Ratings

[steveusa450]

I published my first story, but I don't know what a 4/2 rating means. Can someone explain.

Thanks

 

[ElectricBlue]

I published my first story, but I don't know what a 4/2 rating means. Can someone explain.

Thanks

Two votes, an average of 4. So you either got 2 x 4s or a 3 and a 5.

A Red H means an average of at least 4.5 from at least ten votes.

 

[steveusa450]

thanks

 

[nice90sguy]

I'd advise you to ignore the ratings on your story until there are at least a dozen votes. After that, I'd STILL ignore the ratings on your story. Keep writing

 

[Kumquatqueen]

I'd advise you to ignore the ratings on your story until there are at least a dozen votes. After that, I'd STILL ignore the ratings on your story. Keep writing

Yeah, they settle down after a couple weeks. But it's regular as clockwork: get about 9 votes that are quite good, then as soon as the red H appears, there will be a bunch of 1 votes. They get swept eventually via the mysterious sweep process and the score rises again...

 

[Vintage_DM]

Two votes, an average of 4. So you either got 2 x 4s or a 3 and a 5.

A Red H means an average of at least 4.5 from at least ten votes.

An 'H' draws attention to your story. When I'm scrolling through a list of stories looking for something to read. I look for stories that have garnered an 'H,' it's like getting an 'A' in school. That mark tells me the story is well written. Also, but I start to read a story, often I will read the comments too. Steve - thanks for taking the time to write and post stories.

 

[TheLobster]

One thing of note, as I've been told, is that there are some idiosyncrasies in how readers of some particular categories tend to vote.

The most infamous one is Loving Wives, which are apparently has a good number of trolls that 1-bombs stories that actually follow the premise in the category's description. Stories that avoid their wrath are mostly revenge fantasies.

Another one is Incest/Taboo, where there's basically a rating floor that only the most atrociously written stories fall below. I've heard it being describes as "subtract 0.5 to get the real rating," though I wouldn't necessarily agree. Still, the category has massive readership that drops 5* very generously.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Welcome to the navel-gazing world of AH, Steve.

All good advice above, mind, but we tend to worry these things like a terrier with a rodent.