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This post was initially run on March 10, 2014, co-authored by Marie Ann Bailey and me. Since there are still negative reviews out there, maybe it might be helpful.
Top Ten Things Not to Do If Your Book Gets a Negative Review
10. If your book gets a negative review, do not read the review, especially if the rating is one star. At best, the reviewer will admit the review is based on having read only a couple of pages of your book, and you can chide yourself for even bothering to read one word of it. At worst, you will read the review so many times you can quote it by heart, begin to believe it, and eventually get one star tattooed on your back to atone for imagined errors in your career choice.
9. If your book gets a negative review, do not respond to the review in any way. If you do, at best, the reviewer will ignore your comments and let others decide if you just have a case of sour grapes. At worst, the reviewer will take great delight in responding to your comments, goading you into an outraged frenzy, whereupon the website will block you from seeing any more reviews.
8. If your book gets a negative review, do not search for and then comment on other books that the reviewer has reviewed. Even if you have read those books, at best, you will be taking precious time away from your writing just to get even with the reviewer. At worst, the reviewer will realize it is you and seek a court injunction on the grounds that you are unstable, as evidenced by your spending so much more time reviewing other books rather than writing one.
7. If your book gets a negative review, do not ask your family or friends to target the reviewer with their own commentaries. If you do, at best, the reviewer will just ignore them, and eventually they will lose interest. At worst, they will all end up in an unsightly battle of words, and then they will all get banned from the website, and your family and friends will turn on you like a wounded Leopard.
6. If your book gets a negative review, do not assume a false identity and write reviews of your book to counter the negative review. If you do, at best, no one will know it’s you, and eventually, you will just feel as if you are a loser. (You think?). At worst, someone will uncover your identity and both you and your book will be pulled from the websites, leaving your readers to believe you’ve been arrested or kidnapped.
5. If your book gets a negative review, do not start a campaign against negative reviews, using the negative review as an example. At best, the campaign will quickly fizzle out as so many do without the reviewer ever knowing about it. At worst, the reviewer will see your campaign and accuse you of libel, slapping you with a lawsuit so expensive that you will be doomed to write PR copy for the Russians full-time for the rest of your life in order to pay it off.
4. If your book gets a negative review, do not think that you should suddenly switch genres just because one reviewer doesn’t “get” your book. If you do, at best, you might discover writing erotica causes you to take too many breaks during the day, so you can try out scenes with your significant other, and so your productivity suffers. At worst, you might discover that while you may now enjoy writing erotica, you can’t get your children’s literature agent or any publisher’s interest in your new book.
3. If your book gets a negative review, do not take the reviewer’s advice to quit writing and take up dishwashing as an occupation. At best, the long hours at the sink will only cause your imagination to go into high gear, and you’ll be back to writing within a few days. At worst, your brain will turn to mush from the dull drudgery, and by the time you can retire from said occupation, you will have forgotten how you got stuck as a dishwasher in the first place.
2. If your book gets a negative review, do not think one bad review trumps all your positive reviews. If you do, at best, your faithful readers will not mind that you’ve suddenly changed narrative styles because you are talented in any style you choose. At worst, you will find yourself writing solely for the reviewer who doesn’t care about you or your books, and your readers will have to stage an intervention to prevent you from reading any more negative reviews.
1. If your book gets a negative review, do not stop writing. If you do, at best, you will suddenly have more time on your hands than you know what to do with. At worst, you will disappoint your readers and they will accuse you of emulating J.D. Salinger, which, of course, you cannot afford to do until you actually become J. D. Salinger.
Fiction Favorites 
Dear John
Many years ago, there was a research about the influence of negative reviews.
First of all, if you get positive reviews only nobody will believe that these are real reviews. But secondly, what is astonishing, negative reviews make you more known and usually don’t have a negative influence on sales.
It’s important to get reviews. You have to worry if you don’t get them or only some reviews on the net. Certain papers are important for reviews, and some talk shows about literature as well.
