it's only fair that I should 'give' so, in no particular order, here are the six ongoing and regularly updated serials currently giving me most enjoyment:

Magician by QM.

Serendipity by oyster50. Not a 'Smart Girls' clone, it has enough potential for character conflict to keep it interesting.

A Well-Lived Life by Penguintopia.

Jacob's Granddaughters by A. A. Nemo

Pantheon by PuffDragon. I wish I had written this!

Rebirth by Lumpy.

An honourable mention to A. King and his Queen by Lazlo Zalezac. I'm not a fan of the author but the multi-dimensional characterisations make this a couple of levels above anything else of his I've read.

AJ

(Edited to rectify the unacceptable omission of Rebirth by Lumpy)

Replies: Vincent Berg

Vincent Berg 🚫

@awnlee jawking

I do a lot of proofreading and a, thankfully diminishing, amount of editing, so I tend to focus on the flaws in stories. As such I wouldn't pass muster as a SOL reviewer because I'd be far too negative. So I'm asking the following question from academic interest only: do reviewers earn credits towards premier membership? And if not, would it be a good idea?

As far as I understand, and if I'm incorrect, I'm sure the few Reviewers here will correct me, but no, Reviewers don't get credit towards a free SOL membership. You might want to ask Lazeez whether he'd considered that as an option, as I'm sure additional Reviewers would be an added draw to the site. But it would be harder to base the free membership on the same word-count/score combination he uses for authors.

Replies: richardshagrin awnlee jawking

richardshagrin 🚫

@Vincent Berg

There may be as many reasons for being a reviewer as there are reviewers. There are even some authors who do reviewing in their "copious" spare time. To them I say, write more stories, stories are lots more important than reviews.

I have a public reason for reviewing. I want people who are looking for something to read to find what I liked to be something they will like. The not so public reason is I like to see my name in print. A lot of people have that reason somewhere in their motivation, or there would be a lot fewer postings on the forum.

awnlee jawking 🚫

@Vincent Berg

I suppose Lazeez could implement a 'rate the review' facility, counting towards a reviewers credits just as story voting counts towards an author's. But I suspect that would require an impractical amount of code.

AJ

Replies: Vincent Berg

Vincent Berg 🚫

@awnlee jawking

I suppose Lazeez could implement a 'rate the review' facility, counting towards a reviewers credits just as story voting counts towards an author's. But I suspect that would require an impractical amount of code.

Awnlee, my argument wasn't over the amount of code required, but with the amount of text a reviewer is likely to produce. The last thing I'd want to do is to motivate newbie reviews to pad their reviews with extra fluff just to reach an imaginary word count.

I just couldn't picture most reviewers reaching the minimum word count needed for free SOL membership.

Replies: richardshagrin awnlee jawking

richardshagrin 🚫

@Vincent Berg

There are a few reviewers with hundreds of reviews. I don't think that should make them Premier members. Free Premier memberships should be limited to reward authors for writing the stories we all want to read and would be poorer for not having access to. What next after reviewers getting rewarded? Something for editors? Proofreaders? People who write to the Forum? Its a hobby, except nothing happens in the hobby if stories aren't written.

It ain't broke. It doesn't need fixing.

Replies: Vincent Berg awnlee jawking

Vincent Berg 🚫

@richardshagrin

What next after reviewers getting rewarded? Something for editors? Proofreaders? People who write to the Forum?

Sorry, those (alternative encouragement) aren't needed. I find most editors volunteer in order to read a next story ahead of everyone else, and more importantly, to be able to influence the stories they enjoy, and make them even better than they already are.

The same is true for commenting. Most people who respond for stories aren't looking for freebies, they're trying to encourage the author so they keep writing, and if natural discussions develop over time, they gain by having a sounding board with authors they already admire.

But your point is taken, the current system works, and for authors, encouraging them to continue beyond their initial effort pays because it produces long-term contributors, rather than one-shot trials. I'm also not sure there's any point in changing anything. We've got a working system, there's no sense rocking the boat asking for the impractical.

awnlee jawking 🚫

@richardshagrin

I just had the idea of rewarding people who voted on stories because voting benefits would-be readers. Then I realised that would reward the 1-bombers. Ouch!

AJ

Replies: Vincent Berg Ernest Bywater

Vincent Berg 🚫
Updated:

@awnlee jawking

I just had the idea of rewarding people who voted on stories because voting benefits would-be readers. Then I realised that would reward the 1-bombers. Ouch!

Ha-ha. I can see it now. The readers who honestly consider their scores wouldn't vote often, while those who vote 1 for every story they read could easily zip through hundreds. It might end up sinking everyone's scores, rather than just those who offend someone with their story's content.

Ernest Bywater 🚫

@awnlee jawking

I just had the idea of rewarding people who voted on stories because voting benefits would-be readers. Then I realised that would reward the 1-bombers. Ouch!

Readers get the benefit of enjoying the story without forking out big bucks for it, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

awnlee jawking 🚫

@Vincent Berg

I just couldn't picture most reviewers reaching the minimum word count needed for free SOL membership.

Clearly I haven't fully thought it through but I wasn't envisaging the criterion being solely wordcount. I could make suggestions, eg more credit for the first reviewer of a story, but if the idea is to lead anywhere, it really needs someone to minimise all the 'unintended consequences' scenarios.

AJ

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Forum: Editors/Reviewers Hangout

Credits for Reviews?

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