[H.M. Ward]

Ahhhhh! Don't respond to reviews. It's like a cardinal sin. But it also feels like I'm letting ppl throw rocks at my head. The latest is telling me that I have no idea about how the church works, which is hysterical b/c I went to seminary. He said that I should do basic research and thats whats wrong with me. Apparently all that time I spent in class didn't count. Ahhhh, it makes my eye twitch!

Another person left a review saying I duped her, that this isn't a book! It's a novella. Ah dher. It says that in the listing and spells it out.

Tell me not to do it!

 

[Patty Jansen]

Better still: do not read them.

 

[Elizabeth Ann West]

Breathe.

It happens to ALL of us. Crazy reviews say more about the reviewer than the book.

Breathe again.

I have one-star reviews that call for me personally to be cancelled, that I hate all poor people, and that I know nothing about engineering (though I worked in engineering for over a year for Alcoa).

Oh, and 1-star reviews sell books, so keep letting them throw rocks. Big ones.

 

[H.M. Ward]

Oh, and 1-star reviews sell books, so keep letting them throw rocks. Big ones.

Is it b/c they look like meanies and ppl feel sorry for me?

 

[Gertie Kindle]

Maybe you'd prefer something like this five star review for a game I was looking at titled Chen

"Forest service and appreciated that day yay and delicious food for thought huh and running in the others are gorgeous and appreciated the times when you know the farmers in need of more information"

The game is called Royal Trouble: Hidden Adventures. Don't get it. It's not really free.

 

[Elizabeth Ann West]

Is it b/c they look like meanies and ppl feel sorry for me?

LOL. No.

When you buy a book, or rather consider a book, do you look at reviews? If yes, do you only read the 5-star reviews? If no, do you also read the 1-star reviews If yes, do you also not look at what the review SAID irregardless of the star ranking given? If yes, do you not also think about what the reviewer said and the likelihood of it being true or mattering to your decision to buy the book? Ergo, 1-star reviews help consumers make a decision about your book which is what you need. Me, I need a flow chart.

But that adage there's no such thing as bad publicity is what applies here. All reviews, even 1-star reviews, count towards a reviewer considering your book and show one more person who has read the darn thing. Some of my best reviews are 2 and 3 stars, which makes me think "Yes!" Readers often gloss over the 5 and 1 star reviews and look to what's perceived as the more balanced 2,3, and 4 star reviews. It's kinda like we all put our pants on one leg at a time. How you judge and buy books is exactly how your readers do it, too.

 

[Gennita Low]

Ahhhhh! Don't respond to reviews. It's like a cardinal sin. But it also feels like I'm letting ppl throw rocks at my head. The latest is telling me that I have no idea about how the church works, which is hysterical b/c I went to seminary. He said that I should do basic research and thats whats wrong with me. Apparently all that time I spent in class didn't count. Ahhhh, it makes my eye twitch!

Another person left a review saying I duped her, that this isn't a book! It's a novella. Ah dher. It says that in the listing and spells it out.

Tell me not to do it!

Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't do it! Even if the one star reviewer is a Cafe regular and you see his name here all the time and he caustically wonders about your gender and ability to write, don't. Do. It. Yes, if you must know, I tell myself that everyday when I see his name here. :/ It is far better to eat chocolate and go out and enjoy the beautiful day.

 

[JonDavis1]

It hurts. But you can get past it. It's one review. Just keep writing and move past it. The buyers of your books are the real reviewers. Most won't leave a review, they'll mention it to their friends and you sell more.
Hugs

 

[Shelley K]

I wouldn't reply to them. They're wrong. People are wrong sometimes. Meh.

I know some people do respond to reviews, I think to each his own and it's great if it works for you, but I don't. For me, the risk of backlash isn't worth any potential yet unlikely benefits. And I'd probably get angry or snarky at some point and end up feeling like an @ss and looking like one too (deservedly).

Sit on your hands! Or work on another novella that will irritate someone else! Spread the aggravation!

 

[Quiss]

Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't do it!

