Thoughts about reviews?

[Arkus86]

As a reader, I find that 5-star reviews are often just showering emty praise (if not opently admiting they're giving 5 stars just because they don't like someone rating negatively) and completely ignoring any issues that become obvious to me the moment I start reading.
This has taught me to look through negative reviews first, as they best warn me of things I would rather avoid (though you have to take them with a grain of salt), then longer reviews, preferably below 5 stars, as they are more likely to be constructive, and only after that, or in the lack of other alternatives, do I look at short 5-star reviews.

 

[CupcakeNinja]

I’ve come to notice that the review function here on ScribbleHub is not frequently used, and when it is, falls into two spectrums of thought: 5 star compliments, and 3-4 star constructive criticisms.

5 star compliments usually being your short 50-100 word reviews saying how they like the story and have a compliment to one or more of the aspects of the story.

3-4 star criticisms on the other hand, will include notes about plot holes, confusing narratives, and bipolar writing habits that might be displayed in the writing. These are often lengthier, include spoilers and go in depth about the details that they find lacking.

I try my best as an author to leave a review on every story I read and or enjoy, because I know I would like the same. But at this point and time, I’ve come to realize that some people don’t appreciate reviews that bring up negative aspects of their stories or include criticisms regarding the story, when that is what the function of a review is. I’ve also talked to many of my friends on SH and some fellow authors on the discord that are too anxious to post reviews on stories, as they seem slightly too personal and daunting of a task.

There are people who do send messages to those who reviewed their novels and send thanks as they were waiting for some feedback, but I’ve come to notice that these authors can be few and in between.

It’s also been an acknowledged pattern here on SH that most people will randomly rate and review stories at will. So I was curious about the thoughts of other authors and readers about this system that people don’t like using and don’t like receiving, since so far, opinions are mixed.

How do you feel about reviews that are 5 stars? What about those that are under?

Do you appreciate longer reviews or shorter reviews? Does it matter?

Do you like reviews at all? Or do you find them unneeded or obtuse?

Please tell me your thoughts, as I’m genuinely curious about the weird standards that can be present in the community.

Personally I dont mind bad reviews. But its irritating when the reasons sometimes dont seem...justified? Like yeah it ain't your cup of tea but CLEARLY other people love it so if you dont like something be specific about it. Dont give some vague reason.

And why read so far if you dont like it? My story for example, I feel it's a shit show from the start so why do some people seem to think it gets all that much worse? Like bruh it hasn't really changed.

I dont mind bad reviews cuz I'm writing for fun and not seriously, taking a casual approach. Shit gets chaotic. That how I like it. Other People usually love the craziness too.

So I wont get mad over bad reviews. I just question some things at times. Especially when i see a review that really hates on my story. Not because I care they hate it, but that I feel the story got more attention from the person than it deserved.

It's as if they were personally offended. And Im like, "dude calm your tits, we know it's a cluster fuck. Why your panties in such a twist over it?"

It's like I dont mind bad reviews but also feel the story isnt worth a bad review, you know? At least not worth someone taking the time to sound so personally offended by it.

As for the review system as a whole, it's always kinda been random. Not many people review in the first place, even at NU. And this is still a new site too so it just seems like it's just something barely used. Give it a year or two

And 5 stars dont mean much either really cuz people here usually dont mind very much or put thought into it when they give 5 stars. Not always true for everyone but I think many are like this.


I feel those who review with lower stars and actually do give their opinions are more true, more accurately in assessment.

 

[Ninetailed_Furball]

As a reader, I find that 5-star reviews are often just showering emty praise (if not opently admiting they're giving 5 stars just because they don't like someone rating negatively) and completely ignoring any issues that become obvious to me the moment I start reading.
This has taught me to look through negative reviews first, as they best warn me of things I would rather avoid (though you have to take them with a grain of salt), then longer reviews, preferably below 5 stars, as they are more likely to be constructive, and only after that, or in the lack of other alternatives, do I look at short 5-star reviews.

