#after being deluged with negativity or 'helpful advice' that is in no way actually helpful

[mittensmorgul]

(re: trad authors vs fanfic authors and the “nine levels of removal") Yes. This. Story time! I went to a book event for a well known, critically acclaimed, best selling author once about 20 years ago. He'd never done a proper "book tour" before and as a fan I was excited. Myself and other fans from a Yahoo Group (RIP) met up at the event and gave Mr Popular Author a fan art book we'd put together. He later wrote that he’d had to go off to a corner of the bookstore to hide and cry for a few minutes because he'd always thought he was writing into a void. Then BOOM, there we were, a big group of us, right in front of him, loving his work and giving him feedback (and gifts!) He’d never so much as read a review of any of his books before. The sudden realization that actual humans had read (and liked!) his work was apparently very emotional for him. Fanfic authors don’t have the luxury of that distance. And I don’t envy them for it. The feedback they get is immediate and devastating. Trad authors often won’t even get told how many copies their book has sold for the first six months after publication. Fanfic authors see every single view and kudos and comment in real time.

Yep. This.

I mean, it’s shifted a bit in the last 20 years. A lot of traditionally published authors have websites, or twitter, or other social media. Before I ever came to fandom, I was trying to go the traditional publishing route, too. Heck, a decade later I’m still on author twitter (most of my twitter is authors/publishers/agents/editors because those are the people I befriended when I first started seriously writing). But there is a sense of removall still there between authors and readers. And twitter followers and interactions don’t always equate to readers.

I mean, look at any author’s twitter, and a lot of it is just... like anyone else’s twitter.

Authors can also go look at their reviews on Amazon or Goodreads or wherever else online, and see their book’s daily ranking in sales if they really want to, but trust me on this, everyone involved in the publication of their books has probably told them not to do this. It’s not helpful in any way, unless they’ve shot to the top of the bestseller lists. Learning their new release ranks 32502905 in their genre... isn’t worth bothering, you know? And there’s nothing to do by obsessing over it.

When your agent is sending you all the good reviews, all the positive feedback, and encouraging you to finish the draft of your next book or your next round of edits, you don’t HAVE to think about responding to every comment anyone makes on your work. You’re encouraged NOT to respond. Because those reviews are NOT FOR YOU. They’re for other readers, to help them decide whether or not to make a financial investment in your already published book.

Fanfic comments ARE NOT THAT. Fanfic comments are written directly TO the author. Sure, other readers might see them, and I’ve had conversations start in comments on my fic before so I know it happens. But when a reader writes a comment on a fic, it’s generally to thank the author for the story, for having entertained them for a while.

Not all fanfic authors reply to comments, but I think the vast majority of us TRY to at the very least. Thanking the reader for reading, expressing the happiness we feel that our work has brought someone else a bit of joy (or angst, or whatever feeling we’ve inspired with our words). Or else answering questions the commenter has asked, or otherwise expressing gratitude.

It’s a DIRECT CONVERSATION, the likes of which most people will never have with a traditionally published author. The absolute ridiculousness that anyone expects the works we publish on AO3, for free, can be compared in any way to a traditionally published novel is beyond belief. The conceit that works we write-- again, for free, in our spare time, out of love for doing it-- should be as polished and free of any sort of errors as works that have spent more than a year and often more than two years going through multiple rounds of editing, proofreading, line editing, typesetting, etc. where MANY PEOPLE have scoured it for errors and yet still a few slip by here and there... I mean, HOW can anyone hold writers working on our own, in our spare time, for zero pay, purely for our own enjoyment to the same level of exactitude that we hold commercial novels? It’s laughable.

And honestly, it reaches a point where we’d rather just post the thing and move on to the next thing. I have gone back and done minor edits to some of my older works. If I’m rereading and notice a typo, I’ll fix it, for example. I once switched a character and wrote it as a different character because I felt bad about how the original character was portrayed. But for the vast majority of them I have zero intent of going back and making major edits on anything I’ve written, because I have moved on. I’m writing something else now, and maybe that will be more polished for having written the previous things with the wonky sentence structure or the awkward choice of words.

Mostly I write because I want to tell the stories that are stuck in my head. I need to get them out or they wedge in there like a big old log jam. Enough words build up that if I don’t start lining them up and pushing them out, the pressure builds up and bursts out in really inconvenient and messy ways. I’m personally not writing fanfic as “practice.” Or because I hope to some day be “good enough” to publish original works for money. I came to fandom to write fanfic so I wouldn’t have to deal with the rest of the publishing industry lol. I don’t need encouragement or approval or advice on how to improve. I just need an outlet. And if other people enjoy anything I write, that’s just a bonus to me.

