The Great Feedback Debate

Should I read reviews of my books?

To look or not to look? That is the opening of a great debate among authors since the rise of internet reviews. Ask any writer and you’ll receive mixed responses. Some say do, some say don’t, but today I’m going to ask you to make up your own mind. In this series, Getting the Best from Negative Feedback, I am going to guide you through getting the best out of reader feedback.

Before we start though, my first piece of advice is to don on your emotional armour. Negativity in any form can be bad for your mental health. Reviews, competition feedback, critique, edits; all these can be hurtful, soul-destroying and passion-killing but they can also be a good learning curve to identify areas in which you can improve your writing, plot or characterisation. Remember, the reader is your target market. They are the reason you’re writing, and you want to win them over to sell your books. In order to win them over, you need to know what they’re looking for and be able to supply it. A good writer never stops learning – from the good and the bad.

Before you embark on this journey of discovery, be sure that you are emotionally and mentally ready. Do whatever it takes to prepare and open your mind to read between the lines and see past the negativity. Try not to absorb any negativity in the feedback, but rather address the facts. Take a walk outside, meditate or go out into the garden with a cuppa for a while and allow the feedback to filter through. Negative feedback can help you grow – if you put emotions aside and study the facts. Not all feedback will be helpful, some might even lead you in the wrong direction, and that’s where the importance of having writing buddies comes in. People who you can trust to tell you the truth without destroying your confidence. Carefully delivered constructive criticism is a great writing aid. How you choose to deal with that constructive criticism is the key.

Writers are like every other artist, which means many of us are plagued with self-doubt. The voice in our head telling us we’re not good enough. For others, the anxiety can grow strong enough to stop them from writing altogether.

Mark Dawson (Self Publishing Formula)