197 replies to this topic

[Solaris]

But the thing that I hate the most is that you get a lot of views but maybe one or two reviews!
It is like everyone is reading the story, but they don't take the minute to leave a review of the story.
I try to review a story after I read the first chapter or the next few chapters that I read. I have never ever not reviewed a story.
I feel it is my responsiblity as a reader to give the author a review of their story even if it is a one-liner.
And most authors wonder if they should pull their story or leave it even if it is viewed a lot, the lack of reviews is a bit disheartening.

Beth

[DarkCabaret]

I hate a lack of reviews! I've pulled four stories because plenty of people read it and I assumed it wasn't very good, since no one reviewed so it got pulled.

I prefer a bad review over none at all........

[Wolfie]

For me, It was lack of reviews and hits that caused me to pull all but five of my stories.

If I start reading a completed story, I will wait till the end to review.

If I am reading a long story that is a WIP again, I wait till the last chapter to review. Then I try to review as the chapters come up.

It is very fusterating to have hits but no reviews. I think people should have the knowledge to review stories they have read. Wouldn't they want reviews also?

For those who review my stories, I try to read at least one of theirs and review. Do unto others I always say.

[EveKnight75]

I'll put it this way:

As far as one of my stories is concerned, it gets a huge number of reviews on FF but few here.

I much prefer the reviews here. Why? Because the content of each review is worth a good read.

I've always been a firm believer of quality over quantity when it came to reviews. That's why I only post reviews when I can offer detailed concrit. I'm not exactly a fan of the "I luv it! Rite more plz! UPDATE!" reviews (no matter how well-meaning they are). That's just me.

I don't write for the reviews. I write for enjoyment (but I still put serious effort into quality). The reviews are a bonus.

[Solaris]

A bad review is at least a sign that someone cares......

I agree, even if it is to alert me of a misspelled word or a plot hole not closed up or something, I don't mind if it is bad or not, just as long as someone reviewed the story.

I may put down in my next upload of my story this statement: Is anyone really reading this story? If there are readers, can you please say something even if it is a one-liner comment, because if there are not many reviews, I love what I got but I feel like no one is reading this story and it may be pulled. So please, take a moment and leave a small comment or I may just move this story over to my webpage and delete it here and not update any of my stories here. Thanks.

I just find that reviews are now starting to get hard to come by and even though I try to update my stories as much as possible, sometimes the WB blocks most of the updates, but the stories that are already posted don't get much reviews.

Beth

[cu-kid9]

I'm guilty of not leaving reviews after I read something. I do it for a variety of reasons (all of which are excuses).

Sometimes the author already has, like, nine-ba-jillion reviews -these stories are usually my guilty pleasure stories, those stories that the author seems to crank out like they're nothing, usually quite well written, but all following the same basic plot with new characters.

I try not to do the whole wait-to-see-where-the-story-is-going thing. Mostly because I think this is kind of bogus. I mean, if people did it with my story, I could be nine chapters into it before people start reviewing -and I would have wanted to pull the story six chapters prior because I thought no one cared enough to leave a review (currently experiencing this phenomenon. Lots of hits, four reviews ). If I like the story from the beginning, I at least try to leave an "I'm interested in seeing where you take this" review.

I always tell myself right before I post a new story that I'm not doing it for the reviews, but I'm a total liar. I want to hear what people have to say -good or bad- that's kind of the whole point of me posting. If I didn't care about what people thought, or didn't want to have anyone else's input, I would just write, save the stuff on my computer and be done with it.

What I think is great is when you get those reviews months after you've finished a story. I think I almost love those the most.

[SFC_Omicronus]

I much prefer the reviews here. Why? Because the content of each review is worth a good read.

I've always been a firm believer of quality over quantity when it came to reviews. That's why I only post reviews when I can offer detailed concrit. I'm not exactly a fan of the "I luv it! Rite more plz! UPDATE!" reviews (no matter how well-meaning they are). That's just me.

I don't write for the reviews. I write for enjoyment (but I still put serious effort into quality). The reviews are a bonus.

I agree very much to what EveKnight75 said, for the most part, which is a main reason as to why I only accept "Authors Only" reviews.

Cu-kid, you and H.S. Lennox have given me lengthy, long-winded reviews, and believe me, I absolutely LOVE going back and reading them over and over and over. It makes me smile knowing that I've actually made you think about my story and that you may have given me a perspective that I may not have noticed before.

Granted, I'll take the one-line "OMG, Lurve it! Write more plz k thx!" reviews as something nice, but it's like getting a package of socks as a birthday present. The fact that you gave me something is nice, but it's not exactly what I want. Long, lengthy, in-depth reviews are a great inspiration boost.

Also, I note that reviews, though greatly appreciated, are welcomed, not required. Some people will think, "Hmm, that was a good story," and just forget about it the next time they visit the site. That, and if people keep saying "Don't forget to review," it seems forced. If it's welcomed, however, I feel that you're asking for their views towards the story. It's possible you may get a lengthy review that will give you a new perspective on your story, or you may get none at all. I'd rather ask gently for an opinion rather than grab someone by the collar and go, "Hey! Tell me what you think!"

I hope I didn't offend anyone. I'm just speaking my views on the matter.

[Graveyardman]

I am human, and as such, I like being praised by my peers.

So yes, I get upset, and want to pull unreviewed stories. Not just here, but anywhere I post online. I would rather be told that there is somethign wrong with my story, then have nothing said at all. Especially when I have over like, 400 hits and 0 reviews, because then I have to think 'is everyone reading a few paragraphs, hating it, and running away?'