(I had a publishing contract in my hands, stared at it for three days and then cried as I tore it up... I didn’t want to put myself through the publishing mill... I was already burnt out just getting to that point, and couldn’t imagine it becoming my life for years to come. It wasn’t worth it to me, and then I found fandom and AO3 and fanfic, and got all the benefit from writing with none of the angst of commercial publishing. This is where I WANT to be, this is not a stepping stone or training ground for someday becoming a “real author.” Sure, it is for some folks, but for a lot of us, this is just what makes us happy.)

Can you imagine going to a craft show where everyone has spent their time making beautiful handmade things and walking directly up to each artist and critiquing their work? Going up to a knitter and complaining that you saw a nicer hat in Macy’s the other day and pointing out everything about her hat that you don’t like? Or going to a jewelry designer and saying you prefer gold to silver, and demanding to know why they chose to inlay green stones when clearly they should’ve used blue ones?

Same vibe on critiquing fanfic in the comments. Or at the author in general. It’s just rude.

[jpkee-blog]

https://jpkee.com/pc-mobile/how-to-become-an-amazon-vine-reviewer-get-free-stuff/

How to Become an Amazon Vine Reviewer & Get Free Stuff

Do you think leaving an Amazon review How to Know If You Can Trust an Amazon Product’s Reviews How to Know If You Can Trust an Amazon Product’s Reviews Amazon product reviews are hit or miss. Sometimes they’re helpful, sometimes they’re fake. Here’s a tool you can use to check the integrity of a given product’s reviews. Read More is a waste of time? Then, an Amazon program that’s been around since 2007 might have you thinking twice. Amazon’s Vine Program consists of a group of handpicked reviewers who get products for free in exchange for honest reviews.

Amazon doesn’t give away too much about how reviewers are selected, but there are some basic guidelines that you can follow in an attempt to be one of the lucky ones receiving free swag.

What is the Amazon Vine Program?

Amazon’s Vine Program is an invite-only group of reviewers that receive products for free in exchange for impartial reviews. They will often receive products before they are released. Amazon explains its purpose:

“[…] to provide customers with more information including honest and unbiased feedback from some of Amazon’s most trusted reviewers.”

Anyone who is a member of the Vine Program will have a badge on all the reviews they leave on Amazon distinguishing them as Vine Voices. 

That doesn’t mean every single review they leave is the result of a freebie. If they received the item as part of the program, that review will be labeled Vine Customer Review of Free Product.

While Vine members used to receive a monthly newsletter featuring books and other products they chose from to review — with products valued at anywhere from a few dollars to close to $1,000 — they now have access to a rolling list of items they can order at any time. According to NPR, Vine members cannot sell or give items received through the program away and Amazon can ask for the items back — although they don’t appear to do that.

Amazon says that Vine reviewers are not expected to leave positive reviews and that writing a negative review will have no impact on an Amazon user’s ranking.

How Do You Get An Invite?

So how do you become one of Amazon’s most trusted reviewers? Amazon will reach out to you if they feel you are a good fit for the program but the company does offer some guidance on what it’s looking for in a Vine Voice.

Rather than focus on quantity of reviews, they are focused on quality. It’s no good if you’re out there on Amazon leaving one-word reviews left and right. Being a prolific reviewer is no guarantee of joining the Vine program. Amazon’s guidelines for a Vine Voice are:

A reviewer’s rank, which is based on the overall helpfulness of reviews, while also factoring in the number of reviews.

Demonstrated expertise in one specific product category.

More weight is given to recent reviews. (Rankings are updated every couple of days.)

An interest in products similar to those enrolled in the Vine program.

While an interest in the products enrolled in the program is key to getting an invite — aside from looking for Vine reviews on Amazon (which is not an easy task), there’s no real way to know which products are enrolled. All we know is that vendors pay to have their products included — a fact that Amazon did not initially disclose, leading to some negative coverage of the program in the past.

In any case, in its explanation of the program Amazon writes:

Ultimately, Vine Voices become eligible based on the value and trust other Amazon.com customers place in the Voices’ ability to provide helpful and insightful reviews.

Helpful Votes

So if you want to be considered, avoid leaving extremely brief reviews. Avoid complaining about something in the product that is clearly stated in the description. Think about the questions you were asking yourself before you took the plunge and ordered that $200 gadget that you knew you didn’t need but really, really wanted.

Amazon likely scours the thousands of reviews left on products available on the site and looks at how those reviews are being received by fellow customers.

Reviewers whose feedback is consistently marked as helpful have a better chance of being invited to the program.

Stick to One Category

As for the second criteria – Amazon looks for your interest and expertise in specific product categories. Anecdotal evidence shows that sticking to one product category, and becoming a recognized and helpful expert in that field gives you a better chance of becoming a Vine member.

