Dealing with bad reviews

[MARich]

Hey all. So I self-published my first novel back in May, and initially all the reviews I got were really solid. However they were all from friends/family/friend of friends etc, and it was only when I had a couple of editorial reviews written up that I really received any criticism. Neither were terrible, both praised many elements, but both also slammed a couple of things. Since then I have lost confidence in promoting it, and have been seriously considering re-drafting and re-releasing it. But can I justify that? Changing something after it has been released just because of the opinions of two people I have never even met? I know you can't please everyone, and I shouldn't take things to heart, ESPECIALLY as a writer, but the problem is I do (kind of) agree with said criticisms.

Anyone had any experience with overcoming lost confidence due to reviews? Or have any advice?

Thanks

[Fran]

Hey all. So I self-published my first novel back in May, and initially all the reviews I got were really solid. However they were all from friends/family/friend of friends etc, and it was only when I had a couple of editorial reviews written up that I really received any criticism. Neither were terrible, both praised many elements, but both also slammed a couple of things. Since then I have lost confidence in promoting it, and have been seriously considering re-drafting and re-releasing it. But can I justify that? Changing something after it has been released just because of the opinions of two people I have never even met? I know you can't please everyone, and I shouldn't take things to heart, ESPECIALLY as a writer, but the problem is I do (kind of) agree with said criticisms.

Anyone had any experience with overcoming lost confidence due to reviews? Or have any advice?

Thanks

That line (in red) more or less answers your question doesn't it?

[MARich]

Yeah true, but many other people have told me they don't agree with those things at all, and that it is great the way it is, which is why I'm torn between changing them or just accepting the critiscisms :/

[anonanemone]

Without context it's hard to say, but it may be you need more data points. Are these two reviews the only editorial reviews you have or will receive? Are there specific points that the reviews agree on?

If you truly feel unsatisfied with your book the way it is, then as the author you may feel a rewrite is necessary and that's ok. If you can sort of see their side but don't really agree and are happy with your book the way it is then maybe no action is required and any constructive criticism can be kept in mind for the next book.

[DATo]

Hey all. So I self-published my first novel back in May, and initially all the reviews I got were really solid. However they were all from friends/family/friend of friends etc, and it was only when I had a couple of editorial reviews written up that I really received any criticism. Neither were terrible, both praised many elements, but both also slammed a couple of things. Since then I have lost confidence in promoting it, and have been seriously considering re-drafting and re-releasing it. But can I justify that? Changing something after it has been released just because of the opinions of two people I have never even met? I know you can't please everyone, and I shouldn't take things to heart, ESPECIALLY as a writer, but the problem is I do (kind of) agree with said criticisms.

Anyone had any experience with overcoming lost confidence due to reviews? Or have any advice?

Thanks

My rule is: If I have exposed the writing to/for critique I will change it, but if I have posted it to be read by the general public I usually leave it as it is even if it has a booger hanging from its nose.

[moderntimes]

Good question...

Not a review, but when I was submitting my private eye novel for possible publication, I got plenty of refusals. Then, thankfully, one of the editors who said "no thanks" sent me a thoughtful critique of the book and why she rejected it.

Primary was that I had way too much backstory. For those who may not know, "backstory" in a novel is where you tell the reader about the previous "life" of the main characters and about what went before. Well she said that I had far too much, and as soon as the story got going, it would come to a screeching halt when I spend a half chapter or more telling about the past.

What did I do? I read thru the places which she kindly had pointed out, and saw that she was right. And so, I put my novel through a total rewrite, stem to stern, and added some more lively sub-plots and restructured the whole book.

And the result? In July, I signed a 3-book contract, with all three of my mystery novels now being professionally published. So I guess the rewrite worked, hey? And my 1st of the 3 just got a 4-star review in this forum.

You did say that you saw that some of the criticism was valid. Take it as a hint, and read your book with a more critical eye, and consider revising the shaky areas. There is nothing wrong with this. We learn and we become better writers by hard work.

And it's to be expected that friends and relatives will give your book high ratings. They may however not be the best judges of this. That's life.

