Search results
People also ask
What to do when you get a bad review?
Can bad reviews stop you from putting a book out?
How do you write a good book review?
How do you handle a bad customer review?
Feb 20, 2020 · 1. Refrain from responding to the reviewer. As much as you might want to respond (either politely or with harsh words), don’t do it. Once you’ve left a comment, sent out a Tweet, or posted to Facebook, your negative response will be out there for everyone to see.
- Take a Big Step Back. In this moment, it’s critical that you don’t let your emotions rule you. Take a step back from what you’ve read—put it out of your head, and don’t return to it for about 24 hours.
- Ask: “Is this fair?” Once you’ve reached a place where you can analyze your criticism objectively, you’ve got to decide whether or not you think the points made are valid.
- Ask: “Is this actionable?” This, perhaps, is the best determinant of how you should handle any negative criticism you receive. Even if you believe a particular critique is bang-on, there’s often very little you can do to course-correct, at least in the moment.
- Seek Out “Author-Oriented” Criticism. There’s a reason bad reviews from professional critics can sound so harsh and cut so deep. They’re not written for you, the author.
- Get Very Clear on Your Motives and Intentions. When a negative review bothers you—and I mean bothers you—it’s a sign you’ve lost your own sense of center.
- Don’t Overthink It. If you’re keen on using negative reviews of your book to improve your writing, then good for you. But don’t overthink it. Or overfeel it.
- Don’t Give Other People More Authority Than You Give Yourself. The key to the above point is remembering that reviewers don’t automatically know more about writing and storytelling than you do.
- Don’t Entertain Disrespect. The review format is a legitimate forum in which people can share honest opinions about books. There is nothing disrespectful about this.
Aug 4, 2022 · Planning for how you will respond to a negative review can help you deal with a bad review without letting it derail your confidence or your writing momentum. 1 Remind yourself to let your writing go when it is published .
- Fight back (in positive ways). The cloud looks ominous when darkened by a negative review, but you too can use the internet to fight back.
- Find one thing to laugh about. I’m not suggesting you break into gales of sunny laughter while witnessing your creation being publicly ripped to shreds.
- Write—and don’t obsess—about it. Madeleine L’Engle, the author of the classic Winkle in Time, considered her 30s a total failure professionally.
- Remember this is just one person. A review is the opinion of one person, albeit one who has a public forum. Maybe his dog just threw up on the new carpet, or the toilet overflowed, or your main character reminds her of her rotten ex.
Jul 5, 2012 · The bad reviews can be tough, especially when you’ve just published your first book. Here are a few suggestions on handling bad reviews, from someone who is (trust me) as sensitive as anyone and has a hard time letting things go.
Sep 25, 2015 · 1. When you read a snarky review, replace everything that person wrote with “Look at me! I am so smart and clever unlike the idiot who wrote this book! Think less of this book and more of me!” 2. The best writers are the ones who get the most criticism. (Do writers need MORE than one literary agent?) 3.
