It happens to the best of us. You spend hours upon hours on a project, and once you finally get to see it out in the real world, you’re gobsmacked when a negative review pops up. One star? Surely, they misclicked!
Alas, their review matches the tone of their rating. If it’s too late to choose not to read the review, follow these five steps to begin the healing process and get back to writing whatever your heart desires.
Step 1: Feel your feelings.
It is perfectly reasonable and normal to be upset. If this is your first-ever, even more so, but a bad review can sting for veteran authors, too. I’m a big believer in not bottling things up, so my advice is to get your feelings out: rant to your partner or your writing friends, journal about it, cry while you indulge in your dessert of choice—whatever you need to do to get it out of your system.
Step 2: Take a deep breath.
Once you’ve tapped into your emotions, thank them for coming and let them go. That’s easier said than done, I know, but it’s not going to do you any good to hold onto the feelings for too long. If you need to, step away and distract yourself before coming back to complete the next three steps.
Whatever you do, don’t take out your frustration on the reviewer or start subtweeting (do we still call it that?). Reviews reflect opinions, and everyone is entitled to theirs. Also, even more importantly, reviews are not directed at the writers of books—they’re meant to catalog a particular reader’s opinions or share thoughts or recommendations with other readers. They’re nothing personal, even if they appear to be addressing you, the author, in the text.
Step 3: Prove to yourself that you’re not alone.
This step is probably my favorite! Choose a review site and look up an author who you consider to be a master of their craft. Crucially, you should pick an author who you probably will not meet, or who has already passed away (lest you meet them one day and have what you’re about to see in the forefront of your mind). Navigate to their magnum opus and find their most critical reviews. They’ll probably be scathing!
No matter how brilliant the book or how revered the writer, there will be people who claim that they should’ve never picked up a pen in the first place. Now, take this to heart: if even this writer can’t please everyone, neither will you. You and your stories are not for everyone, and that’s okay.
Step 4: Learn something.
Often, reviews contain specific grievances about the writing style, character development, or plot inconsistencies. It can be disheartening and even painful to read that your book is flawed, but reading such reviews can help you learn more about how you write and what you may need to work on in the craft department.
Sometimes reviews don’t contain anything except the reader’s raw emotions. In that case, what you learned was something about the reviewer themself, and sometimes that’s all you need to take away.
Step 5: Remember this is not the end.
No one can make you stop writing. No one can end your writing career without your consent.
Your next review may be the most glowing praise you’ve ever received.
Your next published piece may be critically acclaimed, go on to win awards, get made into a movie, and be read a hundred years into the future.
Keep writing because one bad review—or even dozens of bad reviews—cannot be the end. You’re just getting started.