I forgot to mention, but this, very much this. I tend to avoid bothering 5 star reviews and look for ones around 3 stars first. 1 star can be just trolls or people reviewing something they had a fundamental problem with and rating it poorly just because they didn't like the genre or something (sometimes even complaining about something that was tagged), while a lot of 5 stars are worse than useless as either they're empty praises or repeating the story description and tags.

In regards to unjustified bad reviews, I've had it happen once. Probably lucky it was only once, but it hurt, because it was so aggressive. The review made tons of false claims and blatant lies about my story and even attacked me as an author. Complaining about my work was one thing, but claiming I did things that I hadn't and directing insults towards me? And I found out that they made an account just to make that one review as well.

To be honest, it hurt, and was glad it only happened once.

 

[Lurking]

I’ve come to notice that the review function here on ScribbleHub is not frequently used, and when it is, falls into two spectrums of thought: 5 star compliments, and 3-4 star constructive criticisms.

5 star compliments usually being your short 50-100 word reviews saying how they like the story and have a compliment to one or more of the aspects of the story.

3-4 star criticisms on the other hand, will include notes about plot holes, confusing narratives, and bipolar writing habits that might be displayed in the writing. These are often lengthier, include spoilers and go in depth about the details that they find lacking.

I try my best as an author to leave a review on every story I read and or enjoy, because I know I would like the same. But at this point and time, I’ve come to realize that some people don’t appreciate reviews that bring up negative aspects of their stories or include criticisms regarding the story, when that is what the function of a review is. I’ve also talked to many of my friends on SH and some fellow authors on the discord that are too anxious to post reviews on stories, as they seem slightly too personal and daunting of a task.

There are people who do send messages to those who reviewed their novels and send thanks as they were waiting for some feedback, but I’ve come to notice that these authors can be few and in between.

It’s also been an acknowledged pattern here on SH that most people will randomly rate and review stories at will. So I was curious about the thoughts of other authors and readers about this system that people don’t like using and don’t like receiving, since so far, opinions are mixed.

How do you feel about reviews that are 5 stars? What about those that are under?

Do you appreciate longer reviews or shorter reviews? Does it matter?

Do you like reviews at all? Or do you find them unneeded or obtuse?

Please tell me your thoughts, as I’m genuinely curious about the weird standards that can be present in the community.

Cant say for sure since I have never gotten a review.

Tony is fixing the view bug. That I know exists since I am the only one reading my story and was confused about how the views were going up.

I decided to stop looking at my stories until he fixes that lol.

 

[xane]

I've meant to write reviews for several stories but come into conflict with myself. Do I write it aimed at other readers or the author? A lot of authors ask for reviews with just a few chapters out of possible multiple hundreds, I get that can spike exposure somehow but it feels disingenuous to write a review of the story as a whole on a fraction of the content. Then you need to keep the review updated as you go? People have differing tastes so if my review convinces someone to steer away from a novel that they might have enjoyed, who benefits? That's not something I can feel good about. Should I change my star rating as well based on my feelings per chapter?

I generally only read reviews if I have suspicions about it containing tropes or cliches I'm not a fan of. Mostly JP translated novels. I go to the reviews and see if anyone complains about the typical meek harem protagonist who gathers girls for no reason, constant cooking chapters, saturated with exposition/info dumps, etc.

And then there's chapter comments. I find it hard to be critical of a story because I'm just a free reader, I generally only stick to comments regarding corrections (misused words, character called actual name while operating under alias) type stuff. Telling an author that I don't have high hopes for an upcoming arc, what does that accomplish? Will they rewrite it just for me? Do I treat comments as a chat room and just leave plot speculation/memes for other readers? I'm not a socialite that can handle talking to people that much, even this post took 30 minutes to make with several revisions and the dread of getting replies I'd have to respond to is almost strong enough for me to close the page and pretend it never happened.

I've accepted that I'm a leech and will be viewed as such, so I'll continue to do that in silence.

