I put together this little FAQ/How To Review page because I frequently get people asking what kind of reviews that authors like and want, and talking about how they are nervous about what to say. On the other side, I know a lot of writers that get shit on daily because of what they write, and a lot of the time readers likely don't even know that they are inadvertently making their favourite author lose interest in their story, their fandom, and their writing.
Before We Get Started...
Questions
Q: Why should I bother leaving a review when the author never replies back?
A: Because the author was the first person to start this relationship and exchange of words, and they've likely written more to YOU than you have to THEM. Also, reviews to fanfic authors are currency since we don't get money. We write a story, you pay for that story by telling us "I liked this!" Sometimes, authors have extra time to reply to reviews (and we DO love doing that, we DO!) but others don't have time. Some writers have jobs, families, children, illnesses, etc. They are using their extra time to write MORE stories for YOU.
Q: This story has been completed for (insert ANY length of time. ANY!) Should I still review, or is that weird?
A: Not weird! Review! Review always! Even if that author hasn't written anything in years, maybe they'll wake up, see YOUR review and think "Today's the day! I'm going to start writing again!"
Q: Do I have to review every single chapter? I don't want to seem like a stalker.
A: You don't HAVE to do anything, but OMG bless the reviewers who read and review every single chapter. It boosts our numbers, our spirits, and our sense of accomplishment! One of my favourite things to do is to follow along with a brand new reader as they binge on one of my fics, reviewing the whole time. It's a journey for them AND for me! Also, as long as you're not all "I know where you live" or "Can you send me samples of your hair," you're likely not going to come off as a stalker.
Q: English is not my first language. Should I still review?
A: Absolutely. Use this as a chance to practice! We love you no matter what language you speak. In fact, if you leave a review in YOUR language, we'll love that too. Translating something is as easy as inputting it into Google Translator. ♥
Q: I don't want to review because I'll just say the same thing over and over again.
A: Do it. Who could complain about reading "I love this!" over and over again?
Q: I'm afraid to review because I'm not good with words.
A: I've been told that my reviews are awesome by multiple authors. I think that's hilarious because the majority of my reviews involve me screaming my emotions in capslock and writing "I'm dying!" over and over. I was recently SO blown away by something I read recently, that my review was actually: "My brain is dying because this chapter is too awesome. Words good," and the author LOVED it.
Q: I just don't know what to say, and I don't want to just say "I liked this."
A: What was your favourite line in the chapter? Copy it, paste it in the review and then let the author know that it was your favourite line. This is literally good enough. The majority of reviews I leave for stories are me basically repeatedly pointing out which lines were my favourite and whether they made me laugh, gasp, cry, or scream.
Q: I feel weird about reviewing sex scenes.
A: A LOT of people do. That's okay. One of my favourite people leaves reviews on sex scenes that just say "I love your usage of semi-colons," or something like that. And it cracks me up! Most times, if I can't think of what to say after a sexy chapter, I'll leave a review that just says: "OMG OMG OMG!!! *faints*"
A: Because the author was the first person to start this relationship and exchange of words, and they've likely written more to YOU than you have to THEM. Also, reviews to fanfic authors are currency since we don't get money. We write a story, you pay for that story by telling us "I liked this!" Sometimes, authors have extra time to reply to reviews (and we DO love doing that, we DO!) but others don't have time. Some writers have jobs, families, children, illnesses, etc. They are using their extra time to write MORE stories for YOU.
Q: This story has been completed for (insert ANY length of time. ANY!) Should I still review, or is that weird?
A: Not weird! Review! Review always! Even if that author hasn't written anything in years, maybe they'll wake up, see YOUR review and think "Today's the day! I'm going to start writing again!"
Q: Do I have to review every single chapter? I don't want to seem like a stalker.
A: You don't HAVE to do anything, but OMG bless the reviewers who read and review every single chapter. It boosts our numbers, our spirits, and our sense of accomplishment! One of my favourite things to do is to follow along with a brand new reader as they binge on one of my fics, reviewing the whole time. It's a journey for them AND for me! Also, as long as you're not all "I know where you live" or "Can you send me samples of your hair," you're likely not going to come off as a stalker.
