by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I’ve heard that in the past, writers would hear reactions to their work in very limited ways. They’d either get a review in a newspaper or they’d get letters from readers, passed on to them through their publisher.
These days are gone. The number of reviews your book receives from readers on online retailers and sites like Goodreads can be overwhelming. (I’ve got 222 reviews for Dyeing Shame on Amazon as I write this—and that’s just one retailer.)
It’s feedback—and it can either sting or bolster. If you’re currently working on a book, you can really mess up your writing mojo by checking out your reviews.
Reading your reviews can be:
Uninspiring—”Just didn’t do it for me.” “Boring.” Not the kind of thing you want to look at if you’re trying to create your next masterpiece.
Disturbing/distracting– “The formatting didn’t display right on my Kindle Fire”.” What? Uh-oh. Must be Amazon’s new anti-Calibre, pro-KindleGen stance.
Inspiring…but troubling. “Great book! Loved the characters. Can’t wait to buy the next book!” Can you live up to expectations?
Downright anxiety-provoking: People who really LOVE your work. I read one review that said: “My mother says Lulu is the only character she’s ever found who she feels is similar to her.” I was right in the middle of writing the next book in that series and froze. How could I ever give this lady the experience through the character that she’s looking for? It took me days to get my mojo back. And this lady was being nice.
Basically, reviews are completely mesmerizing…when we should be focused on moving forward with our new story.
What you CAN take with you:
Make a list of genuine things to improve from the negative reviews (when you feel brave.) Bad reviews can be useful, if they’re meaty reviews. Paste reader recommendations into a Word file.
Cut and paste the glowing reader reviews for when you’re feeling down…frustrated at your progress or WiP, depressed from rejections, etc. Glancing through them can bolster you up without your running into the scary stuff.
In general, we should probably stay away. Your time is better spent writing the next book.
And—this should go without saying. Never respond to reviews. They’re not talking to us…they’re talking to other readers about us.
How brave are you when it comes to reviews? Do you read them? Read them, but only during specific times? Avoid them? What’s your personal policy?
Elizabeth – You make some very well-taken points about handling reviews. And you’re right that obsessing about them is not as productive as working on one’s stories. I think reviews can be helpful if they show a pattern. If you see that a lot reviewers like a given character, then it’s a good sign to keep that character in the series. If reviewers all seem to mention something they’d like to see changed, that’s a signal too.
I’m always sorely tempted to read reviews, and I know it’s a terrible idea. I’ve never yet responded to a review, and I hope I always have the willpower to stick to that.
I am dreading the day I see my first 1 or 2-star review though.
222 reviews is a very good number. Congratulations! I read reviews. But, as a reader, other readers’ reviews, good or bad, rarely influences my decision to read a book. I’ll go ahead and read it anyway. I get hooked to a particular author if I like his or her writing style—a big plus for me, more than the plot or the characters.
Paul –It’s very tempting, but I usually come away from reading reviews feeling sort of icky. I try to avoid them.
Yes, one or two stars are bummers. I’ve had both. Numerous times…ha! But with all the other, good, reviews, they do average out. Still, it’s like a punch in the gut. Our books simply aren’t for everyone. And then sometimes you’ll get the one-star that just makes you roll your eyes: “This book was shipped three weeks after I ordered it. I was promised two-day shipping….” Stuff like that. Sigh.
Prashant–Thanks! Yes, the nice thing about having a couple of hundred reviews is that they all sort of average themselves out to a decent rating. Usually!
I do read the reviews from other readers before I purchase books, but I don’t put much weight in them. Now if *everyone* dislikes a book, I might put more stock in that.
Have to admit I’m terrified of reviews! I haven’t put my stuff out there yet – getting closer though! – but I’m going to try to avoid reviews once I do. If I have the will power :)
They can definitely be hard. I haven’t gotten as many as you have, but yeah… those unenthusiastic ones I think are the ones i find hardest. The bad you can either learn from or see that they just aren’t your kind of reader (I do twisty plots and not everyone likes them). Good suggestions, though. I’ve never thought about doing anything systematic with them, but I think you’re right.
I haven’t gotten nearly that many but I read the and either preen like a peacock or cry like a baby, such differences amaze me, but now I let the bad wash off like water on a ducks back. Read the good over and over again and forget the bad!
Margot–Absolutely. I really pay attention when there’s a pattern with readers talking about certain secondary characters.