 

[Ninetailed_Furball]

I've meant to write reviews for several stories but come into conflict with myself. Do I write it aimed at other readers or the author? A lot of authors ask for reviews with just a few chapters out of possible multiple hundreds, I get that can spike exposure somehow but it feels disingenuous to write a review of the story as a whole on a fraction of the content. Then you need to keep the review updated as you go? People have differing tastes so if my review convinces someone to steer away from a novel that they might have enjoyed, who benefits? That's not something I can feel good about. Should I change my star rating as well based on my feelings per chapter?

I generally only read reviews if I have suspicions about it containing tropes or cliches I'm not a fan of. Mostly JP translated novels. I go to the reviews and see if anyone complains about the typical meek harem protagonist who gathers girls for no reason, constant cooking chapters, saturated with exposition/info dumps, etc.

And then there's chapter comments. I find it hard to be critical of a story because I'm just a free reader, I generally only stick to comments regarding corrections (misused words, character called actual name while operating under alias) type stuff. Telling an author that I don't have high hopes for an upcoming arc, what does that accomplish? Will they rewrite it just for me? Do I treat comments as a chat room and just leave plot speculation/memes for other readers? I'm not a socialite that can handle talking to people that much, even this post took 30 minutes to make with several revisions and the dread of getting replies I'd have to respond to is almost strong enough for me to close the page and pretend it never happened.

I've accepted that I'm a leech and will be viewed as such, so I'll continue to do that in silence.

Personally, reviews are for readers, first and foremost. If the author can get something out of them, then it's a bonus. If you want to give the author advice or something, then do it in the comments, forums, or PM them directly. Reviews are to tell a reader what is good and bad about a story.

Also, only review if you have a solid feel for the story. If you don't think you have a good grasp of a story in 10 chapters, wait until there's 20, 30, or however many until you feel like you have a good idea or can't continue reading. Don't do it just because an author asked you to. If they say they'll do something if you rate/review their story positively, that's bribery, no matter how people word it. An author is expected to release if they want popularity, and the reader decides if what they put out is worth their time and ratings.

It might sound cold, but the reader is a customer, even when it's on a free platform like on SH.

That said, if you're scared of making other readers shy away from a story because of your review, I think you should feel proud of that fact. The point of a review is to help a reader decide to read or not read the story, and by the time they've gotten as far as reading a review, they're already leaning towards reading. But moving away from reading means that they can spend their time on something that they feel they'll enjoy more.

SH is still a very new platform, so it might not feel like you're doing a good thing, but I believe you are.

When it comes to what to say in the comments, I'd say anything goes as long as it's not too irrelevant and you're not attacking people themselves. Normally I'd say to reserve certain things in forums and stuff, but the SH forums is kinda barren right now, especially the story discussion section.

 

[Phantomheart]

I kind of feel like the problem largely lies in the fact that there are two very valid forms and purposes of review, and the review system of SH does not differentiate between the two:

1. Reviews as assessment.
2. Reviews as critical appraisal.

Reviews as assessment are reviews that exist largely for the author's benefit. A review that assesses the quality of the work and the technical aspects, as well as highlighting areas the story can/should perhaps be improved are all reviews that are more or less just there for the author. Not to say that a potential reader can't get anything out a review that highlights things like "syntax needs work" or whatever, but reviews that mostly focus on critiquing the story with the intention for it to improve offer intrinsically different things.

Reviews as critical appraisal are wholly different beasts. A review written by a reader, intended to be read and digested by other potential readers, are reviews as critical appraisal, and exist to explore slightly more objective aspects that aren't necessarily helpful to the author. "The main character is kind of passive, so if you prefer a more proactive MC, this story may not be for you." This is feedback that benefits a reader, but for an author who decided on a more passive character because that was the story they wanted to tell, this feedback doesn't offer anything of value.

My problem with this kind of discussion point is just by the mere fact of putting it in the author subforum, most (but not all) of the opinions here are going to be weighted towards preferring the former (reviews as assessment), because the people here are authors, and what they want is useful feedback that can help them improve (a valid ideal).