And also understand that self publishing is fine, but you also must consider that there has been essentially zero vetting of your book (except maybe by a trusted pal) and so the standard of judgment as to whether your book is good or not-that-good is not very solid, and the reviews you received (reviews from other than friends) are the FIRST "field test" your book has received.

My recommendation is to take a very hard core view of your book, and compare it almost chapter-by-chapter with a highly successful and well known book of the same genre. Compare romance novel to romance novel, for example. And be super-critical of your book and try to find the flaws, and maybe correct them.

[MARich]

Thanks for the comments and advice. I am currently having a third editorial review being drawn up as we speak, so hopefully that may give me a better idea. There were a couple of points that both reviewers agreed on, but at the same time, one highly praised what another criticised. I know it is well within my rights to make changes, but now it is out there and available to the public, and has been purchased quite a few times, I was really looking forward to just promoting it whilst working on my second book.

I think what I may do is await my next editorial review, and if (and there probably will be) there are points that all three agree on, then I will amend them and give the book one last edit. I don't think the book is bad by any means, and it was my first so it has been a learning curve for me. The important thing now is that I take those criticisms into my second novel, don't believe it to be finished on the basis of friends/family opinion, and make sure that it is as good as it can possibly before self-publishing/submitting to publishers.

[bookowlie]

Keep in mind that some reviewers will be nitpicky about individual elements even if they enjoyed the book overall. Also, friends and family's reviews are somewhat meaningless since they often won't want to give you even the slightest bit of criticism.

[moderntimes]

Owlie is correct. A good review -- which you may have received, we don't know -- and by "good" I mean fair, should point out the flaws of the book.

Too many "amateurish" review only deal with the plot. But the plot is only one element of a good novel. There's rhythm, dialogue, coherent narrative, structure of the book, and many other aspects to consider.

Take ALL well-meant criticism to heart. Review your book with a careful eye and see whether those critical points are valid, and effect change accordingly. ALL writers learn and ALL writers get better or just quit. Don't be a quitter. Learn from mistakes.

Too many newbie writers take umbrage at honest criticism, and this is wrong. Remember that your writing is a "product" after all, even though it's a work of art. Also realize that as a writer, we are in a very oddball situation -- we're writing for public consumption --- meaning, people actually spend real money to buy our books (hurry to the nearest mystery bookstore to buy my books, hint hint -- ha ha) but we're also "artists" in which we are creating something which is judged by a varying standard.

If you design a building, and it is usable and doesn't fall down, you're a successful architect or structural engineer. There's a "hard" standard to rate your efforts with. But as a writer, the standards are "soft" in that you may have written the Greatest Novel of the New Century" but likely not, and that sales don't necessarily reflect the book's quality -- look at trash like 50 Shades.

Nevertheless, your "target" should be selling a bunch of books because this means that genuinely competent fans respect your writing and want to spend real cash on the book. This is a good thing if you're honest with your craft, which you certainly seem to be.

Therefore, consider rewriting your book -- I did and it got me a pro contract -- or simply take what you've learned and go forward to the next book. Either is a valid tactic.

Now... without much further angst, ha ha, could you be a little more specific in WHY your book was criticized? Was it plot, or theme, or characterizations, or dialogue, or what? If you could be more revealing as to precisely why the critics dissed your book, we might be able to help. If for example the dialogue was wooden, I've got some great tips. And so on.

Remember, we're here to help. As I said, although I've written professionally for many years, being a novelist is a big step up, I'm a nobody, but I still signed a 3-book contract for professional (read: they pay me, I pay zero) publication. So I'm very happy, as others here are, happy to help if you could point out a few details. That way we might offer you a more reasoned and coherent push toward a better revision / better 2nd novel.

[MARich]

Thanks a lot. Yeah sure, I will happily elaborate further, and any help/advice would be much appreciated, that's why I started the thread after all.

Unfortunately, I'm slammed for time at this present moment, but keep an eye on the thread over the next few days.

[moderntimes]

We're all glad to help, so we'll keep tuned.

