Are you a reviewer
Perhaps that’s the million-dollar question for yourself. Being a reviewer could be fun, it could open doors, it could offer other benefits. On purpose I write “could be” because you don’t need a gift to write in-depth or comprehensive reviews, but you need other skills to succeed in being a respected reviewer.
Can you learn that passion or is this something you must have? Let’s put it like this …. if you have a passion to be a successful reviewer is something you don’t know in advance, but it could help a lot when you can think and write as simmers do. And not to forget … enthusiasm is also an important factor. Oops, what does that mean?
Place yourself in the person of a dummy X-Plane simmer. Somebody who has just started with X-Plane and doesn’t know anything like how to install packages or perhaps who has no idea how to configure X-Plane. But you could also think of how to add add-ons or perhaps who has not many flying skills. It sounds silly, but when you’re able to think in this way, at least I do, you can write from that perspective. The result is that you won’t quickly forget important issues to write down. And yes, I know what you’re thinking right now “but then the review becomes cluttered with a lot of things I know already, so why should I read this review and/or impression”?
True and not true!
There’s a big chance that items are highlighted you’re already aware of, but perhaps in these sentences or paragraphs new things are discussed you have not read or experienced before. So in my humble opinion, it’s always worth to read paragraphs completely. You never know what you miss!
Writing reviews and/or impressions from a simmers point of view is fun, at least, I’ve learned that through the years. It gives me a thorough look of the product that needs to be reviewed, and it gives me the chance to find out everything as far as possible, but most important, it gives me the chance to give something in return to the XP community. And yes, it would help when you have those writing skills to express yourself in a way that others can benefit of it.
While writing reviews and/or impressions is fun, there are also a couple of things to keep in mind or to watch out for. A developer and/or publisher offers you a product that you or he/she would like to review. In return they expect an objective review. When the product is worth the investment and thus well created, whatever that is …. scenery, aircraft or utility, it’s not so difficult to write positively about it, but what when the product has flaws or missing items. Then it’s not so easy to finish a review and before even thinking of publishing the review, a further investigation with the developer and/or publisher is needed. Perhaps it’s easy for them to repair the issue. If not, then you need to follow the diplomatic way. Remember, the making of a payware product could have taken months, even years and with your review you’re able to destruct this work in one simple review. That’s not the way it works, therefore the “diplomatic way” is favoured.
Another difficult issue what you need to keep in mind; your review should never become a marketing tool. Oops, what’s that?
When a developer and/or publisher offers you a product, there’s a possibility that they expect a positive review that boost sales. No, no, no …. This should never be a reason to write a review in such a way. After the years of writing reviews, I’ve learned, I think, what’s acceptable and what’s not. In my opinion, a good and objective written article is good for all of us.
First for the developer since he/she can learn something of the critical items (flaws) found. Then the XP community since they read an article that explains all the ins and outs of the product thus the good and less attractive parts. And finally, the reviewer. Yes, even the reviewer can learn from it to constantly look back to what he/she has written and if it’s fair to write flaws in this or that way. But please, whenever you want to try to write reviews/impressions, please never write it that it will become a marketing tools for others. That is and was never the intention of a review!
And now, still interested in writing reviews and/or impressions? Give it a chance, see for yourself if you’re critical enough to be able to write an objective piece of text. It’s not easy, but the end result could be reworded by others.
Need more information?
Feel free to contact me if you’ve got additional questions related to this impression. You can reach me via email Angelique.van.Campen@gmail.com.
With Greetings,
Angelique van Campen
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