Q: English is not my first language. Should I still review?
A: Absolutely. Use this as a chance to practice! We love you no matter what language you speak. In fact, if you leave a review in YOUR language, we'll love that too. Translating something is as easy as inputting it into Google Translator. ♥
Q: I don't want to review because I'll just say the same thing over and over again.
A: Do it. Who could complain about reading "I love this!" over and over again?
Q: I'm afraid to review because I'm not good with words.
A: I've been told that my reviews are awesome by multiple authors. I think that's hilarious because the majority of my reviews involve me screaming my emotions in capslock and writing "I'm dying!" over and over. I was recently SO blown away by something I read recently, that my review was actually: "My brain is dying because this chapter is too awesome. Words good," and the author LOVED it.
Q: I just don't know what to say, and I don't want to just say "I liked this."
A: What was your favourite line in the chapter? Copy it, paste it in the review and then let the author know that it was your favourite line. This is literally good enough. The majority of reviews I leave for stories are me basically repeatedly pointing out which lines were my favourite and whether they made me laugh, gasp, cry, or scream.
Q: I feel weird about reviewing sex scenes.
A: A LOT of people do. That's okay. One of my favourite people leaves reviews on sex scenes that just say "I love your usage of semi-colons," or something like that. And it cracks me up! Most times, if I can't think of what to say after a sexy chapter, I'll leave a review that just says: "OMG OMG OMG!!! *faints*"
COMMON REVIEWS THAT ARE INTERPRETED BADLY BY AUTHORS
AND HOW TO CORRECT THEM:
Sometimes as readers we get so excited about a story that we can't contain our excitement and we suddenly lose the ability to articulate words properly, but we WANT to show the author that we LOVE THEM! Unfortunately, sometimes (especially when it happens often) words are misinterpreted. Despite knowing that good intentions might have been behind the review, authors can get drained and hurt. Do not feel guilty if you've left a review similar to one below. Everyone makes mistakes, and you likely didn't know ♥ It's okay. Writers still love you. Next time, maybe use one of these suggestions instead.
- "UPDATE!", "update pls", and "More." — This reminds me of greedy children at Christmas, ripping through their presents without a thank you, saying "Next!" after opening each gift. It sounds greedy and ungrateful.
Instead, try "I loved this chapter and I am so excited for the next update!" or "Sending you lots of love and inspiration for your muse!" or "Updates on this story make me so happy! Thank you!" - "You should make this into a multi chaptered fic." — The intention here is obvious. You LOVED the Drabble or One Shot or Short Story. We get that. But what we see is "This isn't enough." It's also one of those things that if ONE person said it, it might not be a bad thing. But when you write a Drabble, and every other review is someone begging (and in some cases DEMANDING) you turn this completed story into something longer (even though it's YOUR creation, and this is where you knew it was supposed to end) it's so draining.
Instead, try "This was amazing! I could read stories about this (couple/world/trope/plot) forever! I'm so glad you wrote it!" This implies that if the author DOES get inspired to write more, that it is welcome, but not demanded or required for the existing story to be worthwhile. - "You spelled ____ wrong." — The intention here is great. You found an error and you're wanting to help out the writer of a story that you love. However, you are likely not the only person who found that error, and if only three people review that chapter and all three of them point out that error, that author will likely feel embarrassed.
Grammar and spelling are a nightmare to every writer. JKR herself has TONS of issues and inconsistencies (just Google "differences between printed versions of Harry Potter). Not every writer will catch every error. Not every BETA will catch every error. I currently have an entire team tackling a fic over 790K words long. I KNEW that there was an error in chapter one, and I purposely left it there. 19 separate betas missed this error, including three with English degrees, two published authors, and a professional copywrite editor. Number 20 (a random reader) caught the error. Even the best writers and editors can miss the obvious.
