As an author on Lush, I often wonder whether authors rate other authors. Sorry for the repetitive words in the previous sentence; I'm in desperate need of a thesaurus :-)
My own personal feeling (whose other personal feeling could it be if not my own?) is that I feel somewhat abash about rating my peers (see, I'm already learning to use alternate terms to describe the same group of people).
As an author, how do you feel about rating your peers?
I read/vote on stories and don't really think me being an author has an effect on anything.
I will admit that if I start reading a story that wouldn't be a 5-score or at least a strong 4, then I don't vote. I probably should in order to make things more authentic, but in reality, if the story isn't good, there's nothing compelling me to actually finish reading it anyway.
Oh, yes. They work hard, so they deserve it. If it's well written and keeps me focused from beginning to end, well they are going to get a 5. I have given out a 1 and 2. Don't know how they made it in.
Well that's just my opinion, sorry if you don't like.
BigDaddyRich
I don't like to read a lot of work just because I hate telling someone that i hate their writings. When I do read, which ends up being more than I wish it to be, I will gladly rate. Comments are another dragon.
Any story I read I try to comment and vote...I think they have a right to know how others thought about how their writing was thought about.
"Haters make me FAMOUS!!!"
Sassy
Wow. And I thought I was the only one following the "either 4+, or nothing" rule.
I try to rate stories when I read them, but I would be reluctant to rate a story below 3. Perhaps it's just not doing it for me and that may be my problem, not the story. As for myself, I derive a lot of satisfaction from receiving ratings much more than I had thought I would. They have definitely spurred me on to begin work on a second part to my first story, something I most likely would not have done without the feedback.
If you're going through hell, keep going. - Winston Churchill
I rate the stories on the site, but not the authors. A story by itself may be indicative of the writer's skill at the time it was written, but not of their potential. Stories that show promise get higher ratings from me than stories without potential. Writers who seem to show no potential I don't rate at all, like Reprehensiballs I am reluctant to give very low scores or leave negative comments because I don't want to risk the chance of stopping a writer from improvement by causing them to give up trying. I have found a few excellent writers posting here, a large number of average ones, and a scattering of people who should probably give up, but that is all about my opinion gleaned from reading individual stories. Most of us are average, some are truly talented, and some lack the inner spark that makes a person a writer. Anyone who wants to write should try though without having to take the abuse of strangers. I vote fours and fives when I find stories I enjoy, turn me on, or show the incredible talent or potential of the writer. I don't vote if I feel the story deserves less than a three, I leave that to people who are more interested in style than substance. I don't read stories on Lush in hopes of finding the 21st century's Shakespeare or discouraging some potential hack, just for the sex, but when someone exhibits talent or the potential for talent I like to tell them either in a comment, the chat rooms or a private message. A writer who has not interested me in their work is just that, they have failed to interest me, not failed as writers. Putting your writing out in public for other people to read requires a certain amount of courage, and I am proud of anyone who has that.
"Happiness is doing it rotten your own way."Isaac Asimov (1994)
Like most of the rest of you, I agree there's little point in bestowing the '3 or below' scores: work that isn't going to pan out well usually shows itself early on in the poor writing. So really it's like beating up on Timmy's refrigerator drawing for not being a Michelangelo. If other readers really find those stories float their boat, well and good; but it's not really necessary to warn other people off bad writing that exposes itself as such.
But to the original question: no, I can't find anything strange about 'peer-reviewing' the work of writers. I'm sure that the critiques of other writers are much more satisfying than those of casual readers, and are much more likely to understand what one is trying to do (also more sympathetic to what has been attempted, even if it's a failure!). Likewise, it's especially pleasurable to find writers who are nailing their craft, surmounting the same obstacles that one has struggled (perhaps, *still* struggles!) with. Another writer is less likely, I think, to just be flattering you because you talk dirty-- they understand what has to go into writing. There's nothing awkward in that, certainly not for me.
Anyway, if you need to evaluate a plumber, ask a plumber (just not the plumber's son or something!). Ditto writing
I read all kinds of stories, but I only rate the stories in the categories that I enjoy reading. Normally my rating is a 4 or 5.
I do not read stories that have lots of mistakes or no punctuations, it's too frustrating.
As for the stories in the categories that I don't prefer, I don't think it's fair for me to give a low rating just because I didn't enjoy it, the story might be a good story.
Kitty
Being new to this site, I find the rating system like other erotica sites. When I submit a story, I personally would like a honest opinion on my writing. It is a form of art and people should learn to take the good with the bad. Ratings help me know what story genres are more popular and shows me what the readers as a mass prefer. So if you see mine and make it to the end, honest opinions please.
For here... I use the "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." method. I give 4's and 5's only. If something ranks a 3 or less in my mind, I leave it alone. I've never seen anything worthy of less than a 3 here though. The moderators are very good in sorting out the poorly written stories. I also try to leave a writing tip behind to help them with their next story.
Now, in the professional world, when I review someone's work, I give them the brutal truth and I expect it in return. They wouldn't ask my opinion if they thought I'd sugarcoat the flaws in their story. If I don't expose the problems, they might submit it to their publisher as is and most likely receive a rejection.
To rate something is to be human; we even rate great masterpieces that we could never equal, and we wash down the drain beautiful things we just don't understand.
I try to rate everyone unless their story is really crap because is you want to give them below 3 you have to write why.
Personally I love it if people vote and I love comments, I think most of us do. And so I do to them as I want them to do to me. It should be the golden rule of lush.
Yes, and if I love their work I will leave a comment.
Recently (on another site), I had a writer contact me saying that since he "respected me as an author" would I please read his story (it was the first he had posted) and give him some feedback. I read it, and gave him some private feedback, stating what he did well and just made the suggestion of needing to separate dialogue into new paragraphs. I guess he didn't appreciate anything negative or constructive, as he promptly went and bombed one of my stories. Sooo... I've realized that writers can be rather overly sensitive, and just because they say they want feedback, it usually means that they only want glowing praise. In this case, I didn't even vote on the story, I just gave him feedback, and it still backfired on me. It tends to make me shy away from saying anything constructive to writers, other than ladling on the praise and the perfect scores if/when I see fit. Sad, I know for the mature authors that genuinely welcome feedback, but sometimes it's hard to know.
Hmmm, interesting thread. I will admit that I only give fours or fives but I give them wholeheartedly to stories that I think deserve them. If I don't like a story or poem I will not rate it at all nor will I leave a comment. On rare occassions I have left constructive criticism but only for people who I feel are mature enough to take it. I have always followed Voltaire's dictum : "If in doubt whether an action is good or evil, refrain."
Yes, but I do most of the rating in My head. I Myself like being critiqued, however I usually get a lot of negative nit-picking on other sites from non-authors. I used to offer more of a view on stories until I had one author go all crazy and fly off the handle at catliterotica because she refused to believe I was offering a sincere observation.
