Words will never hurt me
Cut it with the bad reviews! How to respond to negative reviews for fiction writers and readers? We’ve all heard the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Well, tell that to authors who have received scathing reviews for their beloved books. Bad book reviews can sting like a bee and leave a lasting impact not just on the writer’s ego, but on their sales and overall business.
Let’s face it, no writer sets out to pen a literary disaster. Behind every book is hours of toil, heart-wrenching edits, and a whole lot of caffeine. So, when a negative review comes along and rains on their parade, it can feel like a punch to the gut. But the pain doesn’t stop there; bad reviews can also have a detrimental effect on sales.
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig enjoys it.
Attributed to various literary greats.
How to respond to negative reviews for fiction writers and readers?
Never reply.
Learn to recognise online trolls. Clues are: inaccurate comments about content, spiteful personal remarks, a long rant about what he/she/they disliked in the book, with not one mention of something they did like and the biggest clue of all, disparaging remarks about A-list writers, some of whom have reached the status of literary icons. The review often reveals the troll’s narrow-minded ignorance.
Avoid promoting your book on readers’ sites known for trolls who have nothing good to say about anybody’s work.
Commit to improvement. Learn how to craft outstanding characters, how to create page-turning plots with twists, turns and surprises. Read in your genre, learn how the successful writers do it.
Make sure your text is faultlessly edited and your book is formatted correctly. Don’t invite bad reviews for things you can control.
“Write to Market”. Make sure your chosen genre contains the beats your target audience expects and promote the book(s) to that audience. Most bad reviews come from readers reading outside their chosen genre, or you, as writer, haven’t met their expectations. If you’ve done your best to discourage negative reviews and they still ‘don’t like your style’, there’s not much you can do about it.
Torches and pitchforks
Yes, really. I once had a negative review of 1000+ words that was a personal rant against the writer and had nothing to say in favour of the book at all. It takes a while to write 1000 words, so I found myself asking if the reviewer had nothing better to do than trash other creatives online. Why on earth did they punish themselves by reading to the bitter end? What sad lives some trolls live by wandering around with torches and pitchforks looking for targets for bad reviews and one-star ratings.
There’s no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary.
Brendan Behan, ‘a drinker with a writing problem’.
In today’s digital age, bad reviews can spread like wildfire. Potential readers, who might have otherwise been intrigued by the book, are now wary of parting with their hard-earned cash. And let’s not forget about the power of online marketplaces and review platforms. A slew of negative feedback can deter potential buyers and leave a long-lasting dent in the author’s earnings.
But what’s a writer to do about a damning review that reflects badly on a product they’ve spent time and money on putting out there? Sometimes, a fiction writer must remember that their story just wasn’t a particular reader’s cup of tea. There are valuable clues to glean even from a bad review. Either a writer is promoting to the wrong market or they haven’t quite honed their “write to market” skills.
A writer must remember that all publicity is good publicity. A one-star rating on Amazon still counts in the number of star ratings for a book, 100 being the magic number which, like Cinderella, gets your book noticed and featured in some Amazon promotions.
What fiction readers can do
But it’s not just the writers who suffer. Readers are also impacted by the proliferation of bad reviews. They may miss out on discovering a book that could have resonated with them simply because they were swayed by negative feedback. It’s a lose-lose situation for everyone involved. How should readers respond to negative reviews for books they wanted to read?
If you can’t say anything nice, say nothing at all.
Charles Caleb Colton, English writer. Also attributed to Thumper, fictional rabbit from Disney’s Bambi animated feature.
Readers don’t have to leave a review on a book they didn’t like or didn’t finish (DNF).
As a reader, you can avoid gaining a negative reputation online by simply saying nothing.
Leave the one-star or two-star rating if you must, and leave it at that. If you have valid comments about proofreading or content, fair enough.
Don’t leave a long rant full of personal remarks about the writer, your motives may be questioned and you risk being deleted from street teams or ARC (Advance Reader Copy) lists.
Check your facts.
Enough of negative reviews
Writers, every writer gets bad reviews. Every. Single. One. Writing long fiction is a solitary business and you’ve got to be your own cheerleader. You must pick yourself up and move on. Some readers love your work. Cherish your fans.
Readers, try to develop a more positive outlook. Fiction is supposed to be enjoyable, after all. Nobody’s forcing you to read it (unless you’re a professional reviewer).
2024
By the way, I didn’t do my usual end-of-year or New Year post, so I wish all you readers who got this far, a positive and productive 2024, and may all your dreams come true. You may even find ideas and inspiration in reading fiction! I know I do and I’m excited about the story ideas for long fiction and screenplays rattling around in my head.
You can find my fiction on Amazon. More about my books here.
My screenplays are on Script Revolution.
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