How much to reveal?

So that we can provide faster and better support, this forum (the "Public Suggestion Box") has been retired. Instead, please send any suggestions you have to us using the official website contact form.

This allows us to streamline our support system so that we can get to your message much faster. Instead of our support staff having to check three different places (support forum, suggestion box, and contact form messages), they know can respond to all message through one method, with that one method being the official website contact form.

Moderator: Official Reviewer Representatives

Post Reply
Chris Dutton
Posts: 102
Joined: 02 Jan 2015, 11:24
Bookshelf Size: 10
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-chris-dutton.html
Latest Review: "NovoPulp 2013-2014 Anthology" by Niamh Brown, Ted Ewen, H. David Blalock, Lacerant Plainer, Micha Fire, Michael David Matula, Rich La

How much to reveal?

Post by Chris Dutton »

Apologies if this is the incorrect forum for this...mods, please redirect if wrong!

I've recently completed my first review, and appreciate the feedback from the editors.

The main gripe on the feedback seemed to be around detail on the actual stories (it's an anthology of short stories).

What exactly is acceptable on spoilers? I purposefully did not give spoilers, and as they were short stories, it was perhaps more difficult to critique or describe purely because they were short.

The review was accepted, but naturally, I would appreciate any guidance as to acceptability, what istoo much, what is not enough .

As an aside, do the editors read the book? Do they agree with the findings, and if opposed, say so?

Thank you!

Chris.
Latest Review: "NovoPulp 2013-2014 Anthology" by Niamh Brown, Ted Ewen, H. David Blalock, Lacerant Plainer, Micha Fire, Michael David Matula, Rich La
User avatar
CataclysmicKnight
Posts: 912
Joined: 26 Jan 2015, 19:51
Favorite Book: Ready Player One
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 1693
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-cataclysmicknight.html
Latest Review: Simple Man Simple Message by Mark Dobosz

Post by CataclysmicKnight »

I haven't done any editorial work, but with my reviews I try to give very little information beyond what's publicly available (amazon, author/book website, etc). I do try to write about how the story is written, though, and sometimes use a quote or two that doesn't give anything away
Nothing is true, everything is permitted.
User avatar
gali
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 53652
Joined: 22 Oct 2013, 07:12
Favorite Author: Agatha Christie
Currently Reading: The Suite Life
Bookshelf Size: 2287
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-gali.html
Reading Device: B00I15SB16
Publishing Contest Votes: 0
fav_author_id: 2484

Post by gali »

I think one should outline the plot in a few words without giving away any spoilers, as to give the reader a taste of the story. Of course it isn't necessary to describe all the stories in the book. However if one gives an example to a specific story in his review, I would like to know what the story is about as well as the opinion of the reviewer about it.

Editors don't read the books, just the reviews.
A retired Admin/Mod

Pronouns: She/Her

"In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you." (Mortimer J. Adler)
Chris Dutton
Posts: 102
Joined: 02 Jan 2015, 11:24
Bookshelf Size: 10
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-chris-dutton.html
Latest Review: "NovoPulp 2013-2014 Anthology" by Niamh Brown, Ted Ewen, H. David Blalock, Lacerant Plainer, Micha Fire, Michael David Matula, Rich La

Post by Chris Dutton »

Ok, thanks gali, will keep that in mind in future.
Latest Review: "NovoPulp 2013-2014 Anthology" by Niamh Brown, Ted Ewen, H. David Blalock, Lacerant Plainer, Micha Fire, Michael David Matula, Rich La
User avatar
ALynnPowers
Posts: 8536
Joined: 21 Aug 2014, 07:14
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 417
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-alynnpowers.html
Latest Review: Sarah's Dream by Eileen Bird
Reading Device: B0051QVF7A
Publishing Contest Votes: 13

Post by ALynnPowers »

I'm not a big fan of short stories, and I can't even imagine how difficult it must be to write a review on an anthology.
If I were reading the review, I wouldn't want to read about every single story presented in the book, though. I would probably want to see something more like a breakdown... what to expect overall in the book. Do the stories follow a similar theme throughout? What is the same or different as you move from one story to the other? I wouldn't mind hear about which story you enjoyed or didn't like as much as the others.

And, no, we editors don't read the book and thus don't give opinions about whether we agree or not. We just check the reviews to make sure they follow the guidelines (not giving away spoilers is one of the guidelines!), are well-written, and make sense. That last one seems a bit silly... but you would be surprised. ;)
Post Reply

Return to “Public Suggestion Box (Retired)”