Someone posting “this story sucks.” Does not constitute a bad review. Explaining what about the story sucked and why it did is more helpful. Just saying you disliked a story because it wasn’t your cup of tea leaves a lot to be desired.
So if you’re ready to take the plunge and read reviews, I have three sure-fire ways to overcome and/or accept a bad review.
Ignorance is Bliss- What you don’t know can’t hurt you.
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For the love of ink, Do NOT read reviews.
One of the very first reviews I ever received was negative. The person called my character weak, and unable to handle anything life threw at her. There were a few other things that were said, but I’ve forgotten. Then I’ve had reviews criticizing the amount of sex, even when the book description states “contains descriptions of explicit sex.” Hello! That line alone means the upcoming read is nowhere near sweet (nothing more than a chaste kiss happens) and you may want to select a different book.
Of course, I know some authors who read every review they receive, good, bad or indifferent. My skin is not that thick and at the end of the day. I’m still going to write the story of my heart.
Grab a tall glass of your favorite drink. I suggest a shot of liquor or three. My go to is a pitcher of margaritas. Now that we’ve got some liquid courage let’s go.
2 Stay objective - In other words, don’t take it personally.
A good reviewer will know how to keep their comments on the story, without attacking the author. A reviewer should be able to say what was liked or disliked about the plot, characters, and whatever else and why it made s/he feel the way it did.
I know the story is your baby and blood, sweat, and many tears have been shed for the sake of getting the scene just right, but don’t take it personally when the reviewer trashes your hard work.
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Opinions are like Bellybuttons
Unless you were created from clay, you have a bellybutton and just like bellybuttons, everyone has an opinion. If you see one out of ten reviews that are bad, it’s one person’s opinion. Now if you see a trend where each reviewer says the same thing, i.e. good plot, but the heroine was TSTL (too stupid to live) Then you may want to re-evaluate how much depth you’re putting into your character.
When all is said and done. even the big time Best Selling Authors get bad reviews. Don’t believe me, go check out James Patterson, Diane Mott Davidson, F. Paul Wilson, or Christine Feehan. Their fans can be brutal. And if that’s not enough to mollify a bad review, there’s always tequila.
Detailed reviews, even the less than complimentary ones, offer good points from which we can learn. I appreciate them.
“There’s always tequila”! You, madam, have the right attitude. Great advice for dealing with reviews.
It’s hard to avoid seeing a bad review at some point in your writing career, but it’s no different than getting criticism at any other job. It happens to everyone. Like you said, even best selling authors get bad reviews. A mix of good and bad reviews is a sign that a variety of people are reading your work.