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Reviews
Topic Started: Aug 8 2012, 06:03 AM (1,854 Views)
marap
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If you're a fanfic writer:

How much do reviews matter to you? Does it bother you if your fic is less reviewed than other people's? Do you care more about what the reviews say, more than how many you get? Do you place more value on well-written reviews? Do you worry when a chapter gets less reviews than your previous ones? Have you ever been upset by a review?

If you're a fanfic reader:

Do you review? How often? What makes you decide whether to review or not? Do you try to write detailed reviews or do you prefer to leave quick, short ones? Are you more likely to review when reading a fic by a writer that you know? Are you honest in your reviews? Do you give constructive criticism? Have you ever left a negative one?

Curious to know how everyone feels about reviews in general and the practice of reviewing. These are just some questions to prompt the discussion. Post away! I will share my thoughts a bit later on.
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enits3
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Great idea, Mara :)

Reviews definitely matter a lot for me, they're basically what keeps me encouraged to keep writing. I appreciate all the reviews I get, but I'm most happy about the reviews that are well-written and goes specifically in detail on what the reader liked or didn't like. I can take construction criticism well, but when readers leave negative reviews like "this sucked" or something like that of course it upsets me, you've put a lot of time down in the writing and we all want our stories to be liked. And if I get less reviews than I did on previous chapters I do get worried that readers don't like it and that I'm "wasting" my time or that I've ruined what could have been a good story.

For me as a reader, and I read a lot of the stories out there, I definitely have to work on being a better reviewer. The new review box at the end of stories is a nice reminder to that :) I also read a lot on my phone and I'm not a fan of reviewing on it, so I try to go back and review on my laptop, but sometimes I forget. (I still have a review saved on my laptop for someone who's story I finished weeks ago. It's coming, I promise ;) )

And when I do leave reviews I tend to ramble on a lot I try to tone it down, but I can't help it apparently.

I don't really leave constructive criticism, mostly because I'm still in that learning phase myself, so I don't feel comfortable with it. But I do appreciate the constructive criticism I get, so that's probably another thing InI need to work on.
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Cyby
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If I read a story on my pc and I like it, I always try to leave a review. But like enits3, if I read on my phone I try to leave one later, but sometimes I forget.

If I don’t like a story, I don’t leave a review or review on something about the story I did like. I don’t leave negative ones because think no one should be discouraged from writing more, I love fanfic way too much. :wub:
I usually try to pick something I liked about the story to comment on.

I haven’t written that much myself, but reviews are very important to me. I do get worried if I don’t get any, or less with a specific chapter. Especially if I’m not too happy about the chapter myself.

I like the reviews that specify what they liked about my story, or when people speculate about how it will progress. It shows me people are invested in my story, and it always puts a smile on my face! :D
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snapple79
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Great questions!

As a writer, reviews mean the world to me. You should really see the ridiculously giddy look I get when I see them pop up in my inbox. They make me know people are reading my story and enjoying it. I don't necessarily compare how many reviews I get to other people, but I do compare my own stories. Like sometimes I feel like one story is soooo much better than another, but if it gets less reviews I wonder why - was it the concept, the writing, was it not in character, etc.... Kinda the same with chapters. Sometimes I absolutely love one chapter, but it gets less reviews than other chapters.

And while I love any and all reviews, my fave is when the person says more than just "great job" or "I loved it" because if they comment on something specific, it gives me more to say in a reply. I reply to every review and I really like to be able to say more than just thanks - so if they comment on something specific, like a certain scene or something, I'm able to write back about that scene or idea or whatever. But I do appreciate EVERY review, so I reply to every one of them with something (except the people who review anonymously, obviously).

As a reader, I became a better reviewer once I started writing because I realized how exciting getting them were. I try to review as much as I can, and if it's a writer I'm familiar with I make even more effort. I try to pinpoint something specific that I liked about the chapter. I've never given a negative review and prefer to just not make any comment if I don't like a particular story or style of writing, because I don't want to discourage anyone. I read an author's note today about someone possibly not continuing a story because of negative reviews and I'd hate to see that happen.
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StarryDreamer
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marap
Aug 8 2012, 06:03 AM
If you're a fanfic writer:

How much do reviews matter to you? Does it bother you if your fic is less reviewed than other people's? Do you care more about what the reviews say, more than how many you get? Do you place more value on well-written reviews? Do you worry when a chapter gets less reviews than your previous ones? Have you ever been upset by a review?

