Do You Want to Learn How to Kill the Negativity in Negative Book Reviews?

Oh my god! How dare those trolls call your book a waste of time and money? Did he know the hardships you’ve been through in publishing it? Did she know the sacrifices that you have to make just to put the story on paper?

To tell you the truth, they don’t really know. And there’s no use fuming here like a volcano waiting to explode from disappointment and perhaps a little (or maybe too much) anger because you can’t do anything to stop negative reviews. All that’s left for you to do is to handle these things in a professional and less stressful manner.

So, cool your hooves and check out these techniques on how to get a grip when it comes to negative reviews. Who knows, you might be able to shake them off as you move on from the experience. Okay, breathe deep and read along.

Put things in the right perspective.

With the way you're feeling right now, chocolates won’t do the trick. Exercise might help in letting off some steam. But you know what’s more effective? You just have to put things into a different light. Don’t put too much weight on the negative comments. Consider the ratio of negative and positive reviews, then get the average. Does it favor your book? Do you have a 50:1 review ratio where there is 1 negative review in every 50 reviews? If that’s the case, it’s just a matter of perspective; look in the brighter side of things.

Keep calm and don’t go to war.

Breathe in and breathe deeply. Don’t fight fire with fire, instead take out the extinguisher. But what can you do when your blood rises to the thought of a bad review? Well, you don’t have to look at the bad reviews. You can just skim through what it says and don’t take it personally. Remember that the reviewer or the reader is attacking the book or the story and not you as an author.

So, if you think it’s a legitimate review, keep them as points for improvement. Take it as constructive criticism and thank them for making you a better writer. But if you think the reviews are just there to drag you down without the proper evidence (you know what I mean), then ignore them completely and move on.

Think like an entrepreneur.

Hard fact: you can’t please everyone. It’s just impossible to make everyone like you. Therefore, you just have to think of your publishing journey as a business venture. See your book as your product while you become a business owner. And you know what entrepreneurs do?

Every time they have a customer complaining, they don’t take everything personally. Yes, they always try to make everything okay in the end. But if bad gets to worse and they have to let go of that customer, then they do so without any regret. Even if they can’t please all the people, at least they know how to please all the RIGHT people.

Feed the negative reviews to the piranhas.

It might be a little underhanded but it’s better to let your loyal followers fight back with the negative reviews, especially the unfounded ones. Of course, they will eventually read what the reviewers are saying and there’s a possibility that it might spark a war – hopefully not literally. And it’s better not to be caught in the crossfire. What you should do is to keep your mouth shut. Let them do the talking for you. But if they’re crossing the line, please let them know that you don’t want to cause any uprising and ask them to move on. Oh, before I forget, please let them know that you appreciate their love and support though.

Get in touch with your support group.

Nope, I don’t mean you have to go to meetings and stuff. All you have to do is call your family and closest friends. You can invite them over for some lunch or dinner. Share a glass of wine and talk to them about your frustrations. Trust me, they will listen as you pour your heart out. Afterward, when you’ve discarded all the bad vibes from yourself, it’s your time to listen to their comforting words. Let their love and care support you in dealing with these bad reviews.

Shake it off and move on.

If you can’t take it anymore, then there’s only one solution left. All you have to do is print out all the negative comments about your book and light them. This will symbolize that you're getting rid of all the effects they have on you. And that you're ready to move on and face other challenges along the way to publishing success. Just be careful not to burn the house or any furniture down with the negative reviews, okay?

 There you go!  The techniques on how you can handle the negative reviews about your book. Consider them as your own personal therapy whenever you deal with these things. And don’t forget to share them to others who are facing the same kind of trouble as you. Cheers to a more successful future!

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