Reviewing Newsletters Archive

A Semi-Comedic Look at Reviewers - by Arwee

Issue #1 of the Writing.Com Reviewing Newsletter is: Arwee

[ Table of Contents ]

1. About this Newsletter
2. Letter from the Editor
3. Editor's Picks
4. Ask & Answer

[ About this Newsletter ]

Issue number one is a semi-comedic look at reviewers, through an internet quiz. We also look at some of the reviewing related activities and groups available to WDC denizens.

[ Letter from the Editor ]

There are many types of reviewers on Writing.Com. Some of them are purple, others are green, some are –oh sorry, I was re-arranging my crayon box. As I was saying, there are many types of reviewers on Writing.Com, and if I were to try and classify them all, I would probably be here past lunch. Since we all enjoy eating lunch, I’m going to briefly go over a few of the common types of reviewers and reviews one may be able to spot in the WDC Safari. So, sit back, buckle up and get ready for the ride.

Casual Reviewer: The majority of Writing.Com is populated with Casual Reviewers.
These reviewers glide through stories and review the ones they like or the ones they feel would really benefit from some advice. Their reviews can contain a variety of helpful information, ranging from technical points to plot points. Most of the time, the Casual Reviewer leaves behind brief and fleeting reviews before they scamper back to the trees.

Regular Reviewer: A common sighting is the Regular Reviewer. While more rare than the casual variety, Regular Reviewers often do more reviews. They decorate their reviews to make them nice to look at. They have also found a reviewing style and are often seen all over the top 100 list. Regular Reviewers have a lot of reviews under their belt and a lot of reviewing experience as a result. Their advice can range from technical to plot and it is often presented in a fairly straightforward manner. Regular Reviewers tend to be very active and friendly in the safari as well, so it’s easy to approach one.

Editing Reviewer: These types of reviewers are quick to spot technical errors, formatting errors and other things that a proofreader does. They’re very helpful when you’re looking to polish a story to send off to a publisher. These types of reviewers are often a sub-type of the Regular Reviewer and the In-Depth Reviewer (discussed afterwards). Pure Editing Reviewers are also a fleeting breed. To be considered a purebred Editing Reviewer, their reviews must contain nothing more than fixes to typos, spelling errors, and formatting suggestions.

In-Depth Reviewer: The In-Depth reviewer is a much debated species. Some individuals look favorably towards them while others fear them. The In-Depth Reviewer’s reviews are often long and filled with advice regarding plot, characters, outstanding technical errors. All of this is described in detail to the writer. In-Depth reviewers appear to be a rarer breed because they take an extremely long time to finish one review. Spotting one in the safari may be a challenge.

Hit and Run Reviewer: The Hit and Run Reviewer is another species often debated. Hit and Run Reviewers are quick and have short attention spans. The majority of their reviews are three words to two sentences long, that may or may not be useful to a writer. Whether or not you like the Hit and Run Reviewer, they’re here to stay. The good (or bad) news is, they work similar to the Casual Reviewers, so you have a lower chance of encountering one than say, a Regular Reviewer.

Raters: Raters don’t review. They just like to rate. Due to the mysteriousness of this species we are still doing research to determine its exact diet and habitat.

While these groups of reviewers are broken down and explained, this is in no way a concrete list. Many individuals have a variety of different and delightful review types and styles.

Are you asleep yet? I sure hope not, because we’re going to do something fun (I hope). Below is a brief quiz I’d like to call, “Arwee’s Nonsensical Reviewer Quiz”. Take a few minutes to go through this silly little test and enjoy yourself.

Here’s how you take the test:
Read the questions, choose an answer. Don’t stress about what you’re going to get. Write down what answer you chose, or remember it and see how you did at the end. It’s that easy. Shall we begin?

Question 1: If I were a pig and you were a duck, what kind of wine would we go well with?
a) Red.
b) You shouldn’t eat a pig and a duck. That would leave you quite bloated! Any sort of wine will work anyway.
c) That would depend entirely on the day. If it was Thanksgiving, then you may complement your duck and pig with a turkey, thus requiring an entirely different selection of wines due to the mixture of tastes and the differences in the meat. There are a variety of wines available on…
d) Cucumber?

Question 2: If Jimmy had two beans and Rebecca had four beans, and John kicked Jimmy in the back. How many slices of apple pie will Rebecca eat?
a) Two.
b) This question makes no sense, may I offer a suggestion?...
c) Why did John kick Jimmy in the back? And how fast did he kick him? Did Jimmy cry out, as people would often do if they were holding a handful of beans and someone kicked them? As for Rebecca’s apple pie eating ratio, it would have to equal the amount of times Jimmy got kicked in the back and…
d) Pickles?

