Authentically, Izzy RELEASE DAY! (and how to deal with different opinions)

 It's a celebration day, y'all!!

Today is the release of my 19th book, Authentically, Izzy! 

I am so excited to introduce the world to this unique, fun, and uplifting book - so I'm DEFINITELY doing a giveaway today for a paper copy of the book AND two candles made for Authentically, Izzy by Wick and Sarcasm. 

This process of sending a unique style book out into a much broader readership has been a learning curve for me...maybe a little test too. Because, as many of you know, not every book fits every reader and some people are more likely to say what they don't like in very colorful ways than others do :)

Now, since Izzy is being published with Thomas Nelson, I have a much broader readership early on than I usually do...which means...I've also gotten a whole lot more variety in those reviews too. 

Unique Book (epistolary) + broader readership = plenty of variety in opinions

It took a while for me to get published. The Seekers can attest to be hanging around on Unpubbed island for a while before I got the call. And my journey has gone from very small press, to indie, to medium press, to large press, with all sorts of bumps, bruises, hard work, and successes rolled up together. 

But God's used all of the detours and tough stuff to teach me lots of things in life and on this writing journey and I believe it's helped me better handle the various reviews/thoughts people share about my books too. I don't think I would have handled all those negative reviews as well 7 years ago when my first book came out, but now (even though some still sting), I celebrate several things:

1. We are free to share our opinions.

    Isn't it great that we live in a place where we can freely share our thoughts, interests, likes, and dislikes. Even though it can sometimes feel like we don't have as much of that freedom, we really still do. My preference is for people to share their thoughts respectfully and kindly, but we still have the opportunity to share our thoughts. 

Btw, I get the fact that not every book fits every reader. Isn't it great to have so many options so we can read books that we enjoy! Variety IS the spice of life ;)

2. My book is published so that people CAN read it and share their opinions.

I have another book out in the big wide world! What an honor! With all the hard work that goes into writing and marketing a book, it's such a wonderful opportunity to be able to have it, as imperfect as it may be, out and in print. It's a celebration and joy! It's also a vulnerable experience EVERY SINGLE TIME! But we sign up for all of it, as authors, so we have to be able to handle all of it. LOL. The good, the bad, and the indifferent. 

3. What can I learn from what people share?

Not every author reads their reviews, but I do. I've learned so much from what readers have to say. Reading reviews is not for every author, and I TOTALLY get that, but if I've seen a pattern in reviews that I incorporate into changes for my stories to make them better, I'll consider those words.  We can grow a lot through being stretched by different opinions and new ideas. 

4. I have readers!

I LOVE readers!!! Not just because they buy my books, but because they're just some of the best people out there. We can speak the same bookish language and celebrate the beauty of books! One of my delights as an author is to engage with other readers both online and in person. And...without readers, we wouldn't have anyone to enjoy our stories at all, would we?

So, what are some tips you'd give for writing a book review for a book you didn't quite enjoy?

Or...

How do you handle less-than-stellar reviews of your books?

Leave an answer in the comments below to be put into the drawing for the giveaway!!

(And check out the cute video for a "teaser" about Authentically, Izzy available NOW!! 

Let's party!

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Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance “peppered” with grace and humor. Writing both historical and contemporary novels, she loves to incorporate her native Appalachian culture and/or her unabashed adoration of the UK into her stories. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is a wife, mom to five great kids, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus. Her novel, Hope Between the Pages, is a finalist for the prestigious Christy award. Pepper loves connecting with readers and other authors through social media outlets like Facebook &
Instagram.

You can learn more about Pepper and her books on her website at www.pepperdbasham.com