The Literarily Speaking Book Panel talks to authors on different subjects regarding books, book industry topics, book selling, book promotions, and whatever catches our fancy.? Today?s topic is book reviews.? When you have a book published, the first thing you want to know is if anyone besides you likes it, right?? Our friends love it, our family loves it, we love it, but what does the rest of the world think about our book?? No matter which way you look at it, whatever the reviewer has to say about your book is now out there for the world to see.? Today we?re speaking to fourteen authors and finding out what they think about bad reviews?? Have they ever received one and what did they do about it?
Our Distinguished Panel of Authors
Kara Bartley has always been interested in animals, so it comes as no surprise that her world is surrounded by them in both her life and imagination. She has a bachelor?s degree in Biology/Earth Science, a post-graduate diploma in Geographic Information Systems and a master?s degree in Vertebrate Paleontology. In the spring of 2002, she began writing her first novel The Siamese Mummy while on a dig for fossils in Kansas. The book was later released in 2006. Kara is also the author of The Unearthlings and Call of Adhara. She lives in Niagara Falls with her three Siamese cats?Apollo, Achilles and Agamemnon. Her horse Dapplynn is her biggest companion, and anxiously awaits the day that she too will have a guest appearance in one of her mother?s books. You can visit Kara at http://karabartley.blogspot.com
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Debra Brenegan grew up in the Milwaukee area and graduated with a B.A. in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She worked as a journalist and taught at Milwaukee Area Technical College before beginning her graduate work. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in English/Creative Writing from The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she also taught. She teaches English and Women?s Studies at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. For her fiction, she has received a Ragdale residency and was a recent finalist for the John Gardner Memorial Fiction Prize, The Cincinnati Review?s Schiff Prose Prize, and the Crab Creek Review Fiction Prize. Her work has recently appeared or is forthcoming in Calyx, Tampa Review, Natural Bridge, The Laurel Review, RE:AL, The Southern Women?s Review, The Cimarron Review, Milwaukee Magazine, Phoebe, and other publications. Debra Brenegan?s novel, Shame the Devil, is a historical account of nineteenth-century American writer Fanny Fern (SUNY Press, Excelsior Editions). She is currently working on another novel, set in Missouri, and on a short story collection. During the school year, Debra lives in a 130-year-old house in Fulton with her husband, Steve, and their elderly cat. They spend summers and school breaks in their native Milwaukee. When not teaching, writing, spending time with family or driving back and forth to Wisconsin, Debra enjoys cooking, gardening, reading and traveling. You can visit her website at www.debrabrenegan.com or visit her at Twitter at www.twitter.com/dbrenegan or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/#!/debra.brenegan; https://www.facebook.com/#!/shame.the.devil.book.
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F.J. Dagg grew up in Michigan, where for a time he was a musician in a variety of rock and blues bands. He graduated with honors from the University of Michigan with a degree in Philosophy and an additional concentration in Music Theory and History. After moving to California, his focus turned from music to the writing of fiction, which he pursued as various day jobs allowed. Though not a member of any religious denomination, the mainstay of the author?s life is his faith, a fact reflected in his writing. His pastimes include playing the guitar and violin, reading, and surfing.
You can visit F.J. Dagg?s website at http://branch92.com.
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Lilian Duval has been fascinated with lottery winners for years, and they?re the inspiration for her intriguing novel You Never Know, which explores how an ordinary man copes with terrible luck, and later, amazing luck, when he wins the Mega-Millions lottery. Her story collection, Random Acts of Kindness, will be published in 2012. Lilian and her husband are both survivors of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. They live in a small house in New Jersey overlooking a large county park. She?s an amateur classical guitarist and enjoys attending concerts, plays, and movies in New York City. You can visit her website at www.lilianduval.com or follow her at Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/lilianduval and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lilian-Duval/121776657899250?sk=wall. Visit her virtual book tour page at www.pumpupyourbook.com/2011/05/31/you-never-know-virtual-book-tour-june-july-august-2011.
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Benjamin Kane Ethridge?s fiction has appeared in Doorways Magazine, Dark Recesses, FearZone, and others. His dark fantasy novel BLACK & ORANGE (Bad Moon Books 2010) has won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in First Novel. Beyond that he?s written several collaborations with Michael Louis Calvillo, one of which is a novella called UGLY SPIRIT, available in 2011. He also wrote a master?s thesis entitled, ?CAUSES OF UNEASE: The Rhetoric of Horror Fiction and Film.? Available in an ivory tower near you. Benjamin lives in Southern California with his wife and daughter, both lovely and both worthy of better. When he isn?t writing, reading, videogaming, he?s defending California?s waterways and sewers from pollution. You can visit his website at BKEthridge.com.? Say hi and drop a line at ben@bkethridge.com.
