20 Ways for Authors to Handle Bad Reviews
Yes, they suck, but here’s how to deal
“This book was poop!” ~Goodreads Reviewer
Yes, that is an actual review of a book.
As an author myself, I can only imagine how the author of that book must have winced at reading such disgustingly harsh words. And that isn’t even the worst review I’ve seen.
As the saying goes, shit happens.
The good news is, the bigger a success you are as a writer, the more shit you are likely to get in the form of bad reviews, simply because more people are reading your work. Enjoy that silver lining.
That doesn’t make it any easier when you get bad reviews.
Anyone who produces something for the world at large is opening themselves up to critique, and rightfully so. Members of the reading community have a right to know what they are getting themselves into with your creation, and reviews help them with that.
But we authors are still human, and like all humans, we are sensitive when it comes criticism of our work. This is especially so in the case of creative endeavors, which are so subjectively critiqued.
So how do you deal with bad reviews, not just from a business and marketing standpoint, but an emotional one?
