Dealing With Reviews

"Oh rubbish! You have no power here. Be gone before someone drops a house on you, too." **

The MiGs have been discussing reviews this week. Reviews are strange, often crazy-making things. I’m not going to lie and say I don’t read what people write about my books. It’s human nature to peek. But I try not to lose myself. Here’s why:

The Top 10 Reasons I Don't Put A Lot of Stock Into Reviews

1. Sometimes a review says more about the reviewer than it does about the book.

2. It’s one person’s opinion. Maybe I didn’t write the book for that one reader. In all likelihood, I wrote it for another reader.

3. In the big picture, a few lousy reviews won’t hurt sales. Or future book contracts.

4. All I can do is write the best book I can. I can’t control - or change - anything else so why should I think I can by pouting or having a pity party? 

5. While I check reviews when I’m deciding on which books to buy, I usually take them with a grain of salt. I’m fairly sure people reading reviews of my books are doing the same.

6. Half of what poor reviews say is wrong. The same goes for the good reviews. 

7. Letting a stranger into my head -whether she is saying something unkind or positive - is not a good idea. It can mess with my ability to write.

8. Searching the internet for reviews is time consuming. I could be using that time to read or work on my next project.

9. Reading a snarky review will only tempt me to defend my work. But acting on that (very human response) would never end well for me. I must remain professional. Plus, I need to remember they are attacking my work, not me. My book can stand up for itself. 

10. Of course my family and friends are going to say nice things about my books. That’s their job.  

** These are my "ruby sneakers" and this is one of my favorite Wizard of Oz quotes.