1st attempt - Too much or too little contrast
It's flat. Got it. So I adjusted levels to add more pop.
2nd attempt - Too much or too little contrast + Bad framing
I guess I over-did the contrast. Highlights too pumped? I'll bring those down. Also now screeners tell me they don't like how it's centered. Fine. I can fix that. I read all the forums, posts, and blogs to make sure I know what boxes to check.
3rd attempt - Too much or too little contrast + Over processed/bad processing
Now I'm reconsidering my experience of reality. I've run through the checklist: no haze, no blur, meticulously centered, everything else is Goldilocks. The over-processed tag hurt the most after my attempts to devine...