(no subject)

[aidenfire]

I review a lot. Basically, one can be safe assuming that if I read something and liked it, (something on LJ, or FA, or some other place where reviewing is easy), I reviewed it. And, as most of the things I read are on recs or from great authors (here's looking at you, flist! <3<3), I like most of them. However, I don't write a lot, or spectacularly, so I'm not sure how writers respond to people like me--people I've termed serial reviewers. After a certain point, do reviews from the same person start to lose your interest? If a person has reviewed your work five times? or ten? Do you think that the person is simply reviewing to review, or does each individual review make you happy? Also, if you had a long, chaptered, novel-length, would reviews on each chapter irritate you, or would they make you think the reader really enjoyed the fic? What if you were friends with the reader? Would that make you value their reviews more or less?

[Poll #499474]

Comments

[lyras.livejournal.com]

I agree with the above comments. Every review gives me some kind of pleasure. I had my first "squee!" review a few weeks ago, and it made me go all warm and fuzzy inside! I have to say that I do prefer reviews that are more thoughtful or contain constructive criticism, but I understand that people don't feel inclined (or able) to leave reviews like this all the time.

Also, in terms of leaving reviews, I often feel more qualified to leave concrit if I've read and reviewed the author's previous work, including earlier chapters of long fics. This ensures that they (hopefully) at least recognise my name, and take the concrit in the spirit that it's intended - i.e. to help improve their writing.

Here via hogwarts_today, btw.

[aidenfire]

In re: con crit, and as a reviewer, I would love to be able to think of something helpful and constructive to say on everything I read, but honestly, I'm mostly just reading for enjoyment, and I don't really enjoy telling people things they could have done better, unless I'm in a formal beta agreement, and the person asked to do that.

Your second point is very valid. I hadn't thought of that, but yes, I too feel more comfortable leaving crit when I'm not just randomly popping in and telling someone that I have no kind of relationship with at all that I had issues with their fic. The closer I am to someone, the more I feel that A) they understand that I would never try to be cruel or insulting, no matter how terrible the fic; B) they realize that from previous reviews I genuinely like their writing; and C) I can predict how they will react a little, and phrase my advice accordingly, so they don't take offence.

Thank you for your thoughts!