How do you determine your ratings?

[RowanWrites]

I start with a 5. An author has to lose me.

I subtract one star for egregious sloppiness. Tense changes. Confusing narrative shifts.

I subtract another star for completely hackneyed characters and/or plot.

If the story still pulls me to the end, then I vote. But I'll never give less than a three, because if I don't make it to the end, I don't vote.

In a sense, I realize this is grade inflation. But it's not my job to slog through something I'm not enjoying, purely in order to give it a bad rating. That's not doing anyone a service.

So for me, a "5" means -- it held my attention to the end, and it was close to flawless in execution.

A "4" means it held my attention to the end, but it did have some flaws.

A "3" means it had a *lot* of flaws, and yet it still managed to hold my attention. In some ways a 3 is a much more interesting rating than something higher. It's gotta be doing something really amazingly right to overcome the poor execution!

Which is where reviews come in. But of course I don't see the comments before reading the story.

I wish there was a way to give a "6". Like a 5 + a $$$ tip. Because right now there are those very rare, occasional stories that merit something more than my minimum bar to reach a "5" -- but I don't have anything left to give, aside from a nice comment.

 

[MelissaBaby]

I wish there was a way to give a "6". Like a 5 + a $$$ tip. Because right now there are those very rare, occasional stories that merit something more than my minimum bar to reach a "5" -- but I don't have anything left to give, aside from a nice comment.

I think of laudatory comments as tips.

 

[RowanWrites]

I mean, I do too, it just feels like it's weak sauce.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I mean, I do too, it just feels like it's weak sauce.

Write a really good comment then, put some thought into it. I think most writers appreciate it when a reader takes a bit of time to compose a comment, rather than just, "Great story," and dash on to the next one.

 

[LdyHoneybee]

Not having the remotest idea why someone assigns a certain number is really not terribly helpful. A writer has no idea if the rating is about something having to do with the story or with personal taste. I paid a visit to LW having absorbed that it is legendary for terrible comments and, while this might have a lot to do with random selection, I did not find them so awful. I came upon a bunch which seemed to say,”You are a good writer, but I did not care for x.” Or “You did a good job but you could have done more with x.” And the like.

These are potentially valuable comments as long as they are not delivered as if every writer here for free should be E.A. Poe to dare to share anything. (There was only one of those.) Writers eventually reach the stage where the best criticism is self criticism, but that does not happen overnight or without any modeling. If you can uphold the person while pointing out why a bad or good or even mediocre rating was given, that is helpful. It gives the author something to go on and a way to assess what to do next (or not).
i have written a few comments but I have not rated anything yet.

 

[EarlyMorningLight]

Generally I give a five or I don’t give anything, unless I find a story to be morally reprehensible (BTB, racist, homophobic/transphobic, etc), then I’ll give it a 1. If a story isn’t to my taste or if I don’t really get into the writing, I don’t want to penalize the writer.

 

[LdyHoneybee]

Not having the remotest idea why someone assigns a certain number is really not terribly helpful. A writer has no idea if the rating is about something having to do with the story or with personal taste. I paid a visit to LW having absorbed that it is legendary for terrible comments and, while this might have a lot to do with random selection, I did not find them so awful. I came upon a bunch which seemed to say,”You are a good writer, but I did not care for x.” Or “You did a good job but you could have done more with x.” And the like.

These are potentially valuable comments as long as they are not delivered as if every writer here for free should be E.A. Poe to dare to share anything. (There was only one of those.) Writers eventually reach the stage where the best criticism is self criticism, but that does not happen overnight or without any modeling. If you can uphold the person while pointing out why a bad or good or even mediocre rating was given, that is helpful. It gives the author something to go on and a way to assess what to do next (or not).

I have written a few comments but I have not rated anything by numbers.

 

[TheRedChamber]

The problem with Literotica is that a lot of the stories end up rated somewhere between 4 and 5. So what often happens is that I read a story, think it's pretty good, but not spectatular, go to rate it and then realize that by giving it a 4 I'd be bringing down the story's average and so not really doing that author a favour, so I end up not voting or, depending on my mood, giving the author a 5 anyway. It'd be quite nice to have option to give a 4.5.

