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I recieved a question in a previous post and asked some authors to respond to it.
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Lana Kole
I always read the negative reviews, and they bum me out. But then I’ll look at all the positive ones and they usually outweigh the bad, so I think to myself ‘you can’t please everyone.’ I’m always a little salty but I think of all the people that DID enjoy it and it makes me feel better.
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If an author has a hard time with bad reviews, I would suggest not reading them. If they make an author unable to write, then there’s nothing to be gained by them. If they see it’s a 1 or 2 star, shrug, recognize you can’t make everyone happy, and then walk away without reading it.
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I always tell myself not to look at reviews, not even the good ones but I often do. The bad ones, especially if they are not critical or helpful in anyway e.g ‘I didn’t like this because…’ I let them get to me but you have to grow a thick skin and just take a deep breath and remember for every bad review there will be at least five good ones. The good does outweigh the negative and you have to just keep thinking that everyone is entitled to their opinion. If they love it or hate it, we just have to accept that and maybe even learn from it.
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I no longer read reviews, but when I did, I took it as a challenge. If they said my prose was bad, I challenged myself to make the next book better. If my character was inconsistent, I worked on that. And for those who just hate my work, I take solace in the fact that the only book that won’t offend anyone is a very boring book.
Besides, no one ever writes their first book perfectly. Or the second. Or the twentieth. This is a skill, and to improve, we need to use it. We can’t learn if we never make mistakes. Well, unless we’re going for those boring books that no one wants anyway.
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I appreciate when even negative reviews give feedback because I know I can always get better as a writer. I also know that not everyone will like what I write and I’m okay with that. Every now and then there are especially nasty reviews and the reviewer doesn’t find anything redeemable about your book. Those reviews are hard to get over. But, you just need to remember that not everyone will like your stuff. It’s just a fact of life because everyone’s circumstances and experiences are different.
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When I look at them, if they’re bad, I ty my best not to be hurt or angry. I look carefully at what they said and see if there is a way I can actually improve. If it’s a simple one, with nothing on it, I try my best friend to ignore it. Not everyone is going to like what I/we write. That’s totally ok. Just remember, for every one person ty hates your book, there’s two more out there that probably do. It’s just an opinion
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AC Wilds
Best if you don’t look, but if you do then remember who you are writing for. I remind myself that even if I never make and money or no one likes my work I will keep writing. It brings me joy, and makes my heart sing. There is nothing else I’d rather do. If the review was corrective than I’d consider it, but there are many that are just hurtful. Take it with a grain of salt, and keep on writing.
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Poppy Woods
I don’t read goodreads–they can be vicious. I do, however, read Amazon. Most negative reviews are constructive or personal to the reader.
“This idea was great but the characters could have been developed more.”
Or
“Im not a fan of shifters but thought I’d give this a try, it was disappointing.”
Neither of those would upset me.
The reviews that sting, as an author, are the ones where reviewers attack the author personally. I laugh and move on. If my book was good or bad enough to made you feel that strongly, then I did something interesting today. 💚
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Joanne Ganci
I haven’t gotten anything too bad yet. Most negative remarks were opinion based and others I somehow managed to take constructively. I can be a bit defensive and wallowy irl, so I’m hella impressed with myself. I will say I got a dnf with no explanation and that one kinda got to me. The lack of an explanation makes my mind spiral a bit. I probably shouldn’t read the reviews because if one is extra harsh there is a large chance I’ll end up wallowing but I’m working on breakin in these big girl pants and taking criticism of all kinds is part of that.
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Remember to review.
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Helle Gade 
Reblogged this on All That Mess and commented:
I asked a fellow blogger Hellegade, who does a lot of author interviews, if she would ask her visiting authors how they approach their meh, or negative reviews! So excited to see all these wonderful author’s insights. I am of course a Kindle Unlimited Revolution warrior and I’ve seen so many of these author’s gracing my recommended lists. So I might have done my fangirl dance! I just want to say I appreciate Hellegade and these author’s for taking the time to speak about the topic!
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It was a great idea for a blog post. I think it’s something all new authors wonder about. ❤
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