Review or Comment?

[Timothy M.]

1 hour ago, Renee Stevens said:

Comments are about that particular chapter. Comments CAN, but don't have to be, in depth. Comments can be left on a story at any time. You can leave multiple comments about a single chapter.

 

Comments can also be left on the story as a whole, and I think that's the comment type we're discussing in comparison to reviews, and not chapter comments.

 

I would like to encourage anyone who wants to write a detailed review of a story to send it to Renee so your efforts can be featured as a blog review and get the attention it deserves. Afterwards, a modified version can be added  to the story itself as a review, including a link to the original blog review. This is what I do, and Renee always needs blog reviews.

[Renee Stevens]

1 hour ago, Myr said:

@William King In the interest in providing feedback that you crave, I'm going to say this: you attract more flies with honey than with vinegar.

Your suggestion that we promote a story a month... we already do this and the amount of effort that goes into it doesn't leave much room for more without more active volunteers.  It is still linked on the bottom of the main forum page and in ads running on the site:

 

 

We actually promote, at minimum, 3 stories a month. We have the CSR Feature, which encourages members to read the story and engage with other readers.

 

We have the Featured Stories reviews which are graciously provided to me by site members and the Review team.

 

We also have the Signature/Classic Week where we feature a story complete with excerpt.

 

[Former Member]

On 10/31/2017 at 1:07 PM, Carlos Hazday said:

There are many fragile egos unable to handle real reviews where weaknesses are pointed out and I'm glad you're not amongst them. You encouraged me to be honest in my reviewing of your work and I've tried to do so. I don't write many because authors (and some 'fans) have jumped all over me for being honest and critical in the past.

I have experienced this too. In the past (on Nifty), it made me stop reading certain authors’ works altogether. On GA, it hardened my opinion that one other reader in particular objected to. I’m strong enough to resist popular opinion. But I’m sure others have been turned off by forceful, persistent, and insistent cheerleading for characters and situations. When it became clear that my opinion of the direction of the story was not where the author was going, I continued to read the story (since the author writes well and I liked most of the characters), but commented on other aspects of the story or on how others reacted to what was happening. I tried to disengage from most of the back-and-forth with the cheerleader.