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dazed and confused
It's taken 8 weeks but I finally got my fifth qualifying review on YWO yesterday and went into the table at last, in 15th place (with a lot of others). No matter, I thought, that the fifth review dragged the scores down, from almost all 4s and 5s from the first 4 reviewers.
Then what happens? I get review no.6 today and THAT's negative too, all 2s and 3s. I can see that people will have different opinions. But is it other people's experience that you write something and four reviewers in a row rave about it; then two more just don't believe in it at all?
Have other people had the same reaction? And what happened next?
Then what happens? I get review no.6 today and THAT's negative too, all 2s and 3s. I can see that people will have different opinions. But is it other people's experience that you write something and four reviewers in a row rave about it; then two more just don't believe in it at all?
Have other people had the same reaction? And what happened next?
Comments
My advice would be to ignore the scores and have a look at the detail in the reviews. If only one person makes a comment and it strikes a chord with you, look into it. If several people make the same comment, look into it. If one person makes a comment and you disagree with it, then ignore it.
15th place is not bad well done. Think I am at 18.
Wait til you have a few more reviews and see if people say the same things about your book then think about making changes but not if you don't want to. Just go with your instinct it's your book. And yes the reviews can be mixed. I had someone give me all five stars said it was the best thing he had read on YWO and then the next review was 3's and quite negative.
Post it on here aeschylus - we'll give you an honest and worthy review
Re your work - it may simply be that, for those two reviewers, it wasn't their cup of tea. You need to bear in mind that they are, pretty much, all amateurs and will only be able to go on their own reading and writing experience. Don't be disheartened.
Aeschylus - take all reviews with a pinch of salt. Don't let the site get you down. I used to be a member, did pretty well on it, but many of the members now disgust me so much, I left. I don't like bullies, cheats and pompous asses.
Everyone having a good day? :D
Yep, day's OK ta. Yours?
If I could remember how to do roll eyes I would! So I'll grin instead - :D
Lixxy, well done you for speaking up on YWO. You're not the only one to get bullied by that lot! But don't let them drive you away, they don't run the site (they just think they do!) :-)
But there are still some nice people there, Aeschylus! (I don't think Tracy was including me? :( ) As I whispered to you the other day, it really is the luck of the draw (if you don't cheat). You can get six good reviews and do really well or you can have a couple of people who just don't 'get' your story, or have agendas all of their own, and you're lost. So while I'm enjoying having been lucky so far, I'm not going to go into a decline when I hit a rogue reviewer. It's not worth it. Keep going to eight reviews and see if ditching one of the bad reviews helps. But be warned that sometimes, with that stupid SD system that they use, ditching a review can send you backwards...as I said, the luck of the draw, or knowing how to 'work' the loopholes
I'm really not undermining your achievement - you know I'm chuffed for you. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it.
But I stand by my words, I'm seeing a rapid decline in the behaviour on the site. I'm afraid the threads on the messageboard are getting worse, and the mutual cliquey back-slapping has started again after a brief hiatus and the bullying has resurfaced, even worse than it used to be and that's saying something.
Bearing in mind I was a member for well over a year, my work was received well and I made the Bestsellers chart, I have no axe to grind other than I have witnessed and experienced a lot of horrid things which seemed to have escalated recently. Personally, I'm worried the good people are being driven out by the bad.
To all people reading this post. I think people should try out YWO, but;
be aware that it can be bad for your health
to take reviews with a huge pinch of salt
bear in mind that many reviewers are UNPUBLISHED authors, read their work and other reviews they have written and then decide if their comments seem valid ( I include myself in that)
and to take many of the other comments in this thread onboard, there are words of wisdom here.
I think YWO could be fantastic but ultimately, whatever people say, it's a competition and it seems to bring out appalling behaviour in some people.
Boy, can I rant.
But on a positive note - Ive been checking to see if you're still top ten, Nena, and I'm glad to see you are. :D
I'll shut up now!!!!!!!! :rolleyes:
And as for the constant analysis of marks and political maneuvering for the top five, I think that has been exacerbated by the literary agents that are scouting around the site.
Sorry to sound petulant...it must be the heat!
Still, mostly I got a lot of helpful advice from the reviews and I hope I gave equally helpful advice. I don't take much notice of the point system because as soon as I noticed it had a forum I realised it'd be biased.