My Best WORST Review (to date)

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about the sting of rejection. Ironic, considering what happened a few days after…

On a whim, I skipped over to Amazon.com to check on the sales ranking for Evie Ever After. I don’t do that very often anymore.

A) It doesn’t tell you much. (Sales numbers. A post unto itself.)

B) It can prove depressing. (Who needs that?)

Even so, I confess to a small thrill when I see a jump in my ranking. Fortunately, I got that thrill. A big jump. Which (in zany Amazon-land) could mean the sale of three books. Still . . . Yay!

Unfortunately, I scrolled down and saw I had a new review. A dreadful review. It was so awful (to me anyway), that instead of feeling crushed, I was stunned. I read it again, then again. I focused on the reader/reviewer’s last paragraph where he/she suggested you read a certain non-fiction book about a sort of similar subject—although that author’s writing, according to this reader, was merely serviceable.

Huh.

I reread the first paragraph where he/she trashed my characters, plot, sense of humor, and style. Not to be arrogant, but I disagreed. Also, it was an insult to the readers who’ve applauded my work as well as professional reviewers from Romantic Times BOOKreviews, Booklist, and Publishers Weekly.

What the heck?

So… I clicked over to where you can read all of this reader’s reviews.

Whoa.

He/She also trashed Janet Evanovich, Kelley Armstrong, Stephanie Laurens, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Christine Feehan—whose book was so bad, according to this reader, they couldn’t be bothered to skim it.

Although, they had the gall to review it.

Wow.

For a second, I thought this person must have something against romantic fiction. But thriller writers, Tanenbaum and Dickey, got slashed as well. All of our plots are far-fetched and the writing is either passable, serviceable, or drek.

Considering the amazing talents I’m shredded alongside, I now consider this my best WORST review ever! Thank you very much.

I share this, not because I want to draw attention to a bad review (especially one that could hurt sales), but to beg you fellow creative souls to take harsh criticism with a grain of salt. Consider the source. If you don’t know the source, maybe dig a little deeper and see how other artists in your genre fare with this person.

Or, put it in perspective and remember the praise you've received from other readers and reviewers.

Then shrug it off and never think of it again. Because, really, it’s just one person’s opinion.

As hard as it was to land a publishing contract, in some ways it’s even harder to stay the course once you’re ‘living the dream’. There are new and many obligations, pressures, and obstacles. Surviving bad reviews, and by that I mean not allowing your confidence to dip so greatly that you’re paralyzed as a writer, is just one hurdle. One you must conquer time and again.

A dear friend of mine told me once that she never reads her reviews. She’s a NYT bestselling author. She gets many great reviews. But she also receives her share of mediocre to poor reviews. No matter who the reviewer is, every reader has their own distinct taste. Even though she knows that, my friend shields her confidence (and feelings) by not reading her reviews. It’s certainly one way to cope.

By the way, for those of you who can’t help yourselves and have to head over to Amazon to see what this person said about my book (I get it. The rubbernecking at an accident thing. No problem.), it’s not the first review (which is unflattering, but that person’s honest, un-snarky opinion—what can I say?). It's the one dated June 20. That’s the one that made my head hurt. Although. . . I’m over it now.

Honest.

Questions of the day: Readers…are you influenced heavily by reviews? Writers… how do you handle reviews?