But how do I review a short story?

What follows below is just the way I personally review short stories. Every reviewer develops their own style, so each individual will have to find out how they like to write their reviews.

However, I thought I would share my own way so that authors I review know what I look at and how I work. And perhaps it is of some help to people who want to do reviews and don’t know where to start. After all I was clueless too, not that long ago.

I have added some questions that you might be asking yourself along the way, for those new and feeling unqualified to review. I hope my answers will be helpful.

1. Reading the story

I always start with reading the item first, all the way through. This helps me with getting the feel of the piece.

Along the way I will make some mental notes if something really stands out; that may be something I find difficult to read, a lack of paragraph definition, or things that I really like.

What I look at as well is:

Does the beginning capture me, does it make me want to read on?

Does it stir any emotions in me?

Does it read and flow well?

Does it hold my attention all the way through?

How do I feel about the characters – are they believable? Can I relate to them?

What do I think of the ending?



- What if I don’t enjoy reading an item and do not want to review it?

That is fine. You do not have to review an item. If it loses your interest then stop reading it if you wish. If the story makes you at all uncomfortable for any reason, stop.

But, if you do stop, I recommend not giving the item a low rating just because you did not enjoy it. At least not without telling the author why you gave a low rating.

Also, if you stopped reading because you feel the content rating of the item did not suit the content, as in the content rating being too low for the piece, I'd advise contacting the author of the item and if they do not wish to change it, contact a Moderator. (In extreme cases, contact both at the same time, for example if something is rated E and should be 18+ or over.)

- I am not an experienced reader of the genre, so am I still qualified to review it?

Of course you are. There is no such thing as "being unqualified."

The good thing about this site is that you stumble upon all kinds of genres and you may find items you really like of a totally different genre than you are used to.

You can still give your opinion on it. In fact, I have found authors wish to know if their items are a good read to people new to their genre!

2. Overall Impression

Now that the item has been read, this is a good time to write a brief overall impression.

Mine are usually only a few lines long, expressing how I felt about the story, the characters, the flow and what I thought of the beginning and the ending. I tend to give more detail later on in my review.

3. Suggestions

Personally I start with the grammar, punctuation and sentences that read strangely…anything that stands out and could be improved to make the read a better one. This can be pretty time consuming, I know, but many authors do appreciate the effort.

- So how long does a review like that take?

That will depend on the reviewer, of course. For me, anything from 30 minutes to…well my longest review on a short story took me 7 hours. You can make your review as long or short as you want though.

- How do I point out my suggestions?

That is an important question. Respect is the key. Always be respectful and encouraging.

I also advise any new reviewer to not simply copy the item text into your review. Especially if you will post it on the public review page. Such is frowned upon by many as it is not your text and it could spoil the story for other potential readers. I also avoid doing so out of respect for the author.

Therefore, I tend to use partial sentences when I can or none whatsoever if I see something repeated all throughout the item. If using partial sentences, simply do so in the right order and the author will be able to find them.

For examples on how to do so, just have a peek at the Public Review page which can be found under “Item Jumps” in your Site Navigation menu. There are too many different examples for me to list them all here and much will come down to your own style and preferences.

4. Characters

Next I tend to go more in depth about the characters. Can I relate to them? Are they well defined? Do I feel I know enough about them to make the story work? Is the author’s description of the character’s personality consistent? What about the character interaction, does it work?

Is there anything I really liked about them? If so, I will write about that here.
Are there any suggestions I have about the characters? Then I will write about that here as well.

5. Plot

Did it work for me? Did I enjoy it? Or are there things that are unclear?

Again I will express all my thoughts in this section of my review.

6. Wording

Is the wording well chosen? Did it make for a good read? Is the wording suitable for the item?

Again, the same.

7. Layout

The layout is important. So do not feel afraid to comment on it.

Are thoughts expressed in Italics? Most authors do so because it makes things more clear. Were the paragraphs clearly defined? Does the item look inviting or is it one big block of text?

8. Content Rating

Very important as well.

Does the item reflect the content rating? Or do you feel the content is underrated?

The same goes for the intro rating.

It is also good, as said, to contact the author of the item directly about this and, if needed, a Moderator.

9. My Rating

Now that you have reviewed the item, it is time to give it a rating. Did you enjoy the piece? Did you have any suggestions?

Your rating will reflect your opinion and review. So be honest in your rating.

If you do give a lower rating than a 5 out of 5, which will be often, it is nice to offer to return to the item when and if the author wishes to edit it. When you return to it you can read, review and rate again.

It is also nice to thank the author for sharing their work and to say something encouraging.

Note: Having said that I wish to state that a review should at all times be helpful and positive and encouraging. It does not do any good to be rude.

The same goes for if you fully do not agree with the author’s opinion. If it upsets you it is best not to review. If you do wish review then my advice is to not let a difference of opinions affect your rating, but rather the quality of the item.



So now you have your review all finished and it looks like loads of words, most likely. How do you make it easy to follow for the author?

I tend to use WritingML for that. For example bold sections, some colour, give my separate sections of the review a name.

Again, have a look at the Public Review page and you will find many ideas there on “spicing up” your review.

WritingML you can find by going to your Site Navigation menu, then to Author Tools. Scroll down a bit and you will find WritingML Help. That will give you all the codes, which you can even copy and paste! It can be very entertaining to play around with ML.

Note: Just like authors are protective of their items, reviewers are protective of their personal reviewing format. Whilst it is a good idea, when you are new to reviewing, to look at how others do their reviews and use their WritingML, it is not nice to use an exact copy for their format and/or an exact copy of their use of WritingML. Be creative and develop a format and ML style that is uniquely you!

Last but not least….have fun reviewing! It is supposed to be fun, you know!