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Joseph Garraty is an author of dark fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He has worked as a construction worker, rocket test engineer, environmental consultant, technical writer, and deadbeat musician. He lives in Dallas, Texas. His latest book is the horror novel, Voice. You can visit his website at www.josephgarraty.com. Connect with Joseph at Twitter at www.twitter.com/JosephGarraty.
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STEPHEN LANGFORD is the veteran writer producer of over one hundred and fifty hours of primetime television writing. His credits include Family Matters and Malcolm and Eddie. He later became a screenwriter writing the motion picture Lovewrecked. His latest produced film is ?The Nanny Express? which is running on the Hallmark Channel. Langford grew up in the Boston area and later attended Emerson College where he received a Bachelor of Science in Film. After college, Langford began working in the motion picture field working for such film directors as Sidney Lumet and Joel Schumacher. Currently Langford lives in Tarzana with his wife Sandy and their two children Allyson and Erica. He is also the proud owner of a Jack Russell terrier named Betty and Chihuahua named Tovah. More information on White Sleeper can be found on the book?s website at http://www.whitesleeper.com.
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Since I can remember I have always had a passion for history. My love of Roman history started when I first watched the series ?I, Claudius?. I then proceeded to read every Roman book I could get my hands on. I got my start writing bodybuilding and physical fitness articles for Bodybuilding.com, as well as a lesser-know magazine, HardCore Muscle. I turned to writing historical novels when I was in Iraq. My intent was to write the stories that I wanted to read, but could not find. While we may hear stories about the Emperors and Generals of antiquity, we almost never hear the stories of the men who did the actual fighting under them. Sadly, most historical data is lost, the individual soldiers being long since forgotten by history. My attempt with The Artorian Chronicles is to tell the story of a common legionary and what could have happened throughout his career. More recently I have turned to other periods in history and have started work on a pair of historical novels about the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. The working title for the first book is ?Brutal Valour?. I?m tentatively planning for it to be released sometime in 2012, along with the fifth book in The Artorian Chronicles, ?Soldier of Rome: Judea?. You can visit James at http://legionarybooks.net
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Michael Martel was barely eighteen when he walked into the Army recruiter?s office in his hometown of Dayton, Ohio. He told him he wanted to see the world. He satisfied Michael?s wish and sent him to Berlin, Germany where he had a great time in the ?Divided City.? There began his love of travel. All together he spent a total of thirteen years living in Germany, traveling around Europe, the Middle East and Africa. His Army career spanned just over twenty years. spending time as an infantryman, paratrooper and Green Beret. After the Army he moved onto technology. He worked as a computer security expert keeping extremely sensitive information safe from hackers. He earned a Bachelors and Masters of Science in Information Technology and Business Management along the way. Michael was recognized for his leadership, knowledge and ability to work with people. Very soon, he was moved into the executive ranks and led large business divisions. Always on the lookout for a challenge, He discovered he had a gift for coaching. From the experiences, both in the military and in corporate world he has a lot to give back. His real world leadership experience combined with his technical education and skill give him an unique ability to work with other leaders to help them achieve success. Throughout his life, he has done the hard stuff, experienced what works, and has the skills to get the job done, whatever it is. Michael?s latest book is Get Er Done. You can visit Michael Martel?s website at www.mikemartel.com.? Connect with Michael at Facebook at www.facebook.com/michael.martel or Twitter at www.twitter.com/MichaelMartel.
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Greg Messel has always loved writing.?? He worked as the news editor and sports editors of the Daily Rocket-Miner newspaper.? He won a Wyoming Press Association award for his column.? He also submitted and had published articles in various sports magazines.? He left the newspaper business in 1981 and began a 27 year career with Pacific Power.? Greg retired in 2008 and moved to Seattle.? He has written two unpublished memoirs and published his first novel with Trafford in September 2009.?? His first novel was called ?Sunbreaks.??? The second novel ?Expiation? was published in the spring of 2010 with Trafford.? A third novel is in the works.? Visit his website at www.gregmessel.com. Connect with him at Twitter at www.twitter.com/gregmessel and Facebook at www.facebook.com/greg.messel.