Hart–It helps…particularly with the constructive, bad reviews.
Yolanda–Exactly. Sometimes, reading the reviews, it’s hard to believe the reviewers all read the same book…
I read my reviews because I want to know where I can improve. And my series might still lack a female character if I hadn’t read that fans wanted one.
Understand the anxiety part. Feeling it right now…
I’m not in this position yet, but I’ve thought about it. Part of me thinks I’d be better off not even looking at them. But I know the morbid curiosity would get the best of me.
I got my first couple of less than stellar reviews this month and actually thought there were some fair points. Also given the subject matter of my book, some of what I read was expected. I agree that bad reviews can offer you something. The good ones always put me in a good mood though! :)
I read them, but I don’t have a whole lot yet, and not any bad ones so far. But I’ve been in critique groups for ages, and I know that not everyone is going to like what I write. So, I don’t worry about them. Much. I had a brainstorm today and began a Word file with some good lines from my reviews to put up on Twitter. I’ll be able to rotate between different works. It’s nice to be able to use someone else’s words to market–doesn’t sound quite as much like boasting. I don’t think. LOL
I read reviews, and appreciate critiques. Some are very helpful, others not as much… I think reading them is helpful as long as the writer keeps in mind that not everybody can be pleased ;-)
Jemi–Probably a good approach!
Alex–You have nothing to be anxious about! Everyone always loves your books. :)
Julie–Ha! Yes, well put…it is a a sort of morbid curiosity…
Lisa–The negative reviews can be really helpful. Now some, of course, are just mean and don’t have any real criticism to be had. But most aren’t like that.
Jan–I can definitely imagine that a critique group would break you of expecting perfect reviews…ha!
Magaly–And you’re right–it’s something we have to keep in mind, consciously. I think we *expect* people, naturally, to like our books and it’s a rude awakening when there’s only a certain percentage of people who will.
I read them when the book comes out, but I tend to forget to even look after that.
7 of my 10 books have 0 reviews on Amazon. The other reviews are primarily from folks I know, and I’m not surprised that although genuine, they’re all positive.
I want to expose my books more via Goodreads and other venues. My philosophy about feedback in general has grown into something that matches your suggestions, Elizabeth: I log the great ones for when I’m down, and note the constructive ones for when I’m strong enough to grow.
And the folks who clearly don’t understand me don’t matter, at least, not to me.
Interesting post. I don’t have anything released yet, but I can see myself being sorely tempted to check out reviews in the same way you would pick at a scab. But I mean, I read reviews of books I’ve loved and wince on behalf of the author at the bad ones… I’m not sure how I’d handle a terrible review of my own work! Then there’s the flipside of feeling pressure to live up to what people loved in a great review. I think the secret would be to not take anything personnally, take whatever makes useful feedback and move on.
I have few reviews—some more under an unconnected penname, but still not many—but I willingly read every review, not taking them personally. I find them peeks into other folks’ mentalities, which is useful for creating characters who differ from me.
They can be handy for making sure I did what I wanted, too. For example, one reader comment on A Fistful of Earth—made to me directly, made me realize I’d accidentally given an impression I didn’t intend, due to an omittable word in a sentence. I’ll likely cut that in a later edition, but I wouldn’t have known to if not for the reader comment.
The reviews and reader comments can also be handy for me in making sure I’m targeting the right audience. For example, from the demographics of those who have given me feedback, I suspect I should chuck the “young adult” label and go for “new adult”. I’ll be looking at that more closely once I have more novels out.
Diane–I think I should stay away more than I do…
Joel–I think the free book promo is responsible for all those reviews. I have a handful as many on my other books.
To me, Goodreads is a scary place. :) It’s a sort of dark alley for writers, I think. The readers are very animated there, love to really dish on books, dissect them. The average ratings do tend to be lower there. Very important to have a presence there, I think, but make sure you’re really prepared for the community there. I don’t go there often!
Carradee–That sounds like a very healthy way of handling them.
The bad reviews really *can* be helpful, if we just steel ourselves for them.
New adult is getting a lot of buzz right now…might be a good approach.
Nick–Ha! Great simile there. Yes, just like picking at a scab. I try to distance myself from the book as I’m reading it–I remind myself it’s not like people talking about my children, or something. This is stuff I made up. But it stings, of course. The pressure to perform well is almost worse. I’d hate to disappoint an avid reader of mine. That’s a worse worry.