Yesterday, self-published writer Jacqueline Howett had a much-publicized meltdown when she discovered that a Kindle copy of her ebook, The Greek Seaman, had received a lukewarm review on a well-read book critic's blog, BigAl's Books and Pals. Howett's comment was the first that BigAl received on his review, and instead of thanking the reviewer, she unleashed a tirade about the poor review and demanded it be removed from the website. Other comments followed hers, which riled her further, and she posted two explicit comments before abandoning the blog.
BigAl, in response, posted an entire entry titled, "A Word on Negative Reviews." I encourage anyone who enjoys reading (and sometimes critiquing) books, or reading book review blogs, to check this entry out and see if it rings as true for you as it does for me. Two parts in particular stood out to me:
"...the purpose of a book review...(is) to help readers decide if it is a book they want to buy. The primary purpose isn’t to help the author, publisher, or anyone except the reader."
"I’ve seen two star reviews for books I’d give four or five stars. I’ve seen one star reviews on books considered “classics of literature.” If 9 out of 10 disinterested reviewers love your book then what I think shouldn’t matter."
I don't flatter myself that I have a ton of readers, and I won't kid myself into pretending that many people care about the books I read. Though I am attempting to branch out into more fiction writing, I realize that I am thoroughly mired in history, biography, and historical fiction, and sometimes these genres don't appeal to many people. I might give something four or five stars that you, or your friends, might think is the most boring book ever.
I hate the Twilight series. I have never made any bones about this, or excuses. But I also know that these are among the most popular books in the world right now. If I leave a one-star review on Breaking Dawn on Amazon.com, it really shouldn't matter to Stephanie Meyer -- as of today, there are 2,634 5-star reviews on Breaking Dawn's Amazon page.
Granted, Jacqueline Howett is not Stephanie Meyer. She is a self-published author, not a multi-millionairess with a film franchise that's going to support her well into her old age. This is probably her first brush with a seriously negative review. But I say to you, Ms. Howett -- learn from this.
Writing is hard. It has to be, or everyone would be out there getting published. There are going to be plenty of people who do not like your work, who are going to say that it sucks. Plenty of people think that Shakespeare sucks, too. I personally can't stand Ethan Frome, and it still is taught in high schools across the country. It doesn't matter what the reviews say. You must hold your head high and take the criticism like an adult. Because it doesn't matter how well you write, or how good your books are -- someone out there is always going to have something negative to say. What matters now -- and will always matter -- is how you respond to the criticism.
Writing is hard. It has to be, or everyone would be out there getting published. There are going to be plenty of people who do not like your work, who are going to say that it sucks. Plenty of people think that Shakespeare sucks, too. I personally can't stand Ethan Frome, and it still is taught in high schools across the country. It doesn't matter what the reviews say. You must hold your head high and take the criticism like an adult. Because it doesn't matter how well you write, or how good your books are -- someone out there is always going to have something negative to say. What matters now -- and will always matter -- is how you respond to the criticism.
ahahahaha omg. The sad thing is she really does drag other potential 'Indie' authors through the mud.
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