Thread: Reviewing Rant

As the title says, this is reviewing rant. I posted something on another site for this 24 hour contest. I just wanted to write something so I wrote something on the subject. I wasn't all that comfortable with the work I did but the point was that I pushed something out and did it. So to avoid the criticism when other people read it who didn't know that it was apart of a contest read it, I added the disclaimer that it was a bit thrown together and had no edits.

And so I get a review the next day, oh wait it isn't a review it is a complaint about my description and how this prevented her from reading it. So I got a review that wasn't related at all to my piece and the person didn't even read it. Seriously? They clicked on the piece and scrolled down past the piece just to comment at the bottom that they didn't read it.

Honestly If I were in that situation I would have read it, and then said that it almost made me not read it. And if the description turned her off to it, then don't say anything! IF YOU DIDN'T READ IT! DON'T REVIEW IT! Is that so much to ask. I am so sorry for being honest about my piece. I really don't care if no one reviewed it or if they even read it, just don't say stuff like that. And I was working under the assumption that if I submitted it in the contest that I would get at least one honest review despite the disclaimer I put on the thing at 2 in the morning. They really should put that in the contest rules: word count must be included, must be to topic, and it will be read if we like your description if not (raspberry).

I changed the description but now no one will ever read that stupid stuff I submitted because the window is closed and I am so pissed at that person that I just want to delete the stupid thing. I even emailed her back saying, "Well I guess I should have just said that I was for a 24 hour contest" aka something that is supposed to be thrown together. But she just responded with a "but still..."

And the she tried to seem to be of all love and truth and beauty in the email signature. I am pissed. I won't write her an angry email or tell her that I took it off begging for a freakin review, I just want to trash it now. Trash it all. If you don't want to read it, just don't. Don't tell me why you didn't. Just don't. I am not going to go on that site for like a week now.

Well, I can sympathise with her. I have no time for reading pieces "thrown together". It shows a lack of respect for the person coming along to read it. If someone can't be bothered to exert the energy to spell-check and run their eye over a piece for mistakes, why should I spend the time going through it to give them a review?

The moral of the story? Don't "throw" things together and expect people not to get p**sed when you put up a disclaimer telling them it was "thrown together". That's just the reality, and I'm being honest about it.

I guess I shouldn't be honest anymore. All I was saying is that if you aren't going to read it, don't say that you are not going to read it. I was going to edit it later in the day and take of the disclaimer after the contest was over, because there was no time really to edit which is the point of the contest is to just write un-edited. At the time I did know somewhat that it would keep people from reading it, and it was on purpose. I didn't want someone not associated with the contest to read it because I knew it wasn't ready and fully formed. It was for the contest only, and I knew that if someone browsing would read it would point out all of these obvious flaws. But I miscalculated I guess.

I've learned my lesson, don't tell people that it is a rushed first draft for a contest. I am still pissed off somewhat at other stuff as well. And I know people would think "Don't let other people get you down. It deserves to be edited. Blah blah blah."

All I am going to say is, if you aren't going to read it, just don't. I'm not asking for anything more. How can anyone delete a post or a thread?

I would go further and say "Let it speak for itself" is a good general rule. Let's face it the guy who says "This is a funny story" then often tells one that barely raises a smile, and I can't think of a single published book that I have read where the author says "I threw this together" or even "This is the best thing I have ever written" at the beginning, (There are a few where someone else says it in the blurb, but that's different). I can fully understand the rant, it is like the people who don't understand the initial premise and give you a full crit, but really, if you were going to put anything you should put "For contest only, not critique please" and nothing to influence opinion.