I've been reviewing stories on Wattpad for a while now and, boy, has that been a journey. Your stories have made me gasp and squeal. Your stories have made me laugh and cry.
But, from time to time, your stories have made me cringe.
In commemoratio...
It was for The Monthly Gemstone Awards, and someone hadn't made the shortlist. They said they were disappointed, and I sent them a message stating why they hadn't made it through to the next round. Let's call them Cauliflower, yeah?
First thing Cauliflower did was disagree with every point I made. Then, they went on to say that all their friends said (and she quoted them) "this story is amazing!".
Once again, I gently stated my points again and reinforced why rushed characterisation, incorrect punctuation, and fluctuating tenses was not okay. I even offered to have a fellow reviewer look over the story and provide feedback.
That's when things got... weird.
Cauliflower refused the second opinion. But she didn't stop there. She also went on to insult me, saying that I was not a 'good reader/reviewer', and that I didn't know how to read between the lines (ouch! Sunshine needed a therapy session with ice cream after that).
Just as I was about to accept that maybe I was a piss-poor reviewer, Cauliflower went on to insult other books that had made the shortlist. Not only did she go through some of the shortlisted books and pick them apart, but she went as far to say, "How can I be happy if stories that honestly aren't better than mine make it?????"
Sunshine was not impressed.
So, as it turns out, people do break those five commandments above. And, believe me, you're not doing anyone a favour. You're making yourself look like a rotten piece of cauliflower.
Instead, here are the five commandments of what you should do when faced with a rather harsh review:
1. Thou shalt give yourself a few days to sit back, breathe, and recover.
This is so ridiculously important. In the heat of the moment, you might want to scream and tear your hair out and move countries and become a farmer (what is with me a vegetables today, seriously?). But don't do any of those. Instead, sit back and breathe. Reflect. Ask yourself the following:
- What was I expecting from the review? Had I been expecting more compliments? Is that why I'm upset?
- What did I not like about the review? Was it the way they phrased things? Or am I just a little hurt that they didn't like my protagonist?
- Did the reviewer make valid points? Am I qualified enough to say that they didn't? Are the points they made subjective or objective?
Then, go back and face the review with a clear head.
2. Thou shalt ask the reviewer to clarify points you are unsure of.
If there are things you are unsure of, you should always try to ask to reviewer to elaborate. More often than not, your reviewer should be more than happy to oblige. Ask them to explain their points, or even ask them for suggestions. They're here to help. They want you to get better.
3. Thou shalt ask for a second opinion.
If you are still unhappy with the review, there is no shame in asking for a second opinion.
However, do not ask your best friend or your story's biggest fan. You want it to be as unbiased as possible. Try asking another reviewer (preferably, one you know that is reliable). Refer them to the initial review, and compare their points with the points that the first reviewer made. Are they similar? Starkly different?
And maybe it's not the contents of the review that concern you, but the presentation of it. Maybe you think they make valid points, but they need to work on their phrasing -- there's a difference between saying, "Your characterisation could use some work" and, "Your writing sucks, you need to go back to third grade and eat more carrots."
If that's the case, ask for a second opinion. Ask for another reviewer to take a look at that first review, and ask them if they thought the review was rude/unprofessional.
4. Thou shalt provide feedback to the reviewer.
Let's say it is the phrasing that needs work. Please, let them know. Help them improve. Gently tell them that, while you appreciated the review, it would be beneficial to tone down the ferocity by a notch or two. Some review stores leave room for you to provide feedback, so use them to your advantage!
If the reviewer works for a community account, you can also let the admin know, too, that you thought their review was unreasonably harsh. It's all about sending feeback! Otherwise, nothing will change.
5. Thou shalt remember that writing is a learning process.
Trust me, everyone will get a bad review some day. For some of us, we will get a bad review about our reviewing. That's just how life is. That's how we will learn.
So, unless the review was unreasonably rude, take it with an open mind. Take it with a big grin on your face, because now you know where you can improve. You can conquer the world, basically. (Okay, maybe a few more steps -- but soon!)
And writing is subjective. I posted a short story for a competition -- in one competition, it scored 100/100. In the other, it came last place. That's just the way the writing world is -- subjectivity is everywhere. And it's important that we embrace that.
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And that ends the contents of this chapter! Please remember that if you do need post-review therapy, I am more than willing to have a chat with you -- but please don't ask me to read/review your entire story, as I'm still catching up on my list. I'm more than happy to have a look to see if the review was phrased professionally, and have a word with the reviewer if it was not -- or at least offer tips, if the reviewer failed to do so.
Additionally, keep the stories coming! I'm excited to hear them all. I seriously live for the drama.
In the next chapter, we will talk about run-on sentences (and how to stop them from running). If you have any specific requests, let me know! I need 101 chapters, after all.
