Bad reviews: How to deal with it
Ok, wow you put your book out, you're feeling great. The downloads and hardcovers are flying out the door, great reviews are coming back, you are climbing up the charts! OMG this is it! This is the big one, I'm going to be a success...then…. The bad review comes and I don't mean they didn't care for it review, no I'm talking the scathing appliance didn't work review. The “waste of time” “not worth it, the author should jump” review.
Yes, its crushing, how can people be so hard. Why do they feel the need to log in take the time to bash someone. Why just say nothing at all, isn't that a bad enough review? To take the time to make sure they tell “you”, because that is what it is, your book, its you, that who do you think you are review, why do people do this? So how to deal with it?
You can either:
1. implode, drink your face off for a few days and call it quits.
2. Google them,(the ones that actually have the balls to have their name next to their review), find them on facebook, study their pictures, find out everything and anything you can about them, make them a character in your next book. Google Earth search them, look at the satellite pic of their house or even better you can actually zoom close to right outside their house, stare at the front of their house and wonder, was that review written inside that bedroom window? Hmm I like that one the best.
Or
3. Realize that these people are pissed off and get off doing just this.
They:
a. have never accomplished anything in their miserable life
b. are taking out the fact that their husband left them for someone younger and prettier
c. they think they are smarter then everyone else who gave you a good review
d. actually believe anyone gives a shit of what they think
e. they are failed Trolls with nothing better to do
f. the closest thing they will ever get in print is their review
g. when they look in the mirror they can't believe how bad they look so they write bad reviews to try to make up for it
h. they secretly have a crush on you
i. way too stupid to get what you wrote or to realize if they like naked cowboy romance paperback grocery store crap, maybe your story isn't for them.
j. they probably didn't finish it either
Here is the thing to remember
you need to find your audience
e.g.
Lets say a new comedian walks up on stage and faces a crowd, some will think “wow, what a genius”
and others, well “what a pig”.
The point is, there are no statues of critics. So when the bad one comes, refer to fig. a-j above. And get on with it. And remember, you are the one on stage, they will always just be in the audience.
Yes, its crushing, how can people be so hard. Why do they feel the need to log in take the time to bash someone. Why just say nothing at all, isn't that a bad enough review? To take the time to make sure they tell “you”, because that is what it is, your book, its you, that who do you think you are review, why do people do this? So how to deal with it?
You can either:
1. implode, drink your face off for a few days and call it quits.
2. Google them,(the ones that actually have the balls to have their name next to their review), find them on facebook, study their pictures, find out everything and anything you can about them, make them a character in your next book. Google Earth search them, look at the satellite pic of their house or even better you can actually zoom close to right outside their house, stare at the front of their house and wonder, was that review written inside that bedroom window? Hmm I like that one the best.
Or
3. Realize that these people are pissed off and get off doing just this.
They:
a. have never accomplished anything in their miserable life
b. are taking out the fact that their husband left them for someone younger and prettier
c. they think they are smarter then everyone else who gave you a good review
d. actually believe anyone gives a shit of what they think
e. they are failed Trolls with nothing better to do
f. the closest thing they will ever get in print is their review
g. when they look in the mirror they can't believe how bad they look so they write bad reviews to try to make up for it
h. they secretly have a crush on you
i. way too stupid to get what you wrote or to realize if they like naked cowboy romance paperback grocery store crap, maybe your story isn't for them.
j. they probably didn't finish it either
Here is the thing to remember
you need to find your audience
e.g.
Lets say a new comedian walks up on stage and faces a crowd, some will think “wow, what a genius”
and others, well “what a pig”.
The point is, there are no statues of critics. So when the bad one comes, refer to fig. a-j above. And get on with it. And remember, you are the one on stage, they will always just be in the audience.
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