Reader comments can sting. Worse, they can be posted for everyone in the world to enjoy. I mean, really. Look around review sites and you just might find such delightful gems as:
“I hated this book. Seriously, when the book ended I needed Tylenol and therapy.”
“Pure crap. I’ll never read this author again. I want my money and my time back. The author’s head on a platter would be nice, too. What an idiot!”
“This book was terrible. There isn’t one nice thing I can say about it.”
Ouch! Books are products, authors aren’t. We may wish otherwise, but feelings do become involved. And let’s be honest, some comments are so bad they can make us:
- 1) cry
- 2) depressed
- 3) want to give up and never write again
- 4) all of the above
We can’t give up, though. Writing is in our blood, it’s what we love. So here are four ways to try and beat the bad review blues:
Abstinence: Like sex, if you don’t do it you don’t have to worry about getting a disease. In our case, if you don’t read the reviews they can’t poison your mind. Truly, it’s hard to write when “you suck” and “this is crap” keep screaming through your brain. But staying away from Google requires discipline - which I do not have. For obsessive types like myself, you simply have to know what the world is saying about you. So that brings us to –
The positive spin: Taking the negative and making it encouraging. This technique
was taught to me by my critique partner and fellow author Jill Monroe. Let’s use
the above reader quotes as examples.
“I hated this book. Seriously, when the book ended I needed Tylenol and therapy” becomes “I hated. . .when the book ended.”
“Pure crap. I’ll never read this author again. I want my money and my time back. The author’s head on a platter would be nice, too. What an idiot” becomes “I’ll never. . . want my money and my time back.”
“This book was terrible. There isn’t one nice thing I can say about it” becomes “This book was. . . nice. . . “
For this technique, you have to be able to shove the negative from your mind permanently. That’s a little tough for me. So that brings us to -
The curse: This involves voodoo dolls, black magic, and fire. Not for the faint of heart.
I have never attempted this one, though I have been tempted. With the anonymity of the web, some reviews are just so mean spirited. (Bitter much, Gena?) Anyhoodles. . . that leads us to the fourth and final method –
Understanding: This is perhaps the toughest of all the methods mentioned. It involves accepting that not everyone is going to love your work. What? Not everyone will love us? Sadly, no. This was never as clear to me as the time I stumbled upon a bad review of a book by one of my all time favorite authors. I adore this book. It’s on my keeper shelf even now. I reread it at least once a year. Yet someone trashed it royally, saying it was the worst piece of garbage ever published. (Can anyone put a positive spin on that?) That’s when I realized that people simply have different tastes. They are not going to love everything you produce - much as we might wish otherwise - and that’s okay. You can only write so that you are happy.
So what methods do you use to cope with bad reviews?
Besides wondering what the reviewer was smokin’ while reading?
Generally I just tell myself they didn’t get it. That’s what it boils down to anyway. Then it becomes frustration rather than hurt and frustration, while still uncomfortable, is alot easier to deal with.
Also, I’ve found over the years, that all the snarky trash-talk loses it’s impact when everyone uses it. What might’ve hurt my feelings years ago now just makes me shrug.
Kinda sad, atually. I hate to see words lose power
by Ann Wesley Hardin May 11th, 2007 at 6:25 amI don’t write fiction, so I’ve not had many reviews, but I think ‘understanding’ is the best option. My reviewers have generally been wanting to relate my work to theirs, and the more it fits in with their area of interest (and possibly the more it fits in with ideas they already have) the better they’ll tend to like what I’ve written. There’s not much I can do about that.
Just taking a look at some of those negative comments, though, I can think of a good spin to put on this one:
I hated this book. Seriously, when the book ended I needed Tylenol and therapy.”
Good spin: ‘this book obviously created a lot of emotion in the reader, she/he couldn’t put it down, she/he invested her/himself in it’. Yes, the reviewer may have hated it, but she/he certainly wasn’t bored. And bad reviews can intrigue other readers and send them off to look for a copy of that book, just to see what all the fuss is about.
