Suggestion Box

I think the rating system is meaningless, both the way it's usually used, and the way people somehow think that it reflects the value of their piece. I assign my own interpretation to the stars I use to rate a piece, and I explain my ideas in my forum. But if the stars got junked tomorrow, I'd love it. They're an attempt to quantify the unquantifiable and so the game is lost before one attempts to play.

The idea behind reviews is to give writers a sense of how their work is received once it goes public. The point is not whether a reviewer got it "right" or "wrong." If the only way you can get your point across is by additional explanation, you might not have done your job. In the end, it's all feedback, and, like publicity for celebrities, it's all good.

Do I get annoyed when a reviewer somehow, against all odds, misses the point of one of my cherished bits of brilliance? Sure. Like every self-respecting writer I immediately declare them bumbling fools and dunderheads and prepare to fire off a scathing missive admonishing them to quit the field since they're obviously incompetent. Fortunately, I've refrained from following this instinct in almost every case (one exception is for a review that I enshrined in my port that actually was incompetent). As a writer, my most important asset is my audience. If I make them wrong because I haven't connected with them, I'd best start selling insurance.