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Malcolm Dylan Petteway is a senior military analyst, a retired military officer and a twenty-year veteran of the United States Air Force. He flew B-52?s as an Electronic Warfare Officer and has 3,000 flight hours and 300 combat hours. In his distinguished career, Malcolm has used his knowledge in the art of war, military weapons and combat defenses in planning over 400 combat sorties.? Besides his Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters and numerous other awards, Malcolm is the recipient of the U.S. Air Force Air Medal and the U.S. Air Force Air Achievement Medal for his actions during Operation Enduring Freedom. Malcolm Petteway is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and California State University. His latest book is Homecoming ? Osguards: Guardians of the Universe (Book 1). You can visit Malcolm at http://www.ragebooks.net.
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Bonnie Trachtenberg worked as Senior Writer and Copy Chief at Book-of-the-Month Club and has written seven children?s book adaptations. She?s also written for three newspapers, and has penned countless magazine articles. Wedlocked is her first novel. She lives on Long Island with her husband, stepchildren, and cats. Please visit her blogs at: http://www.BonnieTrachtenberg.com, http://www.Wedlockedthenovel.com and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/WritebrainedNY.
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T. M. Wallace lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and four children. At eight years old, she won a short story contest and was published in a local newspaper. She wrote her first book at ten years old called ?The Adventures of Pinkstar,? about a stuffed rabbit who magically comes to life. T. M. Wallace received her Master?s degree in English Literature from Carleton University and a degree in Education from the University of Ottawa. In 2010 her latest book, Under A Fairy Moon, was a quarter-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel awards. Under A Fairy Moon will be published by Brownridge Publishing in June, 2011. You can visit her website at www.tmwallace.com.
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After working several years as research chemist, Paula Wiseman was blessed with the opportunity to stay home with her children and follow the writer?s path. Contingency: Book One: Covenant of Trust Series, her debut novel, spent time on the Amazon.com Christian Fiction bestsellers list, and was also the #1 Hot New Release in Christian Fiction. Indemnity Book Two: Covenant of Trust Series is her second novel. Paula blogs on matters of life and faith at www.paulawiseman.com.? Connect with her on facebook at www.facebook.com/paula.wiseman.author and Twitter at www.twitter.com/paulawiseman.
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August Book Panel Discussion:
Kara Bartley:? ?Getting a bad review is a good topic. I?ve learned that when writing, you cannot write for others. You must write for yourself. There will always be someone out there who doesn?t see things your way. And you mustn?t get distraught over this. It?s just a part of the profession. Take the review for what it?s worth: ask yourself if it?s a critique or an opinion. Opinions you can?t change. Critiques you can learn from. I?ve found that once you?ve deciphered the difference, you can move on, with the knowledge that you?ve gained something important. To me, a bad review is just as helpful as a good one.?
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Debra Brenegan:? ?First, ignore it ? maybe it is for someone else with your exact same name.? Maybe the reviewer messed up his database and your real (good) review got switched with someone else?s bad review.? If you don?t react too quickly, he can fix everything and you will look grounded and mature for not going crazy right away.? If a day or two passes, though, and nobody is begging for your forgiveness or sending apology flowers, perhaps it is safe to say the review might be for your book.? But, remember ? reviewers are people, too, and people have all sorts of reasons for overreacting and taking things out on strangers (you) who write perfectly good books.? Perhaps, he didn?t get enough sleep, just got divorced or had bad news from the dentist (root canal, anyone?).? Give him the benefit of the doubt.? He just wasn?t in the right state of mind to appreciate the humor, sarcasm, irony and brilliance of your book.? You could even write him an email telling them just that.? This gives him an out and makes you appear gracious and wise.? You are willing to let bygones be bygones, to let this little blip of the reviewer?s lack of good sense pass . . . as long as he sets things right.? Immediately.? Just erases the bad review from the Internet and makes all the paperboys collect the lifestyle sections they delivered last weekend.? As long as he writes new, glorious reviews praising your book and flagellating himself for his previous lack of judgment and taste.? He could even offer to quit his job, just as a goodwill gesture, of course ? you?d never actually demand this of him. Or, you could just keep writing.?
