It’s My Review and I’ll Cry If I Want To, Cry If I Want To

I was listening to a radio show tonight and the host and author were talking about book reviews. The host said that if it scored below a 3, then she wouldn’t review the book, or wouldn’t post it, one or the other.

I know they say if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all, but I absolutely adore honest reviewers. The snarkier the better because in my opinion, that’s telling me this reviewer has guts and doesn’t give a damn about how anyone feels. That’s telling me that this reviewer is putting her or his integrity on the line and feels that if they sugar-coat a bad book, then their reputation will go right down the toilet.

Sure, we can keep in mind that everyone’s opinions vary - what you like, I might not like - and that all goes with the territory.

Susan Jensen of Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books…now that’s a chick who will tell you how it is. She’s not sugar coating anything and that’s why I simply adore her. My authors might not adore her after they read her scathing reviews, but you gotta admire this woman’s chutzpah. If she doesn’t like it, she’ll let you know.

And, again, we all have to keep in mind that it’s one person’s opinion over another.

But to the author, well, it’s the curse of death. You might as well had advertised it on Oprah or plastered it on a bulletin board at the Super Bowl because the author gets really really upset when this happens.

When an author reads a bad review - even though they know in their heart that the reviewer hit the nail on the head - all she or he can think about is that fifty million people are going to zero in on that review and they start going psycho thinking now, because of that one review, no one is going to buy their book.

It happens. If you are an author, you know the deal. You’ve been there, done that. It isn’t pretty, is it?

Of course not because this is your book and this book is what proves to the world that you can write. If someone else tells you that you can’t write, it’s like a kick in the gut.

But you know what I think the worse part about getting a bad review is? The fact that it’s plastered on a public place for all the world to see. It’s not so bad that someone else thinks your book stinks, but when someone posts this fact or fallacy in a public place, then it’s hide my head in shame or get on the boxing gloves because I’m not going down without a fight.

About a year ago, I had a book that I wrote with two other writers. For four years, we let the manuscript sit. One of my co-authors decided to go for a publisher that had just started up and I knew that the book needed major editing but I figured (big mistake) that the publisher would take care of it. Well, the publisher didn’t take care of it.

A couple months after its release, the reviews came in. One “friend” decided to post for the world to see that the book needed editing bad. The thing is, it was posted at Amazon.

I knew it needed editing and had told my co-authors it wasn’t ready but I trusted this publisher to make everything right.

The publisher has gone bankrupt and the book is no more, but it only goes to show you what lessons we can learn with each review. Sure, it’s only one person’s opinion, but this is the very reason not to let your book go out without a professional editing job and then go over it yourself with a fine-tooth comb because once it’s out there, it’s prime bait.

I had my good cry, but it opened up my eyes to how important it is not to let your book go out there unless it’s the best it can be.

And I’ll guarantee that once it’s the best it can be and you feel there’s nothing else you can do to better it, then at least you can say you’ve done your best and you only have yourself to fault if you didn’t.

Bad reviews come with the territory. Have a good cry, lick your wounds and go on.

And, go on, you will.

I guarantee it.

Have you ever had a bad review?  How did you handle it?