Negative criticism, no matter the source, is going to at least sting, and at worst, send you into a tail spin of regret, depression, and self-doubt. Despite the pain though, negative criticism can be very helpful. I have several beta readers that go over my Sydney Rye novels before publication and they are tough on my manuscripts. But that’s really important. Figuring out what is wrong with your story is awesome, because then you can make it better.
While criticism from trusted sources can be eye opening, low star reviews on amazon by readers I’ve never met and whose taste I don’t know anything about are only useful as a way to justify eating ice cream while sorrowfully watching “The Vampire Diaries”. Now, I’ll admit that I read those reviews and I watch bad television after. I try not to, but I want to read the good reviews, and I don’t have the will power to skip the mean stuff.
Overall though, hearing people’s honest opinion on your work is really priceless. My Sydney Rye Series has over 300 reviews on amazon and it’s great to have such a large picture of how readers feel about my work. Knowing what readers like about my books helps me give them more of it. And if I see a recurring complaint I can fix it. So while negative criticism can hurt (fine, always hurts), maybe it’s still a good thing.
About the Author:
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Her "Sydney Rye Series" are dark murder mystery novels which features a strong female protagonist and her rescue dog, Blue. This series is recommended for the 18+ who enjoy some violence, don't mind dirty language, and are up for a dash of sex. Not to mention an awesome, rollicking good mystery!
The first four books in Kimelman's series, UNLEASHED, DEATH IN THE DARK, INSATIABLE and STRINGS OF GLASS are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Kobo.
If you've read Emily's work, and enjoyed it, please let Emily know. You can reach her via email ejkimelman@gmail.com
http://emilykimelman.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/EmilyKimelman
@ejkimelman
Books 1-3, The complete Series Box Set (Value Pack)
The Sydney Rye series of mysteries features a strong female protagonist and her rescue dog, Blue. This series is recommended for the 18+ who enjoy some violence, don't mind dirty language, and are up for a dash of sex. Not to mention an awesome, rollicking good mystery!
This box set includes all three of the Sydney Rye Books.
Buy all Emily's books at Amazon or Barnes and Noble
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ReplyDeleteI like how you you talk about the bad reviews, it is very honest to say it bothers you as you are human , alot dont want to admit that and say it dosent bother them at all but I dont every believe that lol I think it is always hard to deal with bad critism and even if you can deal with will it can still hurt
ReplyDeleteThanks Stacey!
DeleteI like how you turn negative criticism into something useful. This is a valuable lesson for all of us. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks BookLady, I'm glad you found something useful in my post.
DeleteSounds like a great series!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win!
natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com
Thanks Natasha, I hope you'll download the first book, UNLEASHED, for free on iBooks, Amazon, or Kobo.
DeleteI read this from your link on your facebook page. I am one of the people who have left feedback for you on amazon, twice. They were stellar feedback but I realize not all people agree on things. I'm not an author but I sell full time on amazon in the clothing category and some of the feedback we receive for things that have nothing to do with our business drives us nuts. I think sometimes I think like your lead character, I feel Sydney would have a drink over a bad review then release some energy while running and then turn her mind to something better. That is usually the way I deal with neg FB, It just never does any good to argue with them. Although I could tell you some funny stories from years ago when I sold full-time on eBay. That's a whole other ballgame.
ReplyDeleteGood reviews are great but it is always human emotion at reading the negative posts that gets us riled. So listening to the author discuss negative reviews is a human emotion one of which we can all relate but we must all accept constructive criticism which can sometimes be perceived as negative. Not everything we write will please everyone.
ReplyDelete