When you eventually post your story, you're going to be getting plenty of feedback (hopefully), but the thing is that not all of it is good. And not all of it is positive. In fact, it may be harsh. To that end, it's important to discuss how to spot the good from the bad. That is what this post will be talking about.
So, in order to discuss this most vital part in the post-writing process, I've decided that I will split it into three parts: waiting on reviews, spotting good from bad, and handling and analyzing supposedly good criticism.
Waiting On Reviews
Waiting is hard. When you put your story out there, you want to see results. Any writer wants to see someone going "wow, this story is amazing!" because it makes you feel pretty damn good. But a lot of times that doesn't happen. A lot of times, your story will simply sit there...and sit there...and sit there...and never get a review. Then it drops off the front page, doomed to obscurity.
It's a hard fact, but not every story gets reviews. Even a good story won't get reviews. Trust me, I would know. I started out barely getting a single review a chapter. One of my oneshots from two years ago got a grand total of two and those two didn't happen until months later! Point is, waiting for a review is really hard, and even when you get it, it might not be what you hoped for.
So, by now, you may be wondering, then, what you can do to get said reviews. There is no clear cut answer to that, however, there are various tactics you can take such as promoting your story on somewhere like Twitter or a forum. But I find the best, to yield the best results is to review someone's story of a similar nature. Review a story that has your shipping preference, and review it well. Hopefully you can open up a dialogue with the writer and maybe ask them to review your story. If they like it, maybe they'll share it!
Beyond that, the only answer is to diligently work at your story (a topic I'll discuss a little later). Eventually, it will hopefully garner the attention it deserves!
Spotting the Good from the Bad
Now, let's say the waiting period is over. Your reviews are pouring in! You're so happy! People like your story! Or maybe they don't...it really doesn't matter. You're finally getting a review.
Then you see it's something like this:
Okay, that's nice. Your reviewer loves your work, and in this case they're looking forward to the next story in the series. It gives you this happy, fluttery feeling for all of a few minutes that someone really got excited about your story. There's no shame in feeling that way. Anyone would.
But how does that help you? Hint: It doesn't.
Sadly, a lot of reviewers simply are not interested in leaving long reviews. A review that says they absolutely loved your story doesn't help you as a writer. It doesn't tell you what you do well, it doesn't tell what you did poorly. It's like giving a star rating but not telling the author what that star rating even means. It's completely nebulous.
So, that clears up the issue wherein saying nothing about a story or the content is an utterly pointless review. But then, what happens when you get something that does say at least a little bit about the story? Or at least, you feel like it might? Surely that's more useful! But is it?
Say you get something like this, which is clearly trying to be...well, somewhat reflective of what you had in your story itself. But, again, what does it say? It says an opinion, or something...I honestly can't even tell what. Truthfully, when it comes down to anything review-wise, generally, you should consider anything that is a single line or sentence to be unhelpful. It will either say something without elaboration, or say nothing without elaboration. And we writers are all about at least a little bit of elaboration.
"So what about this?" you'd ask. "It says something about the chapter and story and shows a readers thoughts, and is more than a sentence, after all!" To those points, you'd be right. However, what makes it not a great review is that...it just has simple thoughts. There's no "Here's what you did well" or "Here's what you should work on". What it instead does is give a very objective and bullet point approach to the story. Essentially, I'm looking at this review and knowing details about what may happen soon or did happen this chapter. I don't know what the reviewer thought of it, though. Was it good? Was it bad? I can't get a read on that.
Not to mention the reviewer seems to be forcing the thoughts of what they want to happen. Of course, that's ultimately inevitable, to be sure. Reviewers will always share what they want to have happen, so that isn't a criteria for deciding what's good or bad, but if that's all they're doing...they really don't have an opinion on what actually happened. Just what they want to have happen.
So, for simplicity, what helps distinguish a good review from a bad:
-More than a sentence.
-Gives an opinion on the story in some detail.
-Doesn't just give a summary of what happened.
-Doesn't force an expectation on a reader of what is to come.
-Gives you a sense of what was done well, and what wasn't.
Once you find a review that is like this, regardless of whether you agree with it or not, you've found yourself a good review. One that can help you grow. However, does that mean it is the best kind of review? It might be a good review (whether it be positive or negative) but there's still something to be said for how you approach each and every review you get.
Handling and Analyzing Reviews
So, now you've picked out the good reviews from the bad, and you have a handful of these good ones. But they don't all say the same thing! Some of them aren't overflowing with positivity! Some of them are just downright...well, negative.