 

[Bramblethorn]

My ratings usually look something like this:

1*: story was outright hateful: racist/misogynistic/homophobic/transphobic/etc. I don't mean "there were hateful characters in the story", I mean "author comes across as endorsing that kind of hate".

2-3*: I want my time back. Usually though I nope out of these before the end and don't vote on them.

4*: I enjoyed it but wouldn't be in a hurry to read it again.

5*: I enjoyed it and would happily read it again.

I'm not going to mark a story down for a few spelling/grammar glitches, but if it gets intrusive enough to affect my enjoyment I might knock off a star, perhaps two for "how did this ever get past moderation?" level problems.

 

[mirafrida]

I rate only occasionally, and only when it's a 5. If the themes or style or particulars are simply not for me, I certainly wouldn't want to penalize. And if it's badly written or hackneyed, well, I figure plenty of people will let the author know and they don't need me piling on.

While I wish for H tag on stories like most other writers, I think the ratings are so overloaded as to be hard to make any usable sense of. For different readers, it could be about writing mechanics, theme, some specific buttons they demand or loathe to have pushed, registering disapproval of something, etc. etc. etc. My "average" story gets 70% 5s, 15% 4s, and a sprinkling of dings to make sure it settles at ~4.35. Why did it get dinged? I have lots of guesses but rarely any solid clues. Sometimes I try to respond to what I suppose people didn't like, but the next story will usually get a 4.35 too. Oh well, just keep writing...

 

[NewOldGuy77]

I start with a 5. An author has to lose me.

I subtract one star for egregious sloppiness. Tense changes. Confusing narrative shifts.

I subtract another star for completely hackneyed characters and/or plot.

If the story still pulls me to the end, then I vote. But I'll never give less than a three, because if I don't make it to the end, I don't vote.

In a sense, I realize this is grade inflation. But it's not my job to slog through something I'm not enjoying, purely in order to give it a bad rating. That's not doing anyone a service.

So for me, a "5" means -- it held my attention to the end, and it was close to flawless in execution.

A "4" means it held my attention to the end, but it did have some flaws.

A "3" means it had a *lot* of flaws, and yet it still managed to hold my attention. In some ways a 3 is a much more interesting rating than something higher. It's gotta be doing something really amazingly right to overcome the poor execution!

Which is where reviews come in. But of course I don't see the comments before reading the story.

I wish there was a way to give a "6". Like a 5 + a $$$ tip. Because right now there are those very rare, occasional stories that merit something more than my minimum bar to reach a "5" -- but I don't have anything left to give, aside from a nice comment.

Knowing how much work goes into writing, if it's decent and I enjoyed it I'll give it a 5 and add a nice comment.

If the some aspect of the story like plot or characters underperformed, maybe a 3 - 4. Seldom anything lower than than 3 if overall it was a decent try.

If the story's really unreadable and there's a lot to criticize, I keep my mouth shut and move on, I don't bother scoring or commenting.

 

[NewOldGuy77]

Write a really good comment then, put some thought into it. I think most writers appreciate it when a reader takes a bit of time to compose a comment, rather than just, "Great story," and dash on to the next one.

I'll take any positive comment I can get. It's the members or Anons who torch my stories while never having written a damn thing themselves that I end up deleting.

 

[Strixaluco]

I am apparently tighter with my ratings, then. 5 has to be earned.

5 - I really enjoyed, even loved it, and no big flaws. If it's a series, I will be waiting for more.
4 - Enjoyed, but there is something that would make it better. Will most probably read more, though. This is a pretty good grade for me.
3 - well, it's not bad, it's ok. But not more than that. Maybe there are things bothering me while reading. Or it just didn't do much for me.
2 - Blah. Might want my time back. Possibly unbelievable characters or plot.
1 - Yuck. Very poorly written, or showing disgusting attitudes. I usually just stop reading, though...

I avoid rating when it just isn't my thing, that makes it too contradictory.

 

[EarlyMorningLight]

I am apparently tighter with my ratings, then. 5 has to be earned.