If you're a fanfic reader:

Do you review? How often? What makes you decide whether to review or not? Do you try to write detailed reviews or do you prefer to leave quick, short ones? Are you more likely to review when reading a fic by a writer that you know? Are you honest in your reviews? Do you give constructive criticism? Have you ever left a negative one?

Curious to know how everyone feels about reviews in general and the practice of reviewing. These are just some questions to prompt the discussion. Post away! I will share my thoughts a bit later on.
As a writer:

Reviews matter to me. It makes me feel like I did a good job. I'm not so bothered by being less reviewed. I don't mind what people write in them, I do care a bit about the quantity and that's because I know that's how readers decide to take a chance on a story. They are more likely to read a story with 20 reviews for one chapter than one with 2. Only once before have I ever been annoyed by a review. The person reviewed one of my Office fics and commented on my use of italics. My beta at the time was an English professor at a college in Georgia and had never said anything about them, so I knew I'd used them fine (she also said as much after the fact too). I felt the person was being nitpicky and it really annoyed me.

As a reader:
I review when I enjoy a story. I do like the new set up of fanfic.net where they have the comment box right at the end of the chapter. I think it encourages more reviews. I also try to leave as detailed feedback as possible because that's what I enjoy reading as a writer. I've been tempted before to leave a constructive criticism one, but I decided that if I couldn't say anything nice I just wouldn't say anything at all. lol

I will say this though-- I've written in 4 different fandoms and the Rookie Blue fandom of ALL of them has some of the nicest reviewers, if not *the* nicest. When I wrote my first story I was astounded at how thought out each review was and the sheer quantity of reviews that were sent in.
Edited by StarryDreamer, Aug 8 2012, 10:24 AM.
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McSwarekFan_Brittany
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I like reviews they're always fun to read. Everyone is always so nice. Which is good, I don't particularly enjoy confrontation and like to avoid it as much as possible. It makes me feel very awkward and sometimes sick to my stomach. You can see how I'd want to avoid that.

There is one one story that I've read the reviews for that I was like oh no these are harsh, they were right but I'd never say anything.

I actually rarely review anything myself. But I always like it when people review my stuff.

Am I weird? Probably... at this point I don't see that changing. LOL
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margie311
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See, I'm the opposite. I know how much I appreciate the reviews, and as far as I'm concerned, if I don't take the time to review, I have no business getting upset if I don't get them. Also, I really like to know who's reading my stuff, and you can't tell unless you get alerts or reviews.

That being said, I tend to only get into reading fic when I'm between chapters, and so I'm seriously behind bc, let's face it. It's been forever since I posted. But I definitely make an effort to review everything I read, at one point or another. Especially stories that have very few reviews, and stories that have original ideas. Most authors won't continue to write unless they get some encouragement, and they won't get better unless they keep writing.

Also, some writers really sink a lot of their time into their stories, and I think it's nice to show how much we as readers appreciate their time and effort, and the only way to do that is to review.
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SAFan23


As a reader I think reviews are so important to leave for writers. When I remember to, I like to leave a few lines of a review for a chapter just to show appreciation for the "entertainment" if nothing else. Obviously I forget sometimes like the rest of you and then you forget what you've read and all that, but I really try to go back at some point and tell the writer what I thought.

I also like to especially give reviews to those less popular writers who are just starting out because some of them have awesome skills and don't get the reviews to reflect that. But I definitely review the most when things are written by people I know, because typically I've heard about the next chapter and I'm excited to see what has come out of it.

Honestly, there's nothing really that would stop me from reviewing except forgetting or not having time to in that moment. Some stories aren't formed very well grammar wise, but I usually stop reading and don't get through the chapter anyway. If I read a whole chapter and enjoy it, I think it's important to leave a review.