First of all, don't panic. If you have a few that are rather negative, chances are that, perhaps, there is something you could do better. Actually, no writer is perfect. Even I'm not perfect, sometimes getting feedback for certain sections being too long or such things. So if you see something talking about how bad your story is, chances are there's some stuff to work on. So, you don't want to panic and message the reviewer back telling them how wrong they are. That's just you not wanting to accept your flaws.
Instead, sit and think about it. Are they right? Maybe they are...?
For example, when I was starting out, I received this review on my story. At the time, I was kind of miffed. "They're telling me how to write my story. I know my vision, damn it!" I genuinely thought this way at the time because I felt like the review was ripping into my idea and style. Then, I thought about it...and I realized, they were right. Especially about the dialogue.
See, when you get a review that criticizes your work in this great and beneficial way, your immediate thought is likely to want to resist it. You want to feel like you know what you're doing. However, you need to accept that you don't. You don't know everything. In this case, the reviewer was right, and it revolutionized my writing, taking it to a whole new level.
So, that's the first step. Obviously, when your review is overwhelmingly positive, you won't have a problem with it, but if that's the case, pay attention to what they're praising you for. Is it your tone? Prose? Dialogue? Storytelling?
This review above is an example that, while short and positive, tells the author something about how they're able to write. They praise the ability to capture the emotional intensity of the situation. This is a strength. It means it's comparably something you don't need to do as much work on. Obviously you'll want to maintain it, but you're solid as you are. Even without the criticism, this kind of remark informs you what you're good on...which can help you realize that perhaps some of the things not mentioned need some work.
Of course, this isn't to say you should listen to every criticizing view.
Now, not that the above two reviews are actually good ones, bu they criticize the story...but their criticism isn't very good. The first outright criticizes the pairing of the story, which is ultimately telling the writer to go away (not a good criticism) while the other is telling the writer just how to write. This kind of criticism helps no one. It simply imposes the reader's will. If you feel the reader is actively imposing what they want upon your story, then odds are, their criticism in and of itself is not a valid or applicable one.
Now, understand this: just because you may feel this doesn't mean it's always the case. Something criticizing basic spelling and grammar structure, characterization of known characters, a contradiction of laws set in the universe and things that really aren't up for debate in any setting...yeah, that will usually be valid criticism. Usually. Sometimes the review you get will be...trying...
Likewise, when it comes to reviews, you need to be awfully careful about the mentality of the reviewer to decide how valid all of their points are. Sometimes the criticism, as in the first one I showed, will be good. Other times...not at all. And some others, it can make sense but there are serious flaws.
This is a review I received some time ago. It's long, gives an opinion on the story, and in some way offers criticism. By all rights, this is a great review. However, as you read it, you start to notice an issue: all it focuses on is the battles. There's not a single mention of the plot, the romance, the characterization. All it focuses on is that aspect of the story. In and of itself, this isn't bad, but what it starts to present an issue of is that you understand the reviewer is single-mindedly focused at the expense of all else. Perhaps on that issue, their opinion is great, but if they think your story is bad because of that singular aspect and don't touch on anything else, it shows they put too much into that aspect. Not to mention that the reviewer almost explicitly says "too much teamwork" on a story that has "teamwork" in the title. Take what they say with a grain of salt, even about the topic they love, because they may be blinded.
I realize, I've continued to go on about rather bad reviews even amongst the good ones, but that's really the entire point. There are certain things that truly make a great review. It's not about praising endlessly, but nor is it about needless criticism, but a balance of both. Or at the very least, one's that work on a level of telling what the reader thinks honestly.
So, to summarize up what you should look out for to determine if your review is truly an opinion you can trust:
-Make sure the reader isn't forcing expectations of what they want on the writer. If they are, no matter how well written it is, they're not reviewing to the best of their ability.
-Form reviews that insist on something they believe should be taken with a grain of salt with only official things like dialogue and paragraph structure trusted in.
-If the reviewer is excluding all other aspects to focus on a single one, despite a blend of aspects in the story, be wary. The review is likely not that helpful or good.
Instead, you want to look for one that has an opinion, doesn't force it on you, and offers a great tip along the way in a fashion that isn't abrasive. More people respond to honey than vinegar. Keeping track of these things should help you to pick out the great reviews you will ultimately get!
Conclusion
Getting reviews involves a long waiting process, and even when you get one, it may not be a very good review structurally. It could be a single line, a review that doesn't even talk about the chapter, or forces an expectation on the reader. Even if you have a good review, you need to be wary about the one reviewing and how they present it, whether by avoiding most aspects or speaking in a form. This said, you also need to check your own pride and examine whether the reviewer is right about certain things instead of dismissing them outright. If you're able to do this, you've found a great review that will help you grow as a writer!
With all that said, we still have much to cover in the coming month, and I hope you'll enjoy!
Dare to Be Silly,
Epicocity
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