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Announcing the New Studio Rating Checklists
“Writing is something that you can never do as well as it can be done. It is a perpetual challenge and it is more difficult than anything else that I have ever done.”—Ernest Hemingway
Most talented writers will tell you they’re never quite satisfied with their first drafts. As I type this, I do so knowing full well that even after I’ve written the last sentence, it’s not over. I’ll begin to hone and painstakingly revise this blog post. Then, I’ll ask Jennifer, my fellow Studio editor, to copyedit it for me. Still, at some point, I’ll just have to take a deep breath and click “publish.”
There is no surefire mathematical equation or formula that makes for glorious writing. Sure, we have grammatical rules and style preferences, but following these rules and preferences won't necessarily win you an award.
When we set out to clarify our current ratings system, we struggled to define each number on the scale in a way that is objective and finite. Because of its artistic nature, great writing is hard to define. In an effort to provide an accurate ratings at scale, we’ve tried to define it anyway.
And so, after much deliberation and research, we’ve developed the ratings checklist you see below. The goal is to ensure accuracy and objectivity across the board in that writers know exactly what comprises each rating, and multiple copy editors reading the same article will assign the same score.
Please take a moment to carefully review the checklist below. We suggest printing it out and using it as a reference to weigh the quality of your articles before you submit them. The higher your average scores, the more opportunities you will have within the Studio. We want you to succeed within our community, and we hope you’ll use this as a tool in your success.
Structure Rating Checklist
Content Rating Checklist
Most talented writers will tell you they’re never quite satisfied with their first drafts. As I type this, I do so knowing full well that even after I’ve written the last sentence, it’s not over. I’ll begin to hone and painstakingly revise this blog post. Then, I’ll ask Jennifer, my fellow Studio editor, to copyedit it for me. Still, at some point, I’ll just have to take a deep breath and click “publish.”
There is no surefire mathematical equation or formula that makes for glorious writing. Sure, we have grammatical rules and style preferences, but following these rules and preferences won't necessarily win you an award.
When we set out to clarify our current ratings system, we struggled to define each number on the scale in a way that is objective and finite. Because of its artistic nature, great writing is hard to define. In an effort to provide an accurate ratings at scale, we’ve tried to define it anyway.
And so, after much deliberation and research, we’ve developed the ratings checklist you see below. The goal is to ensure accuracy and objectivity across the board in that writers know exactly what comprises each rating, and multiple copy editors reading the same article will assign the same score.
Please take a moment to carefully review the checklist below. We suggest printing it out and using it as a reference to weigh the quality of your articles before you submit them. The higher your average scores, the more opportunities you will have within the Studio. We want you to succeed within our community, and we hope you’ll use this as a tool in your success.
Structure Rating Checklist
Content Rating Checklist
Jessyca
Apr 7, 10:48 AM
The intent of posting these checklists for everyone to see was simply to use the checklist as a way to measure the quality of each article prior to submitting it. You will still be unable to see the individual scores, but if your average score is a 3, you can guess most of your work is falling near the 3 mark on the checklist.
The idea is that you, as the writer, will look at the checklist next to an article before you submit it. Ask yourselves: Is this in active voice? Does it fulfill all requirements? Does it have any interesting or compelling information? Have I done my research? You're aiming for a 5 on both checklists, so start there. If your article is missing a couple marks to reach a 5, consider beefing it up or doing what it takes so that it meets the criteria for a 5 score.
I hope my explanation helps you further understand how we intend for writers to use these checklists. We also hope they'll be of great assistance in making the scores more objective and fair.
Thanks everyone!
Jessyca
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JoannaK
Apr 9, 8:40 AM
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DonHayen
Apr 9, 1:43 PM
Don Hayen
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Katrina Arthurs
May 19, 3:55 PM
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