What to Do With Your First Negative Book Review

It finally happened. I knew it would.

Somebody panned The Author’s Guide to Marketing on Goodreads.

As an agent, an editor, and a consultant, I’ve walked with a lot of authors through painful reviews and negative feedback. But that’s not the same as seeing someone criticize my own work. Even though I knew better, I still felt the temptation to respond, the natural desire to defend. My fingers itched to hit the Reply button and tell the reader exactly what he was missing, and why he was wrong.

Bu...