I prefer concrit and semi-literate reviews over netspeak and one liners, but anything is better then nothing.

Not to say that I am the best example of a reviewer, I admit to reading something, loving it, and not reviewing, for any number of reasons that, like someone befor eme said, are just excuses. I try to leave atleast one reveiw on the newest chapter or a WIP and one at the end of a Completed fiction, though, especially on less reviewed pieces

[Kanashii]

I definately can understand someone maybe not reviewing, but gosh, there is the RATE button, I mean it doesn't get any more easier than clicking the RATE button if you really don't have any review to write. At least the author can get an idea of how you 'rate' their story that way.

Even I have had days I cannot leave a personal LONG review in an authors review section, but I at least click the rate and give them their 5 stars... I mean c'mon, it takes what... less than one 30th of a second to click that rate button?

[Kanashii]

To go with the rate button there oughta be a "I rubbed one out to this fic" Y/N/P (P for partial, didn't climax) button.

No?

...I'll get me coat

I love your sense of humor Knorg
But yes... Y/N/P
Heck we can't even get 'em to click the rate, you think their gonna do the Y/N/P?

Remember the old (was it Penthouse or Oui?) that had a rating system with little pictures of dicks...(fully erect for a 4, nearly erect for a 3, tumescent for 2 and flaccid for a 1 or something like that).
'snerk'

[SFC_Omicronus]

Remember the old (was it Penthouse or Oui?) that had a rating system with little pictures of dicks...(fully erect for a 4, nearly erect for a 3, tumescent for 2 and flaccid for a 1 or something like that).
'snerk'

It was Penthouse for the record. I read my first one when I was six, and I still remember it like it was yesterday... *sighs nostalgically*

[RikuDrak]

I'm really picky about this, because it frustrates me when I barely get reviews but I'd also prefer if the comments (good or bad) were a little more than "omg so awesome moar pls UPDATE." Tell me what works, what doesn't, something that seemed awkward...

I'd even appreciate negative comments so long as they were critique.

[Dinkel]

I guess I should be ashamed of myself. I always appreciate the reviews I get and I always ask for them, but I hardly ever review myself (which partly has to do with the fact that I don't read many stories and that only finish about one out of five). But I'm not.

Sure, I love my reviews and it's great that someone took the trouble to write something for me, but, as several others already pointed out, one-liners with capital-lettered words and typos are nice and all, but other than telling you that someone is out there reading the story, they aren't really helpful.

But that's most likely what my reviews would be like and I don't feel the need to add something like that when there already were people before me who wrote more or less the same thing. I would review if a story didn't have any feedback yet and I also review when someone asks me to or if I have a question or something like that, but then I will make a point to write more than "good chatper update SOON", because you can only hear something so often before it gets boring.

I'm also a bit cautious about writing negative reviews. Firstly, because English is not my mother tongue and even though I sometimes notice spelling or grammar mistakes, they don't really bother me and I know that I make a lot of mistakes myself (which my beta is kind enough to correct). And secondly, because I don't think that I'm in any way a tactful person and I know from experience that such criticm often sounds harsher than was intended and I really don't want to be the cause for anyone to take down their story.

I can understand that it must be hard if you don't get any reviews, but I doubt that you would really appreciate it if someone said that your story sucks or something like that. That's something that would compel me to think about taking down my story... It's okay if someone really knows how to give constructive criticm, but no one likes flames. (Well, okay, I mostly find them amusing, but that's another story...)

Like I said, it's not quite fair on my part, but I think it's better that way- for both me and the stories I don't review...

Dinkel

[Streti]

To go with the rate button there oughta be a "I rubbed one out to this fic" Y/N/P (P for partial, didn't climax) button.

I support this. Maybe even inspire the reader to give naughty details

I've pulled a story before due to no reviews + views, which is the worst case. Better to get no views and no reviews than just views with no reviews.

Now I'm just mostly not writing. No new reviews (except a couple of flames) but no expectations either.

[fawnheart]

I like reviews, my favourite reviews are the one liners that say "i love this pls update" etc. They NEVER fail to make a massive smile cross my face. I love the in depth ones too, they make me think.

I get frustrated when no one reviews or rates my stories too, simply because like it's been said before, you think that people are reading like one page, thinking it's crap and then moving on.

I'm lucky that I have a couple of people who are dedicated in their encouragement, but I actually pulled my stories and re-wrote them because I thought they were crap since no one left any indication otherwise. When I pulled them people were like...noooo! But I was positive they must have been boring as hell and I wanted to fix it rather than leave them there. I personally thought they wre worth the time to fix, but apart from the few who geneously encourage me (and I love them for it! They have saved my sanity on more than one occassion!) I don't think anyone else does and I kinda feel embarrassed to post more.

Especially when you are just starting, it's really easy to doubt what you do...I always try to encourage people when I read their stories, even if they aren't that spot on, they will only get better but they won't get better if they get so disheartened that they think their work is crap and pull it.

And then what will we read?

[Acal]

I have my long fic that i started awhile ago and nobody reviews or rates 6 of the reviews are from friends that i know.

One of my other stories picked up like 8 reviews after i said i was going to finish it there if i didn't get any reviews.

People are pretty lazy with the review button, even the rate button. Theres only a few people who have that magnetic attention that seem to get a swarm of reviews and rates.