We wish you an easy week
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Thank you for your insight, Klausbernd. I like the idea of an easy week and wish you the same. 😊
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I don’t even remember the last negative review with words. For a while, it seems to be a 1-star rating and no explanation. That does hurt though because many people tend to look at the overall rating before clicking on a product.
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I’ve always wondered about ratings without explanations. Seems to be just an easy way out, and why bother?
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I think it’s just to do something. It’s usually negative too. Rarely positive.
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It still takes a special person to do that.
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This is an unexpectedly good list with lots of helpful and practical hints. I wonder if people who give one star reviews, actually read the book, or is it the revenge of an ex- whatever?
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Who knows what evil goes through the heart of a one-star reviewer? The shadow knows. (maybe)
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May he do.
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Ha ha ha.
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“…you will be doomed to write PR copy for the Russians full-time for the rest of your life…” Yikes!
Good one John.
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That would be a tough assignment, especially in Siberia.
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Edit and rewrite often so you can burn the drafts to stay warm.
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Now you are thinking. Of course, the job comes with unlimited vodka for inside warmth.
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Well then…
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Too bad there’s no orange juice.
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Hmm. I wonder what the Russians are paying.
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Two bowls of potato soup and all the vodka you can drink.
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Thank you for your wise words, John. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in a negative review. Great advice.
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It is human nature. Thanks, Esther.
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😹, this is very amusing, John.
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I’m glad you like it, Robbie.
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Ah, yes. Such a conundrum. My biggest issue with negative reviews is when they just leave one star and then don’t say why. That’s when I ignore it and move along. 🙂 A top ten list we can all relate to, John! Have a great week ahead.
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Thank you, Jan. I hope you have a great week.
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Last week I saw a one star review for a book on Amazon. It was because the spine was damaged when the reader received the novel in the mail. That kind of review should be deleted.
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I agree. What a dope.
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I’ve had my share of the one stars – usually no comment or something ridiculous which proves the person didn’t read the book. I loved the one I got on The Last Pilgrim saying I didn’t know history and the book was all wrong – this after vetting by a Pilgrim historian. So I did what I usually do in the face of this stupid negativity – sat down that evening and enjoyed a good bourbon!
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There you go. You took the best action.
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Good bourbon, too.
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Good advice for writers, John, especially number one.
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Thank you, Tim.
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You’re welcome, John. Thanks for the good advice.
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I like to read reviews of a book AFTER I have read it. It always makes me wonder when people write about how this is not the author’s usual style. So, writing outside the box is a bad thing? I read reviews, but as only a reader not a writer, most of them are a bit ridiculous. You know what, Negative Reviewer, you write something and let us review it. Sound fair? Get a life! Sheesh!
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Yeah. Hey you. Yeah, you, Negative Reviewer. Don’t just leave a star. Grab a pencil and some wide-lined paper, and print us a review that we can review.
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haha! That’s more like it!!
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I’ll say.
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That is all good advice. I’ve read negative one star reviews that were negative because the customer received the book in a damaged format, or it took too long to arrive, or delivered to the wrong house, which isn’t the author’s fault, or the review was just a fake, or political, or a revenge review. Sometimes the negative reviews have very little to do with the content of the book. As an author you don’t need to find out.
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I’ve seen those, too, Thomas.
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Oh, dear. Perhaps this is why some writers don’t read any of their reviews, hoping to avoid the pain the negative ones certainly bring?? But honestly, we can learn something even from the negative ones, right? And sticking one’s head in the sand doesn’t really solve much of anything. Great compilation, John.
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I read all mine, and yes, sometimes it hurts, but that’s how we learn.
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Agreed!
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😊
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Number 1 is the most important. If I read a bad review, I sometimes then want to read the book and judge for myself. Of course, 5 stars and a good review always helps.
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I agree, Jo. Thank you.
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What myself bad review😆😆😆🤔
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😊
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We can’t believe you ever received a negative review!! Clearly the reviewer can’t read. Malcontents…ugh.