Question 3: Let’s say I’m a rabbit and I’ve got this hat –no, that’s no good. Okay, I’m a jackal and I’m wearing purple pants. No, that’s terrible! I’m a lion now, alright I’m a lion and I enjoy checkers. How’s them apples?
a) Them apples look alright, I guess.
b) These apples taste pretty good, but what does this have to do with anything? What does this quiz have to do with anything?
c) To find out how these apples are, we have to enter into a discussion about green apples versus red apples. I would personally choose red apples over the green apples due to their sweetness and lack of tartness. Though I understand that many individuals also enjoy green apples for the exact opposite reasoning that I…
d) Pumpkin.

There now, that wasn’t too bad was it? Oh, it was awful? Well, I’m sorry. I blame the sock puppets. I can’t take them anywhere. Anyway, let’s see how you did, shall we? I hope you remembered what answers you chose during the test.

If you answered mostly A you are a:
Editing Reviewer: You’re quick to spot mistakes and great to have around when someone needs to annihilate some typos, spelling errors, or grammar mistakes. You’re sharp, fast, and go through a story like a whirlwind. Many people may find you useful for their technical problems, you’re blunt and to the point. Your answers will speak for themselves.

If you answered mostly B
Regular Reviewer: Hey, regular is a compliment! When people need a helpful and casual review, they’ll come to you. You’re easy to talk to, you’re open about your comments and take care while going through the story. A lot of people probably know you and know you do good work. You pick up on plot oddities as well as technical problems and are eager to help others improve. You see the good in every story and love to give reviews. Helping others is what you’re all about. Keep up the good work.

If you answered mostly C
In-Depth Reviewer: Some people fear you, others love you. You analyze everything, you read stories twice, three times, sometimes four times to squeeze out every last bit of literary juice you can. You’re always asking yourself “why?” or “what if?” and it drives you nuts. If a story has any irregularity to it, you’re probably the first one to point it out then analyze and explain it from every angle possible. It’s not easy being an in-depth reviewer, that’s why you do it.

If you answered mostly D
You’re a Vegetable: Silly vegetable, you belong in the pantry. You’re awfully delicious though.

If you have a tie between all the answers
Rounded Reviewer: You do everything. You offer in-depth advice, you’re easy to talk to and love to help others and review them. You can also be straight-forward and very technical. You’re all three review types, wrapped up in one convenient package. You’re either confused for very versatile. Perhaps you’re even part vegetable.

Are you ready for your prizes now? Just like all internet quizzes, this one also includes results images for you to use. Put these in your sigs, in your posts, in your breakfast. Use the signature that reflects your results, no cheating!

Editing Reviewer: {image:1265996}
** Image ID #1265996 Unavailable **

Regular Reviewer: {image:1265993}
** Image ID #1265993 Unavailable **

In-Depth Reviewer: {image:1265999}
** Image ID #1265999 Unavailable **

You’re a Vegetable: {image:126600}
** Image ID #1266000 Unavailable **

Rounded Reviewer: {image:1265995}
** Image ID #1265995 Unavailable **

I will be hosting these images in my port for a short time. If you wish to keep your result permanently, send me an e-mail telling me which result you got and I’ll send it to you. That way, you can keep it forever.

Now, I know that was a bit silly. But I hope I covered, in my round-a-bout way, a sample of some of the most common types of reviewers on the site. As I have said before and will continue to stress, don’t sweat it if your results weren’t what you were expecting. No one but you can determine your reviewing style, and certainly not a test that involves lions wearing pants.

[ Editor’s Picks ]

Looking for a group dedicated to in-depth reviewing? Do you like rewarding, giving and supporting? The following groups are all excellent choices:

         

GROUP

WYRM  (13+) A group for those dedicated to writing and reviewing speculative fiction. #1142497 by WYRM

         

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #1230753 by Not Available.

         

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #1261123 by Not Available.

         

GROUP

We Love In-Depth Reviews!  (E) Rewarding the best and encouraging the rest! #861549 by NaNoKit

[ Ask and Answer ]

Due to this being the first issue of the Reviewing Newsletter, there is no Ask and Answer yet. Please e-mail me any content-related questions or comments you might have, and post any general feedback to the group. I’ll be happy to answer your questions or comments.