One of the things you have to keep in mind not only with writing, but with any kind of entertainment, is that there is no possible way to please everyone. Every person can't possibly like everything--every book, song, movie, TV show, and so on. We all have different opinions. Everyone has a favorite color or a favorite food, right? You may not be able to understand how someone could love something that you hate (like how I will never understand why some people like Fifty Shades of Grey...), or vice versa. The bottom line is that while there will usually be an audience for everything, that audience isn't made up of everyone.
Say you went to a movie with your friend and you loved it, but she hated it. You both saw the same movie, right? But the way it impacted each of you was completely different. Or if you go to a comedy show, and everyone in the room laughs at a particular joke except for you. Does that mean the joke isn't funny? Well, that depends on how you look at it. To you, it isn't, but to several other people, it is. It's not something that can be clearly defined.
We always say that people are entitled to their opinions. Everyone has specific things that they like. You may like a certain genre of books or movies, and that's what you stick to. Or you may like a little bit of everything. What we like can be something broad like genre, or it can be on a smaller scale, like a particular writing style or point of view.
I think the thing that stings with getting a bad review is that you wish this person never read your piece in the first place. We always wish that our books would only find that target audience, but it doesn't always happen. Ideally, you would want every person who reads your work to love it, but even if they like your genre or other aspects that make up your book, sometimes it still just doesn't work out. It doesn't mean that your book is bad--it just wasn't right for that person.
I don't think I would look at bad reviews if/when I got them. For one, I just know I don't have the thick skin for it. But also, there really isn't a point. You can't exactly change a book once it's published just to please more people. You wrote what you wrote. Hopefully your book will find those people who will enjoy it.
How do you feel about reviews? Do you read the bad ones?
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Absolutely right! We know we can't please everyone and that not everyone will like our books, but when that happens it still stings.
ReplyDeleteI *knocks on wood* haven't received many bad reviews. Just a handful so far, but like I said...stings! lol I try not to read my reviews but then curiosity gets the best of me and I do. Even if I were to see a low rating and tell myself not to read it, I still would because I'd want to know. Then I'd beat myself up for reading it and want to cry. :P Overall, they say all types of reviews are good...even the bad ones...so I keep that in mind.
As much as any normal person hates criticism, it is worthwhile to read them with purpose. You need to assess whether the reviewer is a troll or inept.
ReplyDeleteI would put someone as inept if they just said it was bad without a reason. It could be bad according to their worldview. PLus most are hesitant to be cruel. An atrocious review could be more about the reviewer.
There is a group of bad reviews that could help you be a better writer. Those that point at flaws in your plot or an overused phrase. I read a friends book and it was full of typos. If asked I would tell them. However, I think there are some more cogent responses a reader may have that can be considered. It is your work. In the end.
I try not to read reviews, good or bad, anymore. Mostly I skim if I can't resist. When it comes to bad reviews, I always remind myself of the best sellers and how they have bad reviews too. Nothing is universally loved, and if I don't love everything I read, why should I expect the different of others when it comes to my books?
ReplyDeleteVery true. I do read my reviews, but I don't take the bad ones personally. I've spent too long submitting and being rejected to get disheartened about opinions of a book someone liked enough to actually publish. (Wow, that was a badly-worded sentence, I hope you get the gist.)
ReplyDeleteThat's how I feel about bad reviews - my book just wasn't for that person.
ReplyDeleteI do read them though. The 'average' ones give me tips where to improve in the next book and the bad ones are often just laughable.
This is one of the most difficult parts of putting your work out for public consumption. You just have to be ready for some sharp jabs, but usually there are some great pats on the back to help you along.
ReplyDeleteI've gotten a total of 10 reviews for my books and all of them have been positive. However, as an occasional reviewer of books/music, I'm much more in tune with other people's feelings/abilities, which in turn makes me somewhat guarded when I write. I know what it's like to have my creative efforts viciously slammed, so I always try to find something positive in a book/c.d.
ReplyDeleteFather Nature's Corner
I'm actually happy that I recently received a slew of 3 and 4 star reviews. I was hoping for those so that people didn't think that my friends/family were my only reviewers. You need balance. And I always appreciate anyone taking the time to read my book and review it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you say. Everyone is different. Whether it be a movie, TV series, or book, our opinions are subjective. So, I don't take bad reviews to heart. But I do look at them and try to pinpoint what I could do better next time around.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what I'll do if I'm ever to that point. Knowing me, I'll read them, b/c I won't be able to resist. Then I'll go eat five million cupcakes to numb the pain... ;)
ReplyDeleteI read them and some do hurt, but the good ones take the sting out of the negative ones.
ReplyDeleteI've never been published, so I haven't gotten any reviews. If I do get published someday, I admit it would be difficult to avoid negative reviews; I'd peek at them at least once. But I wouldn't keep looking at them, because then it would just make me more self-conscious when I start writing again.
ReplyDelete#thumbsup And this doesn't just apply to writing or the entertainment industry. You can't please everyone at your work, at home, at your kid's school, etc.... Someone somewhere is going to have a different opinion than you. The key is respect. And in writing (with reviews), the key is to know yourself and your work. (Gosh, I hope I can follow my own advice when I get to this point.)
ReplyDeleteFunny you should blog about this. I just got a bad review and it was from someone who is the opposite of my target market. I just had to scratch my head and wonder what he was thinking. Seriously. This book was marketed to teen girls and women. Did a middle-aged man think he was going to enjoy a story aimed at that audience?
ReplyDeleteBut he still reviewed it. Go fig.
If you can keep from reading them, I applaud you. I have a hard time with that. I want to know what my greatest faults are, even if they sting. That way I know where to improve from my most vocal critics.
Why DOES everyone like fifty shades of grey??? I will never understand.
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time not wishing everyone would like everything I write, so this post is a good reminder. Thank you!
I agree. We all have a unique outlook. I don't always understand why certain things are popular, and I know that not everyone will like what I write. That's okay. Or, at least I keep telling myself that. :)
ReplyDeleteActually, I didn't feel like a "real" writer until I had my first "bad" review. It was only two stars so it didn't sting as much as it could have, but when I read it I thought - "whew, glad that's over and one with." Before I had a bad review for one of my books, I felt like it was this inevitable doom hanging over my head. Now, I know what it's like and I know I can handle it - although I'm not going to quote the thing or pin it to my wall.
I'm not published yet, so I don't have any negative review and don't know what I'll feel when I see one for the first time. I'd still be interested it finding out why the reader didn't like the book, to see if that's something I could improve on, but I;m not sure yet whether I'd have the stomach for it.
ReplyDelete