~Dreading the Day~
Most authors will tell you, a review has the power to make or break their day. Because of this, I hesitate to check the latest updates on my novel, A Knight of Silence. It even tends to make me nostalgic for the golden rule I learned as a child, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
As much as I would only like to receive glowing reviews, the odds are that one day I am going to check and find my streak of positive reviews, broken. Do not get me wrong, I totally get that everyone has his or her own individual style and I embrace the differences that make each of us unique.
Trouble is I struggle to keep my common sense from flying out the window when it comes to my writing. I understood not everyone was going to like my novels before I typed my first word, but the truth is my skin is not as thick as some tend to believe. Every time I write, I pour my heart into the story and I am sure, it is the same for most authors. For this reason, I sometimes find it hard to be objective when listening to criticism. It also does not help that my toughest critic also happens to be my mom. You have no idea how satisfying it is for me to hear the coveted, “Sounds great to me” from her.
Recently, I signed the contract for my third novel, Jack of Hearts. At the same time, I promised myself before I started to drive myself too crazy with the inevitable I will remember that of the three novels I have written, all three have been picked-up for publication.
I have a feeling I will be telling myself that often in the near future, because like it or not, I will receive unfavorable reviews. Until then, I will be dreading the day.
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I’m with ya, Candace! Though I’ve yet to read a review that says “I want to throw Mysti Parker’s book at the wall and use it for kindling”, I’m sure not every review will be favorable.
I will take heed, though, to not react to negativity, as I’ve seen a few examples of here recently. The first time an author lashes back at a bad review, it’s like throwing blood in the water for sharks. It gets ugly fast!
My motto: At least they took the time to read what I wrote, so I choose to be thankful.
And from having read “A Knight of Silence”, I don’t think you have much to worry about!
~Mysti
Thanks, Mysti! If you don’t find, I am going to adopt your motto as well. So fitting!
Candace, I know exactly how you feel. As I write more and more, I realize that reviews are not for me. In fact, they aren’t any of my business. Reviews are written for readers, not the author. In that respect, I’ve stayed away from reviews of Cinders as of late, and also don’t plan on reading any reviews of Monarch unless they are part of my blog tour or a reader points me in the direction of a review they’d like me to see. I won’t go searching them out. If there’s something amazing out there, I’m sure Rhemalda or a friend will let me know. I just need to focus on writing. I’ve had my experiences with reviews with Cinders, and after you read a bunch of them, you pretty much know how the general public will react to that work.
I wish you the best of luck in finding your balance.
Thanks, Michelle. I am definitely working on finding the perfect balance.
The moment you sign a publishing contract, your critique group exploded exponentially. It’s so intimidating.
I so agree, Amber.
The big thing to remember here is the bit about your books having been picked up for publication. That, in my opinion, is the very best of reviews. To have any publisher, large or small, show so much faith in your work that they want to work on it and hang their future on it, has to be the biggest and most meaningful endorsement of your work you could possibly wish for. Sure – hearing a good review from a reader who enjoyed the book is wonderful; after all, to have our writing enjoyed by a readership is why we write. But the one with the most to invest or to lose is the publisher.
Here’s to your success, Candace!
Thanks for putting things into perspective for me, Cas. I should have known if anyone would be able to do it, it would be you. You’re right, having a publisher select you out of the stack is the best review possible. I feel so much better. Thanks!
I wish you all the success in the world.
Any time, sweetie! Glad to have been of help.