Or how about another spin on this one:
“Pure crap. I’ll never read this author again. I want my money and my time back. The author’s head on a platter would be nice, too. What an idiot!”
Good spin: “At least I got some money out of it. This reader won’t get my head, and I’ll not ask for hers/his”. Author can then bask in a glow of satisfaction from not having responded in an unprofessional manner.
“This book was terrible. There isn’t one nice thing I can say about it.”
Good spin: ” ‘nice’, who wants to write a ‘nice’ book about which people say ‘nice’ things? I write passionate, thought-provoking, emotion-engaging books. Nice? I despise ‘nice’!”
by Laura Vivanco May 11th, 2007 at 6:32 amI’m in the trying-to-become-published trenches right now, and if you’ve successfully made it through this process, convinced an agent you’re worth representing, impressed an editor with your writing, and convinced the publisher’s approval committee they can make a buck off your book, you definitely don’t suck.
No, not every reader is going to like your story. Know that, and take heart from the readers who do, because they’re the ones that truly matter.
by Kerry Allen May 11th, 2007 at 6:38 amAnd yeah, you can spin “it is the worst piece of garbage ever published.” Try “it is ever published,” as in, continually in print. That’s a very, very positive thing.
by Kerry Allen May 11th, 2007 at 6:54 amThose examples are so over the top - “need therapy?” ( from reading a book?Please, your problems didn’t begin with this book), I’d have trouble taking them seriously.
by Bernita May 11th, 2007 at 7:29 amIgnore the anonomi, the hyperdrek, and the sound of grinding axes.
:neutral:I ran into a negative review of Rumble On the Bayou by Jana Deleon once.
I was floored!:shock: How could anyone not get the humor?:shock: I, then, reminded myself that the reviewer had never set foot in a small town before and Rumble is set in a small town. I grew up in a small town and I swear Maylene is a second cousin once removed!:lol: I laughed my head off from cover to cover!:lol: Well, except for in the serious parts, of course. Such is life.:wink: Nevertheless, I take it personally when people dis my favorite authors.:mad: I haven’t been back to that site since.
by Kimber An May 11th, 2007 at 8:19 amReviewers who spew that much venom have bigger problems than not liking my book. Their reviews still bother me because they’re a reminder of how any creative person who puts something out there risks being used as a punching bag by any miserable wacko.
For that reason I usually don’t check out reader reviews and especially when I’m in a very active or vulnerable stage of writing.
One can’t avoid reader mail, however. I’ve gotten some really over-the-top letters from irate readers, one doozy from an elderly woman who told me she was offended by all the sex but kept reading for plot. Hmm. I share such letters with my friends. They’re good for a laugh, anyway.
by Elena Greene May 11th, 2007 at 8:36 amI know that not every reader is going to love what I write. I’d love it if everybody did, but it’ll never happen. Tastes are too individual. I strive to write the best books I can, to write the stories I want to read but aren’t for sale, and hope to reach the readers who share my tastes.
by Charlene Teglia May 11th, 2007 at 8:47 amAt least they took the time to read the book…and if I didn’t send them the book to trash, maybe they actually paid for that right to trash it….LOL
When I get a bad review, I remember the other 20 stellar glowing good reviews. And I also remember that some of my all time favorite authors like Stephen King has gotten some bad reviews. I also remember that the online community is small compared to the actual reader buying base, so one bad review isn’t going to wreck my sales, it might in fact bring me more.
by Vivi Anna May 11th, 2007 at 9:49 amI know this is going to sound crazy - but I actually get a kick out of the bad ones. Number one, a bad review for me is better than nothing. Silence scares me more than people trashing the work. Reviews mean people are out there reading my story and that’s important to me.
I also think that people have a tendency to post reviews (especially on the Amazon and BN websites) when they feel passionately. So you only hear from them if the HATED it or LOVED it. I’m sad when they say they hated it. Really bummed when they say they want their money back. But at the same time I caused a powerful reaction. So I take that with me.
