Hi guys. I don't write to the forums very often but I've been following this thread for a while now. I'm an author on this website and I've got a few stories up. Some have received great reviews, others less so. I'm not so worried when people comment on the content, writing style, structure, etc. That's what helps me to better my work. What I find upsetting is when people give a low rating and only because they simply didn't like a very small insignificant aspect of the story, and most of the time it's something that isn't even to do with the story.

One review in particular stands out and I was given a poor rating because the story codes didn't match the story 'exactly.' I found that very unfair. There wasn't a single word about the story, content or anything else. This person had a problem with the code and they were going to give me a low grade because they couldn't get over a single mistake.

The story took about a week to write. You write a draft of the story, re-read. You re-write parts of it. Delete and re-write major sections of it. Re-read. You spell-check it and do your best with the grammar. Re-read. When you're finally convinced it's the best you can do, you upload it to the webmaster and hope for the best.

Fair enough there are some stories out there that appear to have been thrown together in a fit. I find it annoying when I spend quite a bit of time on a fantasy, fan's request, etc ... only to have it rated low because of something that isn't really part of the story. I myself like to think I'm getting better and are willing to try new ideas, new styles and ways of communicating with readers. But I'm a lot tougher than most authors out there. I've spoken to a couple of other authors who have been given really bad reviews. Some have quit because they feel humiliated and feel they've been given a hard time for their work. Others I've managed to convince to write again.

Personally I feel that only other authors should really be able to review stories. They'd then know how much time and effort people really put into their work.

Thanks for letting me rant on. I really needed to get this off my chest.

Firebird