Courtesy clipartof.com
We know that a good review in a big publication (online or otherwise) can truly help generate sales and word-of-mouth advertising, but what about the bad reviews? Can they break your career, let alone your heart?
Do you read all your reviews – the good, the bad, and the ugly? Or do you read only the good ones and leave the bad ones to rot.
Do you think a bad review is helpful to you as a writer, or do you feel that sometimes readers or critics are just being negative, or perhaps, even spiteful.
My background is in film and TV. For a few years, I had a part-time gig as a movie critic, but I also worked for a production company that produced movies. I was on both sides. I know how hard people work to get a movie made, let alone a small budget movie. But on the other hand, my opinions about movies sometimes influenced whether or not someone went to see it. I always tried to be responsible when doing a review. I gave my opinion, but I never trashed a film. I think that is the point of a review. It is one person’s opinion. Just one person. It may influence people to see a movie or read a book, but then again, it might not.
Courtesy chiniehdiaz (on flickr) and http://fabafter40.tumblr.com
As writers (and editors) we are always improving our craft. We are always working on making each book better than the last. But sometimes we have a bad day at work. Generally speaking, when most people have a bad day at work, they don’t have hundreds of people criticizing them. But writers do. Every artist who puts something out there, whether it’s a photograph, film, poem, or prose, is exposing himself or herself to the good, the bad, and the ugly criticism.
I think at the end of the day, we have to let it go, and just keep working. Certainly we are always striving to improve, always trying to create something meaningful and entertaining, but if we let every harsh word break us, then we would never get any work done. So keep on writing. Let those ideas flow. Keep on growing as an artist. Take what you will from the good, the bad, and the ugly reviews, but don’t let them keep you from your goals.
Have a great day of writing!
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Joanna D’Angelo is Editor in Chief at Lachesis Publishing Inc. She loves Cinnamon Dolce Lattes, editing, and a good story.
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