Well, it happened. I knew it was going to happen sooner or later and it happened yesterday. I got my first bad review for my book and my heart sank into my stomach.
Ever since I published Little Rebellion, I knew that someone is going to have a negative opinion about my book and I believed I was ready for it simply because I knew it was going to happen. It turns out that I wasn’t.
Basically, the reviewer stated that the book is not edited (which is true, I don’t have a publishing house and couldn’t afford an editor) and that the subject was good but didn’t live up to expectations and that they abandoned the book because of the grammar.
Immediately my brain did what it likes to do and assasinated me. I started thinking that no one is going to like my book, that it’s horrible and that no one is going to buy it because of that one review.
This is also the first time I got a negative review for my published work, because the reviews for Identity Crisis and Rehab have been for the most part positive.
I am trying to find a balance between accepting a bad review and not spiraling into thoughts about removing my book, deleting it completely from the internet and giving up on writing a sequel.
I know that the book is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea and this is just one review which shouldn’t affect me this much but I am scared that one negative review is going to turn people away from buying the book. There have been 93 downloads of the book and I wish I knew what everyone thought but unfortunately there have only been 5 reviews for the book, 4 of them positive and one negative.
And I decided to hold on to the 4 positive reviews even when it’s hard. Writing and self-publishing has a learning curve so I decided that once the sequel is done, I will simply save up some money for an editor. I have to accept negative reviews as a constructive criticism that will help me put out better work in the future.
Considering the fact that a lot of writers read this blog, I know that this might have happened to some of you so I would just like to know how you dealt with it and what was your journey with reviews and getting feedback on your work. Let me know down in the comments.
Love,
Luna
Don’t forget that my first novel is available on Amazon: Little Rebellion
Also you can get my poetry books: Rehab and Identity crisis
Hi Luna, sorry to hear about the bad review – we all get them and they can be crushing, so hope you feel better soon and don’t get put off writing some more. I had a brief look at the copy I have, and I put it aside to return to later as I too had a problem with the grammar – but I didn’t want to be negative about that to you. I understand about not being able to afford an editor, as I’ve never paid anyone to edit my work. My first language is English though, and my degrees are in English, plus I’ve done a bit of training and work as a sub-editor. It’s painstaking work which takes ages, so although it seems expensive the editor doesn’t get much for all the time spent. For myself, I got a couple of friends to read/proofread my work before self-publication, and I’d urge you to try the same – but only friends you really trust, with English as their first language. Other eyes on our work are necessary, because we, the writers, will usually see what should be there, rather than what’s there, and we miss typos and grammatical errors. Fresh eyes, which have never seen the work before, will pick up on those errors. Hang in there, and don’t get down about this – the first setback is always the worst, but there will be others along the line. Stay positive! 🙂
Hi Luna,
Your approach to the negative review is spot on. You recognized the nature of the criticism and already have a plan to address it in your next book—that’s what I would do as well.
I recently went through the self-publishing process, and you’re correct; there’s a learning curve. I was lucky enough to afford an editor, and he was helpful. Have you tried editing platforms such as Grammarly? I know there is a cost associated with those as well. I use it often and find it works pretty well – especially for grammar-related issues.
When I write, an inkling of insecurity sits on my shoulder. I’ll “finish” a piece (essay, poem, or short story), read it over, and find a million things wrong with it. I’ll rework it repeatedly and compare it to works I’ve read from other writers and think, “Man, I don’t measure up.”
It’s “normal” to want affirmation and positive feedback from others, but in the end, I believe we write primarily for ourselves, for the love of writing.
I’ve stopped counting the number of rejections I’ve received from submissions, but I’ll continue to write and submit because writing fulfills me.
I try not to take criticism to heart; if it’s constructive, I implement it – and that seems to be what you are doing.
Warm regards,
Geof
Hello, so far I had read through the woman perspective, which is above as a English as first language elder, and you. It appears to me in my mind while reading the primary article itself, I believe we do not have anything wrong with grammar. Hint : Find my typo in my sentences.
Which is no typo at all ! In this way, you see, Grammarly primary function was only to : Find my typo in my sentences. Thank you!
God bless you, as you now see that bible itself was translated in JJVV version, a grace of people’s individual food appetite. Grace was that I love you but I want to read this sentence this way : JJ is bigger than KK because king james feel like a man with knowledge which JJ jesus is little. God is love !~
Hi Kuna, bad reviews often feel like personal attacks on our intellectual, but they aren’t. I would suggest using an AL app to check grammar and spelling as well as flow. It’s free and works just as well as a professional. Don’t be discouraged, this is a positive review because opinion are more subjective than objective. The positive is, the reviewer felt drawn to your work enough to buy it. Stay encouraged!
Feedback (positive and negative) is always necessary in order to improve. We are all human, so the first time we receive negative feedback, it is hard, but we need to fight through it and turn it into something positive by learning. There are many books from well-known authors that have errors, but nothing that a new edition can’t fix. My recommendation is to take note and maybe publish a second edition in a year or two. No worry too much and stay strong.
I feel for you. It happens to all of us. Many times the remarks are unfounded, but there are also little nuggets in there that will help us improve our work. If you love it, keep doing it. Don’t let one person silence your joy. To pick up on another of your posts, I use several notes apps. Muses show up when they want to and not always on our schedule. When mine appears, I make notes. I haven’t lacked for something to write in ten years since I started doing the notes.
Hi Luna,
Your post about the negative review really struck a chord with me. I remember the first time I got a bad review and how awful it made me feel.
I’ve looked at the review and I think it says more about the reader than it does your book. Not living up to expectations is the reader’s problem not yours!
Like you, I can’t afford an editor, so I edit my own work. I do get a couple of friends to read through the MS about half way through the writing process as they tend to pick up on plot inconsistencies.
I go through many different stages in order to edit my own work. I read the MS on my Kindle, on iBooks, on the Tablet. I also listen to the MS being read to me by my computer as that enables me to discover missing words or repetitive phrases. And then I read the MS out loud to myself and that picks up on errors I can’t see when I’m reading the words in my head.
I really enjoyed Little Rebellion. Yes, it could have done with some editing, so I simply made it a 4 star review.
I think you have the right attitude in putting the review down to experience. I got 3 or 4 bad reviews one after another but still people downloaded the book! Just remember, some people will leave a bad review just because they can.
I hope your progress with book 2 is going well, and I, for one, am looking forward to what happens in it!
Much love Freya Pickard xxx