I'd say I'm pretty honest in reviews. I mean, when I LOVE a chapter that's more obvious than when I like a chapter. But if a writer has clearly spent the time and effort working on a chapter, it's hard to say "I noticed all these things that could've been improved". Constructive criticism is difficult... Mostly I think the best thing to do is have a beta reader because they'd catch all your mistakes/plot holes/whatever before you post. As long as the errors don't take away from the story, I don't think they're a big deal. I think it's much easier to point out the positives in a story than the negatives. Maybe Andy didn't seem in-character, but then you point out a line where she DID sound in-character and stress that you really thought that was a good choice... if that makes sense. At times I'll throw in something negative or something that could be improved but I never leave it at that. I feel too guilty and follow up with a positive comment too lol. I don't think I've ever left a truly negative review. I can't think of a situation when I thought it would be a good idea. LOL.
Edited by SAFan23, Aug 8 2012, 02:03 PM.
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vixenali
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I'm a full-on reader and if I enjoy a story, I will always try to leave a review (sometimes I do forget, but when I put a story in my alerts, I'm enjoying it no matter what). I am mostly not negative (cuz fanfic is written for fun and a form of release of canon frustrations for authors); if I don't like a story, I'll just stop reading it and don't bother to review. I actually keep a notebook and write down what I like/find funny/or whatever interests me about the story (especially since there is no separate review window anymore) and then type the review either right after or a few hours after I read the story. I always write more than "I loved it" cuz really, how is that helpful? Maybe it's because I'm training to be a counselor and I have to be more constructive with feedback that I tend to write more in my reviews. And the longer the chapter, the more I'll write because I usually have more to comment on. I also try to pull out a line or two that I really liked.

And I've read some really good stories with less than 20 reviews and ones with over 100 reviews, but it doesn't affect my opinion of the story (I rarely pay attention to the number of reviews until I go to review the story).
Edited by vixenali, Aug 8 2012, 03:12 PM.
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Cythy
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marap
Aug 8 2012, 06:03 AM
If you're a fanfic writer:

How much do reviews matter to you? Does it bother you if your fic is less reviewed than other people's? Do you care more about what the reviews say, more than how many you get? Do you place more value on well-written reviews? Do you worry when a chapter gets less reviews than your previous ones? Have you ever been upset by a review?

If you're a fanfic reader:

Do you review? How often? What makes you decide whether to review or not? Do you try to write detailed reviews or do you prefer to leave quick, short ones? Are you more likely to review when reading a fic by a writer that you know? Are you honest in your reviews? Do you give constructive criticism? Have you ever left a negative one?

Curious to know how everyone feels about reviews in general and the practice of reviewing. These are just some questions to prompt the discussion. Post away! I will share my thoughts a bit later on.

Honestly, I've been sitting on replying to this topic for a while - because I do have almost 100 stories for Rookie Blue already and I'm one of the few members on fanfiction who has been reading AND reviewing since the Rookie Blue page was started.


As a writer - reviews matter to me. As I normally write at the end of my chapters "reviews make my day and encourage me to update faster". I have received a negative comment on this line - the person said I should have confidence in myself as a writer. I do have confidence in myself but one of the things I have noticed is that I want to write what people want to read so if I'm not getting a lot of comments, I sometimes assume that people are not interested.

It doesn't bother me when other people have more reviews - other people are better writers.

I actually laugh when people just write 'love it' or something to that extent - because it shows that they want to show you appreciation for writing (not everyone likes to write long reviews). As someone else mentioned, I too reply to reviews just to say thank you - and I love the connection I have to my readers - we've had some really interesting conversations stemming from reviews.

One thing I have noticed as a writer for many stories, the longer the story is, depending on where you take it, less people review. It is not true in all cases but I've had stories that had 20+ reviews in the first chapter and some of the later chapters only have 4 or 5. Sometimes people either lose interest or forget what happened, so instead of reviewing, they go back and read the entire story (and then run out of time to review).

As for being upset by a review - a few anonymous ones almost caused me to stop writing one of my stories, but I've actually been more bothered by reviews on other peoples stories than my own.

