Crazy Rating Idea

[droopyauthor]

Hello everyone,
I am quite new to writing (compared to others). But I have done a lot of research, and found that for authors, especially budding authors, rating is one of the tools that either helps them a little or just plainly destroy them. No checkpoints in between. So here's an idea, which I just thought lying on bed. It's just me passing time, thinking of hundreds of other authors like me.

1. The major issue for new novels, or for those who are on rise, is random 1 and 2 star ratings with no apparent reason and explanation. Most of them, and I am making an educated guess here, are from readers who didn't find the plot to their liking or maybe something ticked them off. Well, I have a drastic solution for this problem. Remove the option for 1 and 2 star ratings. I said drastic, didn't I?

2. Now we have 3 to 5 star rating left. Let's give the readers option to rate a book in decimals. So 3.0, 3.1, 3.2... 4.8, 4.9, 5.0 etc.

3. If someone wants to rate the book without give review (i.e. typing words/explanation) then they would only have the option to rate between 4.0 to 5.0 (that's 10 levels). To have access to lower rating, a reader must write a review (with character limit)

4. Now, logic dictates that books can still be buried like in the current system, but as an avid reader myself, I can tell that the first look at rating deter most of the readers from taking an attempt at the book. This new system will help eliminate that situation, and with 20 levels of rating (3.0 to 5.0) every point will become a factor of determining book's worth.

So yeah, that's it. It's just fleeting thought, the ones we always have but we don't tell others (lol). Still, i felt it worth sharing, given so many authors faces the same problem. I would very much like to hear more opinions on it. Not that I think it will be implemented, but it's fun anyway.

 

[Deleted member 54065]

Don't mind me. I'm putting this here in anticipation of drama.

 

[SailusGebel]

I have an even greater idea. Why don't we remove ratings and instead implement likes and dislikes? You know what? What about having likes and dislikes but hiding the number of dislikes? I think it will help authors even more.

 

[droopyauthor]

I have an even greater idea. Why don't we remove ratings and instead implement likes and dislikes? You know what? What about having likes and dislikes but hiding the number of dislikes? I think it will help authors even more.

I don't know about greater. But Crazier? Sure!

 

[Lloyd]

We should just destroy the Scribblehub servers scorched earth style. If we Authors can't enjoy SH then no one can! Hail the glorious Author master race! Hail our glorious Czar Putin! Viva la resistance!

 

[SailusGebel]

We should just destroy the Scribblehub servers scorched earth style. If we Authors can't enjoy SH then no one can! Hail the glorious Author master race! Hail our glorious Czar Putin! Viva la resistance!

 

[Omnifarious]

But I have done a lot of research, and found that for authors, especially budding authors, rating is one of the tools that either helps them a little or just plainly destroy them.

hmm... I dun no,
I am of the opinion that people that need ratings as a "tools that either help them a little or just plainly destroy them"
They probably should not try to be authors.

 

[Zirrboy]

What would any of that change in regards to your motivation concern, though?

1. This just means that 3 Stars is the new low. The authors know that this is the worst rating they can receive, so why should they feel less bad about it?

2. This is unrelated to motivation and only works if there is a shared understanding what the ratings mean. Which doesn't exist now and most likely won't come to be just because there are more options now.

3. If a number is enough to make your pen flaccid, do you really want to encourage negative reviewers to voice their opinions more than those with higher rating?

4. How did any of this affect new books specifically? I can still three star some new novel for shits and giggles and since there's few ratings, it punches down the rating by 1 or 2 points.

 

[greyblob]

from here on forth I'm going to start dropping 1 stars from my 4 alts on authors who start rating threads

 

[JayDirex]

Hello everyone,
I am quite new to writing (compared to others). But I have done a lot of research, and found that for authors, especially budding authors, rating is one of the tools that either helps them a little or just plainly destroy them. No checkpoints in between. So here's an idea, which I just thought lying on bed. It's just me passing time, thinking of hundreds of other authors like me.

1. The major issue for new novels, or for those who are on rise, is random 1 and 2 star ratings with no apparent reason and explanation. Most of them, and I am making an educated guess here, are from readers who didn't find the plot to their liking or maybe something ticked them off. Well, I have a drastic solution for this problem. Remove the option for 1 and 2 star ratings. I said drastic, didn't I?