There’s No Clear Science

Amazon doesn’t provide much information on how it makes that decision. For example, we found Vine Voice reviewers who received 4,000 helpful votes. Some Hall of Famers have received over 88,000 votes but are not a part of the program. There is clearly no exact science in play here. One Vine Voice reviewer posted on Quora that he received his invite with over 30 reviews and over 300 helpful votes. In addition to numbers, according to him, it also depends on which categories Amazon is looking to add new Vine Voices — in other words — there’s no guarantee.

One major piece of information that Amazon does not share is how often it invites users to the Vine program, so it’s never really clear if Amazon is actively recruiting new reviewers. So if you want to be considered, you’ll simply have to keep at it. Most anecdotes found online of Vine members being invited are somewhat dated at this point.

One Reddit user who is also a Vine member claims that Amazon does not add new members unless existing members leave the program.

Tips from Vine Members

Vine Member Laura Knights offers some details on what she did prior to being invited in 2009:

She aimed to write one review per week. (Some of the top Vine reviewers wrote as much as one review a day, and sometimes more.)

She reviewed products mainly from one category: kitchen items.

She did this for a period of one year.

She speculates that being a longtime, active Amazon member may also have something to do with it.

MakeUseOf’s Bakari Chavanu, a Vine Member since 2010, offers this advice:

You need to have been an Amazon member for longer than 6 months.

Write thoughtful and genuine reviews.

Prioritize reviews of products you actually bought on Amazon. (These will be labeled as a Verified Purchase on the site.)

Play the long game by updating your reviews after you’ve used the product for a while.

Consider doing short video reviews as well.

Focus on a product category associated with your profession as this can lend to your credibility and increase the likelihood of helpful votes.

Tips for Writing Reviews

The last thing to consider if you’re trying to get an invite to the Amazon Vine club is to pay attention to Amazon’s own review guidelines. This is what Amazon suggests when you’re about to write a review:

Do explain why you liked or disliked it.

Do compare to similar products or services and share how long you’ve used this product.

Do identify specific attributes (e.g. comfort & fit of a shirt or the battery life of a camera) and whether they met your expectations.

Don’t describe your seller or shipping experience (you can do that at amazon.com/feedback).

Don’t include promotional content of any kind or reviews written in exchange for compensation.

You’re In. Now What?

Once you’re accepted as a Vine reviewer you will want to make sure you follow the guidelines of the program. You are limited to two products at a time and you must write and post your reviews of received products before you can request additional items. Be sure to leave a review within 30 days of delivery.

Only choose products you’re really interested in, and don’t feel compelled to select something just for the sake of a review. If you don’t really want or need the item, you can just skip a month or two.

You’d be surprised but as with most things online, being a top Amazon reviewer doesn’t come without risks. One Amazon reviewer reportedly gets regular hate mail, among them death threats. Other Vine reviewers say their reviews get negative feedback just because of their Vine badge. And while Amazon vowed last year to crack down on ‘incentivized’ reviews Deleting Fake Amazon Reviews, Streaming for Comic-Con Geeks, & More… [Tech News Digest] Deleting Fake Amazon Reviews, Streaming for Comic-Con Geeks, & More… [Tech News Digest] Fake Amazon reviews, streaming movies for Comic-Con geeks, LinkedIn buys Lynda, Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Pacapong combines Pac-Man and Pong, and the Netflix Watch is coming soon. Read More , because of a deluge of fake reviews How to Spot Fake Reviews on Amazon How to Spot Fake Reviews on Amazon Don’t trust that review or 5-star rating on Amazon to make up your mind about a product. The only way to find a true opinion is to learn how to spot these fakes. Read More , the Vine program has continued to operate.

A 2016 study by ReviewMeta found that, while they may not be perfect, Vine reviews are often better than incentivized reviews.

For all of the criticism that it’s received, there are some really dedicated reviewers among their ranks, including the current top-ranked Amazon reviewer, who has written 3,451 reviews and received over 84,000 votes from other Amazon users for the helpfulness of her reviews. And, you can’t disagree the value of a good review when you go shopping on Amazon The Amazon Shopping Guide The Amazon Shopping Guide This free Amazon shopping guide outlines everything you need to know to make the best use of Amazon and secure the best deals. Read More .

Do you regularly write reviews on Amazon? Are you a Vine member? Can you share any tips or tricks on how to get invited into the program? What has Amazon sent you to review? Let us know in the comments. 

Originally written by Bakari Chavanu on Aug 4, 2010

5 Virtual Stock Market Games That Help You Learn How to Invest

!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script','https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js');

fbq('init', '1039155796172671'); fbq('track', "PageView");

Source link