5 - I really enjoyed, even loved it, and no big flaws. If it's a series, I will be waiting for more.
4 - Enjoyed, but there is something that would make it better. Will most probably read more, though. This is a pretty good grade for me.
3 - well, it's not bad, it's ok. But not more than that. Maybe there are things bothering me while reading. Or it just didn't do much for me.
2 - Blah. Might want my time back. Possibly unbelievable characters or plot.
1 - Yuck. Very poorly written, or showing disgusting attitudes. I usually just stop reading, though...

I avoid rating when it just isn't my thing, that makes it too contradictory.

I guess when I think about the purpose of scores, which is to indicate quality to prospective readers, I don’t like giving low votes unless something is truly abominable from a moral/content standpoint, because I know my standards probably don’t align all that closely with the majority of the Lit audience. There are so many stories here with high ratings that leave me cold, both in terms of the quality of writing and the content. But people like them, so I’m not going to impose my particular standards. It would be different if ratings were visible, so you could see who gave what score, and use individual recommendations as a reference. But that would be an absolute nightmare in practice. So I five the stuff I love, one the stuff I think is reprehensible, and leave the rest alone.

I also think it’s different for those of us who read across a wide range of categories searching for the best writing vs the folks who are here to read in really specific niches, and rate according to how well a story aligns with their own individual fantasies and fetishes.

tl;dr — ratings are a blunt instrument so I try to be conscious of how I use them.

 

[Strixaluco]

tl;dr — ratings are a blunt instrument so I try to be conscious of how I use them.

I just try to be somewhat consistent in my ratings. And 3 isn't low in my books.

 

[Defluer]

I'm the same as most everyone, if it's truly a 1 or 2 story, I never make it close to the bottom of the page to even vote. It's rare that a story gets me through it and yet earns only a 3, but it's happened. Sometimes I just can't do anything but say, "That's a 3 story." So vote it a 3. My 4s are really strong stories and what I use the most. I don't think about lowering somebodies score because a 4 is good and the more good votes a story has the less chance that a Troll is gonna come along with a couple of alts, or incognito browser to 1 bomb a story. Down. I have a couple stories that only have like 50 votes and can see them drop and pop back up as the Troll Tide comes in and the Sweeps Time takes them out.

Comments are always good, for me. Even "Great story" gives me a high for a minute or two. But a well crafted comment is, again for me, better than any cash tip could be. A comment and then an email! With a little back and forth. That's the sweet stuff! My ego gets fed with "other people" getting to see the comment and I feel like I've had a fan interaction like a real celebrity might.

 

[DHerbert]

I rate much the same as some above, but I do rate everything I read. Partly to let others know what average rating this deserves - but just as much so I know if I've read it before. If I do a tag search I now always flick to the ratings at the end and see if I've read it before. Sometimes I don't remember until part way through and I don't want to keep reading the same thing over and over again.

 

[RelentlessOnanism]

If I rate a story, it's only to give it five stars. Otherwise, I simply don't bother rating it.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Sometimes I don't remember until part way through and I don't want to keep reading the same thing over and over again.

But if you don't remember reading it, isn't it the same as reading a new story, only a bit more familiar?

 

[DHerbert]

A bit - but sometimes I'll get towards the bottom of the first page and think, I know this - and there was a good reason I didn't favourite it! With a limited lifespan I want to read the new stuff, the good stuff - and that which I've deliberately saved for re-re-re reading!

 

[BobbyBrandt]

On multi-part stories, I started to only rate the final submission on the completed work.

Too often, the writer starts out strong and loses focus, or gives up entirely, leaving the story unfinished.

For me, it's like trying to rate a restaurant on the appetizer and salad, only to find out that the entree made you sick. I now wait until the "meal" is complete before rating, but I will leave comments on individual segments.

 

[lc69hunter]

I find it hard to rate a story which has a good concept and/or outcome, but which has atrocious grammar and syntax. On the other hand, I can appreciate that, and not like the topic and/or the outcome. Tags are so important in this regard. I will choose not even to read the story if the tags tell me I will not like it. And if something comes up in the story that I do not like, and it wasn't in the tags, I stop reading and do not rate.