As a reader - During season 1 and the off season between seasons 1 and 2, I think I reviewed almost every single story except for the "M" rated ones. There were either three or four of us who did this. I'm not positive but I'm pretty sure that I was really good about reviewing during season 2, then things got crazy during the school year. During the off season between 1 and 2, I don't think that many people posted reviews, so even if I didn't love a story, I managed to find something that I liked in everything and I reviewed.

Now that I'm in my final year of schooling, I have no idea how often I will review. One of the things I used to love about fanfiction was the purple arrow. I would read on my iPod and know that I didn't review since the arrow was blue. I hope fanfiction changes it back to how it was because that was my reminder to review.

As for how long my reviews are, to be honest, it depends on how much time I have and the writer. There are certain writers that I do leave more detailed reviews for - because I know that they respond to reviews and we have interesting conversations. I'm also more likely to give a longer review to an author that I know reviews my stories (especially if they leave detailed reviews).

I know that this might seem a little petty - but when I don't have a lot of time and know that there is a good chance that I will forget to review everything, I'm more likely to review the author who reviews my stories than the author who doesn't.

For the most part, I don't get how people can give reviews that are not honest. I try to give honest reviews - and really, you can always pick out something you liked (or just don't review the story). From time to time I give constructive criticism, but I find that most authors ignore it (which is another reason why I don't review certain authors anymore - the word is DEFINITELY people, not defiantly) so I've pretty much stopped. Instead, I'll do it through a PM.

Negative reviews...once...and I did it anonymously. During the first season


As for "following/alerts" - I do not follow any RB stories (because I'm on the board so often) and only one author (simply because she writers for another fandom that I read and I don't check that page so often).
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marap
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Interesting points and opinions everyone. Thanks for sharing.

As a writer:

I cannot say that reviews don't matter to me. I like to know if people are reading and enjoying. I don't mind if my stories are not the most reviewed or the ones with the most hype, but it does matter to me that I have a steady audience. I learnt that for certain this week, when my fic Grazed Knees received many less reviews than normal. It has made me worry that the chapter was bad, or that people have lost interest. If it were just a few less, I wouldn't worry. But we are talking in the double digits, of how many less than normal.

As a reader:

I try to review every time I read a chapter/fic that I enjoy. I tend not to review if my reaction wasn't a good one. I have once made a suggestion that someone get someone to read over their work, to spot any grammar and spelling mistakes. But that fic had great potential but really called for a proof-read, and I said it in a friendly, casual way. I sometimes struggle with what to say in a review, for I want to say something more than just a brief comment on the fact that I liked it. But, if I can't think of anything at that time, I generally will still leave a quick review. Better than nothing, right?
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Cythy
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I just want to add one thing - one of the reasons that I think that the ff.net Rookie Blue page has so many stories already is because of the reviewers. Personally, I stopped writing Flashpoint (including leaving one of my stories as discontinued) because of the lack of reviews. The Rookie Blue fan-base has been amazing about reviews in that regard - and they have really encouraged new writers to continue writing.
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marap
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Yes, I agree. I have noticed that the Flashpoint section gets less love.
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LAwoman
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Since it came up, I thought I'd just mention to those who are writing long multi-chapter fics that I sort of stopped reading them during the season. Last year I stopped reading fan fic entirely so I'd have more to read during the off season. But this time I'm finding it fun to at least read the one shots. Anyway, if my reviews have trailed off, that's why. It's not because I've lost interest in any of those stories.
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marap
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That is a smart idea, LA. Clever plan.
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Cythy
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See, that takes self control - something that I don't have when it comes to reading ff.net. However, I am finding now that I'm not reviewing some multi-chapters because I don't remember what happened in previous chapters and I don't have time to reread the entire story (which I want to do before I review).


Also, maybe it's just me but I think that the other reason I'm not so inspired to review right now is the lack of reviews on some of my newer pieces, so I'm kinda sad about that and not in the mood to review the work of others.
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katydid13


As a writer I love reviews. They make my day. I'd actually rather get a review than be favorited or followed. If reviews didn't mean anything at all my stories would stay on my hard drive.