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F.J. Dagg:? ?Reviewers, generally, have been kind to me and my novel, The Lowlands of Heaven. I have had, though, a couple of reviews that were middling at best. After some consideration I concluded that those particular reviewers were not in my target demographic (per my article ?It?s Not Personal?It?s Demographics,? at Branch92.com). That impression was reinforced by the absence of any mention of specific failings. Rather than offering such judgments as, for example, ?the characters were unsympathetic,? or ?the plot was not coherent,? these reviewers merely indicated a lack of enthusiasm. Lowlands is ultimately an uplifting story?indeed some readers have compared it to the movie, It?s A Wonderful Life. So, if my book happens to fall into the hands of someone whose tastes run more to 1984, The Road, or On the Beach, I can hardly expect them to cheer about the power of love and the notion that we go to a better place when we die. As a book?s fame spreads, it inevitably finds detractors. Even the best-loved books have their share of unfavorable reviews. Unless most of your reviews are bad, or unless there is a consensus among reviewers about some specific faults, you?re likely safe in attributing a few bad reviews to demographics.?
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Lilian Duval:? ?A blogger who posted her review on Amazon gave me 4 stars. But she wrote a bad review disguised as a good review! The beginning sounded good, and then she wrote: ?While I did enjoy the book very much, and would happily recommend it to a friend, it did at times feel somewhat impersonal; as if an outsider was telling the story. I craved to be in the minds of Tobias and the other main characters more, to really know what they were thinking.? Oh, man, that stung. That really hurt. Just when I think something good in this book is reaching people I don?t even know, along comes an unbeliever and knocks me off my high horse. Grrrr! That?s how I felt at first. Who wants to write novels that seem impersonal, told by an outsider, and with no idea what?s going on inside the minds of characters? Help! And it?s already out there on Amazon! Then I?ll admit that I started arguing with the reviewer in my mind. (This is embarrassing.) ?None of my readers complained about those things,? I said to myself. (At least, they didn?t say them to me.) ?People are always saying how involved they were with the characters all the way through,? I protested. Keep in mind that all this mumbling was going on in my head. The next step in my denial was another internal monologue?not every reader can be expected to get the fine points, and so on. You really don?t want to hear this one? In the end, I wrote a note to the reviewer thanking her for her time and attention. The review is still out there, mixed in with some better ones. Anyway, it?s just her opinion. And that?s OK with me after all!?
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Benjamin Kane Ethridge:? ?Well, first I?d judge the review. Some people are professional reviewers, some amateur and some trolls. First, did the review get under your skin? Okay, so return to it later. Still angry? Fine, use that anger to improve your writing. If the reviewer?s commentary makes sense, address the problem in your next work. If it doesn?t make sense, be mindful you aren?t letting your ego twist your reason. Evaluate yourself. Does the review hurt because it?s true? Does the review hurt because it?s hurtful? There?s a big difference. And don?t be ruffled by unexplainable bad ratings. It?s difficult to form a conclusion about SouxiePanda8893, the person who gave you one star with no accompanying review. Who is Souxie? Why has she chosen to make you suffer? Perhaps she didn?t. Perhaps she?s new to the internet; yes, in this vast cybersphere, she has washed up on the island that is your book, and accidentally clicked a star icon before returning to Google. No way, she?s not as oafish as that. Nope, at a glance, Souxie hated your island, so she set the palm tree on fire and put a curse on the entire place for future castaways. Sure, and there?s also the chance that Souxie teaches American History at a prestigious university and has decided to harp on a harmless historical goof-up in your novel. Heartless fiend that she is, SouxiePanda8893 decided to send a message with her one star rating. That message is: suck on this pickled granny-smith, heathen! But see, you?ll never know for sure. Souxie may want to possess the record for most one-star reviews, just for fun. Does it matter? Hell no. Feedback is all a writer should pay attention to when bad reviews are at stake. Everything else should be a smile or a shrug.?
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Joseph Garrati: ?There are all kinds of bad reviews, and, depending on what kind of bad review I get, I don?t usually mind so much. A few of my favorite kinds are below (examples are pure fabrications, but should convey the idea): ?One star. I bought this to read to my children, and now they haven?t slept in three days?and neither have I!? Wrong audience. Way wrong audience. What in the world was this person thinking? It?s tough to feel bad about this kind of review, since it?s not remotely my fault. What to do? Let it go. ?One star. I found the author?s appreciation of transmaterialist dialectic to be insufficiently nuanced for a comprehensive discussion of, or pertaining to, post-Marxist industrial society. Also, he uses the f-word too much.? Wrong audience. Tough to get worked up about this one, too. Let it go. ?One star. Book sucked. Author is a doody-head.? These are good for a laugh since, let?s face it, it?s not obvious the reviewer is actually literate. Smile and move on. ?One star. While the initial premise of the book sounded interesting, I couldn?t identify with any of the characters, and I felt like the plot went off into the weeds about halfway through and never found its way back. Disappointing.? Aha! Jackpot! This person didn?t like the book, but they were the right audience, and they knew why they didn?t like it. Reviews like this are a bummer, but the fact that they took a little time to say what didn?t work will be a helpful guidepost to making future work better. That?s a good thing! Seems to me, getting a bad review isn?t so bad. Generally, I either let it go or file it away as helpful?and then I get back to writing.?