 

[SimonDoom]

For me it's more or less a percentile thing. A 5 is a story I regard as in the top 10% at Literotica. I've read enough Literotica stories (boy have I read a lot) that I have a pretty good idea what this is for me.

4 is roughly 70-90 percentile.

3 is 40-70 percentile.

2 is 20-40 percentile.

1 is the bottom 20 percent.

A 5 is a story that I enjoy, that captures my attention, that has generally good grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and an least reasonably enjoyable prose style, and in my opinion accomplishes what it's trying to do. I do not vote based on whether or not I share the author's kink or agree with the author's views. I vote based on whether I think the author has fulfilled the author's vision, not mine.

This is more theory than practice, however, because in practice I give far more 5s than anything else, because in practice I don't finish stories if I don't like them, and I don't vote on them unless I finish them. Reading Lit stories is like Tinder dating for me. I swipe left on and don't finish most of the stories I open. I can tell within 5 paragraphs if it's not my thing and I move on.

 

[Auden James]

First of all I read the text in question—preferably in full (though sometimes it probably wouldn't make much of a difference because an author's writing generally doesn't tend to vary that much within a single text). Then I consider what I've read, looking at the text from all conceivable angles, examining and—if the text provides for it—even fondling its details (because, after a certain point of competence in writing is reached, it's the details that ultimately make the difference between two given texts), and when I have thus readied the text in its entirety in my mind I'm finally able to then make an aesthetic judgment on it.

For this I've found George Dickie's observance in Art and Value worth noting that "every [value] theory must have some account of evaluational principles" (74), which is why I think that everyone who sets out to pass judgments on aesthetic objects (which I take erotica texts to be) is obligated—at least to themselves—to make their principles of evaluation explicit (which, indeed, may take some considerable amount of time and grappling with one's own feelings and thoughts over a wide-ranging set of reading experiences).

Since I have already done this, I'm now able to check (and, if needed, cross-check) a given text—readied in my mind (as described above)—against its evaluative principles: in this case those of erotica. And to make things more transparent and easier to manage I have again heeded Dickie's advice and set up "comparison matrices" (79) wherein I register every erotica text I have read and aesthetically judged. For as Dickie writes: "The whole point of a comparison matrix is to have the complete range of possible works with the same independently valued properties of a certain sort represented" (82). And for this purpose I make use of numerical scales assigned to the valued properties.

As a result I can precisely calculate percentiles—rather than merely estimate them based on some vague gut feelings—and thus adjust my principled evaluations to any given scoring scheme, e.g., with each of the five stars on LIT representing precisely one quintile of all the erotica texts I've read and evaluated as of today. Thus on Literotica I rate as follows:

One star = 1st quintile, representing the lowest fifth of evaluated texts (1% to 20%)
Two stars = 2nd quintile, representing the second fifth of evaluated texts (21% to 40%)
Three stars = 3rd quintile, representing the third fifth of evaluated texts (41% to 60%)
Four stars = 4th quintile, representing the fourth fifth of evaluated texts (61% to 80%)
Five stars = 5th quintile, representing the highest fifth of evaluated texts (81% to 100%)

I think that's the fairest way to rate on this site which only allows for five scoring steps; and in rating this way I also observe dr_mabeuse's famous dictum to "always criticize against the highest standards I know."

Works Cited
​

Dickie, George. Art and Value. Blackwell Publishers, 2001.

 

[yukonnights]

I don't see it as my job to pretend to be some expert on writing erotic stories. In general, I don't even finish reading stories I'm not enjoying — why would anyone? On the "so - so ones" that I do finish, it's because I'm willing to try and help an author with a comment on the issues that were detrimental to their story. So, for me that eliminates any need for any rating on those stories. On those stories I do enjoy and finish it'll either be a four star rating or a five star rating. Thus, I have no use for the one, two and three star options.

At the end of the day, I don't view low scores as being useful to those trying to get their "author's sea legs" under them. Maybe if you can't say something nice, just don't say anything at all?