Should Authors Stalk Review Sites?

By Jody Hedlund, @JodyHedlund

Review sites are for readers. Let's just get that out there up front. The reviews are NOT intended for authors (for feedback, instruction, critiques, etc.). When a reader posts a review, he or she is doing so to inform and enlighten other readers about the book. Or at least they should be.

But even though reviews are intended for readers, most authors (myself included) check the review sites on occasion to see what readers think, to find out the number of stars, and the rankings. Some may even stalk their reviews daily (or hourly!).

And just why are authors drawn so magnetically to the reviews on their books?

I can think of a number of reasons. First, the reviews bring immediate gratification, and in an industry where everything takes so long, that instant "reward" is hard to resist.

Also we're writing to bring readers pleasure, and so we have a deep need to make sure that we're actually doing what we set out to do. We want reassurance that we're on track, that our stories are resonating.

But is it healthy for a writer's mental well-being to stalk the review sites? Should authors work harder to stay away? Are the review sites really the best place for us to find the reassurance we long for?

A couple of weeks ago, I read Lynn Austin's newest book All Things New, set in the south during the reconstruction era after the Civil War. I found the book just as well-written and meaty as always. So I was somewhat shocked when another reader (who claims that Austin is her favorite author) left her a two star review saying that story bored her and that she felt like it was written by someone else.

I had a much different reading experience. I genuinely enjoyed it and thought it was one of her most interesting books yet. But the other reader said, "I kept hoping the story would finally take off, sadly the book finished and I was glad it was all over!"

Of course, this kind of contradiction has happened to me too. In fact, one day last week I came across a blog review claiming that my first two books were much better and had more depth than my newest book, Unending Devotion. That same day, a reader emailed me to say that Unending Devotion was my "best book yet."

Who's right?

We could go on and on with contradictory reviews. Even the most popular, best-selling books elicit a wide range of reader reactions, usually a large number of both five and one star reviews.

If we're checking Amazon or Goodreads or blog reviews, then we're going to eventually hear a lot of negative stuff.

The trouble is, we tend to take lower ratings very personally, whether we want to or not. We let the negative comments dig in and discourage us. Even if we have thick skin, those comments still seem to worm their way inside. And sometimes they hurt, even fester.

We start to feel unsettled and insecure. We may even begin second-guessing ourselves and our stories, let the reader opinions confuse us, and lose confidence in our voice. Perhaps some of us may wonder if we're really cut out for a writing career after all.

Yes, reading reviews on our books can eventually weigh us down, depress us, and take the joy out of writing.

In the days before the internet, authors couldn't rush off to see what readers thought of every intimate detail of their books. If an author got lucky, they would get a book review in a newspaper or magazine from a coveted critic. Or maybe handwritten letters came in from time to time applauding them. But that was it.

For the most part, authors could write in blissful unawareness, without knowing what readers were thinking about their stories. Sales statistics were the primary way of determining how an author was doing (and actually they still are!).

But now due to the internet, readers have a very strong voice. And it's only growing stronger. There aren't just a couple of coveted critics anymore who are writing reviews about our books. There are hundreds of critics.

Yes, there are many benefits to online reviews. But in this modern age, I'm realizing that we as authors need to protect ourselves from too much criticism (and perhaps even too much praise). When we take the reviews too seriously or look to the reviews for our worth, we start to lose faith in ourselves.

We have to remember that subjectivity plays a huge role in the writing world, that we can't please everybody, nor should we even try. People really do have different tastes in what they like, in what they consider a good story, and what they prefer to read.

Reviews don't define us or our writing. We can't let all the voices out there distract us from listening to our own unique writing voice and following the passionate stories birthed in our hearts.

Writers, do you read the reviews on your books? Why or why not? 

And readers, do you think authors should be reading online reviews? Why or why not?

How to Handle Harsh Criticism Without Crying

It finally happened. I got a stinging review of my book. Sure, I’d already gotten reviews in which readers mentioned something they didn’t like about the story, but overall, I seemed to win them over by the end.

I’d tried to tell myself that it was inevitable. I reassured myself that not everyone was going to like my book and that was okay. But then when someone actually voiced their negative opinion publically, I couldn’t help but sit back and say, “Ouch.”

I had to re-read the blog review a couple of times just to make sure I hadn’t gotten it wrong. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t make the words, “I did not like it at all” go away. For a little while I felt like someone was standing upon my heart, pressing down with all of their weight, deflating the life from it.

As I went about the rest of the afternoon doing my mom-duties, I’m mulled over the review and tried to make sense of it. Here are a few of the things I jotted down:

Remember the positives.

Yes, sometimes negative words weigh more than positive. We’ve all been in situations where one tiny comment cut us and left a painful wound. It didn’t matter that others complimented us. We remembered the one negative instead.

It’s hard to replace the inborn-scale that weighs the negative more heavily. But at some point, we need to work on evening out our scales, letting the positives have more weight.

Why should I let one person’s negative words deflate me, when so many others have taken the time to uplift and encourage me? And besides, shouldn’t we take pride in our uniqueness, grow in self-confidence, and see the positives in ourselves first?

We can’t be ALL things to ALL people.

As a people-pleaser, I don’t want to disappoint anyone. And of course, as a writer, I definitely don’t want to disappoint readers—especially fans of inspirational historical fiction, my genre readers. But I’m learning that even within genres, readers have different likes and dislikes. Some may crave a slower book with a lot of setting details, and others would rather have a fast-paced plot without any fluff. Some want a sweet romance and others want deeper relationship issues.

