  Noticing Newbies
This week: Why am I not getting any reviews? Edited by: Tornado Dodger  
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The Noticing Newbies Newsletter's goal is to make the newer members feel welcome and encourage them with useful information and/or links to make navigating Writing.com easier. Writing.com members of all ages and even veteran members can find useful information here. If you have specific questions, try visiting "Writing.Com 101" and/or "Noticing Newbies" .
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Why am I not getting any reviews?
Creating and sharing work on Writing.com is one of the best experiences you can have here. I've met countless people here who have improved their writing, met wonderful friends and achieved their dreams of getting published. It took time, perseverance, patience and work but they did it. If that's your dream, take the time to present your work in the best light possible. Make sure you proofread your work and use a spell-checker to help catch little mistakes that might escape your attention. If you don't care about your work enough to make it shine, why should someone take the time to read it?
Here are a few tips to help your work get the proper exposure when you're creating a new item.
 Do not banish your work to the unseen item type of "Other".
When creating a new item, we begin in [Section 1: Basic Item Information] where you're asked a few questions on what type of item you'd like to create. The most common choice is "Static Item" that's what I'm using in this example.
The first is: [Item Title]
The second is: [Folder]
Those are pretty simple. Then you're faced with the third and sometimes misunderstood question.
Right next to the word "Static Item" is a drop down menu for a category or "Sub-Type" of the item you're creating. If left untouched, it defaults to: [Other]
At the top of each static item you will see the following:
>> Static Item >> Short Story [Sub-Type] >> Comedy [Genre] >> ID #XXXXXXX [Item number] | Show Details
On the left side of your screen you will see the second choice down is: [Browse By Type]. Click that. Do you see anywhere that you can read items called "Other"? Neither do I.
 There are currently 267 newbie items listed as Sub-Type: "Other" and 41,203 static items site-wide from a variety of case colors. Many of these are just mistakes I'm sure, but think about how much more exposure these items would get if they were properly categorized?
Proper item Sub-Types are:
Appendix, Article, Assignment, Bulletin, Chapter, Column, Critique, Documentary, Draft, Editorial, Essay, Fiction, Interview, Letter/Memo, Lyrics, Monologue, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Outline, Poetry, Preface, Prose, Review, Sample, Script/Play, Serial, Short Story, Thesis.
If the item isn't quite finished you're posting, consider using draft. It let's people know up front that this is a not a completed item and may need some editing. If you're not sure what a Monologue or a Preface really is, this will help: Item Sub-Types
Continuing on in [Section 1: Basic Information] we reach another critical area.
Do not write a brief description that doesn't actually describe your work.
Brief Description: Enter a brief description of this item. This will be used when listing the item in public listings, your portfolio and many other places on Writing.Com.
A good friend of mine hates brief descriptions. In a select few of his items you'll see brief descriptions like this one: "This brief description is here only because it is required." Yes, it might be funny but it doesn't tell you anything about the item does it? It doesn't draw you in and grab your attention. If he did that with all his items, he wouldn't receive as many reviews as he does. I've noticed his newer work all have real descriptions. He obviously understands that's not the best way to present his work. If you want feedback, it's important to make an effort.
A sampling of some brief descriptions I saw today:
 "This is a brief description."
"Why is a brief description required?" (Listed in the popular "Other" category)
"Oh, how I loathe brief descriptions."
">Insert Brief Description Here<" (Rated "---")
The authors of these brief descriptions haven't been on the site in a long time. Could it be they didn't get the response to their items they were looking for? It doesn't surprise me because that type of description doesn't make me want to read their item. Take a moment to catch my attention. That's how you accumulate readers, get feedback/reviews and improve.
Another thing not to write is: "This isn't really that good." Don't cut yourself down. I've read pieces with similar descriptions and guess what? They're not bad at all. Tell us something about the story and let us decide for ourselves.
The final stop in [Section 1: Basic Information] is Intro Rating
This area is critical that it be rated properly. The default position is "E" but that doesn't mean you should just leave it there. Take a quick look up at your Title and Brief Description. Is there anything in there that is not "E" rated? When in doubt, move the Intro Rating to Non-E or change the wording. Moderators have the ability and responsibility to change these if they are found inappropriately rated.
Related Link: How do I know if it's E or Non-E?
Do not leave the rating "-----".
When creating a new item, you're asked in [Section 2: Content and Access Control Settings] what rating that your item should be given. Select the Content Rating for the entire item. Do not leave your content rating as "-------" as this will cause your item to not be displayed in public listings. Correct and accurate content ratings on your items is required. It is very important to rate your items appropriately as this is a community of all age groups.
Related Link: "Content Rating System (CRS)"
When I pull open the page to look through newbie posted items to find work to highlight in this newsletter, I find many items that have no rating, so unfortunately, I can't highlight them. Today I counted and of the thirty items that fit on the first page of newbie items, ten items are without ratings. One third of the items are instantly excluded from being featured in this newsletter.  Want to see your work highlighted in an official newsletter? Rate it properly!
Related Link: Newest Posted Work by Newbies
Creating an item and remembering all these steps may seem overwhelming at first but it becomes easier to remember the more times you do it. 
Do not abandon your work in the unseen genre of "Other".
When creating a new item, you're asked in [Section 3: Genres and Keywords] to choose from one (1) to three (3) genres for this item. You don't have to choose three but please choose at least one. Be sure that your item properly fits into each genre you select. This will help gain exposure for your work. The more genres you select, the more places your item will appear. Keywords help also when people are searching for specific topics. On a number of occasions, I've searched certain topics by using keywords.
When you look to your left and click the [Browse By Genre] button, do you see a genre called "Other"? Neither do I.
