Review Reply Comments

Companion to: "Review Replies: How Do You Use Them?" 

Some members who reviewed this poll included comments about their answers, and attitudes toward reviewing. I think these comments are very interesting, and want to make them available to anyone viewing the poll. (I've omitted names and comments about the poll itself, and fixed a misspelling or two.)

If the review is poorly thought out or a one-liner, I just say Thank You. If the review gave great detail or insight it deserves a warmer Thank You, and maybe some discussion. If they were mean or arrogant, a "TX!" is all they get. If it was down-right hate mail along the lines of "wish you were dead and not posting here," they get the middle finger salute on the delete button .

Sometimes I get caught up in other stuff and it takes me forever to reply to a review and then my inbox gets jammed full and reviews get lost in the shuffle of a million other emails. I do keep every single review though, and make it a point of only deleting them AFTER I've reviewed something from that person's portfolio, even if it takes me a year to do it.

As for the reply itself, I usually try to create a little dialogue with the reviewer, pointing out some thoughts I have after reading their review (ie: if they make a suggestion on how to improve a story and that gets my brain going) or commenting on my extraneous use of commas, a habit I'm still trying to break.

At the very least I try to thank the person for taking the time to comment and read all the way through.

I only reply when I have something to say, which is a bit sad because it makes me pretty happy when people drop me a line from one of my own emails. Other times I put it off, saying "I'll do it later, do it later"--then I delete all my emails and the review goes down the drain with it. I guess I procrastinate too much.

I reply to every review and try to do at least one review for each one I receive. I've met many good friends this way.

I don't answer bad reviews.

As an eager newbie, I take advice of my seniors to heart. I was advised to respond to each review and that's what I do. It is respectful and shows appreciation that someone took the time to read my work. I also like to reciprocate with a review.

I usually don't reply to reviews that fall in the middle range (3.5 to 4.5) with no constructive feedback. I also don't respond to bad reviews (below 3.0) because I'm not here to get in arguments or defend my work - people are entitled to their opinions and if they don't like it, fine. Nobody put a gun to their head and forced them to read it or to rate it. I usually only reply to people that give me a 5.0 to thank them for the outstanding rating, or mid range reviews that offer useful constructive criticism that will help me improve. Otherwise, I let it go.

If someone took the time to review my work, naturally I would want to respond to them.

Another review etiquette poll. I always find these interesting, as those who answer are the more involved people on the site anyways. I voted for I reply to each review. But I have to admit I let a couple slip a few times, mostly when I was new. The review would be kind of blah, I didn't really know why the reviewer bothered in the first place. My writing didn't seem to excite.

Now I reply to any review, no matter how short, just to let the person know I am alive and thankful to be seen.

I chose "I try to reply to reviews, but sometimes I forget." But usually my reply is, "Thanks for taking the time to send me your opinion." I rarely say anything else unless the review provokes me (in either a good or bad way). Sometimes, I feel like reviewers wasted their time on reviewing my work because the only stuff in my portfolio that people review regularly is the stuff I wrote six or seven years ago, and I only keep it there as a marker. A starting point. Maybe I should add a note explaining this at the tops of those items. I don't know. I wish more people who reviewed payed attention to the dates things were posted.

Interesting poll, but the results seem kind of skewed. I guess that's only natural since the people voting are typically the people out there replying to reviews and stuff.

I reply to every review. If it's a one-liner, I simply thank. If it's a more detailed review, I respond to each of the important points the reviewer has raised. According to me, every review deserves a response. Someone has taken the trouble to read and comment on your work.

I selected "I reply to every review." because that is what I do. However, I do not use the box that comes with the review because I do not believe that the message shows up in my sent box if I do that . . . and sometimes I want to be able to look back at my response. This may have changed in the last year but when I respond to a review, I go down to the regular email respond box below the review and write my message there. One thing that I get back doing that is that my signature and the WritingML associated with it is contained in that box but not in the box attached to the review.

I think it is very important to at least say "Thank you!"

My answer was "I only reply when I have something to say." Because you are asking for a review, and if you got one, the only times you might get to correct it, it's if the review wasn't helping at all or if that review was challenging enough to make you start an argument.

Some reviewers crack me up! Take a look at these:

In the result of a negative review, I like to be-friend the reviewer, find out where they live, and have them listed on the national sex-offenders web page.

If the reviewer has something nice to say to me, I like to forward a gift certificate for one free item off the McDonalds dollar menu.

I usually don't return the favor of reviewing because I lack focus and only pay attention to things which interest me. Unfortunately, the only thing which interests me is myself.

Of course, the reviewer is most likely selling Amway products or self publishing or is just a stalker. Smile If you get useful nits, a good edit, then just say thanks and ask for a photo(it might be a fun stalker) or...

..just say thanks