This week: It's Just an Opinion - Nothing More Edited by: Tornado Dodger  
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I used to be a regular editor for Noticing Newbies a ways back, but this week I am returning as a guest editor. I hope you find my editorial helpful or at least interesting.
Fun Author Fact:
Dr. Seuss bet his publisher $50 that he can write a book with 50 or fewer words. He won the bet with Green Eggs and Ham which is exactly 50 words long. |
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Hello members new and old!
My topic this week is reviewing. I've long thought the simple act of calling it reviewing creates apprehension. I used to run a lot of review challenges and what I heard most often was that reviewing made people anxious and nervous. Why? Most times it was because they didn't think they were qualified to review another author's work. That's why I tried to make it as fun as possible and advocate for not thinking of it as reviewing at all.
Most published authors have beta-readers that help them with their writing. Some are friends, others are family, some are professional readers. They offer suggestions and offer advice before books are released publically. They're doing the same thing you're doing for authors here on Wdc. Reviews are simply opinions that help the author understand what their readers are feeling or thinking while reading their work. So next time you are reviewing, don't worry about getting it 'right' - just give your opinion about the work you read.
This is important for authors to remember as well. Every review you get isn't going to be a glowing testament to your unbelievable talent. Part of writing is knowing that you have a target audience and it takes time to learn how to help them find your work. Here at Wdc, it can be as simple as choosing the correct genres and keywords when you create your items. But even then, you will get people who don't enjoy everything you write. That's completely okay. Even some of the most popular authors get less than glowing reviews.
Dan Brown is a very well-known author. His novel "The Da Vinci Code" sold 80 million copies and was adapted into a film grossing 224 million dollars worldwide. Even though it was clearly a success, many critics were not kind in their reviews of the novel, with many reviews panning his writing style. The BBC wrote that the novel was "the literary equivalent of painting by numbers, by an artist who can't even stay within the lines.". That may sound harsh but even one of the most famous authors in the world didn't have anything nice to say about it. Stephen King called the novel the "mental equivalent of Kraft macaroni and cheese.". Ouch.
One of my favorite books from my childhood is "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak. While not as popular as Brown's novel, Sendak's book sold 20 million copies and has been translated into 32 languages. As many of you know, it was also adapted into a live-action motion picture, but many may not be aware it was also adapted into a cartoon series, an opera, and two musical artists have written songs inspired by the book. Clearly, the book could be considered a success. All those accolades didn't save it from this succinct statement from Publisher's Weekly calling it "A pointless and confusing story".
As you can see, getting less-than-stellar reviews is just part of being a successful author. So there's no reason to fear giving or receiving reviews. Here at Wdc, we encourage everyone to be kind in their reviews but to be honest. If something in a story doesn't work for you, share it with the author, but also remember to share what you did like as well. Both parts help the author understand how their work affects their audience.
If you're wondering how to rate items, a good place to start is by reading "How Should I Rate Items on Writing.Com?" It answers all kinds of questions. After that check out "Comment-In-A-Box" . It will help teach you how to evaluate an item appropriately. Notice the category that is listed under? Opinion. As I said, that's exactly what you're providing and it's extremely helpful to an aspiring writer.
Appropriate reviews help other writers grow, so don't sweat it! Giving and receiving reviews are both part of the writing process. Get out there and share your opinion.
Til next time -
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Here are some items to get you started!
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Noticing Newbies: August 02, 2023 Issue [#12099]
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