THIS

Even if the one star reviewer is a Cafe regular and you see his name here all the time and he caustically wonders about your gender and ability to write, don't. Do. It.

Wow, you sure know how to take it in the chin. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
I had one like that. A "writer" in my G+ group gave me a 2-star in part because the story lacked resolution but he didn't actually finish reading it. I cannot imagine an actual writer leaving something so unprofessional.

 

[robin_hart]

Don't do it!  No good!  You have fans, like me!  So don't worry.

 

[dalya]

Don't take writing or career advice from people who hate you or your work.

If you read the reviews, the words will get into your head. Do you need more voices in your head? Probably not.

 

[Soothesayer]

Ahhhhh! Don't respond to reviews. It's like a cardinal sin. But it also feels like I'm letting ppl throw rocks at my head. The latest is telling me that I have no idea about how the church works, which is hysterical b/c I went to seminary. He said that I should do basic research and thats whats wrong with me. Apparently all that time I spent in class didn't count. Ahhhh, it makes my eye twitch!

Another person left a review saying I duped her, that this isn't a book! It's a novella. Ah dher. It says that in the listing and spells it out.

Tell me not to do it!

Which church?

 

[Gennita Low]

Wow, you sure know how to take it in the chin. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Hee. You see? There are more painful things than a nasty review from a writer. Sometimes it's just the writer's inability to understand your genre and is judging your book with his own criteria. For example, mine is the romance genre. That's why I have sexy male covers; sometimes they're called beefcake covers. It's a Big Hint, ya know? I can't help the reader who picks it and not know from that cover that this book will have sex and relationshippy stuff in it . You don't know how many times I want to comment under reviews complaining about too much sex to look at the cover and genre. But, nope, quick, grab the chocolate! (Munch, munch, munch)

 

[horse_girl]

I must admit that the 1-star reviews still get to me. I was getting more of those a year ago and now I get more of the 4-5 star reviews. I don't know what's changed, except that maybe I finally found my audience and they're spreading the word to those who actually like the same kind of story.

Here's how I've learned to cope when something does get to me:

1. Breathe deeply.
2. Offline get it all out of your system by ranting to whomever you can trust.
3. Eat a bunch of chocolate or ice cream or whatever your decadent comfort food is. This will either A) make you feel really crappy for ruining your diet, which will totally take your mind off the reviews or B) remind you of the good things in your life so you can move on.
4. Repeat a thousand times: "Reviews are for readers."
5. Swear you will never read another review less than four stars, only because as writers our egos need a boost once in a while.
6. Once more, repeat a thousand times: "Reviews are for readers."
7. Go back to writing and ignoring reviews.

Repeat as necessary.

The exception: one of my stories gets bashed for the ending. I laugh now when I see that, because it means my writing was so effective in touching readers that the death of a character upsets them

 

[H.M. Ward]

Do you need more voices in your head? Probably not.

OMG. you hear them too?

 

[H.M. Ward]

How you judge and buy books is exactly how your readers do it, too.

Uhm, I'm a bit of a freak in how I pick my books. If the listing says YA PNR and has the word dystopia or has a really pretty cover, I buy it. I dont read reviews or the blurbs or the jackets. I think they'll spoil my experiences. Anyone else that crazy?

 

[Elizabeth Ann West]

Uhm, I'm a bit of a freak in how I pick my books. If the listing says YA PNR and has the word dystopia or has a really pretty cover, I buy it. I dont read reviews or the blurbs or the jackets. I think they'll spoil my experiences. Anyone else that crazy?

See, then no worries!

 

[A.A]

I admit to getting itchy fingers a month back, when the heading of my last review for Dollhouse on the UK 'zon said, "The Dollhouse Trilogy - does it continue?'

She may have meant to ask if there is another book on the way, but it did seem ironic that the words 'trilogy' and it 'does it continue' were used in the same sentence.
I wanted to say, Yes! Yes! and please buy the next one  

 

[Quiss]

Weren't there four books in the Hitchhiker Trilogy?