# Those with thin skin...



## Guest (Oct 8, 2015)

deleted


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## AllyWho (May 16, 2015)

If you can't handle low ratings/reviews then don't read them. Seriously, why go looking if you know it will upset you?

I don't look, either on Amazon or Goodreads. I don't need to know about my 1-stars and I'm too busy trying to get the next book finished for those readers who *do* enjoy my little tales.


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## ShayneRutherford (Mar 24, 2014)

Remind yourself that every book is not meant for every reader.


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## The Bass Bagwhan (Mar 9, 2014)

If you really must read them, then try to pick those that might actually have some constructive criticism. A poor review (resulting in a poor rating) doesn't necessarily mean you're a bad writer. It might simply mean you're writing in the wrong genre or perhaps you need the guidance of a good editor to knock off the rough edges. Reviews like, "This book was awful" (or something) can be ignored. The reader may have a million reasons for not liking your book and the very least of these might the quality of your writing.
If the problem becomes consistent, then maybe look at paying for a professional manuscript assessment before hitting that Publish button again. Sometimes the smallest suggestion - the slightest tweak to your approach - can make everything else click into place.
Good luck with it and don't give up too quickly - as discouraging as these things can be sometimes.


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## Clare W (Aug 13, 2015)

> Remind yourself that every book is not meant for every reader.


A lot of truth in this!

Writing with your audience in mind helps keep your focus away from negative reviews - and on giving your audience more of what they like. (Unless your reviews are slating you for bad grammar, spelling, formatting etc - in which case you might want to look again at your books and see if you can make improvements).

This also ties in with having some form of contact with your loyal readers - the ones who like and buy your books. Do you have a website / blog / FB page where you can build some sort of community with your readers, and where they can interact with you? Do you have a mailing list where you can send interesting snippets from your research / advance chapters and so on? As Nicknacks says, having some sort of positive validation balances out the negative - and can give you added impetus to keep on writing.

Good luck!

Clare


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

I like to think my skin is fairly thick these days. But even after 2000+ reviews, I still get that rare bit of feedback that hits a sensitive point or feels more personal than it should. The way I deal with it is to immediately wash it out of my mind (if I determine there's nothing to be learned from it). I do that by reading other, more positive bits of feedback. I even keep a folder called Dara's Everlasting Vanity and fill it with stuff designed to boost my ego when I need it. For most of my life, I've been in the habit of memorizing anything critical anyone ever says to me, replaying it over in my head, and forgetting the compliments. I'm retraining myself these days to do the opposite. 

But that's a personality thing. I believe confidence and thin/thick skin has nothing to do with talent or quality of work and everything to do with how you feel about yourself (or how you've been trained to feel). People with an abundance of confidence and self-esteem probably don't need ego boosters. People who are more sensitive or tend to doubt themselves probably do. Same with reading reviews. If it's too painful, try to avoid them. But if you're having a really good day and feeling strong, read away. Personally, I read mine in batches - I'm allowed to read one negative per every five positives. That keeps me from being too depressed to write.


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## Cxxxxxxx (May 30, 2015)

ShayneRutherford said:


> Remind yourself that every book is not meant for every reader.


This. If I look at the reviews for my favorite books, all of them have negative reviews- some quite a few. Wolf Hall was one of my favorite books of the last five years, but a lot of people HATED it.

The more your book gets out there, the more likely it is to find readers who just don't care for it, for any number of reasons. It will also find those who love it. Try to focus on them.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Issy (Aug 25, 2013)




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## SasgoraBooks (Aug 27, 2015)

ShayneRutherford said:


> Remind yourself that every book is not meant for every reader.


This is so true. You have to remember this always. Stephen King is one of the most successful authors of all time, even Stephen King gets 1 star reviews on Amazon. So don't take it to heart. If a review is out of left field then ignore it. If a review has constructive criticism then heed it and go back and find out if it is useful to you.

I just got a 2 star review in which the reviewer compared my story to two different horror movies. Well, maybe those movies, and my book, were not his cup of tea? But both of those movies were hugely popular and successful movies and one of them just happens to be one of my favorite movies by one of my favorite screenwriters. So I'm taking the review as a serious compliment. You have to look at the bright side of everything and stay positive or this industry will chew you up and spit you out.


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## Jane Killick (Aug 29, 2014)

The best advice really is not to read them. Someone once said this to me and it's made a world of difference.

*However*! Very often, one needs to check on reviews, for example, to tell promo sites how many you have or to pull a quote for a website. Not that easy. In those cases, if you can, you could ask a friend to do this for you.

A critique teacher once insisted I write down all the good things about my book/story as well as the things that needed to be fixed. So "great characters, interesting premise, loved the scene with the dog" as well "the ending didn't quite work". Writers tend to focus on the negative whereas, in truth, there was more positive. If you get an unfavourable review, look at a good review again and tell yourself that is the true reviewer who really understands your book. Focus on the positive.

I heard an actor say that their agent would save up all the reviews for the first night and send them to her all at once the next day. So she could gloss over the bad ones and concentrate on the good ones. Perhaps you can take that approach.

For me, by the time the book's out, I'm concentrating on the next one and I can detach a little bit. Knowing my next book will be better helps me.


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## Mala (Apr 5, 2015)

Did you know that on Goodreads, Shakespeare has a 3.85 rating and gets one-starred all the time?
In the world of fiction, what's good or not is highly subjective.
And just because one person says it's so, doesn't mean it's so.


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## Zelah Meyer (Jun 15, 2011)

I have deleted this post as I do not consent to the new Terms of Service that Vertical Scope are attempting to retrospectively apply to our content.  I am forced to manually replace my content as, at time of editing, their representative has instructed moderators not to delete posts or accounts when users request it, and Vertical Scope have implied that they will deal with account deletion requests by anonymising accounts, which would leave personally identifying information in my posts.

I joined under the previous ownership and have posted over the years under different Terms of Service.  I do not consent to my name, content, or intellectual properties being used by Vertical Scope or any other entity that they sell or licence my data to.


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## Reaper (Nov 5, 2013)

I'd like to echo what others have said about not paying them too much attention (however difficult that may be). I've just taken my first steps in the indie-publishing world and received some positive feedback as well as a negative review. I spent more time worrying about how I'd react to a bad review than I have fretting over it now I know it's there. To be honest, I'm more amazed I actually received a review so soon after publishing!

We have a tendency to make things seem worse than they are (people in general, writers in particular!), much like what Jane said above about focusing too much on the negative bits instead of reminding ourselves that there are positive bits as well. Of course everyone's different and it can be difficult to process, but I personally think it's better to confront something than live in fear of it. Hopefully that way we'll be better equipped to deal with it the next time it rolls around


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## mica (Jun 19, 2015)

ShayneRutherford said:


> Remind yourself that every book is not meant for every reader.





Clare W said:


> A lot of truth in this!
> 
> Writing with your audience in mind helps keep your focus away from negative reviews - and on giving your audience more of what they like. (Unless your reviews are slating you for bad grammar, spelling, formatting etc - in which case you might want to look again at your books and see if you can make improvements).