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Stephen Lankford:? ?I?ve worked in the television and film business most of my life so I?ve seen all types of bad reviews.?? There are some over the years that I agreed with but mostly ones I didn?t agree with..?? I look at bad reviews this way.?? I loved the movie the Kings Speech.? I know a lot of people loved the King?s Speech, but I ran across one guy who didn?t get it.?? I ran across a woman who hated the ?The Godfather.???? I?ve also come across people who have embraced films or books that are totally reviled by the public. At first I found that puzzling but the truth is people are looking for entertainment that fits their needs.? If you?re lucky as an author you fill the needs of many.?? But you?ll never fill the needs of everyone.?? Da Vinci Code was a wild success for Dan Brown but yet I had a friend who didn?t like the style of the prose.?? He would have given it a bad review if that was what he did for a living.? There?s one absolute in writing you?re not going to get the whole world to buy into your vision. The truth be told I?d settle for at least quarter of the world.?
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James Mace: ?Every author who has had anyone outside of friends and family read their books has received bad reviews. Don?t believe me? Look at some of the most beloved authors out there, such as Tolkien or J.K. Rowling. Even they have their share of critics. When an author publishes a book, there is a feeling of vulnerability and moments of self doubt. Though all of my books hold a four-star or higher rating on Amazon.com, I do cringe most of the time whenever I get a bad review. I then have to remind myself of the first rule we learned in the Army when conducting an after-action review (AAR); and that is ?no thin skins?! Some less than favorable reviews will offer constructive criticism, which one should then learn from. Use it to improve your writing skills, and if it affects the quality of a published work that badly, swallow a bit of pride and have your work re-edited and released as a subsequent edition. That being said, a number of bad reviews will come from those who simply want an excuse to complain. One must realize that you cannot please everyone, and some people just like to complain. I confess that the critical reviews that still bother me are the ones that question the historical integrity of what I write. Yet in a recent bad review that went as far as to say that the name ?Artorius? was not a real Latin name, only one out of nine other readers found it to be a useful review. If you do an honest self assessment and know you?ve written a quality story, the majority of readers will see that; you just have to trust in their ability to tell the useful reviews from those that are just complaining.?
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Michael Martel:? ?I haven?t received a bad review.? There are several reviews on Amazon covering my book and all are positive.? Also some blogs and websites have covered the book in a positive manner so I am happy about that.? If I did receive a negative review, I would just chalk it up to different strokes for different folks.? I have enough positive feedback from people that I know that I know that I have a strong book.?
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Greg Messel:? ?Being reviewed is a unique experience that requires some adjustments in our thinking. Getting your book, which is a piece of art which reflects your inner soul, reviewed seems kind of personal. It is delightful when someone loves your book. By the way, when you said our family and friends always love our books, the lowest rating (three stars) I got on Amazon for one of my book was from my daughter in law. Oh well. I fortunately haven?t had a review where the critic thinks my book is garbage. I have probably had 20-30 reviews for my two books. There have been some critical comments in a few. It stings a little. You would have to be much thicker skin than I have not to react to it. I got one review critical of some elements of dialogue when I was in the middle of writing my third novel. I had to be careful to not let that get inside my head too much. One caution about taking criticism is some of it is legitimate and fair. Some criticism is just a difference of opinion. That is okay. Not everyone is going to love my books. It?s part of the landscape of being an author. It is intimidating when your novel is out there in public and anyone can say anything they want. I am at that moment with my third novel. I personally think my new book, which will be published later in August, is my best. I love the story and the characters. I hope the rest of the human race agrees. I have had some reviews which I felt over praised my book. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. It?s good to follow the sage advice: Don?t believe your press clippings.?
