Why don't you post reviews?

[Crothian]

Well, I just submitted a product to the database so I can review it, but before I take a stab at it, what exactly makes a good review? Any sort of advice for a first timer? I know it's fairly subjective, but I need to shape my writing style for something that's pretty new to me.

It is new and different for a lot of people. Most important thing to me is let people know whay the book got such and such a rating. The reader should come away with the good and the bad of the book, but most importantly they should have some understanding on what the book is. Ya, there are many most important things it seems, and they do change depending on what is being reviewed.

 

[Psion]

Most important thing to me is let people know whay the book got such and such a rating. The reader should come away with the good and the bad of the book, but most importantly they should have some understanding on what the book is.

Just so. The reviews page isn't a poll. Tell us more than you like it or you don't. Tell us why you like it or you don't. No reason to get real florid. A couple of paragraphs will do.

 

[Leopold]

RPGNow has a e-mail list for publishers and reviewers. Publishers occasionally ask people to contact them about reviewing their items. You can e-mail me at cgath@insight.rr.com and I can probaby help you at least with the pdfs.

you sir got mail!

 

[Leopold]

We're always looking for reviewers. Feel free to take a look at out product listing:

http://www.rpgnow.com/default.php?manufacturers_id=352

If you see a product there you'd like to review please contact me at philip@philipjreed.com. I'll then ship it your way.

This offer is open to all reviewers.

YGM

 

[Prest0]

Ya, I owe you a review. Sorry about the huge delay but I was really hoping to have a friend run Weekend Warriors before I reviewed it. But that just isn't going to happen, time is a factor. He's ex military and really wanted to give it a go. Probably still will, but I really should just review it without the run through.

No worries. I know you probably have like a jillion (which is even more than a "zillion") PDFs to review. I hope your ex-military bud gets a chance to play it. It really is a lot of fun.

Personally, I'd rather see Bloodlines reviewed first anyhow.

 

[Krael]

I would have to say on my side it's more of an insecurity thing.

I don't believe I have the ability to write a well-thought-out review of something, given the quality of the reviews I always see out there. I know what I WANT to say, I just can never quite find the right words. So instead of embarassing myself in front of the entire world, I take the easy way out, and mostly lurk.

Essentially, I know I'm not the best writer in the world (far from it), and I rely on others to accomplish the reviews....

Cop out? Yeah.... I'd love to write reviews..... some day...

Krael

 

[Leopold]

No worries. I know you probably have like a jillion (which is even more than a "zillion") PDFs to review. I hope your ex-military bud gets a chance to play it. It really is a lot of fun.

Personally, I'd rather see Bloodlines reviewed first anyhow.

what? free pix of my sister and still don't get a PDF?

 

[trancejeremy]

I would have to say on my side it's more of an insecurity thing.

I don't believe I have the ability to write a well-thought-out review of something, given the quality of the reviews I always see out there. I know what I WANT to say, I just can never quite find the right words. So instead of embarassing myself in front of the entire world, I take the easy way out, and mostly lurk.

Well, you can always do it under a different name

Anyway, it's like public speaking. You get used it, and generally speaking, you just get better and better at it.

 

[barsoomcore]

I said, "Not enough time." But I want to chime in on the "better late than never" message. The first thing I do when I'm considering buying a product is go to ENWorld and check the reviews. This is usually quite a while after the product has come out -- most recently I looked at the "Darkness Rising: Vampires" book from Bottled Imp Games and read the reviews on that. That's a product that's been out for what -- a year now? So don't worry about being super timely.

And don't worry about having idiosyncratic tastes -- that's GREAT. I love to read about how somebody actually USED a product, or why it didn't fit their campaign very well. As long as you're clear about the nature of your tastes and your reasoning for things, let 'er rip.

Finally, there is a long and glorious tradition of writers reviewing the work of other writers -- Dorothy Parker, TS Eliot, Lord Byron, and Martin Amis have all written reviews of other writers. No reason why that wouldn't work in this industry -- except of course that it's a much smaller marketplace and if you irritate someone with your review you might not ever get work from them, which might be significant. But that just means be careful in how you write your reviews. There's no need to be inflammatory and there's no NEED to review any particular product. If you hated some book -- just don't review it if you can't say anything civilized about it. But that's no reason to adopt a "I don't review" policy.

I reckon.

More reviews!

 

[Dark Psion]

Well just for you, I just posted my review of the Expanded Psionics Handbook.


As to why I don't post more review here, I chose other because there are several reasons.

One is that we can only give the book a 1-5 rating overall. If we could review several aspects like other sites do; content, art, EDITING (see XPH) etc. I might review more here.

Also, the staff reviewers just do too good of a job at reviewing products. After reading yours or Psion's reviews, I just don't have anything else to add.

Another reason is negative feedback. The few reviews I have done here got a lot of negative comments and I didn't wish to feed the trolls any more of my work.