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~nólemë~
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Post Reviewing fanfiction on CoE
on: April 15, 2011 11:10
Tips for reviewers on what to include and what to avoid so that reviews (aka 'comments' on this site) please and don't hurt.
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- Firstly, think before you type: CoE does not enable the user to edit or delete their review once it is posted. So if a fanfiction set you off and you are planning to send a nasty review, it might be a good idea to wait until you have calmed down. Better to wait than to say something you might later regret.

Now for what to avoid or include in reviews (and not only of fanfiction).

1. "OMG your story SUCKS!!!"

FLAMING: If you don't have anything positive to say about a story, it's better if you don't review. The authors wrote their story with love and care, and I'm pretty sure they don't mean "feel free to flame" when they ask for feedback. Find at least something to praise in a story, or don't write anything at all.

2. "Your character is such a Mary-Sue, this is against the CoE rules!!"

RULE WATCHDOG: Chances are, if a story got validated, the admin does not share your view about violation of CoE submission rules. If you feel a story does not follow the fanfiction submission rules, please contact the admin. No need to distress the author.

3. "Great chapter, can't wait to read more!"

PRAISE: Authors generally welcome constructive feedback to learn what worked best, but if only a variation of the sentence above is what comes to your mind after reading a story or chapter, then go ahead and post your opinion. In my experience, praise is always welcome, no matter how brief

4. "Sam would NEVER do this", or: "Cool chappie. Your hobbits are too funny! I didn't like your Elrond though."

CRITICISM: Being constructive is more important when you are expressing a negative opinion than when you are praising a story. If you are criticizing something, it is always good to not only put it politely, but also to add the reason why you did not like the particular thing. There has to be one after all, and "well his characterisation is just wrong" isn't particularly helpful to the author.

5. "...the plot is good overall but LOL, the sentences are like, IDK, written by a first grade kid... dude can't you make them more complex?"

POLITENESS: Be polite. How about the following alternative? "The sentences would work better for me if they were more complex". There is certainly a way to put *anything* politely. Bear also in mind that other reviewers might love the very thing you dislike.

6. "This is incorrect, Tolkien says that (insert canon info, complete with quotes)."

PREACHING: If the offending piece of information is in a story labelled Non-canon/AU/Crossover, chances are that it's there deliberately. If you don't like something in a story, there is always a way to put your criticism more tentatively so you don't come off as the only Tolkien expert around. Furthermore, there is usually a chance that the author is more well-versed in Tolkien's works than yourself, and merely used a source you are not familiar with, or a detail whose existence you have forgotten.
For coming up with lengthy facts and quotes proving why you are right on a subject, there are the CoE forums. A review box is not the proper place for argumentation. Or, if you feel like discussing something with the author, use the PM option for this.


Last but not least- just before you press the 'Submit Review' button, stop and think how you, as an author, would react to receiving a review like the one you are about to post. In other words, treat the author as you yourself would like to be treated

Enjoy the CoE fanfiction section, and if you like the stories you read at least a bit, try to leave a review. A few nice words may make the day of someone out there a little brighter.
---------- Image "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." J.R.R. Tolkien - The Hobbit
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