2. Now we have 3 to 5 star rating left. Let's give the readers option to rate a book in decimals. So 3.0, 3.1, 3.2... 4.8, 4.9, 5.0 etc.

3. If someone wants to rate the book without give review (i.e. typing words/explanation) then they would only have the option to rate between 4.0 to 5.0 (that's 10 levels). To have access to lower rating, a reader must write a review (with character limit)

4. Now, logic dictates that books can still be buried like in the current system, but as an avid reader myself, I can tell that the first look at rating deter most of the readers from taking an attempt at the book. This new system will help eliminate that situation, and with 20 levels of rating (3.0 to 5.0) every point will become a factor of determining book's worth.

So yeah, that's it. It's just fleeting thought, the ones we always have but we don't tell others (lol). Still, i felt it worth sharing, given so many authors faces the same problem. I would very much like to hear more opinions on it. Not that I think it will be implemented, but it's fun anyway.

I used to believe the same thing too about dismantling the one and two stars and forcing people to write a review if they want to give those Stars. But even if you implement that system it's still too many moving parts.

The better option would just be likes and favorites. And anyone with a negative opinion can write it down in the review. which would then mean that the loser trolls who surreptitiously give you one star would have to then write it all out and and not be able to hide under anonymity.

 

[rain-090]

I have an even greater idea. Why don't we remove ratings and instead implement likes and dislikes? You know what? What about having likes and dislikes but hiding the number of dislikes? I think it will help authors even more.

Hold on, I think you're on onto something here, aside from the jab at YouTube, cutting stars and having only likes and dislikes would remove a great deal of the voting inflation

 

[SailusGebel]

Hold on, I think you're on onto something here, aside from the jab at YouTube, cutting stars and having only likes and dislikes would remove a great deal of the voting inflation

I'm not sure what you mean, but replacing stars with likes\dislikes is a bad idea.

 

[doravg]

Thumbs up or thumbs down will be just as bad. The current system is flawed, but it was made with the mindset of the readers in mind. You can write for yourself, ratings don't really matter. Almost all of my stories are 5 stars, but they don't get as many views or new readers as some 4-star stories, despite my efforts. If you are writing in the popular genres, you will get more exposure and people will be more critical. Own up to that and don't mind the bad ratings.

That said, bad ratings were the thing that got me to delete my Royal Road account. I know that a 2-star without explanation hurts, especially when it brings your story from 370 to 450 in the best rated. Scribble Hub is far more forgiving, rating wise. Be glad for that.

 

[T.K._Paradox]

Or how about not sweating the the few ones stars people my bomb your novel with and realize that it will be balanced out by people that actually like your story.

If you provide quality (on at least an average level) surely you'll receive decent ratings.

 

[owotrucked]

The five stages of enlightment:

Denial: My work isn't worth one star! How can they make such a mistake? There's only one chapter out!
Anger: Whoever rated me one star must be a troll. I'll find them and murder their family.
Bargaining: We should change the rating system so we can exclude those troll ratings
Depression: My work deserves one stars. This is shit. I am shit.
Acceptance: Why did I even care about this???

Ascended: Let's fix trending instead.

 

[tiaf]

Rather than changing the rating system, having a period of immunity time against any rating would be more helpful. (Only 3-7days)

That might affect trending rank though. But at least it could prevent some troll ratings? :D

Like, we all know that 1* after the book is online for only 5 minutes without a chapter is most likely a troll, but newbies don’t know. flashbacks of all the whining threads

Personally, no rating is better than any rating since it will not inflate or deflate one’s ego as a writer. Let me disable ratings for my stories, pls.

 

[ConansWitchBaby]

How about a minimum "fill out these drop downs" for a review before it gets added. A simple survey that would be shown as part of a Class 1 low level review.

Did you like it? Yes/No
Why? Am smol peened/It spoke to me/Horrible *insert here*/Not a troll lmao
Main thing you liked/dislike with a thumbs up/down next to it: *write here*

Thing is that trolls are lazy fucks. If they see they have to fill stuff out instead of having an auto-clicker it will deter several of them.

 

[Deleted member 57675]

I have an even greater idea. Why don't we remove ratings and instead implement likes and dislikes?

