Need personal opinions

I’m not complaining. I’m not making recommendations. And yes, this question pertains to ratings but is more on a standpoint of personal opinion that I am seeking from my fellow wonderfully talented creatives. Aside from our staying encouraged thread, it is hard to stay as such. My question is simple, and I just want to know what you may think on this. Lately, I have received ratings of only NTYs and OTRTs. Looking over my past entries page, I believe that my style and experience at this has actually improved, yet if we were to go by ratings, it wouldn’t seem such. As I’ve admitted before, I have naming and branding experience before I even really realized it was a thing. My overall rank is dipping more and more with each name I submit and I honestly think it is because I am outside the box sometimes with my style. I don’t do the cookie-cutter names generally that seem to be on-trend. My only win – in my opinion, is a cookie-cutter name, at least looking at it until you examine how that name was decided upon. For me, that single win – was actually surprising and yet disappointing at the same time. Disappointing because it ‘looks’ so cookie-cutter in contrast to most of my others. My question is this-- This system seems against those that have non-traditional styles. It does not mean that I am bad, or have bad quality but lately given everything that is how I am feeling just because how the system is. So what is the best course of action in this situation? Should I just deem myself as not made out for this type of thing and move on to something else (especially because if I don’t move on and this continues, soon I will be limited in everything I can do --limited entries, no early access because I haven’t accumulated enough points to buy early access, not enough points to secure my names and place them on the marketplace when that becomes a thing, and whatever else may be created that is determined by this system, time as a member ((which I don’t have a lot of since I’m still fairly new)), points, etc.)? Or is everyone else experiencing this for the most part and think I should just give it a bit more time and see where this all ends up?

Honestly, I haven’t been very active and I’ve essentially kind-of quit the forums too (except for this and a couple other posts), and there is several reasons for this. But one of the main ones is really because I think as it’s been stated that the system as-is, isn’t friendly for some types of people. I don’t use name generators, I research, take notes, research more, and put a lot of thought into my submissions. I don’t have illustrator anymore so I can’t do the other creative contests. So I am stuck. I honestly don’t think my ideas are really that horrible or sub-par. It’s just everyone is different. The system is how it is and it’s not going to change. So if everyone is getting similar ratings, lately, then I’d be willing to wait it out. But if not, then either I am biased (which is funny given how self-conscious I am to anything I do) in thinking my names are decent despite how I am being rated, and really should just take a spoon of reality and move on, or something else. But either way, I’m not sure, what should I do?

So comments, advice, anything that anyone could provide from when they might have been in this situation and what they have done when such, or anything that anyone can provide would be helpful to me and maybe anyone else that might be going through this or might go through this at some point.

I know I am better than the ratings I get, i generally lose about 3 names per win I actually get… not being a mega contest or mega name enterer I feel everyone. I take it as part of the game now and hope to collect my crumbs.

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I think you’re going to have to resign to the fact that you’re going to have to supplement your names with ‘cookie cutter’ types. There’s nothing wrong with those, and I think a good many CH are probably happy with such, despite your creative self rebelling at the notion.

I think a lot of people like you, who work hard, are discouraged of late, I know I am. But keep namehappy! It’s the only way to survive! :o)

ps- Remember, in one contest a CH might pass over a name, but in the next a CH might like the same one!

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Thank you both so much for replying. And yes, getting really discouraged as of late. But I think you’re both right. Just accept it as the nature of the beast and maybe tweak myself a bit to being a bit more mainstream and see how it fares that way. I’m going to really have to deprogram and reprogram my brain to think like that, though, and not take it to the obscure level – and I think I do this just because I realize that more mainstream means less availability with most things. But maybe I can be a bit creative and still maintain to being mainstream. I will have to see how it goes.

I will definitely try to keep namehappy and just work out a style that is more within the box unless the CH asks for such.

Thank you both, again, I appreciate your responses. They’ve helped me greatly.

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I hear ya - I think I’m the same way - I tend to create names that I would be attracted to - but then again - I’m attracted to “unique, original, amusing and different.”