That's how I look at it. You are always going to have readers who enjoy your books and some who don't for whatever reason.

I've commented on here that there is a bestselling author who has multiple grammatical mistakes, spelling mistakes, jumbled up sentences etc and she gets reviewers who mention it time and time again but looking at her recent reviews nothing much has changed. That's the reviews I'd pay attention to, not the ones who say '_this book is crap_' or '_this person cannot write to save her life_' '_I don't like the way she writes_'.

I think if you have thin skin and the low ratings and reviews are going to upset you or halt your creativity or writing, then don't read them. Read the 4 and 5 star reviews and keep writing for those readers that really enjoy your work.


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## Not any more (Mar 19, 2012)

Take a look at a few Nobel and Pulitzer winners. Then check a few of your favorite books. If they don't have any 1-star reviews, I'll be shocked.

I use reviews as learning experiences. Whether or not I agree with the criticism, it helps to know what I need to improve on. Or, in the case of one book, it spurred me to completely reclassify it. I originally aimed it at the wrong audience.


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## Cheryl Douglas (Dec 7, 2011)

My skin was very thin when I first started out. My first one-star review crushed me. But a combination of the strategies others have already suggested helped me develop a very thick skin. I think time helps too. The more time passes, the more books you sell and five star reviews you garner, the more confidence you have in yourself as a writer. You will develop the belief that you _are_ a good writer and a few naysayers won't be able to shake your faith in yourself.


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## Jarmitagetheauthor (Sep 30, 2015)

My only one star review said this - This is the worst book ever written!
I thought it was a great achievement to be the writer of the worst book ever out of millions. It made me chuckle. The reviewer had only previously reviewed a toy parrot - she gave that 1 star too!


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## Al K. Line (Mar 16, 2014)

Most people that like a book will never leave a review, always keep that in mind. My first bad reviews cut deep, but I learned from some and stopped thinking about the ones that had nothing constructive to say. It's hard to dismiss critical opinion as writing is so personal, but so is reading, and all you can do is write to the best of your ability now and tell the stories you want to tell.

Some peeps will love them, others won't. As long as you do then there will always be others that will too.

"Absolutely brilliant." "Bloody brilliant." "This book was terrible." "Horrible." Same book, different readers. I'd say about half of them are right


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## Word Fan (Apr 15, 2015)

Jarmitagetheauthor said:


> My only one star review said this: _"This is the worst book ever written!"_
> 
> I thought it was a great achievement&#8230;


Just to check, I looked up your books. You also have another review that's the best that a person can get: _"I wish the author would write another."_

You can't beat that.


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## Richard Sutton (Oct 4, 2015)

I've learned not to mind low review ratings as they are not very typical and give the overall review picture a nice, honest cred. Besides, once in a while, a reviewer will mention some terrible glaring issue I or my editor missed! I can't thank them enough when that happens and I bow before the POD gods in supplication. It's nice to be able to fix an issue a release a new version if needed. On my first book, I uploaded the old file by mistake (before I learned to rename each version to prevent that kind of stupidity) and about twenty sold before I caught the issues. Once I did, I felt embarrassed that I'd let the reader see my slip, then grateful that few others had. I realize my books aren't for everyone, but I strive to make them the best they can be for those readers that like my writing. Occasional less than stellar reviews keep me on my toes.


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## Quiss (Aug 21, 2012)

I think I'm mostly over it. I've even had some low review that have given me some important pointers on things I can do better.
What bugs me are the ones where readers clearly haven't read the blurb before downloading or didn't even read the book and feel the need to comment on the preview. 
Those are useless for other readers and just drag down the rate average for that title.


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## dianapersaud (Sep 26, 2013)

Carol (was Dara) said:


> I like to think my skin is fairly thick these days. But even after 2000+ reviews, I still get that rare bit of feedback that hits a sensitive point or feels more personal than it should. The way I deal with it is to immediately wash it out of my mind (if I determine there's nothing to be learned from it). I do that by reading other, more positive bits of feedback. I even keep a folder called Dara's Everlasting Vanity and fill it with stuff designed to boost my ego when I need it. For most of my life, I've been in the habit of memorizing anything critical anyone ever says to me, replaying it over in my head, and forgetting the compliments. I'm retraining myself these days to do the opposite.
> 
> But that's a personality thing. I believe confidence and thin/thick skin has nothing to do with talent or quality of work and everything to do with how you feel about yourself (or how you've been trained to feel). People with an abundance of confidence and self-esteem probably don't need ego boosters. People who are more sensitive or tend to doubt themselves probably do. Same with reading reviews. If it's too painful, try to avoid them. But if you're having a really good day and feeling strong, read away. Personally, I read mine in batches - I'm allowed to read one negative per every five positives. That keeps me from being too depressed to write.


This is fantastic advice. I'm off to make my own Vanity folder


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## BlueGen (Jun 14, 2014)

I have skin so thin you could see through it. No amount of advice to 'just grow a pair' has ever made a difference. 

The one thing that HAS made a difference is this…

I haven't read a single review, positive or negative, in two years. 

Blissful ignorance works for me.


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## AngelaQuarles (Jun 22, 2014)

Issy said:


> Imagine you have baked a cake for 100 people. (It's a big cake.) It's coffee and walnut cake.
> 
> 2 of those people came right up to you and said, "Ugh, I hate walnuts, I'd rather eat carpet tiles." Fair enough.
> 4 people came up to you and said, "oh, well done," but you have no idea quite what they liked the best.
> ...


Great analogy!

I'll echo what everyone else says. I haven't yet gotten to the stage where I can ignore them, but I have finally gotten to the stage where a low one I can shrug off and realize they were not my target audience. What helps is to go to your absolute fave book in your genre and read all their 1-star reviews. Seriously. And sometimes those 1-star reviews you get are gold for making others 1-click to buy. One person can totally not like what another considers their reading catnip.

I wrote a blog post once on what my uncle calls the 30-40-30 rule, which boils down to: 30% will love you no matter what, 30 percent won't no matter what, it's the 40% in the middle you need to sway. The post was about evaluating critiques (this was before I was published) but I think it holds true for reviews as well: http://angelaquarles.com/2011/10/01/dealing-with-critiques-the-30-40-30-rule/


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## SkyMama (Sep 26, 2012)

Mala said:


> Did you know that on Goodreads, Shakespeare has a 3.85 rating and gets one-starred all the time?
> In the world of fiction, what's good or not is highly subjective.
> And just because one person says it's so, doesn't mean it's so.


Good point, which brings me to my own remedy for a hurtful review. I go to my favorite books by other others and look at the reviews. They all have reviewers who have left them one or two stars. It makes me think, "WTF? That book was amazing!"After I get over my initial shock of it, the lousy reviews on great books give me perspective. No matter how fantastic the writing, there's no book on earth that will appeal to every single reader. As an author, you have to take the good reviews with the bad. If there are no good reviews, that's a different issue.


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## Anarchist (Apr 22, 2015)

I'm sure there were grumps who looked at the Sistine Chapel and said "Pfft. That sucks."

