Just Don't Do It: Advice for Writers

My first bad review was one word. "Awful."Thankfully the same book, Honor and Lies by Elizabeth Lee, had glowing reviews and recommendations from people I've never met, not just my mother. :)That first bad review started a bad habit it took me a while to kick. I found myself logging on to Amazon's Author Central and searching for reviews. Looking to see what people thought of my latest work. I wasted hours. Here's the deal:Not everyone will love your books. Doesn't matter if you're Nora, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Karen Templeton or the next Stephenie Meyer.Some people will hate your words. Some will love them. Some will feel strongly enough about your work that they'll write reviews to share their thoughts with others. Some will love your stories so much they'll pass them on to friends. Some will hate them so much they'll write one word reviews of your books. In the end, if you're worried about reviews, you're wasting your time. You're the writer. You release the work to the readers. They make what they will of that work. It's no longer yours. You, dear writer, should focus on the next story. And the next. And the next.Leave the reviews alone. #
My new book Second Chance Hero (steamy contemporary romantic suspense) is out on Amazon. If you read it and like it, let others know!