by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I love writing and sharing my stories with readers. I was the same when I was a kid, foisting grammatically-incorrect short stories on my parents’ unsuspecting company. One thing has remained the same from both back when I was a kid and now…it stings to get negative feedback, whether it’s a teacher at school, a critique group, or a reader review. But now, like then, it didn’t stop me. I always remember it (and, likely, on some level resent it), but it doesn’t hold me back. Most of the time it can actually help me improve.
Here are some tips for dealing with bad reviews:
Don’t react…at least online. The worst thing to do is engage. It can be tempting. I’ve had negative reviews because the book arrived damaged at a reader’s home via shipping. It’s just better to leave it alone.
Keep it in perspective. Lots of people have read your book and enjoyed it. Plus, negative reviews show a book is being widely read and it’s not just family members reading your book and reviewing it.
Take what’s useful from a negative review or critique for the future. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read a bad review and made a note on an outline to address that very point in the future. Frequently, negative reviews can really inform future writing. Of course, negative critiques or edits are better because we have the opportunity to make changes before the book is published.
De-stress. No matter how well you handle a bad review, it’s going to stress you out on some level. I always try to take the time to actually take care of myself…take a walk, listen to music, read a good book. It does help.
Keep a folder of positive reviews and reader emails. This is probably my favorite tip of all. Keep a folder stuffed full with your positive reviews and glowing reader emails. When you’ve read some negative reviews (or if you’re just having a rotten writing day for any reason), go back and take a look.
Remember to celebrate small successes. This is one of those things that’s hard for me, but that I’m trying to do better with. So often I pay attention to areas I need to fix and don’t remember to celebrate the weeks I hit my goals or the books I finish. If we get too inured to the negatives, it can be hard to spot the positives.
For further reading on dealing with negative reviews and critiques, see:
How to Handle a Bad Critique by Kelly Hart
Prepare for the Critics, the Nasty Ones by Beth Hill
Kill Me Now–What Do I Do About a Negative Review by Roz Morris
Bad Reviews–6 Reasons to Be Glad You Have Them by Anne R. Allen
Do you ever get negative reviews? How do you handle them?
Navigating Negative Reviews and Critiques: Share on XPhoto on VisualHunt.com
They’re not fun, but they do validate the good reviews.
I look at ways I can improve my next story by noting what readers didn’t like in the book.
I do the same thing and find it really helpful!
Those are great tips. I’m sure it’s hard to read that someone didn’t like your book but if you keep it in perspective and realize that not everyone will like any book, no matter how good it is.
I think, also, about the number of times I’ve not finished a book on the bestseller list that many thousands of other people enjoyed…not every book is for every reader!
You’re so right that it’s important to handle negative reviews well, Elizabeth. Nobody likes them, but they do happen. And sometimes you really can learn something useful from them. I’ve found that stepping away, even for a brief time, is helpful. It gives you a perspective. As you say, not engaging helps, too. So does remembering that the negative review is not about me as a person (tough to remember, because we put ourselves into our work). Thanks for reminding us all of ways to handle that difficult part of writing.
Good tip about taking a break and stepping away to get perspective!
Going back to those good reviews always makes me feel better.
Me, too!
Hi Elizabeth – ‘not engaging’ is such sensible advice. Making sure one keeps one’s voice, yes correct obvious grammatical mistakes – but keep your own story telling. As you say … keep the positive up front and be positive on receiving ideas – they can be rejected, adapted, or included … it’s your story and your success/failure – but there’s always things we can absorb. You’ve done wonders … take care – Hilary
Thanks so much, Hilary! Hope you’re doing well.