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Malcolm D.? Petteway: ?I?ve received excellent reviews, especially on my first novel, Homecoming. It?s the first of a four book military science fiction series called Osguards: Guardians of the Universe. In early July, the 2011 Hollywood Book Festival recognized Homecoming with an Honorable Mention Award. In the same week, I received a five-star rating from the Midwest Book Review. Unfortunately, in the same week, I also received my first negative review. This review was written by a customer on Amazon.com. It was a five-paragraph, full-page scathing assessment of my ability as an author. As I read it, I was mortified. The review was not professional, but a personal attack. Sorry to say, the reviewer described an earlier version of the book that I self-published in 2001. After 2001, I hired an editor and revised the book several times to its present form, which Hollywood Book Festival and the Midwest Book Review favorably recognized. A couple of days later after receiving the negative review, I received another national review that was not as positive as the Midwest Book Review. However, it was professional and didn?t read like a personal attack. I was more receptive to it. I was able to grasp its salient points and store them in my toolkit for future projects. Appropriately, a credible, well thought-out review becomes a tool to teach, train, hone and push the author to be better. In the end, all reviews are subjective. Depending on the reviewer, they can be mean-spirited or constructive. It is the author?s choice to be discouraged or use it as a learning tool. So my advice to authors is to judge the veracity of the review. If it?s professional, revise your work if able, or use it as a teaching tool. But most of all get as many reviews as possible.?
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Bonnie Trachtenberg: ?Getting a bad review is kind of like someone telling you they think your precious little child is ugly or unlovable. It?s a horrendous feeling, but it is also part of the deal. You can?t be an author and expect one hundred percent of the population who reads your book will love it or even like it. Of course it?s unfortunate when one of the people who doesn?t, happens to have a column, blog or website with wide readership. But books are very subjective things and the people who read them are, of course, extremely wide-ranging in their personalities, interests, likes and dislikes.? I think the best way to deal with bad reviews is to realize that you can?t please all the people all the time. You have to try to let the critique roll off your back?even if it?s after furiously punching a pillow! Learn to put on blinders and play up the positive. Don?t let one person?s judgment change your mind in any way about your talent. Focus on the good reviews instead, and keep busy promoting your book in every way you can. The bad review is just an opinion, it?s not a fact, so don?t let it get you down!?
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T.M.? Wallace:? ?I have come to realize that there are two types of criticism in book reviews: constructive and destructive. Constructive criticism can be a gift. It has not been an easy lesson for me, but I have found that I can only improve my craft when I am open to different opinions. I joined a critique group a few years ago, and it was the best thing I?ve ever done for my writing! If I compare what I wrote before the critique group to what I?ve written since, I?m amazed at the difference in quality. I don?t follow every suggestion that is made but I do carefully weigh up each critique to see if there is something of value that I can take away from it. Destructive criticism on the other hand, is often a better reflection of the reviewer than of the work being reviewed. A reviewer once complained that the carefully crafted descriptive passages of one of my books were ?wordy,? while another raved that the descriptions were ?beautiful,? that they ?drew the reader in.? I found that very revealing ? here were two different people reading the same passages and seeing them two different ways. From this I learned that what a reviewer sees as negative in a book is sometimes just a matter of personal preference. I am still sensitive to negative reviews, but I hope I have gained enough wisdom (and humility!) to learn what I can from them ? to focus on the positive and then move forward from there.?
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Paula Wiseman:? ?Bad reviews are jarring, even disheartening, but they?re part of the territory, so there are several things I try to keep in mind when I face one.? First off, it?s an opinion not fact. It?s a reflection of the individual reviewer?s taste and preferences, and just as I have a right to create my story, the reviewer has a right to respond to it. Second, I look at the tone of the review and what makes it ?bad?. If it?s a simple statement of ?the book?s not for me,? I can live with that. If it?s a disagreement over plot points or characterizations, that?s an artistic call. I just finished a book I enjoyed, except for the ending. I felt like the author dropped the ball and squandered the opportunities she?d worked so hard to craft in her plot. But, it?s her story, her vision. I have the same creative latitude, and there are no guarantees everyone will agree with my decisions. If there is a legitimate issue raised involving craft or other technical aspects of the story, I?ll definitely take the critique to heart, and work to eliminate it in the future. However, if the negative comments are personal or inflammatory, I?ll completely discount them. Finally, the good stuff- excellent reviews, encouraging comments or emails and so forth- far outweigh the negative. I save the good stuff in a file on my computer to keep that in perspective.?
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Do you have an opinion?? Leave your comment!
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