Reviewing Your Options
Contributed by BJ Auth
Why our authors need your feedback, and just how you can help them.
Reviews. What do they mean to you? If you’re not an author, then you may be blissfully
unaware of how important that little box at the end of each chapter is. If you are
an author, you most certainly will be aware of how that box can help, but perhaps
don’t like leaving reviews yourself. Want to know more about the power of the review?
Need convincing as to why you need to bother? Then this article is for you.
Publishing a story on the Internet, especially a non fan fiction story, is a huge
step for an author. It can be exciting, exhilarating and yet frightening at the same
time. Writing is a passion, and it’s a passion that can involve bearing your soul
to complete strangers, some of whom you’ll never get to meet, or even talk to outside
of the site. Imagine this then - writing a story that you plough valuable time and
effort into, only to be lost in the ether with no feedback. A horrible, hollow feeling.
It wouldn’t happen in normal publishing terms, would it? An author lucky enough to
be published will have their work judged and checked by several different people
before they even begin to take the steps to get it printed and on the bookshelves.
Once on the shelves the money in the till in a good guide of how successful that
story is. People pay money to read good stories every day in their thousands, rewarding
that author for their keen mind and hard work. Here, on the Internet, it’s very different.
The only way a writer on Crones can find out if they are succeeding as an author
is through the feedback from their readers, and that comes mainly from the review
box. It is a means of communicating with an author without needing to be personal,
needing to contact them directly, or needing to hand over your hard earned cash before
reading their work. An author on site will provide you with a piece of work that
they have made a real effort to produce - all you have to do for ‘payment’ is fill
in the review box.
Think of it this way - we all like the thrill of buying a new book. You walk into
the store, choose your book…now, do you go up to the till and pay, or do you walk
out with the book tucked under your arm? Ok, so to read a story and not review is
not stealing! Of course not! But it’s a good way of showing how much you think a
story is worth. Call it your payment for their efforts. Much cheaper than the book
store, and no queuing! Good all round.
So, how much to pay for this story you’ve just read. What is a good story worth,
and what about the bad ones? That’s entirely your choice. Some people choose to leave
a few words, others a huge essay with quotes. Any review, to some authors, is a good
review because it’s such a positive thing to do, even if it’s critical. But, if you
need some tips on leaving a review, good or bad, here’s a few suggestions that may
just help, based on what the authors themselves like to hear.
Review whenever you read- You don’t feel like it, or don‘t feel you have time? Take
a note or two down and come back when you have more time, or feel like communicating.
If it’s a novel length you’re reading it doesn’t have to be every chapter, but one
review every so often makes a HUGE difference. Even if you don't like a story I cannot
express how important it is to review. An author cannot improve if they don't know
they have to and your comments can make an improvement to a story. You could make
the difference between someone continuing to write, and someone giving up. You have
that power, so use it!!!
Illustrate - Tell your author what you like and what you don’t like clearly and precisely.
Tell them what made you laugh or cry by using quotes or references from the piece
you just read. Copy and paste lines of text and say what was special about them,
or what didn’t work for you. It’s a great way of showing that you not only actually
read the work, but you digested it and it moved you enough to care. If you genuinely
don’t like it, tell them that too, but be polite and…
Give constructive criticism- It’s all about balance. I have yet to find a piece of
writing on this site that didn’t have something positive in it, even if I then had
to head to the negatives. So you really don’t like a piece? Find something positive
within it and gently, precisely, explain that, though a was good, b, c, d and e just
didn’t work because… Be polite, thoughtful, treat others as you wish to be treated,
and above all do not instruct. It is not your work - you are the audience not the
performer. But you can clap or boo as you wish. And if you decide to get up and leave
the performance explain just why that is. You can suggest how that author can improve.
There is a huge difference between saying ‘Get a beta - it was rubbish’ and ‘I would
suggest that you may benefit from a beta reader as your use of grammar is a little
weak in some areas.’ If you are a grammar expert, please bear in mind the difference
in an authors ability. Our authors come from various backgrounds, have hectic home
lives and vary widely in age and experience. They deserve respect at all times -
a review can not only boost confidence but shatter it to. Please also be sure that
if you are criticising spelling or grammar, that your review is perfectly structured
too. There is nothing worse than a hypocritical review, which leads on to…
A review is a reflection of you- What you put is a part of you, so please think of
that as you type. I once had a review on what I considered to be a very important
piece which read ‘You forgot to put a period at the end of line…’ That was it! It
didn’t show if that person had read the piece, or whether they actually liked it.
To me they’d just scanned it for errors, found one and their job was done! As I result
I have never read any of their work because their review gave me a such negative
opinion of them from the start. Sad, but alas true. Do not treat a review as a favour
by begging for reviews yourself because many authors will ignore it and it reflects
badly on you. A review is for their benefit - not yours.
A little talk goes a long way - now, I don’t mean using your review as a chat room!
Yes, I did buy some lovely earrings on Saturday, but I wouldn’t tell them in a review!
But tell them if you’re looking forward to the next chapter. Tell the author if you’ve
been wondering what will happen next. Tell them if you’re stopping reading, and why!
Any communication is good, and it helps them to continue a good story, or alter a
poor one.
Finally, tick the author response box. Communication is a two way thing. You can
find out how well your review was received if you check back when they respond. Sometimes
they will tell you of changes they have made and you’ll be able to see how a few
words can go a long way.
However you choose to review, long or short, detailed or brief you hold a great deal
of power when completing the box. Use your power wisely, and you may just find yourself
being sought after as one of our rare but valuable members - the constructive reviewer.
And to an author on Crones you will be worth your weight in gold.