Or looked at the sculpture of David and said, "Why's his head so big?"

Some folks don't like nice things.

If bad reviews bother you and you're having trouble staying away from them, try the following:

Step 1: pick out a charity you hate - e.g. if you're a Republican, choose the DNC. If you're the CEO of Pfizer, choose PETA.

Step 2: set a jar on your counter.

Step 3: Commit to putting $10 into the jar every time you read a negative review.

Step 4: Donate the money in the jar to the charity you identified in Step 1.

You'll either develop the habit of not reading bad reviews or go broke trying. Hopefully, the risk of bankruptcy will override your curiosity.


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## Taking my troll a$$ outta here (Apr 8, 2013)

Nicknacks said:


> It's so easy for people to say, "Don't read them," and shrug it off like it's nothing.
> Well I'm with you, Jana. It's not easy & it does hurt and just because some people don't react to it the same way, does not make how you feel any less real.
> BUT! What works for me is to print out positive reviews/glowing emails from other readers & post them around my workspace. Having that visual helps stave off the negative, and it really works for me. Maybe try that? ymmv
> Just remember that all books have their detractors. ALL books--maybe go read some of the bestsellers' one-stars, too.


It's not easy at all. It's an incredibly difficult thing to do. Sure it hurts to see your work criticized, you wouldn't be human if it didn't bother you on some level. But if you are so thin skinned that it is wrecking you to read bad reviews, it's worthwhile to find a way to stop reading them.

Being an author is a soul-wrenching job sometimes. We put our intimate thoughts and feelings down on paper, put it out there for strangers to hate or enjoy, and we have to sit back and watch those same readers say what they will. Reviewers can be anonymous if they choose. Authors? Not so much.

Keep in mind that you can take a break from reading reviews. Remember that in all situations, people are more likely to take the time to complain rather than give praise. Consider the source of anonymous reviews that come from brand new accounts who've 1 starred your book and 5 starred a set of dishes immediately after you have an internet disagreement haha.  Seriously, though, your time as a writer is valuable. Spend it doing things that keep your positive mojo flowing, and cut back on the things that are stressful.


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2015)

JanaOnWheels said:


> How do you cope with low ratings/reviews? I'm ridiculously thin-skinned and struggling with this.


I've had readers who have said they *hate* my books. I've had readers who have said they *like* my books. I've had readers who have said they *love* my books. I've had readers who *have become angry with me for not getting my books out faster*.

These days, as far as I'm concerned, it's all good. *Reviews mean your books are being read.* It took awhile for me to get to this mindset, but I'm there now.


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## Rex (Mar 21, 2014)

first one star gutted me.
second one p*ed me off.

Now, after three books and some more low ratings, I realize most of the issues are with people just not liking it. Which is fine because I don't like everything or every person I run across. As long as most of the reviews are good, I feel I'm good.

But getting a new low rating on an emotionally low day - still kinda hurts.

watchagonnado?


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## Anarchist (Apr 22, 2015)

JanaOnWheels said:


> Are there really people who can avoid reading their books' reviews?


Personally, I read reviews. But it's impossible to offend me.

This is a business. I need data and insight to improve my product. So I encourage honest feedback. The greater the detail, the better - even (indeed, *especially*) if it's critical.


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2015)

Anarchist said:


> Personally, I read reviews. But it's impossible to offend me.
> 
> This is a business. I need data and insight to improve my product. So I encourage honest feedback. The greater the detail, the better - even (indeed, *especially*) if it's critical.


I read all my reviews to see if there's anything *objective* I need to fix, such as an error.


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## TromboneAl (Mar 20, 2015)

I've decided there are much better sources of constructive criticism than bad Amazon reviews, so I don't look at the bad reviews.

Here's how to avoid seeing them:

Go to your book's Amazon page.
Sort your reviews for Newest First.
Filter your reviews for Positive only
Set this as your bookmark, and use it whenever you want to check your reviews.

You can see how that works here.


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## ElHawk (Aug 13, 2012)

Just remember:


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## Not any more (Mar 19, 2012)

TromboneAl said:


> I've decided there are much better sources of constructive criticism than bad Amazon reviews, so I don't look at the bad reviews.
> 
> Here's how to avoid seeing them:
> 
> ...


Ah, but you miss some of the best reviews this way! I will always treasure my first 1-star review. At first it was a 3, then the next day she changed it to a 2, then the next day to a 1. She complained the book made her think. I took it as a compliment.

When I'm looking for a book to read, I skip the 5-star reviews. I look at the 1-star and why they got marked so low. In many cases, the things the reviewer complains about appeal to me. Too much cursing or sex? Doesn't turn me off. The book isn't like xyz best seller that I hated? Sounds good to me. The book is full of misspellings, poor grammar and cardboard characters? A couple of dozen 1-stars like that and I go to the next book.


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## Deke (May 18, 2013)

You can put an explanatory comment with the review. My Andy Leagues book (two lonely reviews) and one said it was largely plagiarism (which it isn't). So I attached a comment to that review explaining that it is a completely different story that Verne's original.


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## beccaprice (Oct 1, 2011)

I treasure the few bad reviews I've received - they've really helped me pinpoint weaknesses in my writing and story telling. And I wouldn't be using illustrations if it hadn't been for a one-star saying that they were needed.


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## Tuttle (Jun 10, 2010)

Sometimes the most helpful reviews for determining a book is right for me are 1 and 2 star reviews. Books that aren't right for other people might be right for me. Books that aren't right for me, will be right for other people. No book will be the best book for everyone.

[However, I highly suggest not replying to reviews. Some people can reply to all reviews and have it look friendly. Most times, it makes you look defensive, which is not a good way to look when it comes to selling books.]


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2015)

I read them all.  I love good comments as they stroke my ego. However, the negative ones may be better for me, because they've made me make changes to my marketing and promotion that improved my sales.

Once you get a number of them, and you see the positive far outweigh the negative, no one person who didn't enjoy your story affects you that much. In my case at least.


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## AngelaQuarles (Jun 22, 2014)

Out_there said:


> I read them all.  I love good comments as they stroke my ego. However, the negative ones may be better for me, because they've made me make changes to my marketing and promotion that improved my sales.
> 
> Once you get a number of them, and you see the positive far outweigh the negative, no one person who didn't enjoy your story affects you that much. In my case at least.


You know, that's a really good point. Because a lot of the time these are based on subjective criteria, and if you're getting a lot who are just not your target audience it might mean you need to take a look at blurb, cover etc and see if you're setting the wrong expectations. Too many thinking it was going to be a sweet romance? Maybe the cover needs some manchest


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## Gentleman Zombie (May 30, 2011)

In general, I'm with the "don't read them" crowd. With one exception - if you have a lot of negative reviews, swallow your pride and look at them.  

A lot of negative reviews indicates there might be a problem with your work. Hopefully, it's something small like typos. Or maybe you didn't meet expectations of readers in your genre. Or they didn't like the cliffhanger ending. 

When I first started, negative reviews hurt. But they did point out a lot things wrong that I was doing. 

