How to respond to 1-star reviews

Privately. And don’t take it personally. Certainly don’t go all crazy-stalker-nuts.

Now, that being said, I have to admit that I did once react to a one-star review. A reader commented that they didn’t make it past the copyright page. I was surprised. Really? The copyright page? WTF?

But I took a look at it. The text had been copied and pasted from the Smashwords recommended text. I don’t recall what it said now – this was some time ago – but I’m pretty sure it involved wild badgers and honey-dipped genitals if the buyer so much as let a friend glance at a page.

I had to admit that it seemed a drastic. I don’t even DRM my books because I’m just not that freaked out by piracy. Do I removed the page and told the reviewer so, in case he was interested in reading that book. He did and gave it for or five stars.

So… yay. My story had a happy ending. But a lot of them don’t. It would have been really easy to get panicked and angry about the review from someone who clearly had not read the book. He even said so in the initial one-star review. And I’ve gotten plenty of one-star reviews since then. I’m not sure I know a single author who has never gotten one.

Bad reviews happen. Sometimes they’re left by weird people who get off on ruining your day, but most are just by readers who just didn’t feel your story was their cup of tea. By the time you’re getting Amazon or Goodreads reviews, your book is done and published. Time to let it go and stop panicking. The feedback you should care about, cultivate and listen to are your beta readers. Once you’ve gotten that, weighed and used it, then finished the book, you’re done.

Don’t worry about reviews and don’t ever take them personally. They’re for your prospective readers; not for you, fellow pen-monkey. Let the readers talk to each other while you get back to the important work – writing the next book.