For example, a business that sells Shirts called Joe’s Shirt Shop would NOT grab my attention, but one called Shirt Happens would. :wink:

Hang in there - In this arena, it’s usually feast or famine. :neutral_face:

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I see the feast, but I’m still starving

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At this stage, I could settle for an appetizer!

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@rareworthy … Thank you for expressing exactly how I feel. LOL.

My profession falls under marketing and communications and I have been very successful at it, yet in the case of naming, I cannot find the right entry either. I, too, think out of the box and try to find the right eye-catching words or phrases. I’ve been told that I sometimes dig too deep, but how can I be “digging” if the word or phrase pops into my head almost as soon as I read a brief?

My biggest problem right now is that my entries are not rated. Whereas other creatives complain of the no thank yous and on the right tracks, most of the time I have a blank slate. I don’t know if I am being ignored or being saved for consideration at a later date. It’s frustrating.

So on we march … or On December to be more timely :wink:

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I have had a long dry spell again and I can relate to the discouragement. But what I want to tell you is this: CHs are here for names that are trending for the most part. Some come with pre-conceived notions about what they want and others can only say they want something catchy. This platform is not designed in any specific way - the mind of the public is. You know, because you see it all the time, they want the next google, uber, Facebook, etc. I am CONSTANTLY trying to remember the KISS method: Keep it simple. (The other S stands for a word implying not smart that I can’t put in a post but I disavow that word because I’m not that and neither are you). People want memorable and memorable is often very simple. People want it to be easy to spell, and being easy to spell is often very simple. We are here to give the customer what they want. That does not mean that there is no room for the really out of the box ideas, it’s just that those are more rare. I’ve tested some super edgy-out of the box names on CHs - some like them, some don’t. Some want XYZ company, some want Apple or something that means something.

The best thing I can tell you is to mix it up. You start to see more of what the CH is looking for if you give them different types of names. That is, if you actually want to keep at it. It is impossible to know which CH is going to be the one who really gets what you are doing.

I don’t know who uses name generators around here but I don’t. People talk about that as if it is common around here. Is it really? I don’t know.

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I had to come back to say this…
I remember when Google showed up. I thought to myself, what a silly name. If someone came to SH and said “name that search engine”… how many of us would have come up with a name like google? Those who name it had some kind of vision. But they ALSO had a platform that would be seen by bozillions of people every single day. Honestly, they probably could have named it anything… like “Search,” lol…because Google is now a replacement for go search that.

Then there’s that airline…If an airline came to SH and said, “name that airline” (actually it is a brand that is a lot more than an airline)… who on earth would have come up with “Virgin”???

Well, maybe someone here would have been as creative as the people who named them. And definitely, my “taste” would not have been “Virgin” or “Google”. LOLOLOL.

A whole lot depends on the CHs tastes, what they feel they can get away with AND their marketing abilities, is what I am saying. Sometimes they just need XYZCompany.

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I think everyone here has felt the same doubt and discouragement you are feeling right now. I have taken a short and a long hiatus throughout my time here. I actually almost quit SH at one point, but the wonderful supportive community here convinced me to keep trying and I’m glad I did. I wish I had some magical words of encouragement or wisdom to impart, but if I had all the answers I wouldn’t be struggling myself. I think Laura E. made a great point about adjusting your style to include a variety of approaches. I generally submit names from a variety of styles from the obvious “cookie cutter” names to “clever” play on words, to more obscure names. I then sit back and see which style seems to resonate with the client. In some cases no matter what style I try or how hard I try there are those clients that simply hate everything I put out there and nothing I do will satisfy them. In those cases I just accept that we are not on the same wavelength and move on to another contest where hopefully the client will “appreciate” what I have to offer. I am also picky about which contests I invest time in. There are several reasons I may opt to skip a contest. If there is a severe lack of details, or if the client has unrealistic expectations, or if the service or product is something that I can’t really wrap my head around I’ll choose to skip it in an effort to minimize wasted time and effort. However, I give 110% to the ones in which I do choose to participate. I don’t think you should give up here or abandon your style because what you offer will be exactly what someone is looking for. Finding the right client at the right time is something we all struggle with.You obviously have what it takes to win. Maybe try to broaden your style a bit and see what happens.

