Managing Book Reviews: A Look at the Praiseworthy, Critical, and Controversial
Kate M. Colby, a renowned author of multi-genre fiction and creative nonfiction, as well as a writing-craft blogger, offers insightful advice on managing negative book reviews. Her strategy is grounded in respect for the reader's opinion, personal resilience, and the understanding that reviews are subjective reactions to creative work.
First and foremost, Colby advises against engaging with reviews that make personal attacks, threaten, or are given because of a personal vendetta. She emphasizes that one should not respond to such reviews to respect the reader's opinion and avoid further irritation.
Colby also suggests seeking support from a spouse, friend, or family member to avoid temporary confidence loss or ruined writing days. Venting to a trusted friend can be a helpful way to deal with negative reviews.
In line with her advice, Colby does not respond to any positive reviews on Goodreads or retail sites either. She believes that reviews, good or bad, are crucial for books, influencing potential sales, author eligibility for merchandising, and overall ranking on retail sites.
Bad reviews, often in the form of a one-star rating, are inevitable for any author. Colby views these as beneficial, providing constructive feedback and helping potential readers make informed decisions. Good reviews, on the other hand, provide insights into what readers like about a book and who the book appeals to.
Colby's policy is to never respond to any reviews on Amazon or other retail sites. Contacting the website administrator to ask for the review to be removed is recommended in cases of particularly damaging reviews.
Writing a response to a disgruntled reader and then destroying it can help alleviate frustration. Colby's positive approach to content, which highlights resilience and realistic reactions in her books, suggests she likely encourages authors to view criticism constructively, keeping the core story or message intact while learning from feedback.
While there are no direct search results specifically quoting or detailing advice from author Kate M. Colby on how to handle negative book reviews, her involvement with children’s books and understanding realistic experiences indicate that she likely promotes strategies such as taking a break from reading reviews, seeking support from fellow writers or friends, using negative feedback as a way to reflect and improve, and focusing on one’s writing goals despite criticism.
For precise advice directly from Kate M. Colby, further direct sources such as interviews, her blog, or social media would be necessary. However, drawing on general best practices from authors about managing negative feedback, and considering Kate M. Colby's positive approach to content, one can infer approaches useful for authors facing negative reviews.
- In line with her policy, Kate M. Colby, known for her work in multi-genre fiction and creative nonfiction, doesn't respond to either positive or negative book reviews though they significantly impact sales, author eligibility, and overall ranking on retail sites.
- Seeking support from friends or family, as Colby suggests, can assist in handling negative fashion-and-beauty, lifestyle, or book reviews, whether they are constructive critiques or one-star ratings, and maintain a positive outlook towards creative work.