Instead, if you really HAVE to let the author know about the error, leave a positive review about the content of the chapter (story, character development, favourite line, etc) and privately message them to let them know about the error. - "I didn't know this was a WIP. Ugh." or "You haven't updated since ____," — These reviews can usually be found on the most recent chapter of a WIP fanfic. Now let me say that I GET that some people can't read WIPs, especially if you have only so much time on your hands, read a lot of fics all at once, or have a bad memory. I get it. But that is YOUR issue, not the writers. If you get emotionally upset when you come to the end of a story and see that it's a WIP, then it is YOUR responsibility to check whether or not the fic is complete before starting it. Also, you don't need to let the author know when they last updated. They KNOW.
Instead, if you WANT to leave a review anyways, try "(Insert genuine reason that you don't read WIPs—that has NOTHING to do with you just being impatient) but I really wanted to show my support for your writing because I think you're great. Good luck on this new fic! I can't wait to read it, and I hope you understand." - "Please don't abandon this story." — Abandoned stories. OMG the pain, amirite? It super sucks to get to the end of a WIP and suddenly, months (or years) go by without an update. Sometimes you'll get one that just says "This story has been abandoned, sorry." Ouch. However, as a fanfic writer, let me tell you how much my stories mean to me. SO MUCH. I put my heart and soul into them. I was drowning in depression and lack of purpose when I read Harry Potter and decided I wanted to start writing again, so why not try fanfic. It fucking SAVED me. Most authors, if they abandon a story, it's probably for a life altering reason. Try to be understanding. Back to the above review... This review (while likely good-intentioned) implies that you think the author WILL abandon the story, and it's your job to convince them otherwise. It's not.
Instead, try ANY of the above suggested reviews about waiting for updates. - "To be honest...", "It's just that...", or "BUT..." — Any time you review a story, if you use ANY of these (or things similar), rethink you're entire review. Leave it off. You THINK you're offering constructive criticism, but those are essentially words that people use to leave mean reviews. It's the fanfic equivalent of "I'm just being honest." Unless you see that an author specifically asks for constructive criticism, don't do it. It's 99% completely unwelcome.
Instead, try to remember that writers are people too, and they are putting their time and effort to produce something that they just hope you'll like. Not every fanfic author is using this as a learning tool to eventually launch their own series of books. Sometimes they are using writing as a tool for dealing with stress, depression, a way to practise a new language, or express themselves. The very LAST thing they need is your "constructive criticism."
DO...
- ...Let your excitement show!
- ...Leave reviews on the actual story and also on social media (tumblr, facebook, twitter, etc) but only if you want!
- ...Make awesome fanart for your favourite authors.
- ...Ask permission before using a very obvious plot point specific to THAT fic, even if you're doing it as a nod to a story you love.
- ...Recommend fics all the time.
- ...Use CAPS to express your EXCITEMENT!
- ...Sign up for an actual account if you want to ask a question. Leaving a review with a question as a Guest is frustrating to writers because we WANT to answer you, but we have zero ability to do so.
- ...Read author's notes and ESPECIALLY trigger warnings!
- ...Leave as many reviews as the site allows you to. ♥
DO NOT EVER...
- ...Leave a nasty, hurtful, hateful review. EVER. Leaving nasty reviews like this is literally telling someone "Hey, we’re fans of the same thing! We belong to the same community! Except I’ve personally decided that you’re no longer welcome in the community because you don’t love it the same way that I love it."
- ...Tell the author to check out another author because "you could learn a thing or two," or "to see how it should be done."
- ...Compare authors in a review unless it is positive.
"You are as amazing as ____, and they are my favourite!" YES
"It's not as good as ____, but I like it." NO! - ...Tell the author that they NEED a beta. If the author thinks they need a beta, they'll ask for one. If you WANT to be their beta, a good way to ask (without sounding like a jerk) is to say "I love this fic so much! I've been wanting to practise my beta skills and was wondering if you would be willing to let me edit this story for you? If anything, it would be awesome to see chapters before everyone else. If not, I TOTALLY understand!"