But for myself, I don't like reviews as assessment. If you have feedback for the story, leaving it in the comments for the chapters themselves feels like the better forum. I much, much prefer for my readers to leave reviews that are specifically written in order to help other potential readers decide whether or not to read my story. Covering the more subjective, taste-specific aspects - eg. this story is action focused, it has a large cast of characters rather than a central character to focus on, this story can get bogged down in world building minutiae, etc. - is a better review to me. Because as a reader of stories, the reviews I usually end up reading and putting the most stock into is exactly these kinds of reviews that more try to get into the detail of what the story has to offer, where it may fall short of expectations from the reader, and so forth.

That’s another important point with all of this regarding reviews. I try to include both elements in my reviews so that they appeal to both the author and reader, but there are no clarification on the site about these things, so it’s hard to know.

It also comes with the fact that a reader should know some of the down falls of a story and aspects that are lacking in comparison to the greater points. And while these errors or plot holes can be eventually edited out, I think it’s fair game to write reviews that include this aspect — warning the readers of less than superb grammar or any other sentence structure issue — once the novel has reached a far enough point and word count that the story has an established plot and story, enough to actually be reviewed in the first place

 

[Rinne]

Reviews are a mixed bag in my opinion.
As a reader, I like seeing in-depth reviews about the story and its contents. It doesn't matter whether it is a 5* review for that matter or a 4* or 3* review. Furthermore, if there are many 5* reviews that are still praising the story in a single sentence, while not optimal, it might still make me at least take a look. There has to be a reason why people like it, right? And I probably wouldn't check the reviews if I wasn't already slightly interested in the first place.

What I don't like as a reader and as a writer, are public "feedback" reviews. Feedback is usually looking at the story from a critical point of view and is more likely to point out flaws in the writing or the story. That's the point of it, after all.
Now, basic flaws that are relevant for readers are usually pointed out in other reviews too. If your eyes are bleeding from the grammar, it's likely other people's eyes are bleeding too. But the occasionally awkward wording is comparatively less important for them. It might make readers pause for a second, but most people are likely to forget about it in a few minutes.
But when it is pointed out in a public review it gives the impression that this happens pretty often, as it was a "major enough flaw" that it had to be pointed out.
When I see a review like that, as a reader, it often makes me lose interest in the story. I missed quite a few good novels and other types of creative works thanks to reviews like that. Novels I only started later because friends kept recommending them. Nowadays I learnt to avoid reviews like that.

In addition, critical feedback can be very discouraging for an author, especially so if it was made in a public manner like the review system on SH. It's less personal and it just gives the impression that the person wants to discourage others from reading your story. That's not only true for authors but for most creators. I've seen many people getting incredibly discouraged by such reviews, some even nearly stopped creating altogether.
On the other side, if you go out of your way to write the author a message or a comment, it is a lot more personal and more likely to be received well by them.
One of my readers wrote comments in nearly every chapter pointing out all my typos or the occasional wrong grammar. I'm incredibly grateful to them for putting in that work. If they had just written a review saying "Yeah, there's typos every chapter and the grammar is awkward here and there", I probably would've liked that a lot less.

Another thing I want to add: Reviews are basically free advertisements. For someone writing for fun, it might not be too important, but for those that are considering making their living with writing, a good review can be worth gold. Or the complete opposite.
A review "with good intentions" that is giving feedback to the author can be discouraging potential readers from reading. And for someone who is looking into making a living with this, that can be very detrimental. Incredibly so.

Well, to sum it up. I prefer if people keep feedback aimed at the author in personal chats or comments. Reviews should be aimed at other potential readers first and foremost.
I'm not saying that reviews should be all positive. But they should point out things that are important for the readers.

TL;DR: Keep public reviews aimed at readers. Feedback for the author doesn't belong there. Feedback goes into comments or DMs or wherever else. Nobody likes 'public shaming'.