On the other hand, some negative reviews aren't helpful at all. They leave no valuable information and you'll be scratching your head wondering what's going on.


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## G. G. Rebimik (Sep 4, 2015)

In my view, if a review "hurts" better to admit to ourselves "that really hurts me"--see if there is anything to learn from it, then forget it.

I believe it was Stephen King said to write for one person, one person you can completely open your heart to.  The others, forget 'em.


g.g.


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## Jill James (May 8, 2011)

I was beyond thin-skinned when I started. I picked and used a pseudonym very early in my writing journey. So when I would get a rejection letter I would say, "Oh, that's for Jill, not me." LOL It helped, a lot. I do read reviews if (a big if) I happen to notice them, but my personality is, I have to know if I screwed something up. On Goodreads, I just look at my total average. If I stay above 3.0 overall, I'm a happy camper.


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## AllyWho (May 16, 2015)

JanaOnWheels said:


> Are there really people who can avoid reading their books' reviews?


Yes. And this is the bit I don't understand, people say how hard it is to do. It's not. It's a conscious decision not to look. Reviews don't hunt you down. No one writes them on the back of your toilet door. You chose to make the effort to go to your book page, scroll down and read them.

I'm new to this, my debut is still shiny and riding the Amazon wave. I know harsh reviews would upset me, so the moment I hit publish, I decided I wouldn't look at specifics. I go to my Amaozn author page and that shows me the total and the little yellow stars tell me the average. That's all I need to know. Same with Goodreads, I look at the tally on my dashboard, that's it. YOU make the decision whether to dig further and read them or not. I chose not.


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## Sam Kates (Aug 28, 2012)

JanaOnWheels said:


> How do you cope with low ratings/reviews?


I rant a little, mope a little (in private, of course), then forget about it and move on. The rant and mope somehow enable me to do the moving on bit fairly easily. Try it.


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## xandy3 (Jun 13, 2010)

I'm a very sensitive person, but I have learned to laugh them off.  It comes with the territory. 
Also it is a matter of taste--not everyone is going to love your book, or your style of writing.  It's just not for them.  Others are going to go crazy about your book, and that's going to make it all worth while for you.  

Also, as everyone says "reviews are for readers, not for the writer." So it's best just to ignore them.  

Keep on writing for those who love your work.


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

AliceWE said:


> Yes. And this is the bit I don't understand, people say how hard it is to do. It's not. It's a conscious decision not to look. Reviews don't hunt you down. No one writes them on the back of your toilet door. You chose to make the effort to go to your book page, scroll down and read them.
> 
> I'm new to this, my debut is still shiny and riding the Amazon wave. I know harsh reviews would upset me, so the moment I hit publish, I decided I wouldn't look at specifics. I go to my Amaozn author page and that shows me the total and the little yellow stars tell me the average. That's all I need to know. Same with Goodreads, I look at the tally on my dashboard, that's it. YOU make the decision whether to dig further and read them or not. I chose not.


Substitute "eating cookies" for "reading reviews," and you'll see how many people have trouble never reading them. It's a temptation because you might be rewarded with praise that makes you feel wonderful/a delicious taste, and yet you know you shouldn't because you might end up feeling terrible/popping the button off your pants. Periodically, your desire for the reward overwhelms your fear of the punishment, and you read reviews/eat cookies. And if you do it once, and nothing particularly bad happens as a result (because only 5-stars/elastic waistband), you'll be quicker to give in the next time.


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## Michael W. Anderson (Aug 23, 2014)

Look up your very favorite book - the absolute best one - and read the one star reviews it gets. Mine is Lord of the Flies. It get a TON of one star reviews. Then think about that when you read your low star reviews. Then immediately read your high-star reviews and think, "This person likes my work. Cool!"

This is very, very effective.


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## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

Sam Kates said:


> I rant a little, mope a little (in private, of course), then forget about it and move on. The rant and mope somehow enable me to do the moving on bit fairly easily. Try it.


That's pretty much what I do. Also argue with the reviewer in my head (maybe that's what Sam means by rant). If you stay in this business a while you're going to get thicker skin - callus and scars if nothing else - but if you started out more sensitive you'll still be more sensitive when all is said and done, so you do need to figure out your own way to deal.


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## TonyWrites (Oct 1, 2013)

I learned while volunteering as a slush reader for _*Every Day Fiction*_ that some readers are impossible to please no matter what. I know its hard to ignore one star reviews, especially when you are trying to break out into the market, but negative reviews are a dime a dozen these days, penned by people with nothing better to do. Even the most successful of authors can't please everyone, so take the one stairs with a grain of salt and don't let them deter you from pursuing your career as an author.


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## Shiriluna Nott (Aug 26, 2014)

I admit I shed some tears the first time I got slammed with a 1-star. Fortunately, my co-author has an extremely thick hide and promptly told me to put my big girl pants on. I write LGBT fantasy with some political undertones, so naturally, not everyone agrees with the themes of the series, and that's okay. I do read reviews, but have learned to laugh at some of the more... "out there" ones (got one today that said my novel was "insulting to readers" -- still trying to figure out what they meant, hehe), and heed the advice given from the constructive critical type. Some "negative" reviews have been incredibly helpful. The others, well... I can't please everyone, and people are entitled to their opinion.

And like others have said, it helps to go read the 1-star reviews on your favorite books/authors. I do this when I'm feeling particularly discouraged.


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## JLCarver (Sep 13, 2015)

Deleted


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## valeriec80 (Feb 24, 2011)

Zelah Meyer said:


> And I am one of those people who has one-starred a Shakespeare play! Othello - with Desdemona, the flag-bearer for too-stupid-to-live heroines, also inconsistently written. She had the intelligence and common sense to hide her romance with Othello from her father and to hold a flirtation with Iago, but she doesn't realise that if her husband gets mad every time she mentions Michael Cassio, then maybe she should ... I don't know ... shut up about him?


I wonder if everyone has a Shakespeare play that just drives them nuts. Hamlet! Gah. Kill the king or don't, but shuddupaboutit already!


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2015)

A book review is a reflection of a person's feelings about a book. It is not a reflection on you as a human being. As hard as it may be, one needs to learn to separate the finished product from yourself. 

A "talent" of sorts I have developed over the years (perhaps because I am a heavy gamer and thus able to get into character, so to speak  ) is to create an persona with which to read reviews. Read the review as if you were someone else. Try to imagine that you are reading a review of a book written by someone else. What does "Editor You" or "Book Critic You" or "Librarian You" think when reading the review? Separating your Author Self from the reading process can help tremendously and allow you to read the reviews, good and bad, with a clearer mind. Because if you only focus on your reviews in terms of how they make you feel as a person, you will often miss the potential lessons you can pull from the reviews. 

It takes a conscious effort to do this at first, but with practice you can turn it on and off like a switch. Actually "get into character" before reading the reviews. It is liberating and educational because it will help you see your book the way others are actually seeing it.


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## 75845 (Jan 1, 1970)

"Darling, never read the reviews" is an old adage from British theatre that can be very useful for an author.