I won’t be able to please all lovers of historical fiction. My style/voice is just that—mine. I can’t change it in order to accommodate everyone. That would be an impossible task. Instead, I have to remain true to my voice and let it win over who it will.

Watch what we say publicly.

Reviews are a powerful tool in swaying someone to purchase a book or not. As writers who are also readers, we would do well to keep in mind the principle of doing unto others what we want them to do unto us. If we wouldn’t want other writers to bash our books publically, then we should refrain from doing it. My personal philosophy is that if I can’t find something positive to say, then I won’t say anything at all.

I realize there are some who think the public deserves to know both sides of the issue. After all, if people only write good reviews, how will buyers get the full picture of what the book is like? If we’ve taken into account the subjectivity involved in reviews (see this post: How To Handle Subjective & Contradictory Feedback), and we still feel the need to share our opinions, we can do so in a tactful and kind way.

Remember that opinions are just that—opinions.

After I thought about the negative review for a while, I realized that this particular person was probably viewing my book through her very conservative world view. She classified the novel as “steamy enough that any modest girl would feel uncomfortable reading it.” But then there are readers who’ve classified it as a “sweet” romance, saying, “It was refreshing to read a fully satisfying romance without anything that made me squirm in my seat.”

Who’s right? And who’s wrong? Maybe both are right—right about what works for them. After all, everyone approaches a novel with different expectations, beliefs, world views, etc. All of that will influence a reading experience. But I can’t let it influence me or the way I write.

Know when to defend ourselves and when to walk away.

At one point during the post, the reviewer said, “[the book] does not represent truth.” I could only shake my head with bewilderment. What in the world did that mean? As far as I was concerned, I’d worked my hardest to stay true to the setting, time period, characters, etc. I’d also worked to present a theme of prevailing through hardships—a theme that could be applicable to every person past and present.

I was tempted to write a comment and defend the “truths” in my book. But I refrained. Was it really worth stirring up possible strife to defend myself? What did I have to win by it? “Pick your battles,” I tell my children when they’re squabbling with one another over insignificant issues. We have to know what’s worth fighting over, and what to let slip past us.

What’s your opinion? Do you think we should restrain from posting negative reviews and opt for silence instead? Or do you think it’s important for both the positive and negative opinions to be voiced?

The Pain of Rejection Never Gets Easier

Even though most writers know that rejection is part of the process of publication, we still feel the sting of it deeply. Every time. And honestly, it never gets easier. At least for me.

We often think of rejection in terms of getting a “no thanks” on a query or manuscript we sent to an agent or publisher. But the longer I’m on the path to publication, the more I realize rejection can come in many different ways and from many sources. And it always hurts, no matter where we’re at in the process.

As I mentioned in the last post, my publisher Bethany House gave me their feedback on Book 2 of my contract. It was incredibly difficult to hear they didn’t like the way I’d developed the story. In my head I realize my publisher only wants to make my book as saleable as possible, but in my heart, the feedback felt an awful lot like rejection.

I may have been slightly naive to believe I’d be immune to rejection or that it wouldn’t hurt quite as much once I finally got a book contract. But I was wrong. Whether it’s the first form rejection we receive on the first book we query, or it’s a “this-book-isn’t-going-to-work-for-us” rejection that I recently received, the pain punches us in the gut and knocks the breath from us.

We can take some small measure of twisted comfort in knowing we’re not alone, that rejection is as natural to a writer’s life as a thunderstorm in summer. But even when we know we’re not alone, how can we ease the pain that comes with rejection? Is there even a way?

After my most recent rejection, here are the thoughts I jotted down:

Rejection puts life in perspective.

The night after getting my rejection, I stopped and said to myself, “Am I missing out on too much of life because of the time I devote to my writing career?” Life happens in a blink. And I don’t want it to pass by with the regret that I didn’t take more time for the things that matter most. What can I do to make sure I’m slowing down?

Rejection keeps us humble.

Rejections are the quickest way to eliminate my pesky pride. If I succeeded at everything, if I never failed, and if I never got stinging criticism, I’d hate to see the size of my ego. The criticisms or painful realities never fail to prick a pin into that ego right about the time everything seems wonderful. Then pop! I’m back to realizing I’m just an average, ordinary writer.

Rejection reminds us that pursuing publication is NOT for the faint of heart.

The plain and simple truth is that pursuing publication is more difficult than anyone ever tells us. Or maybe they do mention it, but for some deluded reason we believe it will be easier for us. I had to ask myself, “Am I really cut out for this? Can I keep taking this kind of rejection book after book?” If we can’t take rejection, then we probably need to go back to writing stories for personal pleasure rather than publication.

Rejection shows us that we can’t please everyone.

There will always be someone who can find something they don’t like about our books. I won’t please everyone. So then, who should we please? We obviously can’t just think about ourselves and what we want. We have to be open to the suggestions of others. But who should we listen to? And how much should we be willing to change to please others?

In the next post, I’ll attempt to tackle those questions and share more details about how I’m handling my rewrites on Book 2.

For today, I’d love to commiserate about rejection and know I’m not alone in the pain of it! Have you been rejected recently? How did you handle it? What lessons have you learned or are you learning from the process?

*Influencer Update: Thanks to all who signed up to be Influencers for The Preacher's Bride! Bethany House will mail your free copy of the book in early September. They're giving me 50 MORE influencer copies than I'd originally realized! So, if you haven't signed up yet and you're interested in getting a book, please send me an email with your mailing address (use my Contact page). And if you don't know what it means to influence, Bethany House has some great ideas here: Influencer Tips.