I agree some reviewers are way too harsh, they should do positive and negatives, also be brutally honest.
I haven’t got much experience with episode reviews, but I will say that in the real world, they can be 10x worse.
“Reviewer” isn’t an official position, it’s self designated and anyone can create a thread offering reviews, no experience or qualifications necessary. As one of those people I think it’s important that you’re careful with the language you use, people don’t always read your replies the way you meant them and if there’s a lot of negative language it can feel like you’re ragging on their story. I believe if you tell people you’re going to review something you have a responsibility to take care, have a frame for your critique, and be thoughtful and helpful. That said, I don’t think it’s anyone’s job to encourage or uplift an author - I’m not their mother, they ask for an opinion, I try to the best of my abilities to give them helpful feedback but it’s on them to take that and lift themselves up and have confidence in their work. There are a lot more authors wanting reviews than their are reviewers and it seems unfair and impractical to expect detailed and thoughtful reviews AND that level of hand holding and head patting from people who get tons of requests a day and also have lives and probably writing of their own to do.
I think the one can play into the other, if someone is straight up dumping on an author after being trusted with that author’s work it’s obviously rude and has no place here, but interactions on the internet can be interpreted in a lot of ways. A reviewer can think they’re being helpful while an author might think they’re rude, weather it’s because the reviewer is mistaking bluntness for bitchiness or the author is being defensive because they can’t handle criticism is often up for interpretation.
I understand it partly relies on how the review itself is taken. However, I’m talking about reviews I have read, publicly written to authors, that are just mean instead of helpful. With some authors being younger, and even older authors, I know some people just cannot take criticism as they have a sort of ‘rose tinted glasses’ situation when it comes to their own stories and they were expecting high praise instead of some problems so they have convinced themselves these issues don’t exist. The vast majority of reviewers are honest people who are kind enough to take time out of their lives to encourage authors to do better and explain to them what they need improvement on, but there will always be 1 or 2 that use the vulnerability of a new anxious authors to give themselves an excuse to be unnecessarily cruel and anything but helpful.
I agreee, 100%. I’m saying I think in a “Rude *Reviewer” thread there’s room to open up a conversation about both reviewers and authors and talk about the responsibilities of both parties to each other.
I agree. Authors need to acknowledge that when they request a review, it will be honest and that usually means criticism which the Author needs to take and look at thoroughly. Maybe if the name of this thread was changed to reviewers and authors it would open a more constructive discussion because some Authors are at just as much fault with being rude as some reviewers.
i can understand having complaints about a story, but why would you ever go out of your way to hate on someone’s content? as someone trying to improve that story, you’ve failed your part. the moment you ruin something for someone else, you’ve failed your part as someone improving that story and as a decent human being.
i wholeheartedly agree.
I haven’t seen too many reviewers who denigrate readers with their reviews. I do remember this one reviewer who was very blasé and said she knows what she likes and doesn’t like and if you don’t like it, don’t ask her for a review. Well, my opinion that is not a point of a review and if that is how you are going to do it, you shouldn’t be a reviewer.
Amen!!!
I have to admit when I give someone feedback and they don’t think they made a mistake, it frustrates me. I can’t force them to see what I am trying to say and improve their story and take my help if they don’t want it. I just have to move on.
As a writer who has gotten their fair share of disheartening reviews telling me I fucking stink at writing, you have to understand that when you post something online you are willingly allowing anyone to share their opinion. Same goes for asking someone’s opinion outright (aka requesting reviews from strangers).
Yeah, most people are jerks; that’s not going to change. You listen to what’s worth listening to and you ignore the rest. I don’t endorse treating people cruelly. There is still a level of accepting that this is how the world works, and you either ignore it or you quit. At the end of the day, 80% of people are going to say dumb shit about something you love.
You just keep writing and enjoying it anyway. Write because it’s fulfilling, insightful, artistically validating, and fun. The only person you were made to please is yourself, and if someone is trying to badmouth your craft you step around them to keep moving forward.
Reviewer or not, everyone should be careful when they’re giving criticism.
It’s necessary for people to improve, and we can only get so far until we choose to accept it… but there is a line between constructive feedback and negative criticism.
Constructive feedback should be specific, giving examples of what went wrong and how to fix it, as well as what was done well and, if applicable, how to improve upon what was already good and make it even better.