- ...Review another author and then complain because they didn't automatically review or recommend your story. Reviews are currency between reader and author, not inside trading.
- ...Tell an author that even though you love everything else about a fic, you HATE _____. They will not see the good part of your review. They will see the HATE. You HATE their fic. It is literally like walking up to a stranger and saying, "Oh my god I hate hate HATE how your middle is all fat and gross. Don’t you exercise? Can’t you diet? I mean, don’t get me wrong, your fat belly is the only thing I hate about you." That person isn’t going to walk away going "Well, at least the rest of my body doesn’t make this anonymous person want to vomit, just my belly."
- ...Tell an author that their fic would be good "if the pairing was ____ instead of ____". In fact, don't tell an author that their fic WOULD be anything IF anything else. If it's good, leave a review; if it's not to your taste, then move along.
- ...Assume that the author believes the same thing as their characters. A review is not a place for you to yell at an author for "supporting" beliefs, words, or actions of a character. Some authors write DARK stories. It doesn't mean that they want to murder people, brainwash children, or torture animals.
- ...Say the word "Mary Sue" in a fic. If you're THAT well versed in fictional literature, go write your own stories and stop trying to tear down everyone else who just wants to express themselves.
- ...Leave a passive aggressive "I'm not going to read anymore because of _____" review. Be an adult. Also, don't leave a passive aggressive "I'm not going to read anymore" review, and then keep reading only to continue bitching about how much you hate the story.
- ...Complain about OOC, or things being unrealistic. EVERY FANFIC IS OOC BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT THE ORIGINAL CREATOR. They are out of character because YOU don't know how that character would ever react. You are not that characters god. Also, some of the BEST stories I've ever read are so massively OOC, but immensely wonderful!! If you're so bent out of shape about this, go and read canon.
- ...Leave your hate for a character in a review. If you don't like Draco, stop fucking reading Dramione fics.
- ...Accuse an author of bashing a character. This gets old so fast. I had a reader get through 134 chapters of one of my fics (over 700k words) and leave a passive aggressive "I'm done because you're bashing" review. Never mind that the character I was "bashing" was experiencing GROWTH through trials and tribulations. That character got an awesome HEA, for the record, not that anyone else would know it. If your favourite character is getting genuinely bashed in a story, stop reading it if it bothers you that much. I was once recommended a Snape/Hermione story that supposedly was AMAZING. I will never know, because in the first chapter, Sirius tries to assault Hermione, and I am so not down for that. So I backed out, and read something else. I bet that story had a great plot, lots of twists, characters, and scenes, and good for the author for putting herself out there. But her portrayal of a character wasn't for me, so I didn't read further... AND I ALSO DIDN'T BITCH AT HER FOR IT.
- ...Leave a negative review that could have been avoided had you read the trigger warnings for the story/chapter. We're not trying to ignore your reaction to things that trigger you emotionally, which is why we put trigger warnings on our stories.
- ...Complain about authors "holding chapters hostage in exchange for reviews." This shit bothers me so much. First, I have never seen an author do this. Second, REVIEW THE STORY! You are getting it FOR FREE! You are basically complaining about having to wait in line for a free concert, because the band performing doesn't want to start until everyone has had a chance to find their seats.
- ...Kink or "slut" shame an author or a character. If a character has sex earlier than you'd prefer, or with a certain person you don't like, or with a number of people that exceeds your personal limit, then go and write your own story, and don't leave reviews like "Ugh, WHOREmione!"
- ...Leave a review filled with homophobia or racism. I don't care what your personal thoughts are regarding either (actually, I do, and I likely think you're a piece of garbage if you have these sick issues) but NEVER leave a review saying "Hermione's supposed to be white," or "Ugh. I can't believe you made Draco gay in this." Even if they are background characters and you went out of your way to find a heterosexual pairing so that you didn't have to read about gay characters, LGBTQ+ people exist in real life. Think of reading fanfic as a lesson on the fact that you should probably get used to POC and homosexuals are all around you. Don't be an asshole to them in real life, and don't be an asshole to those who write them in fanfic.