Writing Disappointments

Every day for months, I've been visiting Webook to check the stats on my Page To Fame entry.  It got past round one and went sailing into round two with ratings WAY up in the 90 percent range.  As the weeks and months passed, the avid readers had all come and left their glowing commentaries and the hard-sells had come calling.  After probably two months or more in the 80 and 90 percent ratings stage, the percentage started falling.  I started getting some rather obnoxious comments like "Should I call her Lisbeth or Dexter?"  Really?  Okay.

Over half the people who rated said the story was unique and the characters were interesting.

Yesterday, I checked my submission to find that with 60 percent of readers voting either pretty good or heavenly, I hadn't made it to Round Three.  Now, here's where I'm confused.

1 percent rated the story lousy.  Okay, I'm on board with that.

18 percent said not great.  Eh, I'm fine with that too, can't please all the people all the time right?

31 percent said so-so.  Hey, I'm all for that, after all FIVE pages of a book?  If I can get that many so-so's out of five pages, I'm okay right?

48 percent said pretty good.  Yay!

8 percent said heavenly.  More yay!

Now, I ask you as uninvolved third parties, how does that mean a book isn't good enough to proceed to the next round of judging?  I know that Webook has a "state of the art" rating system, but really?  In the real world, if you've got a book on the market and SIXTY percent of the readers like the book, how is that not a successful attempt at writing?

I'm really trying not to be too disappointed, but honestly I don't understand how that rating system can be right.  I'm not bitter honestly.  I was surprised that it made it past round one, which probably if I'm honest, got my hopes up for it going all the way.  I don't know.  I'm a little bummed, I'll admit it.

As writers, we ALL want our work to be read, appreciated, loved even.  Validation is a wonderful thing.

It's gonna be hard now to dive back in knowing that the masses (or the system at Webook) didn't validate my efforts.  I'm not giving up.  Hell no.  I'm way too stubborn and headstrong for that, but I'm disappointed.  Confused.  Yeah, a little upset.

So I'm asking a favor.  Yeah, again, cuz you guys are the bestest and I love you and trust you to be brutally honest with me.  I posted the first chapter of my book a while back, here.  I know it's a lot to read, but I need some honest feedback.  What you liked, what you didn't like.  What I need to work on.  I would appreciate this more than about anything right now.  I really need some honest opinions so that I can take another look at the story and see if it's worth continuing to work on.