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Ha ha ha. How sweet. Eternal Road was the only book to receive a one-star rating. The reader just didn’t like it. Her review was a bit confusing, but I have to respect that she had an opinion.
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I’m just shocked! Clearly she didn’t know what she was talking about.
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I hate giving negative reviews. Authors are sensitive and what one thinks is negative — well for example, I reviewed on of John Scalzi’s books and all I said was that I liked an earlier book better, but this one was pretty good. I just liked the other one better.
I didn’t think it WAS negative. He blocked me.
At a certain point, reviewers ARE allowed to have a point of view, even if you don’t agree — and moreover, it wasn’t negative. I just wasn’t enthusiastic which apparently for him is negative.
That was the last review I ever wrote. If I can’t even express a preference, the guy needs to take a tranquilizer and maybe do some meditation. There IS such a thing as taking yourself too seriously. In an artist, that’s always a bad sign.
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Your example is a sad one, Marilyn. If an author can’t handle reader opinions, then he should stop publishing. You should focus on reviewing rather than worrying about what an author thinks. Thanks for sharing.
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I agree. But he’s VERY successful, so by now surely be able to cope with what seemed to me a pretty mild comment. Social media has really ruined book reviewers.
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Very good advices, John! Also applicable on letters or other writings where someone needs to have critics on. Think positive is the best. Best wishes, Michael
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Thank you, Michael.
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My response… after your great ones of course,,…
“You must mean Cindy Crawford” ha
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😀
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Humor and wisdom. 👍🏻 Thank you, John and a wonderful week to you!
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Thank you, Michele. Wishing you a happy and rewarding week as well. 😊
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😊🙌🏻🙏🏻
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😊
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I was laughing as I read down the list and thought to myself, there are celebrities who do all of these things on social media!
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So true, and their fans love it. Thanks, Pilgrim.
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This is true LOL
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😊
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The worst one-star reviews are those that are a reflection on something like receiving a book with a torn cover or improper binding, which has nothing to do with the story.
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So true. Thanks, Pete.
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This is insightful! Thank you! All valid points. 👍🙏
I’m bringing out my first book next month, and now I am better prepared, hopefully! 😆
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Congratulations on your first. 😀
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Certainly good to know that negative reviews are a real thing. I can now admit to being upset when I recd my first negative one-word review. I suppose they have a role in the grand scheme.
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They do. Their role is to be recognized as new learning if it is meritorious or ignored if it is not.
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Funny, and great advice at the same time!
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Always a good combo. Thanks, Rebecca.
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All true, and I enjoyed a laugh at the same time. Thanks John. We all receive negative reviews, but then again if we do not, then readers might think all our 5 star reviews are false.
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😊
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Good advice and funny!
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😀
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I went through three stages:
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And yo have a ton of great reviews.
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Negative reviews are definitely still out there. As a reader, I have to restrain myself from letting certain “reviewers” know how unhelpful their reviews are. (I did that once and once was all I needed to know not to do that again.) 🙂
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I can imagine the reaction. Whew. 🫣
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Great set, dear John! I regard negative reviews as the best compliment. If I’m spoken bad that I do the right thing.😂😂😂🌞🌞🌞🍤🍤🍤🍻
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You are different from me for sure.
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😂😂😂 It took me years, dear John! Struggle for my blog in my native environment was the first step. Now I face no interest to my book for children I have published. I’m not surprised that people in my native land don’t care of good litterature anymore. I’m preparing for the English & Italian editions. Creators are not in the current. They do create the current. Happy Sunday!😉🌞🍤🍤🍤🍻
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Thank you, Maria. This publishing business is tough.
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Thank you, dear friend! My pleasure!🌞 I don’t worry much as now I know that culture is under attack, so we can’t earn only with our talents. I just do what I must do. I wouldn’t publish anything in my native land, but there are some best friends of mine who don’t speak either English or Italian.
Anyway, ahead whatever will be.😉🍤🍤🍤🍻🥳🥳🥳
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Ahead is the best course. 🍰🥂
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