Review ratings mean nothing

[Cauldrons]

The criteria that most authors face has been drastically lowered, at least it seems so in my opinion. Five star ratings are given out way too frequently to the point I wouldn't be surprised if the literal worst story in existence had one. A good example I started reading "The Outbreak" as the two reviews that did have a rating gave it five stars so I thought it would be worthwhile come to find out however that I would barely even call it a story, with each character having the depth of a puddle and reacting how the author wants them to react and not how they actually would, all tied together with a mess of a plot that goes nowhere & everywhere at the same time. I know I'm basically complaining about the equivalent of other people having bad taste but I still think we should have a better way to establish a reviews credibility other than by likes.

 

[rain-090]

The criteria that most authors face has been drastically lowered, at least it seems so in my opinion. Five star ratings are given out way too frequently to the point I wouldn't be surprised if the literal worst story in existence had one. A good example I started reading "The Outbreak" as the two reviews that did have a rating gave it five stars so I thought it would be worthwhile come to find out however that I would barely even call it a story, with each character having the depth of a puddle and reacting how the author wants them to react and not how they actually would, all tied together with a mess of a plot that goes nowhere & everywhere at the same time. I know I'm basically complaining about the equivalent of other people having bad taste but I still think we should have a better way to establish a reviews credibility other than by likes.

Bruh, that novel is a gender bender girl's love harem, I honestly don't even understand what you were expecting when you read it

 

[Lire]

we should have a better way to establish a reviews credibility other than by likes.

Write a review for it.

 

[Ilikewaterkusa]

The criteria that most authors face has been drastically lowered, at least it seems so in my opinion. Five star ratings are given out way too frequently to the point I wouldn't be surprised if the literal worst story in existence had one. A good example I started reading "The Outbreak" as the two reviews that did have a rating gave it five stars so I thought it would be worthwhile come to find out however that I would barely even call it a story, with each character having the depth of a puddle and reacting how the author wants them to react and not how they actually would, all tied together with a mess of a plot that goes nowhere & everywhere at the same time. I know I'm basically complaining about the equivalent of other people having bad taste but I still think we should have a better way to establish a reviews credibility other than by likes.

Reviews and ratings are different. Rating is the star grade you give it. Reviews is your comments about it. They should just make a weight system where like a review is like worth 5-10 times more than a rating

 

[LilRora]

Both reviews and ratings are completely subjective, and I don't mean that different people will find the same story good or bad, but that a 4-star means different things for different people. Here on Scribble it's very rare to find a story with ratings lower than 4.0, but there are sites (ranobes, for one, I don't have more at the tip of my tongue) where stories with lower than 3.0 ratings are common.

For me personally a 4-star means a story I enjoy, but find multiple flaws in. But I've seen people (mainly on RoyalRoad) giving 3-star reviews to stories that started out really well, but had some flaws. If you wanted actually credible and reasonable reviews and ratings, you'd need to check reasons behind each and every one of them, which is damn well impossible.

About The Outbreak, I do agree that it's not a good story, but it caters to wide audience that is pretty used to subpar quality. Though if you wanted to publish this story on RoyalRoad, I doubt it would manage 3.0 ratings.

 

[CupcakeNinja]

The criteria that most authors face has been drastically lowered, at least it seems so in my opinion. Five star ratings are given out way too frequently to the point I wouldn't be surprised if the literal worst story in existence had one. A good example I started reading "The Outbreak" as the two reviews that did have a rating gave it five stars so I thought it would be worthwhile come to find out however that I would barely even call it a story, with each character having the depth of a puddle and reacting how the author wants them to react and not how they actually would, all tied together with a mess of a plot that goes nowhere & everywhere at the same time. I know I'm basically complaining about the equivalent of other people having bad taste but I still think we should have a better way to establish a reviews credibility other than by likes.

The problem is not everyone has my god tier writing skill, and in contrast most people have shit tier taste in stories. My own stories, they're the equivalent of masterpieces by History's greatest creative minds, so I obviously only receive only 5 star reviews. Any less, the jealousy of those who wish they were at least comparable to me.

But I am an exception. Most authors don't deserve their five stars, or their one stars. Some deserve worse, others better. Readers leave rates at a whim, either won over or lost by the simplest of things. It's a shame, but such is life.

Alas, only a a select few like myself, whose skills shine so bright that they make the sun seem dim, are impervious to unfair or undeserved reviews

 

[TLCsDestiny]

Personally I don't think a ratings or reviews should be done until a whole story is read...If it's done before the story is completely read, is it really relevant?

 

[Cauldrons]

Personally I don't think a ratings or reviews should be done until a whole story is read...If it's done before the story is completely read, is it really relevant?

Some stories never get finished, so it criticism never applicable then?

You can oftentimes judge a story and how good it will be as soon as chapter 1 mind you not all the time but often enough. It sounds like to me you've made some decisions with a novel that you and your readers aren't on the same page about. Which lead to discontent on the readers side maybe rightly deserved maybe not, but taking the stance that you can't judge an unfinished story is always wrong.

 

[CupcakeNinja]

is it really relevant?

Only up to a point. Some people can't stand certain aspects of plot or characters and reviews are a good way of finding similar people who drop a story for the same reasons you would.

For example, if there is NTR. Or the MC is a simp. Or the heroines are bitches. Or other things.

Ibest if they describe these in detail so you can go, "eh, I can handle that stuff"

 

[georgelee5786]

I mean, yeah. People will call anything good if it fulfills whatever fantasy they got

 

[K5Rakitan]

That's because the best stories get one-star ratings

 

[SailusGebel]

 

[aattss]

I'd recommend go look at the review with the most likes, then look at the review with the most likes that is 3 or below stars. If the complaints in the low star review make sense to you and remind you of other fics you think are shit then consider skipping the story or at least lowering your expectations. If there is no review with a rating that low, then consider coming back later when the story has more reviews.

 

[TLCsDestiny]

If I'm wrong, then I'm wrong. I just wanted to state a basics to what a review started as...the new age ratings and reviews do bother me but I'm not ganna say more since it seems people wanna nit pic.

 

[OP1000]

Both reviews and ratings are completely subjective, and I don't mean that different people will find the same story good or bad, but that a 4-star means different things for different people. Here on Scribble it's very rare to find a story with ratings lower than 4.0, but there are sites (ranobes, for one, I don't have more at the tip of my tongue) where stories with lower than 3.0 ratings are common.

For me personally a 4-star means a story I enjoy, but find multiple flaws in. But I've seen people (mainly on RoyalRoad) giving 3-star reviews to stories that started out really well, but had some flaws. If you wanted actually credible and reasonable reviews and ratings, you'd need to check reasons behind each and every one of them, which is damn well impossible.

Wow, so it appears that finding a proper review on Scribblehub must be difficult.

 

[LilRora]

Wow, so it appears that finding a proper review on Scribblehub must be difficult.

Depends what exactly you're looking for. On Scribble very few people go into any in-depth analysis of the story when they're reviewing. It's mostly the impressions and key points that either put them off or keep them hooked. They are arguably proper reviews, just don't give much insight into the story.

On RoyalRoad, for example, there are much more people who give detailed reviews, but that also means they are harsher and more likely to be nitpicky.

 

[Erios909]

Scribblehub is definitely more laid back on reviews and such. There are a lot more newer authors here as well, and I think the site promotes lesser known (newbie writer) works better than RoyalRoad which lets them languish in obscurity with no views or feedback.