As a general rule of thumb, saying, “Work on this/improve this area” is better feedback than saying, “This wasn’t good” and it won’t hurt the author’s feelings. Unless they’re one of those types who want you to tell them that everything was perfect and they’re the best writer ever. Then there’s really no helping them.
No-one said the reviewers were babysitters, and I’m aware of that as well as everyone else. What I am saying is that, some reviewers take advantage of thier titles by degrading, or putting the authors down which they’re in “no postion to do.” Everyone on episode whether big, or small, started off somewhere. So yes, it is the reviewers job to keep that in mind since they are the ones reviewing someone’s story. Whether they may, or may not have alot of stories to review, is besides the point. Just like they have a lot of stories to read author’s have a lot of scripts to develop when writing. So it goes both ways than opposed to just one! It’s no excuse for any reviewer to talk to the author any type of way. It’s no excuse for the reviewer to put the author down. Not everyone has self confidence. You as well I, don’t know what each person, who is a writer, goes through on a daily basis. Many things which, can cause them to be discouraged. Writers don’t need reviewers putting them down, or degrading them. You can give constructive criticism and feedback without putting someone down again, this is the overall point I am making. Whether the reviewer has experience or not, it does not mean they should get a pass when it comes to being harsh, or degrading someone that crap shouldn’t be condoned, or tolerated. Last but not least, it doesn’t matter if you are the mother or not, again, the reviewer is in no “position” to put anyone down when critiquing someone’s story. Thats facts!
Thank you for saying this and for understanding the overall message I am saying in my post. At least someone gets it:woman_facepalming:t5:
I agree I mean as the author, when someone reviews my story, I expect them to give constructive criticism, and feedback cause doing that, will teach me as the writer, the pros, and cons of my abilities when comes to writing. The whole degrading, and putting someone down thing though is just something I myself, don’t condone, or tolerate. I feel like the reviewer doesn’t review people stories for that purpose. Whether it’s they’re job to give out words of encouragement or not, it helps the writer especially if it’s their first time writing, or publishing a story. If the reviewer is discouraging someone who just starting writing, they mind wind up not wanting to write anymore. Words are very powerful, and I just think we should be more wiser, and careful at what we say to others. I feel like some people are coming up with excuses to try and justify certain peoples behavior. Wrong is wrong, and right is right. Degrading, berating, mocking, and putting someone down just for the hell of it, is 100 percent wholeheartedly wrong. There is no, if, ands or buts about it!
I don’t think reviewers should put down authors either, I’m not arguing that point. What I was disagreeing with is your assertion that it’s a reviewers job to “…be uplifting empowering, and encourage the author…” or that a reviewer “…should be using their gifts, or position as a “reviewer” to uplift, and empower the author…”. Reviewers are just people willing to give an opinion on something, if an individual wants to take it upon themselves to be uplifting and encouraging that’s nice but it shouldn’t be an expectation, personally I’ve gotten a lot of requests and although I try my best to be helpful and positive I don’t have time to be a life coach.
Yeah, mocking someone, telling them their writing sucked, or that they should quit writing isn’t constructive criticism no matter how hard anyone tries to play it off.
It’s in the name - “constructive” criticism should be constructive. You don’t have to sugar coat it, but it definitely shouldn’t be rude and negative. That’s not going to help the writer improve… they’ll just lose confidence.
Again, no-one asked you to be a coach you know that right? You seem to be missing the overall message, and the point which I am making. You are more than welcome to go back, and re-read what I said if you don’t understand. I didn’t post my post to argue or go back, and forth. You’re entitled to your opinion as much I am however, I just don’t agree with some of the things you said. I think reviewer’s should give constructive criticism from a positive aspect, and even though you feel as if you aren’t obligated to give words of encouragement, it’s okay for any reviewer to especially if the author is just starting off when it comes to writing, or publishing stories. Every little bit of encouragement, and motivation helps. It may not seem like a big deal to you, but to the author’s who have a passion for writing, it means a lot. You said reviewer’s are just people who are willing to give their opinion on something right? Well they’re also, “individuals” many who know the difference between right, and wrong. They’re people who know that it’s not okay to put authors down when reviewing their stories yet, some still do. So again, no-one said anything about you having to be someone’s life coach. This is about reviewer’s learning how to give “constructive criticism” without putting others down. There is a huge difference between the two.
Exactly my point!!! If I could like your response a thouand times I would lol.