A Note to New Authors: You’re Never Going to Please Everyone . . . And that’s OKAY!
With a deadline looming and my kids about to be off for a week for the holiday, I should be nose to the grindstone writing Combust. But I’m not. I’m procrastinating and reading my emails since I’m so behind. And in the course of opening them up today, I was a little taken back by the first ten emails that were in my inbox. (Technically the first eight emails since the other two had to do with a dentist appointment and a school thing for my kids).
What were so important about these first seven emails other than they were from readers giving me feedback on my latest release? It was the realization that NO MATTER how hard I try, I will NEVER be able to please everyone. NEVER. And even though I am forty-one years old and a people pleaser, that is a hard notion to swallow.
What I think is an even more important message, is for all NEW AUTHORS out there to see this. I remember the stress I endured when I was in your shoes, releasing my first book, Driven, scouring Amazon and Goodreads for reviews. My feelings were hurt with criticism as many times as they were emboldened with praise.
So I’m going to post the most poignant lines of my first seven emails . . . because I know new authors are always worried about what readers are going to think or say or how they are going to respond to your next book, your next Facebook post, your next blog. And I want you to know, it’s OKAY. For every one person who dislikes it, there will be five more who like it.
Reader feedback is important. I read every email and try to read every review, good and bad, (yes, I know that’s crazy), but learn from them. Shrug the nasty ones off. Embrace the good ones. But more than anything, know as hard as you try, you will never be able to please everyone.
So without further ado . . . here is a sample of my first seven emails today so you can see I get criticism too. We all do. And all I can do is to work harder on the next book, polish my craft a bit more, and make sure I put my best foot forward in all I do.
“Don’t you know that no one will ever compare to Driven and Colton? Quit trying to write differently.”
“Thank God you wrote a different book. I didn’t quite care for your Driven series so you’re lucky I took a second chance on you all this time later to find you’re not a one trick pony. It’s about damn time.”
“Top Read of 2017. Thank you for writing about an issue that often gets swept under the rug with such sensitivity and resilience. You made me realize my past is my past and I can have a future. Head up. Wings Out.”
“I wanted a quick, easy read. I didn’t want depth and emotion. Maybe next time you should make your cover less sexy so you don’t trick a reader into thinking they are getting a two hour, mindless read.”
“It’s about time you stop milking the Driven series to death and write something different. Cuffed is your best book yet. Keep them coming like that.”
“I’ve loved everything K. Bromberg but you’ve really disappointed me with this one . . . Can’t you give us another Colton?”
“It’s about time someone wrote a book that’s longer than the books I’m seeing nowadays. You fleshed out characters so I connected with Emmy and Grant. Bravo. You haven’t disappointed me yet.
“I apologize. Let me get that out there first before I explain. I’ll say it again. I apologize. There were women talking in a private Facebook group earlier this year about how unfriendly they found you to be at a signing. It turned me off to your writing. Then I met you at Apollycon and realized you were actually nice. I gave your books a chance and ended up really liking them. When I approached those same women about why they said that about you, they admitted that when they met you, it was at a signing where you were still signing two hours after every other author had left. I couldn’t believe they would judge you for staying and being tired (and probably having to go pee) when no one else stuck around . . . so I guess I’m writing you to ease my own guilt for prejudging you and listening to women who honestly, were wrong to criticize you. Lesson learned for this fifty-five year old women. Thank you for teaching me that. I just finished Cuffed and felt compelled to write you and apologize.”
So . . . see? One book. Seven different opinions given. Do I respect all of the opinions? My ego may not like them, but yes, I do respect them, because like it or not, the opinion of your audience has to matter.
Now that you’ve all seen the range of the criticism another author gets, maybe you won’t be so hard on yourself next time you get a message that is critical. Just take a deep breath and remember, you can’t please everyone.
(*Please note all of these readers were asked if their emails could be used for this post and they consented.)
