Are you more likely to read a story if it has 4.8 stars?

[Author_Riceball]

A lot of stories with 5 stars are just novels that just got recently posted and are automatically given 5 stars by readers maybe the author themselves, but would you be more willing to check out a story with a high rating in the 4s?

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[Alski]

Depends how many ratings it already has, im more likely to look at your % of dropped than use this rating system.

 

[Eldoria]

If the ratings are many and high enough, they might pique potential readers' curiosity. However, I tend to prioritize content and continuity (regular updates) over ratings. Because many novels are well-written but rarely receive the spotlight in the form of positive engagement (views, favorites, ratings, and reviews).

 

[Deleted member 266]

Nah~ I read tags first, then I skim description/synopsis, that's all I do.

 

[Juia_Darkcrest]

Only time I am concerned about stars is if it is below 3.5. That tells me something is probably fundamentally wrong with the writing if enough people on SH bothered to star it.

I have also read stuff that has 20 five stars and wonder why it isnt 2 star though, so it isnt always a good indicator.

 

[Hoshino]

I don't care about ratings

Nah~ I read tags first, then I skim description/synopsis, that's all I do.

This is what I do most of the time-nya

 

[Our_Lady_in_Twilight]

No, I think in most cases the sample size isn't high enough. For example the ratings of my three stories are 5.0. 4.9 & 4.6. There's no qualitative difference with the 4.6 story - in fact its got the highest metrics of all 3. It's just that for whatever reason it attracted two randomers who awarded 1* and 2* ratings.

Number of readers is probably what I'd look for. Honestly most stuff on here is pretty consistent in quality - high level hobbyist, occasionally pushing into semi-professional - most of the time the ratings and other metrics are more about who was blessed by the algorithm, or else who created the best cover art.

For me the synopsis is more important. You're getting something that falls short of the technical quality of a published novel, in all likelihood, but in exchange you're getting a more interesting and original story concept. Sell me on that and I'll give it a go.

The absolute standouts do tend to blow up, I think - most writers outputting at professional quality will end up with hundreds of thousands of reads, so that's what I'd look out for on that front. And on occasion when someone that good doesn't blow up, they'll typically have a story with say 8k views and somehow still have 5 reviews with people writing that they can't believe something this good doesn't have more readers.

 

[Eldoria]

No, I think in most cases the sample size isn't high enough. For example the ratings of my three stories are 5.0. 4.9 & 4.6. There's no qualitative difference with the 4.6 story - in fact its got the highest metrics of all 3. It's just that for whatever reason it attracted two randomers who awarded 1* and 2* ratings.

Number of readers is probably what I'd look for. Honestly most stuff on here is pretty consistent in quality - high level hobbyist, occasionally pushing into semi-professional - most of the time the ratings and other metrics are more about who was blessed by the algorithm, or else who created the best cover art.

For me the synopsis is more important. You're getting something that falls short of the technical quality of a published novel, in all likelihood, but in exchange you're getting a more interesting and original story concept. Sell me on that and I'll give it a go.

The absolute standouts do tend to blow up, I think - most writers outputting at professional quality will end up with hundreds of thousands of reads, so that's what I'd look out for on that front. And on occasion when someone that good doesn't blow up, they'll typically have a story with say 8k views and somehow still have 5 reviews with people writing that they can't believe something this good doesn't have more readers.

I once thought engagement was a content issue. But that's not entirely accurate. Engagement is more about "market taste" (readers' preferences).

If your content is liked by the market, no matter how bad it is, engagement will be good. Conversely, no matter how good the content, if the market doesn't like it, it's likely to just sink into the algorithm. Therefore, it's more appropriate to search for hidden gems using tags or genres, rather than trending.

 

[TiredofSystem]

I find most fiction with good rating are bowing to market. System, overpowered MC, regression, and same middle-schooler stuff I used to read years ago. I found a hidden gem, though. And most reader don't like it.

 

[Our_Lady_in_Twilight]

If your content is liked by the market, no matter how bad it is, engagement will be good. Conversely, no matter how good the content, if the market doesn't like it, it's likely to just sink into the algorithm. Therefore, it's more appropriate to search for hidden gems using tags or genres, rather than trending.

Yeah I mostly agree. Though as I say, in rare instances where content is genuinely outstanding (ie it's at the level of the professional novelist), even if it has low figures there will be a higher level of reviews and comments expressing disbelief its not done better.

And yeah, elsewise, just find interesting ideas using the tags and synopsis. If the first chapter is good, keep going.

 

[Little-Moon]

I usually stick to whatever catches my eye, I don't pay attention to the ratings at all. I have had the experience of a story on an alt getting bombed with 1 or 2 star ratings at the first chapter, without anything happening yet and ever since I just go according to synopsis, tags and if the fist two or three chapters catch me.

 

[Valerijs]

A lot of stories with 5 stars are just novels that just got recently posted and are automatically given 5 stars by readers maybe the author themselves, but would you be more willing to check out a story with a high rating in the 4s?

Wait – stories have ratings? Just kidding. Unfortunately, ratings don’t really reflect quality anymore – they can be shaped in ways that aren’t exactly fair. I usually rely more on recommendations and comments from others. And if there aren’t any, then it’s all about the title, synopsis, and those first few lines – that’s usually enough to see how deeply the author is absorbed in their own idea. If they catch me right away, I keep reading – if not, I move on.

 

[Grizzly18]

Depends on the number of reviews if it’s on a few then no I won’t read unless I like the excerpt or the tags. If it’s more than 50+ reviews then I know that it has a broad appeal.

 

[Deleted member 167438]

As a lover of NTR, all the best NTR fiction is in the 3 to to 4 star rating category. Good NTR fiction is not for everyone and will make people pissed off. The split of 1 vs 5 star reviews are also taken into consideration. If you check most NTR novels they will have a lot of 5 stars and quite a few 1 stars because people can't read tags it is divisive. This is a very specific trend in NTR fiction though and specifically on Scribblehub.

 

[TheEvilDuckLord]

I usually don't care about the rating if it's above 3.5 ish. Between 4.5 and 5 in rating, the amount of ratings matter more than the rating. And the reviews are more important than just "silent" 5 stars numbers. I always like having some reviews to read before and if a 4.5 star story has reviews that mention problems with the story that I find annoying, the good rating doesn't matter.

 

[Gray_Mann]

I don't pay attention to the stars for SH at all. They're bullshit for a measuring metric. Damn near all ratings are either 1's or 5's, which means no one genuinely takes it seriously when they are rating a story they are reading.

At this point, it would make more sense to simply have upvotes and downvotes for a rating system, because that's basically what the 5-star system has been relegated to here.

No story here except perhaps one or two deserves a 5, whereas I can often take the 1-stars more seriously because so much of the works here are just different shades of weirdly written smut, though a few are actually pretty good, hence my remaining reading presence here.

All that is to say, when picking something to read, I put zero thought on what the ratings are when deciding. They aren't reliable in any way, shape, or form.

The community of SH didn't take them seriously when implementing and using them, and I certainly won't either.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

No, just one star.

 

[Author_Riceball]

No, just one star.

In character

 

[RageFilledBadger]

A lot of stories with 5 stars are just novels that just got recently posted and are automatically given 5 stars by readers maybe the author themselves, but would you be more willing to check out a story with a high rating in the 4s?

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The difference between 4.8 and 5 is minor. My chances of reading it are the same.