Remember that different areas have different traditions of what is expected in a review and a customer review might be influenced by any of these traditions as there are no rules for customer reviews.

1. Scholarly book reviews - people read these to be told what is wrong with the book: in academia a purely positive review is not a review, it is a book notice. Reviewers who write purely positive reviewers no longer get asked to write reviews and so lose that source of free books.
2. Restaurant reviews - these have a long tradition of being really really nasty and the nastiest reviewers build up large fan-bases and restaurants queue up to be trashed by the celebrity misanthrope. 
3. Beauty product reviews - these are little more than advertising copy because otherwise the reviewer no longer gets free samples of make-up that they could not afford on their salary.

So if a reader chooses to leave a review they might be an avid reader of snarky restaurant reviews in their lunch-break at the college staff room and someone who believes/disbelieves every word in _Vogue_. Which review tradition will they favour when they leave a customer review about your novel? Darling, don't read the reviews.


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## Evenstar (Jan 26, 2013)

I try to find the funny. Some of them can be comedy gold if you spin it the right way.

These are genuinely some of mine, and I treasure them  :

Rubish, bad spellin.

Fuk U, why do I have to pay for this book? Book One was free and I loved it.

Why is it a game? Can't you just talk to boys?

and my personal favourite:


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## SakuraMazaki (Oct 20, 2015)

JanaOnWheels said:


> How do you cope with low ratings/reviews? I'm ridiculously thin-skinned and struggling with this.


I only have a few reviews, but I am like you and quite thin-skinned. The person had a lot to say, but basically summed up to: Liked the story, not the writing style. I understood what they said, but at the same time, didn't quite agree to the way they said it should be.

I haven't figured out how to cope with reviews. All I think is: It is what it is and can be nothing but what it is.
Not really helpful, but that's what come to mind.


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## ShariLTapscott (Sep 18, 2015)

Issy said:


> Imagine you have baked a cake for 100 people. (It's a big cake.) It's coffee and walnut cake.
> 
> 2 of those people came right up to you and said, "Ugh, I hate walnuts, I'd rather eat carpet tiles." Fair enough.
> 4 people came up to you and said, "oh, well done," but you have no idea quite what they liked the best.
> ...


This is great!


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## CherieMarks (Oct 10, 2011)

JanaOnWheels said:


> How do you cope with low ratings/reviews? I'm ridiculously thin-skinned and struggling with this.


Check out this blogpost by Beth Revis. It isn't a fix-all because...well...reviews hurt, but it helps to know that what I consider to be some of the BEST things in life are unloved by some. http://bethrevis.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-respond-to-negative-reviews.html


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## E.M. Cooper (Feb 27, 2015)

Jana, I know it's hard. You devote yourself to your words and every negative comment undermines. If you can, focus on the positives. People are reading your books to write the reviews. That's wonderful!


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## AltMe (May 18, 2015)

I tend to get a good chuckle out of a lot of them.   

The ones which amaze me are where the reader obviously hates my writing style, and still reads all of the series, posting negative reviews as they go. I honestly dont see the point. In either reading on, or posting. All the same, I cant take them seriously, simply because of the fact they kept reading.

I've noticed that my initial crop of negative reviewers have finally stopped. I lost them with book 4's cliffhanger I think. 

I echo whats been said before - if you are thin skinned, DON'T go anywhere near the reviews.

That being said, I've had a number of mine which highlighted some things which needed an info-dump in the next book (or still to come), and some of them have given me good ideas for the future.

The way I look at it is this : The fact that anyone at all loves my books is an ongoing hooley dooley ego-stroke, and everyone who doesn't is actually more in line with my own expectation. I wrote the first 5 of my series to get them out of my head. Who knew they'd actually sell!   

Your own mindset about your own books, is going to determine how you react to reviews.


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## celadon (Sep 12, 2015)

Thank you so much for this thread. I am bookmarking it.

I'll be taking the advice to read the bad reviews of some books I admire. In fact, I've already done that. It helps.

I'm still new to this and so far have only one review. Five star!   But alas, on the German Amazon. Thank you German reader of my book! I so appreciate your review!   The reviewer said something about how my book was a "bargain" for all the information it gave, which seriously made my day.  

I look forward (and dread) the reviews, because this is new territory for me. I've gotten feedback from the content on my website (which is the same genre as my books) but the feedback is in the form of emails, or forum posts, or blog reviews. Amazon reviews are all in one centralized location, for everyone to see! Scary! That is something completely new for me!  

On the other hand I'm not worried, because I'm writing how-to books about a subject which I'm "qualified" (meaning not a scammer) to write about. The genre I'm writing for has a lot of scammers who have no idea what they're writing about. That makes those of us who are genuine way ahead of the game. 

But that doesn't mean that I should expect no bad reviews. I'll probably deserve some of them, and in a weird way, I'm looking forward to feedback which helps me improve. While I may know my genre well enough (know what I'm talking about), I wouldn't be surprised if my presentation (how I write and explain) could use some additional tweaks. We shall see! 

I don't look forward to the toxic feedback, the people who never are happy, or people who are just full of it for a variety of reasons. I don't intend to respond to any feedback on Amazon, so I'll have to lick my wounds in private when the 1 and 2 stars come and maybe quietly gripe here on this thread.


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## Donna White Glaser (Jan 12, 2011)

I avoid Goodreads reviews at all costs.  When I get a low review on Amazon I allow 30 seconds max for writhing and cursing purposes, then I concede that not everyone will like my book and everyone has a right to their opinion. 
I'm not sure why GR is more painful than Amazon, but it is and I won't go there anymore unless it's to log my own reads.


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## AltMe (May 18, 2015)

Donna White Glaser said:


> I avoid Goodreads reviews at all costs. When I get a low review on Amazon I allow 30 seconds max for writhing and cursing purposes, then I concede that not everyone will like my book and everyone has a right to their opinion.
> I'm not sure why GR is more painful than Amazon, but it is and I won't go there anymore unless it's to log my own reads.


I only have a handful of Goodreads reviews, and half of them are identical to Amazon ones.

I'm not sure what you have to do to get reviews in Goodreads, but I'm obviously not doing it.


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## Word Fan (Apr 15, 2015)

*Those with thin skin&#8230;*

_&#8230;get sunburned more quickly._



Sorry. I just had to inject a little levity into this sometimes depressing subject.

Just keep writing.


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## MyraScott (Jul 18, 2014)

Try reading Elizabeth Gilbert's new book, Big Magic.

http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/question-of-the-day-how-do-you-cope-with-criticism-a-reader-asked-me-this-que/


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## AisFor (Jul 24, 2014)

Jarmitagetheauthor said:


> My only one star review said this - This is the worst book ever written!
> I thought it was a great achievement to be the writer of the worst book ever out of millions. It made me chuckle. The reviewer had only previously reviewed a toy parrot - she gave that 1 star too!


This made me laugh.


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## Doglover (Sep 19, 2013)

JanaOnWheels said:


> How do you cope with low ratings/reviews? I'm ridiculously thin-skinned and struggling with this.


