Writers Tricks of the Trade Volume 6 Issue 3 | Page 28

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What You Can Learn From a Bad Review (Cont’d)
Be careful about becoming hostile
If you simply get hostile and tell yourself the reviewer is stupid, you will never
consider whether they could have been right. Speaking from experience, I haven’t
received many bad reviews for my own books. They are usually 4s and 5s. But, I have
gotten a few stinkers. When that happens, of course my feelings are hurt, but I try to
analyze what the reviewer said and why. I’ve been made aware of things like overusing a
word or poor syntax that I spot right away now as I continue to write my books.
What their comments might tell you
Do their comments absolutely mean the book wasn’t good? Perhaps it simply was
not their thing. Did the reviewer have a personal agenda that got shaken up by the
book? I got one review that cited the reasons the reader gave it three stars. Every one of
those points was an emotion I’d been striving to touch in the reader. It turned out, this
reader wrapped it up by saying she didn’t like sad books, but felt it was well written and
kept her turning pages.
So what did that mean ultimately? I touched her deeply. In my mind the 3 star
became the equivalent of a 5 star because the book did what I wanted it to.
Is the review by a reader on Amazon, or is it a professional review?
Unfortunately, some people who review on Amazon do so with the sole purpose of
shooting bullets at the author. I know that sounds judgmental, but if that happens, click
their name and look at some of their other reviews before going into meltdown.
Particularly if there are snarky remarks. I had one like that for a novel I wrote as Arliss
Adams, but all the other reviews were good so I checked her other reviews.
React appropriately, then move on
What did I discover when I looked at her other reviews? That this reviewer prided
herself on being the toughest reviewer in her book club. She had generated many bad,
snarky reviews including several on books that otherwise had top ratings. She was very
clear in stating that she rarely gave anything over 2 stars and loved to pull books apart. I
let out my breath after reading that. Sadly, those readers have no idea what that can
mean to the author. If you review on Amazon, be fair.
Even if you don’t like the comments, they might be valid
But what if what she said had been valid? In that case I could have learned from this
review if only I was willing to relax my defenses. A few things are imperative when you
get a bad review. Accept what is valid without vehemently defending it, even when you
know in your heart the reviewer might be right. Be sure to consider the comments from
all angles.
If you reluctantly agree the critique had merit, you have learned something for the
future. But, if you honestly can’t find the flaws cited, don’t stress—MOVE ON. Don’t
harbor ill feelings or insecurity. If you do, the only one who gets hurt is you.

MAY - JUNE 2016

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WRITERS’ TRICKS OF THE TRADE