Bad Reviews Don't Exist
When to pay attention to one-star reviews and when to ignore them
If we put our writing out into the world, one-star reviews are an inevitable part of being a creative. But reading them doesn’t have to suck, or be soul destroying. And observing your own response to them can actually be a good way of deciding how to move forward.
I’ve already told you about the five-star review that means the most to me. But now it’s time to tell you about a one-star review that taught me something.
Our book, Manly Hero, has received predominantly good reviews on Amazon — which is definitely cool and validating. And yes, I read my reviews. I like to see what people say. But a few years ago I clicked in to check the reviews and noticed we had a new one. And it wasn’t good. It was, in fact, our first one-star review.
I called to Adam, who was working on his computer, and said, “We just got a one-star review.”
He got up, walked over, and said, “I know. I was waiting for the right time to tell you because I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about it.”
I paused. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about it either. But there was no way to find out without reading the review. So I did. Here is the review, exactly as it was written.
Quit at 29% — Trite, Simplistic and Boring
Wow! Am I out of the mainstream with Adrastus Rood’s 2011 novel " Manly Hero.” First, I don’t even have words to describe the feel of the book’s writing. The best I can come up with is that it’s like a trite, simplistic 505 page fairly tale with language and situations that mean it’s definitely not for kids. Worse, it’s horribly boring. The first full 20% of the book (101 pages) is nothing but the gag-worthy, boring life of the protagonist with some foreshadowing. It takes until about the 25% point for the shoe to drop and for the protagonist to actually learn what the obvious plot of the book will be. And, he doesn’t even begin to get a motivation and team together until the point I quit (29%). I don’t even like including the mere title of Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” (since that might tarnish Tolkien’s work by association). But, in equivalent terms, this book hasn’t even finished the initial dinner with the dwarves and Gandalf by the point “The Hobbit” actually had them crossing the Misty Mountains. I’m rating this book at a Terrible 1 star out of 5.
I finished reading. Adam stood next to me, nervous and concerned.
And then…
… I laughed!
“They’re not wrong,” I said. And I meant it.
They had their facts right. Our book is about five hundred pages long. It is not for kids — it’s about a thirty-year-old man and his friends. The first 20% of the book is about our main character and the world he lives in. And it does take until 25% of the way through for our characters to start the big adventure.
Now, what I didn’t personally agree with were the adjectives they used to describe those facts: trite, simplistic, boring.
I’ve had a few years to think about why that one-star review didn’t hurt my feelings, didn’t make me feel like an imposter, didn’t make me want to quit writing, didn’t make me want to type back some snide comment about how they were wrong or stupid or how my dad could beat up their dad in a fight.
It wasn’t until this last summer that I was finally able to put into concise words the reason bad reviews don’t bother me. And I’ve got a graph to help explain.
Yay graphs! (My math teacher would almost be proud. Now if I could just figure out how to use a graphing calculator… 😂)
When we read a bad review of our own work we either care about their opinion or we don’t care about their opinion, and we either agree with what they say or disagree with what they say. This means there are four basic ways to process a bad review:
Disagree and Don’t Care: If I disagree with the bad review, AND I don’t care about it, then that’s pretty cut and dry. I can walk away and not be affected by it.
Agree and Don’t Care: If I agree and don’t care — like I felt about the above review — it’s a difference of style. It’s my voice. My style and voice choices in Manly Hero didn’t match what the reviewer wanted. And that’s just a matter of taste. There will always be people who have a different taste than I do. And that’s okay.
Disagree and Care: If I disagree with the review BUT still care about it, then that probably means it’s brushing up against my ego. And I can do some internal exploration to find out why I care about the personal opinion of someone who is likely a complete stranger.
Agree and Care: If I agree with the bad review, and I care, then the review can be a great learning tool. A useful critique. And it isn’t actually bad, it’s informative and helpful.
For me, sorting low-star reviews this way means bad reviews aren’t actually bad. And, bonus, it helps prevent them from getting under my skin.
Now, there are two exceptions to the above. Some reviews may denigrate or question something we writers hold dear — a worldview, personal belief, or opinion. Or maybe they even attack our character or us as people. This can be deflating, heartbreaking, infuriating, and/or depressing. But, these are not actually bad reviews. They aren’t even really reviews at all. These are mini-sermons or public thought processing and need to be viewed with different lenses. I remind myself that the reviewer is just scared or tired or lonely and feels relief by getting their thoughts out. Then I complain to my inner circle, vent to my therapist, and try to let go of it. Because it doesn’t serve me. Unless… I use it in a story somewhere, because that’s what we writers do. 😉
The other exception is when the bad review comes from someone we personally know and care about. It can really hurt for someone close to us to point out that they just don’t like what we’re creating. Or say they don’t get it. Or say they think we failed. And here is where I say, “Be careful of who you trust with your creativity until you know you are ready for honest opinions.” There is nothing wrong with knowing you are not ready to hear other people’s opinions of your writing, or in only keeping a circle of people around you that are safe cheerleaders and critics.
But, if and when you are ready to put your unique and creative voice and style out into the world, remember, there are really no bad reviews — just critiques, opinions, and mini-sermons. And, when you get that first one-star review, celebrate the same way you would for a five-star review. Laugh, have a glass of wine, have a piece of chocolate, and know that you have now collected another badge as a writer. Know that you’ll be okay. Know that you’ll keep putting your writing out there. And know that the only people who get one-star reviews are the people brave enough to create and share in the first place. And that makes you very awesome.
Love you, Petra ❤️
Inner Adventures
I know we’re all busy, so these inner adventures are only here as an offering (and may not be in every post). I’m including them as a little assist on the journey. Please feel free to ignore them if they don’t serve you. Or change them if you think there’s a better question for you — basically, ask the question you wish I had asked. And remember, no one is looking at your answers, so let loose.
~ Are you afraid of one-star reviews? Why or why not?
~ Have you ever received a one-star review?
~ Have you ever mentally or literally given a book or movie a one-star review? What was your reasoning for doing so?
~ Think about your favorite book. Does it have any negative reviews on Amazon or Goodreads? Does that change your opinion of it?
~ How do you feel about one-star reviews when you use the graph above?
Thanks for reading! I’d love for you to follow along with me on this adventure of joyful writing. As an indie author, I really appreciate your support. :)
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