Your logic isn't flawed, and you're right. Sailus Senpai, though I have to say if your fan wants to do something for you. I say you should let them. After all, you are providing a free story for them. *I don't know if you have a Patreon or are charging them in a way.* But if your story is 100% free, then you should accept any help. You are offering your story.
Well, the thing is...
The ego is massive. Too big to realize that time is precious and valuable.
Time is too precious. I'm not a saint, I do take things for free sometimes, but I try to do it as rarely as I can.
Also, you are right. And it's why I don't ask for free reviews on my story unless they are offering. Why? Because I want to see where I am weak and I can improve. So, if they offer, why not? Heck, not that I expect them to do it. Though when they do it, I learn and move on. I also try to help others now and then to balance it out. So, no, you can't do a review on your own, but you can help others to pay back. Or do swaps. Not that everyone does this.
I wasn't talking about you; I was talking about people in general. And also, if you talk about yourself, I will talk about myself as well. I want to improve as well. So what? I don't want other people to spend their precious time on me if I can't offer anything to them in return. Heck, perhaps they do it to ego stroke. So what? Should I abuse this fact and ask for a review? Swap is something I forgot, yeah. So, with this forgotten thin, I can say to you the following. You should go and tell anyone who asks for a free review to do a swap review. Why? Cause...
However, people simply shouldn't ask for free things. Especially using this terrible argument that op placed. Idk if it was how I was raised. But things that require hard work shouldn't be asked for. So, I always answer with do it yourself. If they can't, then they should know why they shouldn't ask for free custom art. Even for a cover...
You get it, right? People can't do reviews by themselves, so you should teach them that they shouldn't ask for a free review and do a swap review. To not be a hypocrite.
And lastly.
We aren't talking about editing, which would be the same as a cover, though. Imagine editing 3k words or more for a story you haven't written and probably have little interest. This is very different from giving a review. It takes a lot of time. That is the only flaw I see in your argument. Though let's get real, short reviews take little time 2-3 chapters, in-depth reviews take you to read the whole story. This is something almost no one is doing for free unless they like the story.
I honestly would rather brainlessly read a story than edit it. Then just say the grammar was shit in my review. xD
It doesn't matter what is the same or not. By your logic, if I ain't stealing a thousand dollars, I can steal burger. Cause burger isn't the same as thousand dollars. Time is precious, no matter one hour, one minute, or one week. It's the cheapest and lowliest trick artists use to say their stuck-up behavior is excusable. Cause art takes more time to do... Sigh... What can I say here? I can say that if I use the same logic, I can ask for free art. If I specify that you should draw for less than an hour, I can ask for free art, right? Why? Well, because...
Though let's get real, short reviews take little time 2-3 chapters, in-depth reviews take you to read the whole story.
So, if I specify that an artist shouldn't spend more than an hour drawing, I can justify asking for free art, right?