So, you're on a mission to find a reviewer. Hopefully, by now, you know that there are good reviewers and not-so-good reviewers.

Most of the time, you'll find a review store, request a review, sit back, and wait patiently. Your review will arrive in few days (or weeks, or months, or centuries), and you will either be thrilled at how constructive and helpful the review is, or you will wish you hadn't wasted your time on the payment for that reviewer.

Why would you have such regrets?

Simple: the review was trash.

So, how do you avoid this? Surely, you will only know if a reviewer isn't great until after you receive the review, right?

Wrong.

In this chapter, we're here to help you see whether your reviewer is good before you actually request your review.

When you're looking to see if your reviewer is right for you, there are three main places to look: their profile, their review store, and their stories. Let's start with the first one, shall we?

This check isn't a very long one, but it is an important one. When you check out their profile, make sure you ask yourselves the following questions:

- When were they last active?

This is crucial if you don't want to end up waiting for fifty-eight years for your review to arrive. Make sure you see if they are still active and accepting requests. You can do this by scrolling through their feed, or seeing when was the last time they posted on their newsfeed. Additionally, you can also shoot them a message asking if they are still active and accepting reviews.

- What fandoms/genres do they like?

This is most important if you are submitting a fanfiction to be reviewed. Most people tend to list the fandoms they like on their profile, and this is the perfect place for you to check whether the reviewer actually knows your fandom. If they do, great! They'll know if your characterisation is doing the fandom justice, and they'll be less overwhelmed by the concepts within your story since they are already familiar with it.

A lot of reviewers tend to also write down the list of genres they like. This helps if you want to make sure that you're submitting to a reviewer who actually likes reading the genre that your story is in. If you scroll through their reading lists, you may also see whether they like stories that are similar to yours.

- Do they present themselves well?

This may sound like an odd thing to say. Surely, the way they present themselves does not necessarily reflect their reviewing skills, right? Just because my profile picture is a dog and I mention them in my profile, doesn't mean I'll keep bringing them up in my reviews, right?

Well, it sort of is important to see what this reviewer is saying. For example, if you see them publicly bad-mouthing a story they have had to review, then you may want to avoid them - the last thing you want them to do is publicly shame your story as well. Additionally, if they seem to be complaining about reviewing in general, or other reviewers, then chances are, you should probably stray away (unless they have a good reason for complaining, of course!).

Basically, you want professionalism when it comes to your review. Make sure your reviewer acts like a professional.

Reading the previous reviews done by said reviewer can give you an incentive on how they manage the stories they read. Is this reviewer broad, kind, or blunt? Do they tend to focus more on the grammar side, or do they prefer the plot and characters? Do they interact with their clients in some way when they're asking for clarifications, or are they open minded and okay with rebutting statements concerning their pieces of advice?

This is, without a doubt, the MOST important place to check. When you are looking at their previous reviews, ask yourself the following questions:

- Are their reviews organised well?

In other words, does the review make sense? Can you understand what they are saying? Are they writing in complete, understandable sentences? If not, then maybe consider avoiding this reviewer. You don't want to waste your time completing their payment if they're only going to give you gibberish.

- Does it sound like they've read the book? Have they provided examples?

Surprisingly, this isn't all that hard to gauge. Sure - reviewers should try avoiding spoilers if the review will be posted publicly, but you can usually tell whether someone has read the book just by reading the review. You just need to look at what they have to say about the book.

Do they even name the characters? Do they describe these characters and their interactions/relationships? Do they pinpoint specific moments from the story to discuss? Are their statements broader than the shoulders of every guy in a werewolf book on Wattpad?

Better yet: if you have read one of the books they have reviewed, check out those reviews in particular. Since you have read the book, you'll have a good understanding of whether they have read the book or not.

- How do they reply to the comments on their review?

This is actually quite important.

There are often times where authors like to seek clarification regarding the review. Sometimes, it is something small, like double-checking the meaning of something the reviewer said. Sometimes, the author will want them to elaborate on what was being said. Sometimes, they may even ask for examples from the book.

If the reviewer is fantastic, they will be more than happy to respond accordingly and provide the additional feedback/examples.

However, if your review is not-so-fantastic, they may tell you that they don't have time to do so and may ignore you altogether (and yes, I've seen this happen).

Now, I acknowledge that some people are genuinely too busy to go back to stories they have reviewed, and I also acknowledge that sometimes, comments may be missed. However, I have a firm belief that, if it's only been a few days since you posted your original review, you should still be able to clarify to the author exactly what you meant. It is only fair to help them understand, because, ultimately, your goal should be to help others improve.

And if you can't provide examples from the book itself after only a few hours of reading the story and posting the review... did you even really read the book?

Some communities, such as the even have chapters designated to their reviewers. In these chapters, there are comments from authors who have received reviews from those reviewers. They provide feedback for the reviewer, and are a great place for authors to look if they want to know if the reviewer is worth their time or not.

What a person does reflects themselves, right? So you'll be able to see what are the said reviewer's capabilities in their written works. Do they apply the rules of grammar in their book? If there are grammatical errors in their work and you — the client — noticed it, then that means it's less likely for them to notice those things on your story, because they couldn't even apply the rules to themselves.

Now, we acknowledge that a good writer does not necessarily equate a good reviewer. However, they are positively correlated.

Skilled writers tend to have more experience, and are familiar with the nuances of writing. When they review, they can usually pick out things that other readers may gloss over. Additionally, skilled writers who are well-versed in grammar will be able to detect any grammar rules that you aren't exactly adhering to.

So, when you read their stories, see that you can understand it. Of course, their story doesn't have to be perfect. But their grammar/punctuation should be somewhat accurate, their plot should be clear, and you should be able to follow the writing itself.

If you can't even understand a single paragraph that they have written, abort mission. Find another reviewer.

And, that's it for this chapter! Hopefully, you'll all be able to track down some good reviewers and request a review that will actually satisfy you.

By the way, don't worry! We, reviewers, secretly enjoy being stalked.