Well, I got my first snarky review.

JadeDonovan

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I mean, I knew it was coming. I have prepared myself for one and two star reviews. You can't please everyone. And my book toes the line of a subject that people like to argue about.

But I was not prepared for the snark. Holy jeez, that stings.

I think I've probably got no right to complain since it was a three star review, and that's not horrible to my mind; and I understand where the reviewer was coming from. And they did compliment my ability to spell, so there's that. I guess.

But the snark. Wow.

Just needed to complain to someone. I'm off to go get a thicker skin now. :)
 

stiiiiiv

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I'd lend you mine, but I think I'll need it soon enough. It's just so easy for people to feel anonymous on line without realizing they cause pain for real people with unkind comments. I hope you have a bunch of really positive reviews to wash away the snark.

Steve
 

Dennis E. Taylor

Get it off! It burns!
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DO NOT let the bad reviews bother you. Extract any real information you can that will improve your writing, and toss the rest. If the snark is about the specific plot of this book, that's probably just a personal thing. You wrote the book you wrote because that's the book you wanted to write.

Everyone gets bad reviews. Some reviewers think they're scoring some kind of points by being snarkier-than-thou. Go look at your most favorite book in the universe. Read the bad reviews. Feel better.
 

balletomane

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Dennis, I love your advice, especially the part about reading bad reviews of your favourite writers. I will definitely do that next time I feel hurt by a review.

Jade, I remember feeling a similar way about reviews of my first book. The first critical review (three stars) didn't sting. It's never pleasant to be criticised, but the points that the reviewer made were fair and helpful. Then a one and two-star review appeared, and even though I told myself not to take it personally, it was hard not to when the reviews themselves were so personal. These two people had never met me, but rather than critiquing the book itself, they wanted to criticise me as a person - my character, my life experiences, and how these make me such a defective writer. They didn't spare the snark in doing so, either.

I can't know why they took such a dislike to me and started making these assumptions about what sort of person I must be. Perhaps they didn't realise how harsh they sounded. (I've known people who take a very aggressive tone online and don't seem to register how they come across.) Perhaps something in my book pushed their buttons and produced anger that isn't really anything to do with me. Perhaps they have a grudge against people who fall into my demographic. There was no point wondering, so I just let it go. We can't control other people's reactions to what we write. All we can do is keep writing, learn to distinguish good constructive criticism from snarky venting, retain what's helpful, and lay aside what isn't.
 

MaeZe

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I agree with Dennis, ignore the snark, pull out anything useful and walk away with a smile. I don't think I'll ever be bothered by snark, I spend time in a skeptics forum dealing with crazy people all the time. Long ago I used to let people get under my skin and I'd fume. Now I just put them on ignore or recognize I have no skin in their game.
 

Old Hack

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Better still, don't read reviews for your own work. They're for readers, not for you.
 

JadeDonovan

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You guys are sweet. Thank you, all of you!

Better still, don't read reviews for your own work. They're for readers, not for you.

Fair point! But I don't think I could stand not knowing what my readers thought of my work, haha. I'm my own worst enemy. *Sigh*
 

Fuchsia Groan

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Better still, don't read reviews for your own work. They're for readers, not for you.

I have managed not to look at my book’s Goodreads reviews for nearly two years now. It’s tough sometimes not knowing, but overall it’s way better for my state of mind. I know from my experience with the trades that diametrically opposed reviews (this is great/this is awful) can really mess with a writer’s head. At a certain point you just have to accept that some readers will hate your work and you can’t change that.
 

Filigree

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You need a healthy level of rhinohide/megalomania to withstand really negative reviews. They still sting, but for a shorter time. Emotional distance also offers perspective. I know for a fact (because the readers told me) that two of my worst reviews have sold books.
 

Davy The First

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I've had quite a few bad reviews for a particular piece, but the one (and only) good review, came from Publisher's Weekly, so...lol.

But really, a review is a useful opportunity to see if you made some mistakes. If the review is well written and well argued, i feel its useful, be it 5 stars or one star. A poorly argued 5 star review is of little value, writing wise at least.