My favorite on Amazon was a bad review of one book in which another book was praised. I thought … you couldn’t post about the fact that you loved the other one? Ahhhh!!!
But it just reminded me that people connect differently with different books and that’s kind of cool too. And I think I’ve been able to find in every case… where one person hated it - another loved it.
If they ALL hated it. Then I would probably have to agree that something went wrong with that particular story.
Steph
by Stephanie Doyle May 11th, 2007 at 9:53 am“I stumbled upon a bad review of a book by one of my all time favorite authors. I adore this book. It’s on my keeper shelf even now. I reread it at least once a year. Yet someone trashed it royally, saying it was the worst piece of garbage ever published. (Can anyone put a positive spin on that?)”
Wait a minute, I know for a fact from my reviews that *I’ve* written the worst piece of garbage ever published. Nine years running, in fact. So the reviewer obviously hasn’t read my dreck. Send me a link, Gena, and I’ll set her straight. What I have to do to get a little disrespect in this industry….
Option #5: Laugh at them. Or read some of mine: http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/2007/03/atypical-brain-mush.html
by Lynn Viehl May 11th, 2007 at 9:54 amI can’t remember the title of the book now (darn it) but I think someone once published a book of comments some famous authors made REALLY trashing the work of some other famous authors they hated. It was pretty funny - and might help keep things in perspective.
by Kelly B. May 11th, 2007 at 9:59 amI just remind myself that tastes vary, and if nobody hates my book, it probably means that not many people are reading it. Though I don’t think I’d have the bottle to do what Iain Banks did with The Wasp Factory, and put all the “this book is vile, don’t read it” reviews in later print runs.
It does help that I’ve read enough reviews of other people’s books to know that some people will hate a book for exactly the same reason that other people loved it. That got particularly obvious recently with the reviews of a friend’s fantasy series where some reviewers praised the detailed description and world-building and others were complaining about the wordiness and get on with the story why don’t you.
by Jules Jones May 11th, 2007 at 11:25 amFeel bad for a day, then forget about them. *ggg*
by Jordan May 11th, 2007 at 11:44 amSure bad reviews sting, but for sanity’s sake I like to take the position: At least my story evoked a strong, passionate response. Maybe it wasn’t the response I would’ve liked
but I can’t please every reader with every single book. I think it can be especially hurtful when it’s a book you’ve worked so hard on and put a lot of your heart and emotion into. When that happens, I just tell myself, Hey there’s an upside. That’s one more person who took the time to read my book.
by Patrice Michelle May 11th, 2007 at 11:48 amIn my day job, I’m a media coordinator. Occasionally, someone writes something negative about our facility. (Not often, but it happens.) Often, I can consider the source — a disgruntled teenager who, during the busiest week of the year, showed up without a prior reservation and was disappointed because we couldn’t arrange a program for her. Sometimes, it takes realizing that the writer has an agenda and nothing we did could have changed his mind. The first time something truly scathing and awful showed up in print, I was incredibly upset. Then my boss reminded me, “Front page one day, bird cage next.”
Granted, reviews, both positive and negative, hang around a lot longer on the Internet, but even there, some of the same things apply. Consider the source. Recognize that nothing you do can change the opinion of some people. Realize that while the initial impact may hit you hard, the long term effect will ease.
Then do what several others recommended… Focus on the greater number of positive reviews and let it go.
by Mary Stella May 11th, 2007 at 12:12 pmI dislike reviews that say things like (to quote a few of my novels) “I demand a refund,” or “All I can say is ‘Terrible’,” not for the reason you might think, but because they tell me nothing. When a reader gives a specific complaint, I can either learn from it (as in, “Not enough sizzle between the hero and heroine”) or acknowledge that I’m not the right author for the reader (”I expected at least one catfight”), because I don’t do street lit or that stuff one might have seen 20 years ago on Dynasty.
The most memorable review I’ve ever gotten is not one that taught me anything . . . but it continues to strike me as hilarous. It said, “Dear Author: Please don’t ever write another book.” You’ve gotta love it.
