On Scoring & Marking

I’d like to open a discussion on individual differences in marking.

Hypothesis 1: Some writers take their scores too much to heart and their reviews not seriously enough.

Hypothesis 2: There is no direct correlation between your scores and how likely you are to find a publisher.




First up: Are you a top or a bottom?

1. TOP DOWN MARKERS: Start with fives in the head and look for reasons to mark down.

2. BOTTOM UP MARKERS: Start with ones in the head and look for reasons to mark up.

3. MIDDLERS: Start in the middle and look for reasons to mark either up or down.

Hypothesis 3: Top down markers tend to be the more generous scorers. This is because any failing on the reviewer’s part works in the writer’s favour.

I am a top down marker. If I can’t see any reason to mark down I won’t mark down. If my own insight fails, the writer is not disadvantaged because of it.

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Now for the rubric.

Here are the questions that go through my mind when I’m working it out. This sounds arduous but in the end it’s gut instinct. I’m happy to be challenged on any of these. I’d also like to know what is going through everyone else’s mind as you score.



RATE THE CHARACTERS

• Do the major characters feel real?
• Are these people interesting enough to deserve a reader’s attention?

HYPOTHESIS: Some reviewers must like the viewpoint character in order to like the book. Others don’t. Some reviewers understand and agree that there is a place for stereotyped minor characters in fiction. Others don’t, and will mark down accordingly.



RATE THE STORY (PLOT)

• Has this been done before?
• Am I interested enough to want to read on?

HYPOTHESIS: Individual preference plays a large part. The more widely read the reviewer, the more likely the reviewer is to feel it has been done before.



RATE THE PACE AND STRUCTURE

• Are there boring bits?

HYPOTHESIS: This depends on the frame of mind of the reviewer. A reviewer’s concept of ‘boring’ will also depend on the reviewer’s life experiences, personality, interest in the genre and general humour.

I find this one hard because I have a fairly narrow range of what I read for pleasure (compared to many writers, that is).

I once asked my art tutor (also the national marking moderator) how he was able to give a mark to pieces he didn’t like. I pointed out it must be much easier to mark maths. He said he didn’t have a problem with it, putting personal artistic preferences aside to focus on what he knew, deep down, was true of good art.

HYPOTHESIS 2: Not everyone has this ability.



RATE THE USE OF LANGUAGE

• Does this writer have a good grasp of the English language? (No mixing up homophones, using the wrong word in the wrong place...)
• Is this writer able to use language creatively, avoiding too many clichés?
• Is the language use appropriate to the genre? (I’ll forgive more purple prose in romance, for instance, and allow plenty of flexibility in literary fiction, which by its nature is experimental.)

HYPOTHESIS: You’ll score better if you run your work through the spell checker first.

I am one reviewer who feels copy editing should have been done prior to upload. It’s only 5000 words. This sounds elitist, and it is. I won’t score highly on this until I see a proofed draft. I don’t mark down for formatting errors and the odd typo. That’s a different thing altogether.

HYPOTHESIS 2: Some reviewers mark down for any swearing, even if they have been warned about it.



RATE THE NARRATIVE VOICE

Does the narrative voice annoy the hell out of me? Could I stand reading it for the entire length of the work?

Is the narrative voice appropriately engaging/humourous etc, and appropriate for the genre?

HYPOTHESIS: This is what many reviewers find most difficult to mark.

HYPOTHESIS 2: Some reviewers are not able to tell the difference between a 'narrator' and an 'author'. Therefore, a sexist/racist/homophobic narrator may well annoy an obtuse reviewer so much that the writer is scored low. This is more of a danger when the writer chooses first person POV.



RATE THE DIALOGUE

Would these characters really talk like that?

Is the proportion of dialogue, when balanced against narrative summary and action, about right?

Does the writer understand the modern conventions of dialogue attribution? (ie avoid adverbs and strong verbs, don’t have characters ‘smiling’ words etc.)

Has dialogue been misused as a vehicle for exposing backstory?

Does the dialogue advance the story as well as reveal character?

HYPOTHESIS: Some reviewers will score low for dialogue if there isn’t much. Even if this is appropriate to the story.



RATE THE SETTINGS

Can I picture the setting in my head, or not?

Did the writer go on and on about the setting to the point of overkill?

HYPOTHESIS: Some reviewers don’t score highly for setting unless the setting is expanded in great detail, regardless of whether they are reading a story of milieu or something different altogether.

Additional points: setting refers to both time and place, not just place. Writers of high fantasy have a tougher job.



RATE THE THEMES AND IDEAS

I find this one the hardest. Short stories are easier but that’s only because we have the entire thing to look at. In a novel, theme may emerge more gradually.

HYPOTHESIS: Writers who whack us over the head with overt themes are safer because then, at least, every reviewer will see that there is one. Writers who prefer the subtle approach are at a disadvantage with reviewers who do not look beyond the surface layer, or who have not trained themselves to do so.

Of all the categories, this one reflects more accurately on the reviewer than the writer, in my opinion.

FINAL HYPOTHESIS: The marking rubric serves some genres far better than others. Comedy, for instance, is at a disadvantage because there’s nothing which asks reviewers to rate whether they got a laugh.

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That’s why I am always far more grateful for my reviews than my marks.

What do you reckon? Just how different are we?

I suspect I am one of the reviewers who has the widest spread of marks across any one review of a person's book. I treat each category in its own merits. So someone can get a 4 or 5 in one category and a 2 in another. Therefore I neither top/middle or bottom up down sideways.

Very often I like the premise of a book and mark theme highly, but feel the style doesn't get the best out of it, so character or language may only get a 2 or 3. Or they may be an accomplished stylist but the material is unengaging.

I suspect therefore I am a complete nightmare for people's standard deviation, but then I am a literary deviant. "A,B&E", "Not In My Name" and "52FF" (flash fiction anthology) all available on Amazon Kindle

"How a psychopath makes sweet love. I can get you ringside. Royal box even."

I've tried top, middle, and bottom, but I finally settled on top.

And I'm a voice person. If I like the voice, I'll follow it anywhere.

Ah, there's a clue for the standard deviation fiends.

If he had a car that's what his bumper sticker would say.