November 18, 2023
END-OF-SEASON ZOOM NOVEMBER 18, 2023
· Watch the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/cDLPft6cI-0
· Past season questions regarding:
o historical accuracy/fact-checking: if something jumps out at you, look it up, but don't fact-check the entire book.
o reviewer comments: remember to be kind in the comment sections and use the Eyes-only section to vent your frustrations.
o spotting bad repetition and bad fragments: samples were shared.
· New information for the 2024 season
Improved genre definitions: Thank you to our genre working group (Dawn Brotherton, Janette Stone, Pat Walkow, and Lillian Zelinski). See them here https://www.mwsadispatches.com/review-genres-subcategories
Improved scoring questions: Thank you to our scoring form re-write group (Nancy Arbuthnot, Dawn Brotherton, Annette Grunseth, Janette Stone, Pat Walkow, Lillian Zelinski, and Sue Rushford for proofing).
New timeline for next season is January 2 to June 1, 2024
New scale for scoring, using 100-point score instead of 70-point score. This also changes the medal thresholds and weighting factors.
New table for tech scoring using word count instead of page count.
New choices at end of the scoring form's Medal recommendation: 6 caveated review and 7 not appropriate for the website
Past: caveat review discussed during reviewer conference. Now it’s part of your initial evaluation.
2 types of Caveats:
Not ready for prime time (rife with errors)
Warning label (i.e., not suitable for all audiences)
The new scoring forms incorporate expanded remarks and links, including genre definitions and where to find additional help. The links open a new tab, so you don't lose your place in the scoring form.
Streamlined reviewer conference.
Decision that we will now accept only paper submissions in several categories due to heavy reliance on artistic elements: Children’s Picture Book, Poetry, Graphic Novel/Comic Book, Pictorial/Coffee Table. We will continue to accept paper or E-book in all other categories.
REQUEST FOR VOLUNTEERS
We need volunteers to test the new scoring forms so we can ensure everything is working correctly before the new season, and you can see the new scoring questions. We have completed all fiction and nonfiction scoring forms at this time.
How to score a fake book:
Pick a Book# between 1 and 10 and add a reviewer slot 1, 2, or 3. Your Book.Reviewer# will be something between 1.1 and 10.3.
Choose a fiction or nonfiction category to fake-score a book by going to the reviewer page and scrolling down to the scoring section. PW is MWSA2023.
https://www.mwsadispatches.com/reviewers-privateRead the new questions, fill out the form, but use the comment section if you note any errors in the questions.
Submit the score, and do as many as you want.
FINAL NOTE
If you have moved, PLEASE make sure we have your current address before January! If you haven’t moved, we have the right one.
Thanks so much,
Betsy