I completely understand the advice to not read your reviews, but as an indie author, I find the advice unrealistic because I am my own publisher. I curate my own ARC team, I manage my NetGalley listings, I decide which readers to entrust early copies. I would never maliciously invade reader spaces, but the lines have blurred online. Not to mention, good reviews are also excellent marketing tools!
I'm thankful I used to be a journalist because it trained me on how to create content for public consumption. In fact, I wrote a piece called, "The Joy and Terror of Being Seen," so hopefully it resonates with you all: https://alyssajarrett.substack.com/p/the-joy-and-terror-of-being-seen
This is such helpful perspective, Alyssa! It's a good reminder that "conventional wisdom" does not always work for everyone and to do what is best for you and your book. I also think it's easier said than done! (avoiding reviews, that is). There is good to be found in them too, for sure, if you can separate the negative emotions around them. It's such a balance, especially because it's so much easier for readers and writers to connect directly now. This is why we wanted to discuss- there is so much to weigh when you start putting yourself out there in the world, especially online!
Really appreciate you sharing and can't wait to read!
I'm with Erin. I want it all—the good, the bad, and the ugly. And may I be so bold as to say, every author gets a bit of all three—hopefully, more of the good, of course. I've been to a couple of writers' conferences where some established authors got up and read their worst reviews. Everyone, including the authors, had a good belly laugh. It's the only way to deal with them and carry on.
Like Erin, I’ve also found comfort in reading bad reviews of the books I’ve loved the most. It’s all so subjective, and readers are absolutely entitled to their opinions. But, yeah, sometimes laughing it off is the healthiest thing you can do!
Enjoyed your different perspectives! I read every one of my reviews. It's part of my morning routine! I'm hungry to share how people respond to my writing. Somehow, if reviews are less than 4 or 5 stars, I convince myself that "my book just wasn't for them" rather than, "My book must be terrible!"
Haha, love that you’ve worked this into your morning routine! I appreciate that you’re able to take them all in so rationally. It sounds like you have a really healthy approach.
This was a great post! Thank you so much. I loved all the different perspectives. My debut is coming out in about five months and I have a feeling that I’m going to read the reviews right up until publication and maybe even in the first few weeks after. I am thinking after that, I may just leave it in the hands of the readers. The lawyer and researcher in me, like Erin said, has an insatiable curiosity and wants all the information and I have a feeling it will be very difficult not to peek! I am hoping that my years as a performer, going to auditions and getting rejected over and over, have prepared me for this stage of my author career. As a professional speaker, I’m also very used to receiving audience evaluations of my keynotes and workshops and reviewing those. For my nonfiction book published years ago, I wish I had more reviews! Ha ha. So I think I’m also going to be open to any reviews for my novel, regardless of whether they are positive or negative, and how they rate it. I just want readers to read it! And I also love what many of you said that once you release the book into the world, it is no longer yours. Hopefully it lands in the hands of the readers who are supposed to engage with it. That’s the best we can hope for!
Thank you for this thoughtful response, Lisa! That sounds like a healthy middle ground approach, and the great thing about all of this is we reserve the right to change course at any time! If reading reviews stops serving you, then you just stop looking, right? But I also appreciate your point that any review, good or bad, signifies that a reader picked up your book and that’s really special. We know that more reviews, means more eyes, so it’s a good reminder to be grateful for any we get!
Thanks for the kind words! (But you’re also welcome to weigh in on what you *think* you’ll do when the time comes, hypothetically speaking! We won’t hold you to it if you end up changing your mind 😉)
I completely understand the advice to not read your reviews, but as an indie author, I find the advice unrealistic because I am my own publisher. I curate my own ARC team, I manage my NetGalley listings, I decide which readers to entrust early copies. I would never maliciously invade reader spaces, but the lines have blurred online. Not to mention, good reviews are also excellent marketing tools!
I'm thankful I used to be a journalist because it trained me on how to create content for public consumption. In fact, I wrote a piece called, "The Joy and Terror of Being Seen," so hopefully it resonates with you all: https://alyssajarrett.substack.com/p/the-joy-and-terror-of-being-seen
This is such helpful perspective, Alyssa! It's a good reminder that "conventional wisdom" does not always work for everyone and to do what is best for you and your book. I also think it's easier said than done! (avoiding reviews, that is). There is good to be found in them too, for sure, if you can separate the negative emotions around them. It's such a balance, especially because it's so much easier for readers and writers to connect directly now. This is why we wanted to discuss- there is so much to weigh when you start putting yourself out there in the world, especially online!
Really appreciate you sharing and can't wait to read!
Ooh, I’ll def read this, Alyssa. Thanks for sharing! And that is such a fair point about how it differs for an indie author.
I'm with Erin. I want it all—the good, the bad, and the ugly. And may I be so bold as to say, every author gets a bit of all three—hopefully, more of the good, of course. I've been to a couple of writers' conferences where some established authors got up and read their worst reviews. Everyone, including the authors, had a good belly laugh. It's the only way to deal with them and carry on.
Like Erin, I’ve also found comfort in reading bad reviews of the books I’ve loved the most. It’s all so subjective, and readers are absolutely entitled to their opinions. But, yeah, sometimes laughing it off is the healthiest thing you can do!
Enjoyed your different perspectives! I read every one of my reviews. It's part of my morning routine! I'm hungry to share how people respond to my writing. Somehow, if reviews are less than 4 or 5 stars, I convince myself that "my book just wasn't for them" rather than, "My book must be terrible!"
Haha, love that you’ve worked this into your morning routine! I appreciate that you’re able to take them all in so rationally. It sounds like you have a really healthy approach.
This was a great post! Thank you so much. I loved all the different perspectives. My debut is coming out in about five months and I have a feeling that I’m going to read the reviews right up until publication and maybe even in the first few weeks after. I am thinking after that, I may just leave it in the hands of the readers. The lawyer and researcher in me, like Erin said, has an insatiable curiosity and wants all the information and I have a feeling it will be very difficult not to peek! I am hoping that my years as a performer, going to auditions and getting rejected over and over, have prepared me for this stage of my author career. As a professional speaker, I’m also very used to receiving audience evaluations of my keynotes and workshops and reviewing those. For my nonfiction book published years ago, I wish I had more reviews! Ha ha. So I think I’m also going to be open to any reviews for my novel, regardless of whether they are positive or negative, and how they rate it. I just want readers to read it! And I also love what many of you said that once you release the book into the world, it is no longer yours. Hopefully it lands in the hands of the readers who are supposed to engage with it. That’s the best we can hope for!
Thank you for this thoughtful response, Lisa! That sounds like a healthy middle ground approach, and the great thing about all of this is we reserve the right to change course at any time! If reading reviews stops serving you, then you just stop looking, right? But I also appreciate your point that any review, good or bad, signifies that a reader picked up your book and that’s really special. We know that more reviews, means more eyes, so it’s a good reminder to be grateful for any we get!
I can’t weigh in because I’m not published, but I appreciate this balanced, thoughtful, and uplifting post.
Thanks for the kind words! (But you’re also welcome to weigh in on what you *think* you’ll do when the time comes, hypothetically speaking! We won’t hold you to it if you end up changing your mind 😉)
Haha! Thanks! I think I’ll have Hubby read them and filter the venom.