Great then it becomes YouTube.


Except the disliked would probably sting new authors who are sensitive about criticism even more.

You know what? What about having likes and dislikes but hiding the number of dislikes? I think it will help authors even more.

I see we have turned it Wattpad and current YouTube lol.

 

[Anon2024]

I actually think it might be interesting to hide the rating until a work gets 25 ratings total. That way there would have to have been enough people who rated it and one person rating it can’t drastically alter the trajectory at the very beginning when a story is just starting.

It’ll also deter troll raters.

another way is to delete ratings if someone takes it off their reading list. Since the reader has ‘given up on the work,’ should their rating still matter?

it’s more of a modification than a change to the rating system.

 

[Deleted member 57675]

Hello everyone,
I am quite new to writing (compared to others). But I have done a lot of research, and found that for authors, especially budding authors, rating is one of the tools that either helps them a little or just plainly destroy them. No checkpoints in between. So here's an idea, which I just thought lying on bed. It's just me passing time, thinking of hundreds of other authors like me.

1. The major issue for new novels, or for those who are on rise, is random 1 and 2 star ratings with no apparent reason and explanation. Most of them, and I am making an educated guess here, are from readers who didn't find the plot to their liking or maybe something ticked them off. Well, I have a drastic solution for this problem. Remove the option for 1 and 2 star ratings. I said drastic, didn't I?

2. Now we have 3 to 5 star rating left. Let's give the readers option to rate a book in decimals. So 3.0, 3.1, 3.2... 4.8, 4.9, 5.0 etc.

3. If someone wants to rate the book without give review (i.e. typing words/explanation) then they would only have the option to rate between 4.0 to 5.0 (that's 10 levels). To have access to lower rating, a reader must write a review (with character limit)

4. Now, logic dictates that books can still be buried like in the current system, but as an avid reader myself, I can tell that the first look at rating deter most of the readers from taking an attempt at the book. This new system will help eliminate that situation, and with 20 levels of rating (3.0 to 5.0) every point will become a factor of determining book's worth.

So yeah, that's it. It's just fleeting thought, the ones we always have but we don't tell others (lol). Still, i felt it worth sharing, given so many authors faces the same problem. I would very much like to hear more opinions on it. Not that I think it will be implemented, but it's fun anyway.

I'm sorry to say this so harshly, but...this is wow...just wow. We remove the 1 and 2 stars so the really negative extreme "troll" reviews can move up to 3 stars? Then what happens to the decent 3 stars that actually are more meaningful than the 1 and 2 star ratings? Which do you thinks is going to get buried under? The 3 stars that actually decently rate story may the story? Or you'll see the bunch of 3 stars that are all super negative. It's like bringing mud to the surface.

And what if the story is so bad it basically imitates all the worst tropes of each webnovel group, didn't include content warnings for disturbing stuff, and barely passed the SH guidelines, if it even did at all? You can't rate it a 1* as it should be and put in warning spoilers in reviews to help other readers if know some triggering things happen in the story because you have to rate some stories better before this? You have to accumulate enough points to rate it so? What if this is the first story you read? Well time to kiss up and give 4-5 stars to any random story, even if you never read those other stories.

Either have a review attached to every rating be it 1*, 5*, or 3*. This way you force trolls or negative reviews to say something bout the story and 5* to explain why it's a 5* story. Reviews and ratings get approved by mods before it's posted to a story to reduce whatever trolling. This idea has it's flaws and is also already shot down. But don't make 1-2 stars boost up and pretend it's a 3 star. You don't call a D or an F suddenly a passing C. 3 star ratings are 3 stars for a reason.

This is a bad way to give encouragement to authors. Authors won't know if it truly sucks. Or it inflates egos make them think it's good when it's not. If an author wants some encouragement make it a separate thing all together from the ratings/reviews. You want give them encouragement by sending them points you earn from reading a chapters and stories and comment likes. This is separate from reviews/ratings. Reviews/ratings for criticism to flow through but on opposite end whoever wishes support author with morale boost give them cookie points to balance it things out. So when reviews/ratings are bad, they can look on other side and see how many points they got is someone out there believing their story continue on. But idk this idea is probably stupid as well because how it's done is going to matter more.