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Here’s a bit more hope to cling to. In looking at the winning names today, I see many, many very creative names that are not cookie cutter at all. And names that I honestly have to say “darn it, I wish I had thought of that one” about. I go back and look at the contest so see what I did compared to what won. Today, I saw one that I was WAY OFF on! I was thinking… why was my head over there that day?

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I SO totally agree! YEP

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See, this is why I love the creatives here. Thank you all so very much for all that you have said and offered out as advice. I’ve been playing advocate since I started here on SH and yet even advocates have their times where they need a bit of advice and encouragement too. You all have definitely stoked the kindling for me and I have been spending some time today doing ‘practice’ exercises with a few people that I know and I have been trying to curve and offer different styles for each practice. To be honest, these practices and all of your comments have really helped.Granted I am working against bias and myself here because I am not doing this with anyone else but myself and the friends I have roped into playing mock CHs, and I am going to have to take that into account. But, I can say that it has at least helped for me to be able to think in different styles for each mock practice.

I have tried to at least do three to five different styles for each mock practice. Usually the first is that obvious one (which I still am having the hardest time with just because of the lack in availability, especially when my one friend choose to be the difficult one to focus on exact same domain and name type – those are my weakness just because I can go obvious but then it becomes too obvious and it’s taken, and over and over the ideas are taken. I don’t know what you can do in these cases), and then I try a few different ones outside of that but still keep them easy to spell, pronounce, and still fitting to the want/desire. My other friend did a ‘google’ want for her mock and she laughed that I had too many ideas for that and “They are all impossibly good and too hard to choose from” but she was confident that I had most of her ‘wants’ all encompassed in those. So, I guess those are just my strength.

As I said these friends can be seen as having a bias, and it’s only my ideas they are seeing. However, at least I am expanding on my ability to offer different styles for the same ‘contest’. Now I am just going to have to see how well this may have helped. I’m going to keep practicing and honing (wish SH had a way to ‘practice’, but that’s a previous and other discussion) and just keep in mind that I’m not the only one feeling like this and if I’m not connecting to move on. I just hope that none of our ratings get too low because of situations like this. Mine keeps going down more and more and its all based on opinions differing so much, so that’s the next thing I am going to have to see if there is a way to curve for this at all. I don’t believe there is much you can do in this case, but soon I’m not going to have much choice.

Either way, I thank you all again, and I’m glad that none of us are truly alone in this and everyone here understands based on true experiences and knows first hand the kinds of things we can go through and how we can feel while being on this side of the fence. Those on the other side or even on the porch wouldn’t always and probably don’t always understand. However, at least some of those from those perspectives try, it’s just still different perspectives sometimes, so it’s good to be able to have these discussions. :gift_heart:

You all are amazingly awesome.

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I think Alwritey Then said it as well as anyone possibly could have.
Shirt Happens.
:grin:

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@ Rareworthy
Didn’t read every single word here but the frustration is reflected in the long post. It took me ages to realize that most of my submissions were over thought; too long and to too complicated for most Contest holders.As Commulinks says, keep it short or ideally short and sweet. I still have to force myself to keep to the regime. Sometimes it looks good on screen but when pen written its a negative. Also going h-ll for leather when you get a “love” is not good for me. Spending to much time with no results can be soul draining. All I can say is dip in and out with eureka names and leave it at that. Also take a break from the whole thing and hopefully come back a different thinker. “Thinking out of the box” is grande but compress the quality. This is my way forward anyhow. Also I think there are many more creatives than ever, so it is getting more difficult all the time. Need to enjoy it more and hopefully spring the odd win.
I hope you can stick with it and change your thinking a little. Celebrate the win when it comes. All the best and good luck to all.
My recent favorite was “EcoSpear” I had a few “likes” but had no chance. I think this was a good example of getting in early with an obvious “eureka” This name had won at an early stage and I don’t know why the Contest holder protracted for another 5 days.

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