First Person Narrative

[Jonuda]

This is my first time working with Constant Content, so I wasn't expecting a whole lot of success on the first submission. That said, I did view their submission guidelines before posting and did take note of the 1'st person POV rule. However, the buyer asked for a well thought out game review for any Kinect launch title. I sent it in, avoiding long personal stories. When submitted however, I got this as a response:

"We do not accept articles that contain the first-person POV for for various reasons. Please avoid use of the first-person POV and do not submit personal narratives/accounts. You can read more about why we do not accept these here: http://www.constant-content.com/blog/?p=90"

I'm not really sure how to write a review without somehow discussing what I thought of the product, which I deemed to be the purpose of a review.

Can anyone lend me some advice on how to write a helpful review without getting rejected?

[Celeste Stewart]

Hi,
It takes a bit of getting used to, but it is possible to write a review without slipping into first person. The idea is to keep you, the writer, out of it and bring the reader into it. You can still express a positive or negative opinion, but don't introduce yourself into the review by using words such as "I" and "me." Why? Because when the article gets sold, it could appear on a website where it's unclear who's doing the actual review. If you say "I liked this book," readers will wonder who's speaking to them and if the person is credible or not. When written from a distance (such as in 2nd or 3rd person voice), this issue is avoided.

Before:
I found The Story of X a bit rough around the edges at first, but the story soon swept me off my feet. The action started on page one and continued at a frantic pace until the last third of the book. While I savored the slowdown toward the end, the change of pace jarred me and seemed out of place. (Possible reader reaction: Who's speaking here? Is this person credible? Can I trust this person's opinion?)

After:
Though a bit rough around the edges at first, The Story of X will sweep you off of your feet.The action starts on page one and continues at a frantic pace until the last third of the book. While the slowdown toward the end allows you to savor the final few chapters of the book, the change of pace is jarring and seems out of place. (More authoritative, brings the readers into the review instead of out of it)

[Jonuda]

Thanks for the quick response!

While at first glance my article was free of the use of "I", as I re-read it I noticed that toward's the end of my review I began to shift back into first person . I'll try to proofread it a little more thouroughly next time!

Thanks for your advice!