I have changed and given a more thorough outline for judges who are new to the judging process. Please stick to the outline I have provided. I will place you all in your assigned category or categories on Monday, January 15th, along with your payment requirements.
You are required to read at least 5-10 chapters of each book that is assigned to you.
You must leave a small chapter review in the comments of each chapter. Let them know what you loved about that chapter. And give them encouragement and constructive criticism on how to improve. Please do not be disrespectful. Treat others how you yourself wish to be treated.
If authors do not follow through on payment requirements by the time that the submission of results is due, their book will be disqualified. Reach out to them periodically through PM to give them chances to complete the tasks. Please refrain from reading and evaluating their book until they meet the payment requirements. Your precious time is valuable to you and judging does not come easy. You are taking time to help them, so they should return the favor.
Scoring criteria for each book:
Title and Book Cover: (1-10)
Is the title intriguing and creative? Not overused? Does the title match the story’s plot?
Is the book cover eye-catching? Is the background imagery clear and does the font stand out?
Blurb: (1-10)
Other than the title and book cover, the blurb is the most important. It’s what intrigues and hooks readers to want to read the book. How good is the blurb? Does it hook you and make you want to dive in right away? Is the grammar and punctuation on point?
Plot/Creativity/Originality: (1-20)
Is the story’s plot unique? And how well does the plot unfold?
Character Development: (1-20)
How well are the characters portrayed? Do you feel connected to them? Feel their emotions and actions? Do they improve as far as weakness and excel at things they are good at?
Story Flow: (1-10)
Is the story flow slow paced, or fast-paced? Or does the story flow smoothly?
Grammar: (1-10)
If the story’s grammar is poor, it can disrupt the story’s flow and overall reader engagement. It’s a given that there may be a few mistakes here and there. We are only human. But is the grammar mostly on point and correct? Is the punctuation correct and placed correctly?
Writing Style: (1-10)
Every writer has their own unique writing style. Do you like the writer’s writing style? Is the vocabulary advanced or basic?
Overall Engagement and Enjoyment: (1-10)
From a reader’s perspective; how would you rate the book? Did the book captivate you in a way that you couldn’t put the book down?
Overall Score: (1-100)
Review:
You will be required to write a review of at least 150 words. Explaining what you loved about the book and words of encouragement and constructive criticism where the author can improve. Please be respectful and kind in doing so. Speak to the author as you yourself would want to be spoken to.
Judging Start and Deadline
The judging will begin on Tuesday, January 16th, and the results should be submitted to me through PM. You can share the results with me at any time, as soon as they are ready. Once I receive the results, I will promptly announce the winners. However, please do not feel rushed, as I understand that many of you are in school or have full-time jobs. The deadline for submitting the results is February 15th, so please send them to me by then if you haven’t done so already.
If something comes up or happens and you cannot complete your judging requirements; please reach out to me to let me know. Please don’t ghost me. I know how unpredictable life can be and I’ll understand if something comes up.