So for heaven’s sake, don’t get depressed. Ask yourself, as a reader, were you absolutely wild about every book you ever read? Then ask yourself, “What makes me different?” If you truly believe everyone should like your work because you are a cut above other writers, it hints at a deeper problem (you probably believe you’re better than people of other races or religions, too.) On the other hand, if you say, “Nothing,” well, what’s the problem? Don’t worry about the reviews. Go ahead and be disappointed . . . for no more than 30 seconds. Then keep writing.
Bettye Griffin
by Bettye Griffin May 11th, 2007 at 12:19 pmhttp://www.bettyegriffin.com
http://www.chew-the-fat-with-Bettye.blogspot.com
One other thing. The old throwback, “it’s just one person’s opinion” is a lot of hooey. Lots of people have read your book that don’t want to be bothered with sitting down and writing reviews. Some of the people absolutely loved your work . . . others could take it or leave it . . . and still others disliked it. No one really knows how many belong to each group, and no one will ever really know. But it’s pretty safe to say that more than one person didn’t like your book.
Bettye Griffin
by Bettye Griffin May 11th, 2007 at 12:26 pmhttp://www.bettyegriffin.com
http://www.chew-the-fat-with-Bettye.blogspot.com
As a part-time reviewer I have to say I was rather shocked to read some of those reviews. As a reviewer your job is to help the author not put them down. Saying the book was crap and that they needed Tylenol after reading it doesnt help the author know why they felt this way. Was it the characters, the imagery, the tone? You have to explain why you didnt like it, not trash it and call yourself a reviewer. I am in no way an expert but I would like to think that all the reviews I ever gave were helpful. Even if the book isnt a 5 star(if you will) story, I will at least try to find some good in it. Just my personal opinion…
by Suzette May 11th, 2007 at 12:45 pmEh, personally I shrug them off. Not everyone is going to like my books. As a reader, I get pretty irate if I plop down $10 or more on a book that later turns out to be what I consider crap. If they hated it that much and paid good money for it, I figure they have every right to rant as they please.
Reviewers, however, trashing books you’ve sent them is a bit more of a squidgy line. That being said, usually the sort to write that sort of review is pretty well known for it up front (Mrs. Giggles, anyone?) and if I send something their way, I know what to expect.
What I find totally, utterly unacceptable is bullshit like, “The author’s head on a platter would be nice, too. What an idiot!”
Say whatever the hell you want about the book. But don’t make it personal toward the author.
by Nonny May 11th, 2007 at 12:49 pmI agree with Nonny. In my other persona (:shock: how many is that I have now? LOL) I write reviews. I do not go for the shock factor, I try to find and discuss the problems that “I” saw rationally and I always try to find something positive. Of course, there are some books that is very hard to do but even then someone has written it and apparently they don’t think it’s crap. But if I just say - “this is crap” what do they get out of that? Even when I give my oh-so-carefully constructed advice they probably don’t care but at least I didn’t just say it was crap.
The thing is that reviews are all subjective. I recently read a book that almost all of the other reviewers thought was great. I didn’t get it. The heroine did things that did not make sense given her background. There were other points too but I just shrugged, gave it the review I felt it deserved and moved on.
Reviews are opinions. What makes one person’s opinion right and another’s wrong?
by Michelle May 11th, 2007 at 1:53 pm“Even when I give my oh-so-carefully constructed advice they probably don’t care but at least I didn’t just say it was crap.”
Advice? Is a book review about advice to the author? That’s news to me! Maybe that’s why some people complain if the criticism isn’t constructive. I thought, perhaps erroneously, that reviews were for the benefit of the reader. I really can’t see an author looking to a review, however learned the reviewer, for writing advice.
by Barbara B. May 11th, 2007 at 2:29 pmKelly B. Says:
I can’t remember the title of the book now (darn it) but I think someone once published a book of comments some famous authors made REALLY trashing the work of some other famous authors they hated. It was pretty funny - and might help keep things in perspective.