Writing.com is an amazing community full of creative minds. Like many things, you will get more out of it, if you put more into it. Make the effort, it's worth your time.
To quote The StoryMaster  "From the occasional poet, to the aspiring novelist, Writing.Com is the best online site where writers meet other writers, share ideas and help each other improve. It is a site created to breed creativity... but I don't need to tell you all that!"
Hope you enjoyed this article. If you would like to share your thoughts, please send me a note using the box at the bottom of this newsletter.
Write and Review on! ~ Brooke
[Useful Links for Newbies]
"Wandering through Writing.Com" by Diane 
"The Angel Outreach Program" by iKïyå§ama 
"Invalid Item" by A Guest Visitor
"Most Recent TWIST Newsletter ~ 8/10/2011" by NickiD89 
"Do you like Writing.Com?" by The StoryMaster
"Invalid Item" by A Guest Visitor
"Let's help each other grow- Closed" by ~*Arpita*~
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Here are some talented new member's items that caught my eye. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.  Why not drop them a review and welcome them to our community?
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Excerpt:
I would rather be a hitchhiking
angel than anything else, sad and full
of hubris, so well
deserved, reading my little book
~ ~
Excerpt:
The high rate of suicides stemming from similar abuses has sparked a nationwide debate about how these deaths could have been prevented. The GSC has been focusing on practicing its own unique approaches to prevention on the UIC campus.
~ ~
Excerpt:
A young girl, fourteen, went to a party at five o'clock. She danced with her friends until half past seven, and walked home after having fun. But the hotel that her and her mum lived in locked it's doors at six o'clock, so she had to find a way back in.
~ ~
Excerpt:
Because anyone building a Star System will have their own ideas of what they want to have in their system and this document cannot cover the billions of possible systems, it will limit itself to building a star system not too unlike the Solar System.
~ ~
Excerpt:
Someone asked me once, what is love like?
I simply said, 'tis like the feather on a windy day.
Can go unnoticed, floating by in a simple breeze.
~ ~
Excerpt:
I am having dreams
Of the seven skies
Bewildering screams
And justified cries
~ ~
Excerpt:
If I could swear, I would so dare
to surrender you the hold
o'er all my sweat and toil and pain
and love you as so told.
~ ~
Excerpt:
Sigmund dropped to one knee in the shallow water of the spring's edge. Gasping for breath, he seized the heavy helmet with both hands and tore it from his head. Pain shot through his abdomen as he fumbled with the latches on his steel breastplate. The hooks finally came loose, and the cracked armor fell into the water with a large splash.
~ ~
Excerpt:
"Hold on," Patrick says with a grin, revving the engine on his dad's silver '09 Jetta. "Aren't boys supposed to grow out of their reckless stage after high school?" I ask, fully recognizing the glint in his eyes. "We're juniors in college now." He ignores me, and as the car shudders to life, I feel the familiar rolls of panic and nausea swarm in my stomach as I clench the door handle beside me.
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
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I received some wonderful feedback to my last newsletter [#4299] "Earn GP's through Community Involvement" and I'm proud to share it with you.
From jackflash
I started to join a reviewing group once but abandoned the idea. They inundated me with so much stuff to do and read, it blew my mind.
I find that many of them members can't review a piece unless they can write something as long as the story they are reviewing. Then, it is sometimes the case that they flew through the story with their head up their you-know-what and expended more energy criticising than they would have by giving the story its due.
Just some thoughts. Thanks for your input.
w
I hear ya Jack. I'm honestly not a member of many groups here. My main reason? I don't have the time to meet the requirements of many of them. I have enough to do with my own. Some people do better with requirements though and it gives them that extra push they need to complete reviews in a timely manner. I think it just all depends on your needs. I agree some reviewers don't take the time needed to really understand the stories they're reading. It's unfortunate too - their loss! Thanks for writing in.
From atwhatcost
One of the first things I did after joining WDC was subscribe to this newsletter. I'm no longer a newbie (if 15 months counts), and gotta say after reading this, "Ohhhhhh! That was the easier way to find active review groups." I spent hours going through the group section, just to see most weren't active. ;)
I agree, the Noticing Newbies Newsletter is not just for newbies  I'm sure glad you found it helpful.
From ~*Arpita*~
Submitted item: "Let's help each other grow- Closed"
Hello!
Nice NL again! It is very informative and helpful for newbies. And indeed, as newbies, there's no better way of getting our work seen as in reviewing fellow author's work. Being a newbie, I recently created a forum and a group for us newbies to come together. I'll be more than happy to have more and more newbies on board. It's called "Let's help Each Other Grow!" So newbies everywhere, I'm too eager to see you there!
Awesome job! I hope this link brings you some new members. Thanks for writing in.
From Jeff 
What a great, informative newsletter!
Thanks Jeff! I appreciate you taking the time to shoot me a note. You rock 
From BIG BAD WOLF is Howling 
Submitted item: "Reviewing Items You Don't Like"
Sometimes people need help
Short and sweet, and very true!
and also feedback from my previous newsletter [#4254] " Ideanary? What's that?"
From Carolyn Darnton
Submitted item: "Invalid Item"
I didn't see last month's issue, so your reference to the ideanary was very helpful this month! I had no idea it existed!
It's an awesome tool! I'm glad you found it helpful. Thanks for writing in!
also submitted regarding the newsletter - [#4200] "Avoid Repeating Words"
From Lox~back, but all new!
What I love about wordle is: I check for the word FELT! If it shows up big(or at all) I know I'm telling, not showing...argghhh
Lox
Wordle is a really cool tool and another way to keep your word count in check.
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Noticing Newbies: April 20, 2011 Issue [#4351]
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