I have no idea what ranking my books are and I only read four and five star reviews. That is how I deal with them. When you have a mailing list and strangers from the other side of the world are emailing to say they love your books, you don't give a flying wotsit about rankings or reviews.


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## Doglover (Sep 19, 2013)

valeriec80 said:


> I wonder if everyone has a Shakespeare play that just drives them nuts. Hamlet! Gah. Kill the king or don't, but shuddupaboutit already!


Yes - all of them! Heaven knows why he is held up as a shining example after four hundred years.


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## Salvador Mercer (Jan 1, 2015)

Issy said:


> Imagine you have baked a cake for 100 people. (It's a big cake.) It's coffee and walnut cake.
> 
> 2 of those people came right up to you and said, "Ugh, I hate walnuts, I'd rather eat carpet tiles." Fair enough.
> 4 people came up to you and said, "oh, well done," but you have no idea quite what they liked the best.
> ...


This. I have been SCHOOLED!


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## Not any more (Mar 19, 2012)

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt


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## celadon (Sep 12, 2015)

brkingsolver said:


> "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt


Oh wow, great quote! I love it!

I strive to always take criticism well (meaning I don't have a tantrum or shoot the messenger) but one thing that gripes me is when someone makes a career out of biting criticism, but has never actually strived themselves. They're always the audience, never the performer. They can be brutal in their criticism because they will NEVER face that same criticism themselves.

There have been a few people in my life who, for whatever reason, relished pointing out where I got everything 'wrong.' It almost sounded like a game to them: "You got this, this, and THIS wrong! A-HA!" The more things they could find wrong, the more 'points' they got? Yeah, nobody likes that kind of critique!

A while ago I had some of my creative work "rated" by people working in the same arena. While all the ratings were decent, I found myself becoming pouty about it. I looked at the work of my "raters" and found that some of them couldn't even _do_ the same kind of things that they were "rating" in me! (Meaning, it was an area that they had no experience.) Yet they were rating me presumably based on their expert opinion. I never said anything to anybody (heaven forbid!) but it chapped my hide. Probably more than it should have. I still have a way to go before I can take all critiques in stride, I guess.

But, the fact is, not all critiques or reviews are created equal, and we are not obligated to take them if we suspect that they're full of it.


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## Censored (Oct 31, 2014)

I have found that I have a rather thick skin in the sense that I'm not bothered by the simple fact that someone didn't like a book--but I am definitely very bothered by the idea that their review affects my bottom line. For instance, I just got a 1-star on a new full series collection and it is the only review. As is often the case, the review is half humorously agitated nitpicking and half factually incorrect ("did-you-even-read-it" style), and I've laughed off similar reviews in the past, but since this is the only review on the product, I'm completely devastated. Pretty much gave up on it immediately, pulled all Facebook ads, and I'm planning to try to just get the book removed/unpublished/vanished (if that's even possible). Maybe I'll republish the collection with a different name... maybe not.

Maybe I'm overreacting, but I'd rather kill it than have this stupid glaring 1-star on my author page and in the "also boughts" on every other book in the same series. Ugh.

Just saying, concerns with reviews aren't always from a place of self-esteem/confidence. I know the quality of my writing. What steams me about 1-star reviews is that they are yet another factor that affects my income over which I have no control. Just not looking at them doesn't seem to solve that problem--in much the same way not looking at a tornado ain't gonna stop it from flattening your house.


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## bang on the drum (Nov 2, 2015)

I love one and two star reviews, at least if they explain why they're giving the bad review. 

Remember: it doesn't mean that you're a bad writer, only that you didn't meet someone's expectations. 

Reading one and two star reviews is how I learn how to keep readers happy.

I know that the ironclad rule is "never engage," but every time I get a low star rating review, I really want to answer and say "thanks for pointing that out; that's a good point."

If you completely cannot accept any kind of criticism -- and this is not a facetious or sarcastic comment, because there really are some people who cannot accept any kind of criticism, and that's just how they're wired -- then publishing on Amazon isn't for you. You can publish on some other platform that doesn't have reviews. (Even then, people can discuss your work somewhere else.)

Remember that if you're writing and publishing, you're in the entertainment industry. That is an invitation to public criticism. (and also praise)


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## bang on the drum (Nov 2, 2015)

Censored, you're way overreacting.

One "bad" review is still better for sales than no reviews.

Un-unpublish your books and keep plugging away.


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## NanSweet (Apr 14, 2015)

I'd say keep on reading them.  Nothing toughens a person's thin skin like wading back into the fray to collect scars.  In all seriousness, the more reviews you get, the easier the bad ones will be to take.  You'll be able to say, "Yes, I can see this person's point," and correct the story.  In some cases, it will be a more subjective review.  People have varied tastes.  

Reading reviews has been hugely helpful to me.  The negative reviews help me figure out where the story has gone wrong.  The positive reviews give me encouragement when I'm feeling down.


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## Guest (Nov 14, 2015)

Censored said:


> I have found that I have a rather thick skin in the sense that I'm not bothered by the simple fact that someone didn't like a book--but I am definitely very bothered by the idea that their review affects my bottom line. For instance, I just got a 1-star on a new full series collection and it is the only review. As is often the case, the review is half humorously agitated nitpicking and half factually incorrect ("did-you-even-read-it" style), and I've laughed off similar reviews in the past, but since this is the only review on the product, I'm completely devastated. Pretty much gave up on it immediately, pulled all Facebook ads, and I'm planning to try to just get the book removed/unpublished/vanished (if that's even possible). Maybe I'll republish the collection with a different name... maybe not.
> 
> Maybe I'm overreacting, but I'd rather kill it than have this stupid glaring 1-star on my author page and in the "also boughts" on every other book in the same series. Ugh.
> 
> Just saying, concerns with reviews aren't always from a place of self-esteem/confidence. I know the quality of my writing. What steams me about 1-star reviews is that they are yet another factor that affects my income over which I have no control. Just not looking at them doesn't seem to solve that problem--in much the same way not looking at a tornado ain't gonna stop it from flattening your house.


I understand your suffering . . . a few months ago I promoted a book with no reviews. The first day of the two-day free promotion, a two-star review appeared and sat there all by itself screaming at me from my book page. I thought I was doomed; I really did (this was my first-ever promotion). People continued to download the book, and a four-star review soon graced the page, refuting some of the complaints made in the two-star review. I sold quite a few copies after that (had previously sold none at all).

It's extremely painful to have one's career affected by negative reviews, but in my experience, they're not always as damaging as they seem at first. I have very few reviews and a one-star for another book brought my average crashing down, but some weeks later a bunch of four and five stars appeared. Hang in there - things can get better!


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## bang on the drum (Nov 2, 2015)

Also, go read all the one-star reviews of whatever you consider to be the greatest books ever.


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## Kalen ODonnell (Nov 24, 2011)

I had to train myself not to read my reviews. It wasn't easy, and it took time, but by making it a habit of just clicking away the second my eyes drifted down to one of my reviews, I was eventually able to break myself of the habit.

For me it was just a matter of practicality and time management. I can handle criticism, I WANT to know when I'm doing things wrong, and I definitely want to know when a reader loves the work I spent so much time crafting.

