Hello contestants! I was assigned to be the judge of the books that will follow. Since I'm reviewing your work, it is only fair I explain my criteria and rules to you.
I have been completely unbiased while judging. I have tried to give you as many tips as possible and guide you on how to improve. However, if either one of you is dissatisfied, feel free to take it up with me.
I have given marks out of 5 where I have rounded up from 0.05 to 1. This means you will observe marks like 0.8 and 0.85 according to categories. Categories are - Cover, Title, Description and Beginning.
Cover and Title are seldom considered while judging but often considered while tapping that 'read' button. Hence I felt it necessary to aware you of where you fare in these aspects. Description is what pulls the reader towards your book. Hence I have graded it a tad more strictly. The Beginning has the highest weight-age (2 marks, while other criteria have 1 mark) because here I judge everything from the time I tap the read button. Be it the character intros, prologues, character sketches and everything in between. Then obviously your main chapters, your grammar and punctuation and how unique and original your plot is.
The marks aren't meant to downgrade your self-esteem, downplay your efforts or demotivate you in any way; but to make sure you hone and upgrade your writing skills. Every book I reviewed was amazing in its own way, and no book was perfect - no book can be perfect. Your review is just an attempt to boost you towards that path of perfection. To maintain complete transparency, I have given grades and sent the category wise results to the admins only according to scores that will follow.
Lastly, I would strongly urge all of you to not just read your own review but also of the others'. This is because a person can learn not only from his own but from others' mistakes as well. The enlisted points will help every author to realize what are some of the ingredients in creating a masterpiece of a novel.
The flaws and praises of other authors are not for mocking them, so if an author has a grade lower than you, do not undermine his/her talent and skill quotient. At the same time if an author has a grade higher than yours doesn't mean that author is terrific or flawless. If I find anyone spreading hate or being cocky due to this I will request the admins to permanently have you banned from the awards.
The authors whose amazing works I've had the chance to judge are tagged below, please find your book and read your reviews. Leave a feedback at the end - whether you felt anything amiss, extra, unsolicited or bias. That's it, I'll stop rambling now! The contestants are: