Quote Originally Posted by JakBird
Is it proper to review a story if it isn't to one's taste? I've contributed a few stories so far, stories targeted to a very narrow audience. The reviews have been positive, and I certainly appreciate the comments, but it makes me wonder at how many started to read and gave up, out of boredom, disgust, or whatever.
Jack Peacock
I think that it is entirely proper to review a story and say that it wasn't to your taste. Likewise, I have submitted stories to a narrow audience. The story codes are there such that you only read the ones that appeal to you. Poor use of story codes may broaden the audience, but will broaden the audience to those who are not interested.
Encouragement for the authors is important, but false praise will not encourage them to improve in areas that might be lacking.
What form should a review take? I agree that the story should be judged on how well it captured your interest. If the grammar was so bad that it was un-readable, it didn't interest you. I have rated almost every story that I've read. The ones I didn't rate were those I thought were a 6, and everyone else raved about. It's not helpful to rain on someone's parade. I took a look at one point - my average rating is a bit over a 7.
As an amateur author, I really love it when others leave feedback for me; nobody likes to write into a vaccuum