What were so important about these first seven emails other than they were from readers giving me feedback on my latest release? It was the realization that NO MATTER how hard I try, I will NEVER be able to please everyone. NEVER. And even though I am forty-one years old and a people pleaser, that is a hard notion to swallow.
What I think is an even more important message, is for all NEW AUTHORS out there to see this. I remember the stress I endured when I was in your shoes, releasing my first book, Driven, scouring Amazon and Goodreads for reviews. My feelings were hurt with criticism as many times as they were emboldened with praise.
So I’m going to post the most poignant lines of my first seven emails . . . because I know new authors are always worried about what readers are going to think or say or how they are going to respond to your next book, your next Facebook post, your next blog. And I want you to know, it’s OKAY. For every one person who dislikes it, there will be five more who like it.
Reader feedback is important. I read every email and try to read every review, good and bad, (yes, I know that’s crazy), but learn from them. Shrug the nasty ones off. Embrace the good ones. But more than anything, know as hard as you try, you will never be able to please everyone.
So without further ado . . . here is a sample of my first seven emails today so you can see I get criticism too. We all do. And all I can do is to work harder on the next book, polish my craft a bit more, and make sure I put my best foot forward in all I do.
“Don’t you know that no one will ever compare to Driven and Colton? Quit trying to write differently.”
“Thank God you wrote a different book. I didn’t quite care for your Driven series so you’re lucky I took a second chance on you all this time later to find you’re not a one trick pony. It’s about damn time.”
“Top Read of 2017. Thank you for writing about an issue that often gets swept under the rug with such sensitivity and resilience. You made me realize my past is my past and I can have a future. Head up. Wings Out.”
“I wanted a quick, easy read. I didn’t want depth and emotion. Maybe next time you should make your cover less sexy so you don’t trick a reader into thinking they are getting a two hour, mindless read.”
“It’s about time you stop milking the Driven series to death and write something different. Cuffed is your best book yet. Keep them coming like that.”
“I’ve loved everything K. Bromberg but you’ve really disappointed me with this one . . . Can’t you give us another Colton?”
“It’s about time someone wrote a book that’s longer than the books I’m seeing nowadays. You fleshed out characters so I connected with Emmy and Grant. Bravo. You haven’t disappointed me yet.
“I apologize. Let me get that out there first before I explain. I’ll say it again. I apologize. There were women talking in a private Facebook group earlier this year about how unfriendly they found you to be at a signing. It turned me off to your writing. Then I met you at Apollycon and realized you were actually nice. I gave your books a chance and ended up really liking them. When I approached those same women about why they said that about you, they admitted that when they met you, it was at a signing where you were still signing two hours after every other author had left. I couldn’t believe they would judge you for staying and being tired (and probably having to go pee) when no one else stuck around . . . so I guess I’m writing you to ease my own guilt for prejudging you and listening to women who honestly, were wrong to criticize you. Lesson learned for this fifty-five year old women. Thank you for teaching me that. I just finished Cuffed and felt compelled to write you and apologize.”
So . . . see? One book. Seven different opinions given. Do I respect all of the opinions? My ego may not like them, but yes, I do respect them, because like it or not, the opinion of your audience has to matter.
Now that you’ve all seen the range of the criticism another author gets, maybe you won’t be so hard on yourself next time you get a message that is critical. Just take a deep breath and remember, you can’t please everyone.
Kristy
(*Please note all of these readers were asked if their emails could be used for this post and they consented.)
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Terrie
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Nov 21, 2017 11:49AM
You are a class act! Lots going on with this post. One, people have to remember that there is another PERSON on the other side of an opinion...or car in another lane. Also, that you are so great to read all and actually process the good AND the bad. Tremendous. And three: we all read different types of books at different times in our lives, our days, our moods. And while I might like pecan caramel ice cream...someone else will always go to strawberry first. Tastes differ. But good judgement, finesse and kindness should always be first. Thanks for your post for readers and review writers to chew on...and for your generosity of thought to the new authors out there. A+ , 5 stars!!!
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