Bad Book Review? Here's Some Advice on How to Handle It
It happens to the best of us. You have toiled for weeks,
months, even years, and poured your blood, sweat, and tears into the effort to
create a literary masterpiece. You have got it edited and revised to
perfection. Then – hooray! – it was published and shared with the world! But
then the reviews start coming in, and not everyone is in love with your work.
During your literary career, you are bound to get one or two (or ten) bad
reviews. Yes, it stings, and it can feel like a punch in the gut. Here are some
suggestions to help you deal with a bad book review and even use it to your
advantage.
No one likes to be told their hard work is not great. It is
perfectly natural to feel discouraged, angry, and defensive. While you do not
want to dwell on your rage and spiral into despair, it is cathartic to give
yourself some time and space to feel what you are feeling. Scream into a
pillow. Punch the air (you can even picture the face of your nemesis while you
jab. I will not judge). Vent to a friend. Meditate. Sit with your feelings for
a minute, but then move on.
As tempting as it is to send a scathing (or even polite)
reply to the offending reviewer, do not do it. In the digital world, anything
tweeted, posted, or commented on is out there forever, and you cannot take it
back. You will regret whatever you might say to him or her, and most people who
read your response will see you as petty and small. Even an email is a bad
idea. Approach the experience with grace and professionalism and remember that
maintaining a positive professional relationship with the reviewer will only
help you eventually.
The advice "Just get over it" is way easier said
than done. If you are feeling too enraged to see straight, it could help to
write a letter to the reviewer on your private computer (not online) or paper
with the intent to work through your feelings. Remember that you will do this
with the goal of deleting it, not sending it, ever! Start by expressing the
emotions you are feeling the most intensely (like anger and frustration) and
let it all out. You are the only one who will see this letter, so do not hold
back. There is no need to censor your feelings (or language) here. After you
have expressed your strongest emotion, move on to another feeling you might be
having, like sadness. Write out every depressing or fearful quip that has
crossed your mind. When you have exhausted that corner of your brain, move on
to regret. Explore anything you wish you had done differently. You cannot
change the past, but you can outline anything you are regretting to help you
leave it behind. Finally, produce something you can respect or appreciate about
the reviewer or the situation you are in. You do not have to be dishonest, but
finding sincere gratitude during an inconvenient situation can help you change
your perspective.
Bad reviews are all part of the experience of being a good
writer. A negative review communicates that your book is deserving of buzz.
Consider every stellar literary hit, and amid the mega-fandom, you will find
people who hated the book. Keep in mind that you created a work of art, and art
is subjective. Not everyone is going to appreciate your book and remember that it
is impossible to please everyone when you are creating a book with any worth.
The fact that someone is unhappy with your book indicates that you have created
something of real value and substance. In this way, a disparaging review is
like a compliment in disguise.
Have you ever seen a work of literature that had only raving
reviews? It can start to feel a little unbelievable that everyone, everywhere,
absolutely loved a piece of writing. Having a negative review among a sea of
otherwise happy readers can give validity to the work, and your potential
readers will see the polarity of opinion as a challenge to explore it for
themselves. Also, do not forget that there is opposition in all things. Just as
your tough days make your good days that much sweeter, your critical review
will give added validity and impact to the glowing appraisals that will
inevitably come pouring in.
Remind yourself that this is just one person's opinion.
Furthermore, some people are just trolls; those people have their problems to
work through and are not worth your time. And if they are not trolls, you can
be sure that even well-respected book reviewers can get nasty occasionally.
While there can be some valid points in a negative post, some reviewers can get
on a high horse and criticize others' work solely to earn a pay check or just to
feel superior. Look at the reviewer's usual work; does he or she publish
negative reviews regularly? You might just be the latest victim in this
person's usual job of spewing negativity all over the literary world. You will
fare best if you just take whatever good points you can find in your reviews to
fuel your growth, and then leave the disparaging review in the past.
Criticism of your life's work can trigger a spiral of
depression in which a lot of people feel unworthy to keep trying. You might be
tempted to let the sting of a negative review make you feel like an imposter in
the writing world, but whatever you do, do not stop writing. It can be scary to
put yourself out there again, but this is the best way to move past an
unpleasant experience. Channel your pain and anger into your next work. If you
are still feeling the need for revenge, you can even base your villain
character on your reviewer and make him or her the subject of great loathing
and spite among everyone in your new story!
As a writer, you must count on getting reviews of all
flavours and levels of approval, so try to take each one with a grain of salt.
Although bad reviews can hurt a LOT, some good can still come of them. Embrace
the difficulties of the writing process, and someday, while basking in your
literary glory, you will think back on your opposers with fondness and
gratitude (or gloating. Again, I will not judge!).
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