TheNextBigWriter Premium → Point system dying?
I'm not a author, but I'm looking forward to reading to help find nits for people. It would be nice for the authors to receive some points by having their stories read by free members. I look forward to see how this issue plays out.
Great idea claddaghdragon.
Thank you Janet. I have many friends that write. All critiques good, bad, of indifferent can be of great value. I have friends that can be so wound up at times a child could pick up on some simple errors. Maybe the readers will be able to help the authors with their points. Eventually.
Wow. After reading many of these comments, I feel rather discouraged. I first joined this site a few years ago. As with some other sites, trying to fit in and develop friendly relationships with veteran members was like trying to become part of an exclusive club. I write humor. I realize that not everyone shares my style and that's fine. However, being made to feel genuinely welcome somewhere means more to me than receiving obligatory reviews. Heck, I'll even take the, ahem, 'lofty' attitudes with a smile - cb. After all, my goal is to become a better writer, meet other writers, and develop a readership.
I just signed up for the premium, card-carrying membership because I wanted to give this site another go. I understand the motivation behind the point system as well as the frustration felt by some of the writers. I like that you offer two types of memberships, and I think it gives writers time to get to feel things out a bit before committing to a paid relationship. I have no problem with the point system. As someone else pointed out, those who are perhaps more serious about improving their craft and helping others will stick around and put in the work. Not that my opinion amounts to a hill of beans. :-)
Jill
I wouldn't worry if I were you, Jill. With rare exceptions, it's a great community of people who try to help each other improve their writing and get published. I've been a paying member since 2012 and have several reciprocal author/reviewer relationships that have been invaluable to me. Some very experienced, published writers on the site have taken a great deal of their time to provide me with detailed feedback, more even than I can give them, since their writing is much more mature than mine. I picked up another big-picture/detail-oriented reviewer just a few weeks ago.
Welcome to Premium.
Dirk
Stick around, Jill. Reading humor helps me loosen up. I love Ann Everett. She writes with lots of humor. Review her and you'll see what I mean.
The only way to use the point system is to pay money and i don't think it is worth it along with how long it last. I get it how writer wanted other people to read their work but it's like paying them to read, you don't really get what you want.
The only way to use the point system is to pay money and i don't think it is worth it along with how long it last. I get it how writer wanted other people to read their work but it's like paying them to read, you don't really get what you want.
I agree, however I wish there were a way to gift our points to deserving authors solely to help them gain a wider audience for their work.
I also wish there was a way to gift memberships too.
Anonymously, of course.
Some advantages of the points system (according to my personal experience):
1. Because you need to points to post, you are forced to review. So, the points system encourages reviewing. Of course, you may prefer to review the work of those authors who have reciprocated you, or with whom you regularly reciprocate. The latter can be done without the points system, so somebody may assume points are useless. Please, bear with me.
2. According to SOL's secret formula, you receive less points for reviewing than the ones you need to post. E.g., if posting 1000 words costs 5 points, you only receive 1.5 for reviewing a work 1000 words long. The proportion is not exact because only SOL has access to his top secret formula, but you've got the idea. My personal belief is that when you review you get one fifth of the points you need to publish, give or take. It may seem unfair, but the result is positive because, for every chapter you publish, you need to review from three to four chapters/short stories/poems. I.e., the points system encourages wider reviewing.
If the system pay the points 1 to 1, you'd only need to review 1 chapter more or less your chapter's length to to publish yours. If there were no points, you'd only review one chapter of some fellow writer and wait until she would review one of your chapters in exchange. Any of these two methods encourage less reviewing.
3. If you don't have enough points to publish your next chapter, and if you've already reviewed all the work/the work you like of the authors you regularly reciprocate with, the points systems forces you to review anybody else's work, whether they reciprocate or not. If they don't reciprocate, you may never review their work again, but not necessarily. If you need points, you may continue reviewing only because you need the points, or because you've just bumped into a story you like. You might have never started this sort of "fishing"--looking for random stories to review--if the point system do not exist (Why for? Unless you specifically want to look for something new. Without points you can publish, then review your friends' work, and sit until one of them reciprocates). Once again, the points system encourages reviewing.
I'm sure people will say that there are many authors publishing without points who are receiving reviews. I'm also sure that there are authors in the points system receiving no reviews. It means that neither system--points or no points--guarantees anything. However, it's my belief that the points system encourages reviews because of the above reasons.
Kiss,
Gacela
A further advantage to reviewing is learning how to write (or not!) by reading other people's work. I've gained quite a bit of experience that way.
Dirk
I agree with norm. I think I learn more from doing reviews than from the critiques that I receive. However, I really, really, enjoy, feedback from my fellow writers. Sometimes they can suggest just the right approach to get me beyond a patch of crappy writing. I guess everyone who is a paying member can post without points and if they then critique the works of others that would be fine with me.
Mariana Reuter wrote: 3. If you don't have enough points to publish your next chapter, and if you've already reviewed all the work/the work you like of the authors you regularly reciprocate with, the points systems forces you to review anybody else's work, whether they reciprocate or not. If they don't reciprocate, you may never review their work again, but not necessarily. If you need points, you may continue reviewing only because you need the points, or because you've just bumped into a story you like. You might have never started this sort of "fishing"--looking for random stories to review--if the point system do not exist (Why for? Unless you specifically want to look for something new. Without points you can publish, then review your friends' work, and sit until one of them reciprocates). Once again, the points system encourages reviewing.
Mariana, I agree with your point #3 wholeheartedly. I have delved into areas of writing I probably wouldn't have approached otherwise, just because I was desperate for points, and discovered some really innovative writing. At first when I joined this site, I was hesitant about my reviewing talent, but after perusing others' critiques, I learned how to approach a piece of writing. The points system has many advantages, as you so ably point out.
TheNextBigWriter Premium → Point system dying?