But I also know myself, and I know it's way too easy for me to obsess when I'm one hundred percent convinced the other person is wrong or fundamentally misunderstanding me or misrepresenting what I wrote. 

THAT'S the rabbit hole I can't afford to go down, because I will straight up OBSESS when I come across one of those reviews. It gets in my head, it pretty much distracts me from everything else I'm doing, and it can linger for days where I'm just so ticked off because I'm utterly convinced the reviewer is wrong in what they're saying, it's my work and my writing that's being misrepresented as a result, and I also know no good will come from me engaging so I'm doubly frustrated by the fact that there's nothing I can do about it.

And I completely understand this is totally a 'me issue' and something no one but myself is responsible for getting a handle on, but that doesn't mean I can just shut off that spiral of thoughts and get back to business as usual. My brain doesn't work that way. So instead I settle for doing the next best thing and just avoid reviews, trained myself to back away from them before I have a chance to read the content.

Does this mean I miss out on hearing some great thoughts and praise from people who loved what I created? Yeah, it does. Does this mean I miss good, objective criticism that can improve my writing? It does, though I do have critique partners who occasionally comb through reviews of my new releases to see if there's any objective feedback they hadn't considered in their readthrough of my work that I could benefit from them presenting to me. I do the same thing for them with their reviews.

But ultimately it's a matter of prioritizing what's most important for you. And for me, a steady peace of mind from which I can work on my next project without feeling I have anything to prove or obsessing over presenting one certain facet of the work in a way one particular reader will clearly understand....that's more important than reading glowing reviews or combing through for helpful criticism. I can't write to the best of my abilities when I'm obsessing over reviews I can't actually do anything about, and I don't have time to waste a couple days de-toxing from a single review I don't agree with.

So I do what's best for me and avoid reviews entirely and seek out criticism and feedback from writers I trust to challenge me.


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## Nic (Nov 17, 2013)

The only ones which really get to me are those where people insist something is language-wise wrong, while I know it is 100% correct English. I have to walk away from the computer then.


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## Steve Vernon (Feb 18, 2011)

Issy said:


> Imagine you have baked a cake for 100 people. (It's a big cake.) It's coffee and walnut cake.
> 
> 2 of those people came right up to you and said, "Ugh, I hate walnuts, I'd rather eat carpet tiles." Fair enough.
> 4 people came up to you and said, "oh, well done," but you have no idea quite what they liked the best.
> ...


Okay - first off I'd like to hand out a five star review to Issy for writing the above reply.

Well done! And walnuts taste MUCH better than floor tiles.

*****************

Secondly, I want to talk to Jana.

Please try and substitute a fine manly John Wayne rumble in place of the clatter of my keys as I type this bit of advice to you...



> "Listen up and listen good. Did the person who wrote that one star review have ANY kind of credentials? Did that person have to write a test before they wrote that one star review? Is there any clue in that one star review that might lead you to believe that the person was drunk or depressed or upset because you named one of your characters after the mailman who had left a special delivery in that person's ex-wife's slot - 9 months before she up and left that one-star-review-writing-knucklehead to run away with the postmaster general Sit down and watch a season of BIG BROTHER and try and keep in mind that the third person voted out of that house most likely had a higher IQ than the lame-brained chowderhead who wrote that one star review."
> 
> (pauses to karate chop the podium into kindling for dramatic effect)
> 
> ...









(and I know this is George C. Scott - but John Wayne was offered the role before Scott took it - but if you want to give me a one star review for my choice of stirring speeches than I won't take it to heart)


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## Guest (Nov 14, 2015)

There's not much help for the thin skinned. You just have to learn to deal with it. You are going to get bad reviews. This is a fact. The only way to avoid bad reviews is to not publish. Some bad reviews can be nasty. Very nasty. Hell, I've been called just about every messed up thing in the English language at some point. But I don't let it get to me. It's part of being a writer. Sorry. But there is no safe space when you put your work out there for the public to see.


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## Carrie Rubin (Nov 19, 2012)

When I get a bad review or low rating, I remind myself that the bigwig authors out there get their share of bad reviews. And they get their share of great reviews. Readers have different tastes, and reviews will reflect that. And then I tell myself it's better than indifference. At least the book sparked a reaction from the reader. And most readers can see through a particularly nasty review, just like they can see through an overly gushing one.


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## juliatheswede (Mar 26, 2014)

When I got my first bad review, I was totally crushed and it affected the way I wrote the next book in the series. That was a huge mistake as I now realize I was just writing in the wrong genre (I'm not very good at New Adult, much better at suspense/mystery). When I get bad reviews now, it doesn't bother me all that much any longer---unless I feel it will impact sales somehow. Like if I have only one review, which I do for a book on B & N. It's a one-star. Guess what the one-sentence review is? This: "I didn't read it yet."

But since I'm in KU, I really don't care about that one review. 

On another point, I do read ALL my reviews as I believe they can be very educational and can help you improve your brand/writing. I suppose if I was making six figures a year on my writing, I would never look at them. But I'm still a newbie and believe it's smart from a business perspective to read all your reviews (I'm not at the point that I get ten new ones per day). I advise anyone who's new like me to do the same if they want to make a living in this business. Just my opinion, take it or leave it...


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## celadon (Sep 12, 2015)

oakwood said:


> To OP, think of it like sunburn. People with thin skin need protection and some even prefer to stay out of the light. Do the same with your craft. Write your books, publish, never pay attention to *marketplace* reviews (goodreads, amazon, etc) and ONLY seek feedback/reviews from editors, beta and perhaps ARC readers who may all have an interest in advancing your craft rather than publicly vent on a point of sale site.


This is very good advice.

There are a lot of people with an opinion, some of them don't have any clue what they're talking about. You don't know which know anything and which don't.

I know I have a habit of believing someone has credibility just because they wrote it on the Internet. I need to step back and think, "Wait a minute! Who IS this person?!?!"

You have to seek advice and feedback from people who you _know_ what they're talking about. Not some random person on the Internet. If the random person says something that rings true, that's one thing. But if they are spouting off stuff that is coming out of left field, then maybe it's best to disregard, or at least ask your trusted circle of critiquers/advisers before you get all freaked out.


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## TromboneAl (Mar 20, 2015)

Another reason to avoid reading bad reviews: They can cramp your writing style. 

One reader said I had too many choppy sentences. Choppy sentences? Me? No way. Not even close. Ha ha.

But seriously, I don't think I have too many, but I do use short sentences in action scenes, and now, every time I write one, I think about that one review. Even though no one else has ever accused me of writing too many choppy sentences, I probably de-chop some.


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## N. Gemini Sasson (Jul 5, 2010)

1. I haven't looked at Goodreads in _years_. 
2. As far as Amazon, I make my husband read the 1- and 2-stars. And then he's not allowed to talk to me about them. Unless they're funny.


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## TromboneAl (Mar 20, 2015)

N. Gemini Sasson said:


> 2. As far as Amazon, I make my husband read the 1- and 2-stars. And then he's not allowed to talk to me about them. Unless they're funny.