As a reader, I don't mind when writers say that reviews keep them motivated because that is basic human psychology. People like positive re-enforcement. I don't mind if an writer asks in a genuine fashion if they are getting fewer reviews because people don't like the story or something.

That said, it can get manipulative. I have never seen it in this fandom, but I have in others. I hate it when a writer says something like they won't update a chapter until they get x number of reviews. Or gets too pouty. Or gets huffy because someone left constructive criticism.

As a reader, I admit to not being the world's best reviewer. I hate typing on my phone. I'm a policy wonk and I spend a good part of my day picking about other people's words and ideas so coming up with more than "great chapter" or "I loved it" really is about all I can muster.

Honestly, drama in other fandoms has made me leery of what I say in reviews. You tend to get statements of my raw emotions. Imagine the last episode of Rookie Blue was a multi-chapter fic. I would have left reviews like "Oh no! I hope Jerry doesn't die" before it became clear he did. Or "OMG, I can't believe Jerry is dead. Still excellent writing," at the end. I found out that upset some writers. They felt like it was "telling them how the story had to go." "Or getting upset with them for telling their story/" Since there were people I didn't want to stop writing, stopped trying to do that. Although, I do wonder who thinks I'm going to root for a a beloved character to die, even if I think it makes good story in the end. I also suspect it was a reaction to total venom.

I also never know if people want to know when they have made errors (I don't mean like pointing out a grammar mistake). I understand suspending disbelief, but I like to know if I'm butchering something. Not to the extent that say I've invented an imaginary street, but if I become glaringly American. However, some people don't want to know.

My reviewing also depends on the fandom. Rookie Blue is small compared to some fandoms where popular stories rack up close to 100 reviews a chapter. So I tend to review more in Rookie Blue. I also feel like I'm getting to know the writers so I review more. I loved getting replies to reviews, but I don't insist on them. They do make me more likely to review, but if I had to choose between review replies and new chapter, I'd take a new chapter. I also feel like in a small fandom a writer might notice if I don't review a chapter, but in a huge fandom its not likely.

Those are my thoughts.
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Natalie
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So interesting to see what the writers think of reviews. I have to admit that sometimes, even though I enjoy a story, I just have nothing exciting or fic specific to say so I assume the review would be a waste of time to the writer.
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margie311
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Natalie
Aug 12 2012, 12:53 AM
So interesting to see what the writers think of reviews. I have to admit that sometimes, even though I enjoy a story, I just have nothing exciting or fic specific to say so I assume the review would be a waste of time to the writer.
Ha!! Never.

At the very least...

There was a study done that says that when your cellphone dings with a new alert or text, it releases a little shot of dopamine into your system. Like...a sort of Pavlovian response. I have to say, this is completely true. It's ridiculous how happy it makes me to see "[Review]" in my inbox.

Thus, reviews are never a waste of time. If nothing else, they make us chemically happy *LOL*
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Cythy
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Natalie
Aug 12 2012, 12:53 AM
So interesting to see what the writers think of reviews. I have to admit that sometimes, even though I enjoy a story, I just have nothing exciting or fic specific to say so I assume the review would be a waste of time to the writer.
It's never a waste of time, even just to say "great chapter, update soon" or "loved it" - as a writer, it is helpful to know that people who read it like it. The writers can see the traffic and it is depressing when you see 100 viewers and 0 reviews (mind you, the specific story I am talking about, I came back 4 hours later to find 10 reviews)

katydid13
 
Honestly, drama in other fandoms has made me leery of what I say in reviews. You tend to get statements of my raw emotions. Imagine the last episode of Rookie Blue was a multi-chapter fic. I would have left reviews like "Oh no! I hope Jerry doesn't die" before it became clear he did. Or "OMG, I can't believe Jerry is dead. Still excellent writing," at the end. I found out that upset some writers. They felt like it was "telling them how the story had to go." "Or getting upset with them for telling their story/" Since there were people I didn't want to stop writing, stopped trying to do that. Although, I do wonder who thinks I'm going to root for a a beloved character to die, even if I think it makes good story in the end. I also suspect it was a reaction to total venom.


Actually, I love getting reviews like that - and I'll be totally honest that I have changed the direction of my story based on reviews.
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