I have that book. It’s called Pushcart’s Complete Rotten Reviews & Rejections.
Of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Samuel Pepys wrote: “The most insipid, ridiculous play that I ever saw in my life.”
Of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, The Odessa Courier wrote: “Sentimental rubbish…Show me one page that contains an ideas.”
Harsh.
by Sharon May 11th, 2007 at 4:01 pmYou should see what Mark Twain had to say about James Fenimore Cooper’s work. Some reviewers use a sledge hammer when reviewing. Twain used a scalpel. Either way, no one, not even those considered literary masters were immune to a bad review - from either a reader or a fellow writer.
I always think of Twain’s review when I get a bad one. Then I move on. No one yet has written a book that everyone liked, so I’m in good company.
by Grace Draven May 11th, 2007 at 4:21 pmI believe when you write a review, you should be specific about what you did or did not like; not just trash it. And don’t attack the author. You don’t KNOW this person!
BTW, I’m not an author but I am a reader with 30+ years experience
(plus I’ve written a few reviews)and I can’t help but wonder where common courtesy has gone. 
by JackieToo May 11th, 2007 at 7:58 pmBad reviews slide off my back. They don’t hurt my feelings or upset me or make me never want to write again. Why?
1) My profs at grad school are much harder on me. All the time. Why would I worry about what a random person thinks of my work when people I know tell me precisely what they think to my face?
2) A bad review is just a bad review. They’re going to take my book away. They’re not going to make my editor take it off the shelves. A bad review will not sent me to Author Jail, nor is it some sort of death sentence.
3) Sometimes the bad reviews are 100% right. And I think people who brush off bad reviews with “they just don’t get me” are going to be stuck writing the same (bad?) book over and over and over. You can’t write to please everybody, but your next book should always be better than the one before it. I take the criticisms for what they are and strive to improve.
4)Reviews are for the readers, not the authors. Nobody has an obligation to tell me how brilliant I clearly am. Reviews are also free publicity. So it’s all good.
by Pepper Espinoza May 11th, 2007 at 9:15 pm[blockquoet]Advice? Is a book review about advice to the author? That’s news to me! Maybe that’s why some people complain if the criticism isn’t constructive. I thought, perhaps erroneously, that reviews were for the benefit of the reader. I really can’t see an author looking to a review, however learned the reviewer, for writing advice.[/blockquote]
That wasn’t meant to read advice to the author but to the reader. Sorry, wrong wording but that’s what a reviewer is doing, imo. They are giving their advice to readers as to what they feel this book is or isn’t doing. “I advise you to run far away from this book”
LOL Sorry just kidding.
What I mean is that I try to give something more than a this is crap. That way I can show why I didn’t like it rather than just a general feeling.
However, as an author I will read reviews and I think it’s important to note what problems the reviewer found. I may not always agree with them but at least it helps me figure out why they hated what I wrote, or why they are marking me down, etc.
by Michelle May 12th, 2007 at 12:42 pmUse Monica’s author calming visualization techniques!
by kate r May 12th, 2007 at 7:37 pmThe previous comment about reviews being for readers (and bookstores purchase decisions perhaps) is interesting.
The nice thing about the internet is the expanding form of reviews in blogs and other forms. This transformation of the review mode allows readers and reviewers to hopefully expand the notion of review and perhaps actually give advice if a book is not liked (which may or may not be useful to the author but can allow a reader to read the review with more understanding whether it is legitaimate). Sometimes when I read a review, I wonder if the reviewer ever read the book! It is much more than just a difference of taste but a lack of the reviewer’s ability to think through and write about an issue. Sometimes a bad review written well tells me the reader that I will love the book they hated. The internet allows a much wider expansion of the review itself as a genre beyond the Sunday newspaper expansive journalistic review and the mini-blurbs on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.
If I were an author, it would be difficult not to take reviews personally. What can I say? Some of the best (and worst) literature was written by Anonymous and people still talk about the literature so book talk isn’t all personally directed at the author.
by Merri May 16th, 2007 at 6:26 pm