But then you can get this:

You: Well, was it funny?
Hubbie: [says nothing]
You: That bad? Was it really bad?
Hubbie: Hey, I'm hungry, let's have dinner!
You: No, that bad, really? [goes into funk]

Solution: Let your dogs read it, and if they don't puke on the rug, you can feel good. Do this only if they don't routinely puke on the rug.

True story: once I wanted to test if I had bad breath, so I breathed on the cat. The cat immediately choked.


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## daveconifer (Oct 20, 2009)

I rarely check, but when I do, I only read the 4/5 star ones.  I'll just muddle along without the benefit of reading once-useful but now-trite expressions like "no character development" that the low-star ones are usually constructed around.


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## AltMe (May 18, 2015)

TromboneAl said:


> One reader said I had too many choppy sentences. Choppy sentences? Me? No way. Not even close. Ha ha.


Mine was called "chicken scratch". Ouch!

But hello. 1st person telling. MC has just received a major head injury. MC is in his first real crisis ever, and is about to pass out. (and does several times). So short thought constructs are to be expected in this situation, not dumped on.

I've had a number of them where the person obviously hasn't engaged suspension of disbelief, and is too caught up in their own experience to see what I'm writing.

I expected to be taken too over physics in space, and those ones helped me clarify my tech, so I've finally done the info-dump about how ships move and stop. But I wasn't expecting someone to question how fast my ships get rebuilt, or the way the MC doesn't think like a military trained person after a battle (he wasn't military trained). The other military could be doing anything, the MC doesn't check, so what was expected was probably happening anyway. But for the story, none of it mattered, as this is the life of the MC. (And he misses a lot of the detail of whats happening around him, because he's still very young, in an old kind of way.) Comments about my sub-characters not having enough depth are quite true. But the MC doesn't spend enough time with any of them to really plumb their depths. (character depths! Jeez!)

It's all useful though in the long run. I have a string of notes about what needs explaining down the track, but some people haven't realized the first 6 books only cover 3 months, and the first way point in the main story is still 9 months away. So a lot of things cant be revealed until then. And some things have a lot longer time frame yet.

So I check them out, laugh a lot, and add to the notes.


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## Salvador Mercer (Jan 1, 2015)

Ah yes, I got a rather testy three star on my sci-fi/technothriller where I was accused of 'bad science'.  I went and relooked up the issue in question and I was sound in my facts, but hey, that is the life we lead.  Another one presumed my sub-plot was Chechen in nature (terrorist attack in Moscow) but that was a red herring and the real culprit was... well, it really doesn't matter, I just bite my fingers (keyboard) and don't respond 

I'm just glad the readers who do like our books do post reviews.  They are like gold


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## chalice (Jan 5, 2013)

AliceWE said:


> If you can't handle low ratings/reviews then don't read them. Seriously, why go looking if you know it will upset you?
> 
> I don't look, either on Amazon or Goodreads. I don't need to know about my 1-stars and I'm too busy trying to get the next book finished for those readers who *do* enjoy my little tales.


*I agree.
If you can't take the heat, then stay away from the fire.

Best Regards,
Shana Jahsinta Walters.*


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## Allyson J. (Nov 26, 2014)

Probably one out of every ten reviews for my Historical Romance series complains about sex. I know that readers who like sex will be encouraged, and those who dislike sex will steer clear, but I'm baffled! There's only two sex scenes per book, and they're not graphic or vulgar in any way. In fact, I consider them to be pretty mainstream for the genre. But from the sound of the reviews, you'd think they were raunchy erotica.

I know everyone's idea of "graphic" sex is different, but do people really read romance novels NOT expecting sex? These sort of reviews hurt my pride more than any about my writing/story.


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## Evenstar (Jan 26, 2013)

Allyson J. said:


> Probably one out of every ten reviews for my Historical Romance series complains about sex. I know that readers who like sex will be encouraged, and those who dislike sex will steer clear, but I'm baffled! There's only two sex scenes per book, and they're not graphic or vulgar in any way. In fact, I consider them to be pretty mainstream for the genre. But from the sound of the reviews, you'd think they were raunchy erotica.
> 
> I know everyone's idea of "graphic" sex is different, but do people really read romance novels NOT expecting sex? These sort of reviews hurt my pride more than any about my writing/story.


I think it might be your covers, hun. They do suggest very clean romance.


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## Gina Black (Mar 15, 2011)

Allyson J. said:


> Probably one out of every ten reviews for my Historical Romance series complains about sex. I know that readers who like sex will be encouraged, and those who dislike sex will steer clear, but I'm baffled! There's only two sex scenes per book, and they're not graphic or vulgar in any way. In fact, I consider them to be pretty mainstream for the genre. But from the sound of the reviews, you'd think they were raunchy erotica.
> 
> I know everyone's idea of "graphic" sex is different, but do people really read romance novels NOT expecting sex? These sort of reviews hurt my pride more than any about my writing/story.


I haven't had any complaints about the sex in my book, and its a historical romance. I'm guessing that any complaints you might get in that regard could be because your covers are telegraphing "sweet" romance--and yes, those readers expect to read a romance without sex in it. My cover has both h/h on it, and (while it's not explicit in any way) there is enough skin that there's no question that things develop fully in that direction.


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## IronHorse (Nov 4, 2015)

All writers are insecure and may never know when they've written something good, even if a thousand people tell them tehy have, and yet they are all too certain that they've written crap, even after the good reviews.  You're going to have to accept a certain amount of criticism if you are a writer because it is intended to help you grow, but you'll know when the smoke clears on your novel, or story, if it's any good.  I remember a teacher telling me at Bread Loaf that you had to put a short story away for 6 months before you could read it earnestly and know yourself if you've accomplished something worthwhile.


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## Salvador Mercer (Jan 1, 2015)

I must be missing something... I don't have any sex in my books, though I did finally, in my fourth book, have two characters kiss one another


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## bang on the drum (Nov 2, 2015)

The only bad reviews I dislike are the ones based on a character doing/thinking something objectionable. Not the craft, not the plot, not the language, but "one star because [character] was such a jerk." Yes, that's how commercial fiction reviews go, I know. I just laugh thinking about all the one-star reviews this reviewer would leave for the "greats of literature" because this or that character wasn't such a nice person.


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## alawston (Jun 3, 2012)

I've yet to have a bad review on my books. It's getting to the point where I almost want it to happen, as I know the longer I go without one, the harder it'll hit me when it does happen.

That's... not an invitation, incidentally.


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## Andrei Cherascu (Sep 17, 2014)

alawston said:


> I've yet to have a bad review on my books. It's getting to the point where I almost want it to happen, as I know the longer I go without one, the harder it'll hit me when it does happen.
> 
> That's... not an invitation, incidentally.


Last year I wrote a similar post about not having any bad reviews yet (I can't remember the context) and got my first and only 1 star exactly thirty minutes later (hadn't gotten a review in weeks at that point) So be careful what you wish for.  I seriously doubt it was KBoards-related, though, but the timing was incredibly weird. Just one of those crazy coincidences probably.


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