I know how tempting it is to check review sites after the release of a new book, especially when you’re a brand new writer. Reviews can either make your day or send you into a HUGE funk, wanting to do nothing but cuss, cry, or bury your head until the feelings of dejection pass.
Sad fact is, we can’t please everyone. A book that might just rock a readers world, hits the wall with a loud smack with other readers. It’s something, as writers, that we must get used to. I talk with lots of newbie writers who just freak out over them and I always say the same thing…don’t put a lot of stock in reviews. Chatting with a reviewer one day not long ago, I mentioned something about 3’s being considered by writers as not being all that good. She was shocked. Three means GOOD usually so why would we be upset? she said. I think maybe that’s because we hope for the 4 or 5 that tells us the reviewer just “LOVED” the book and we don’t really like settling for less than that. No one likes hearing their book is only so-so and though she liked it, didn’t necessarily want it on her ‘keeper shelf’. Maybe we writers just need to get over ourselves. There isn’t a damn thing wrong with GOOD. If we provide a few hours of enjoyment, then we should be happy with that.
This being said, I’ll say too that most of my reviews have been great. No complaints but believe me, there have been some that weren’t so good too. I’ve been slammed because my story is too short. I’m been grilled over a ‘too whiny heroine’ or ‘too ansty’ hero. One reviewer who prefaced his review by saying he hadn’t read the other books in my series, believed I had not advanced the series story line and thought my Texas characters had simplistic dialogue. I think the real kicker was the bad review I got for a menage story because the heroine served lasagne to the two heroes. See, the reviewer just HATES lasagne and couldn’t get that damn lasagne off her mind while reading the story. Yuk. Lasagne. Yes, I probably deserved to be slammed over that. I mean, that’s fair, right? Basically, we all have review horror stories. Best thing to do is read them, forget them (good or bad) and move on.
In other news: Drilled has a release date. My contribution to the Cougar Challenge series releases at Ellora’s Cave on April 14th. YAY
March 27th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
Yep…three is good. Three means the reviewer enjoyed the book. Good thing the reviewer got the book for free, hmmm? A little respect here, folks. A writer’s soul goes into these books. If you don’t love the book, don’t review it. Just say thanks for the free read, and grab the next book.
March 27th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
Valid point, Fran.
March 31st, 2010 at 5:10 pm
Not having been published … yet … I have not had the pleasure of a review. But I will admit that even a bad comment on my blog can put me in a funk. So I can barely imagine!
Although Fran has a great point – and kudos for voicing it – I would also add that it’s important to remember that a reviewer is just one perspective. Just like I don’t bother with movie reviews, having often loved or hated a movie that got the opposite in a review – I stopped caring about them and make up my own mind. Reviews are a tad too close to “this is what I think you should believe” for me – I don’t want another persons opinion clouding my own verdict.