[MARich]

Yeah, thanks. So basically the main criticisms that my book received were...That my writing style was slightly too 'crude' for an adult audience, yet the content of my novel was inappropriate for a younger audience, and they couldn't quite work out who the target audience actually was. It was definitely intended for an adult readership, I tried to add a black comedy edge, and thus there are a few jokes and lighthearted moments, but also some violence/bad language/drug references. This was only mentioned in one of the reviews, so I guess its possible that they just didn't get the humour. In terms of a re-write, it would not be hard to edit out a few of these moments, I guess I can appreciate that they may not have been in line with the tone of the rest of the novel.

I was also told that some of my side characters weren't 3-dimensional and existed only in order to aid the protagonist, and that the protagonist himself was an unlikeable character and they found it hard to will him to succeed. I was a bit annoyed by this, as at the start of the book he is lazy, depressed, obnoxious, has something of a death wish and a drinking problem. But by the end of the novel he changes his ways, it is very much a story of self-discovery and transformation, so that was actually intentional.

The main character is also a poet, and I incorporate the use of poetry throughout the manuscript, as well as using quotes at the beginning of each chapter. But both reviewers stated that these were pointless and did nothing to further the plot.

There were a few other small criticisms, some quite nit-picky stuff to be honest. But having said all this, both reviewers said my prose flowed well, they both praised the action sequences and the general plot, and said that the structure and pace of the novel was good. I also switch between first and thrid person, and jump between mulitple characters, and both reviewers claimed that I did this successfully.

But one didn't like the ending, and another did, which just goes to show that everyone's opinions are different and that you cant please everyone. I have actually started re-editing it now, with a view of releasing an update on Amazon. I have decided to cut back the quotes and poetry, remove some of the jokes which clearly didn't land, and expand on some of the side characters to make them more robust. If I were to do any more than that, I would fear that I would end up tinkering with this book for years to come, and I have so many other ideas and projects that I want to work on. If it is still recieving iffy reviews after making these changes, then i will just have to accept it as my first novel and a learning curve.

[moderntimes]

Okay -- I'll deal with these points as best I can...

First, don't worry if your protagonist is too "bad acting" or rude or whatever. Only be concerned if you don't portray those traits in a skillful manner -- if you are clumsy about how you describe things, if your portrayal is too unrealistic or it's badly written, that has to be fixed. But a bad actor as the main character is okay.

Also don't worry about whether your book contains too much rough language, violence, etc. If it's meant for adults, this is also okay. What matters is whether it seems egregious and forced, or if the rough stuff flows naturally with the story line. Have no concerns about trying to pitch the book to young readers if your intended audience is adult. Just go with it. But ensure that the strong or violent places are artfully and skilfully depicted.

I'm writing a series of modern private eye novels and my first 3 were professionally sold and are being published now. And I've got some very violent and bloody scenes, graphic murders described in a pretty vivid way. My protagonist private eye is also a troubled man, drinking too much and alienating his friends. He's not very likable at first but he gathers himself together and makes personal progress. And so this pretty well matches what you describe. Be sure that you describe the character's flaws with "elegance" and skill, not just slam-bang. If you do this with good writing techniques, your character can be troubled but still engender sympathy.

You mention inserts of poetry. This can be good but it can also be overdone. If you're telling a strong story, to suddenly break off and interject stanzas of poetry can interrupt the pacing and rhythm of the story and distract the reader. Such things are similar to having too much backstory. The term "backstory" is when you describe how a character got where he/she is -- where she went to school, where he grew up, etc. Now all these are essential to build up, to create a realistic character, but they can easily be overdone. Likewise poetry inserted into the story line. Ask yourself whether it impedes or helps the story line, whether it's perhaps too much of an imposition to the reader.

I had to be honest with myself on my 2nd novel. I had way too much backstory and the book was given a polite "no thanks" from a pretty good publisher for that reason, among others. And so I rewrote the whole damn 80,000 words and took out lots of backstory and added a new plot thread, and the rhythm and pacing of the novel was greatly improved.

Sidebar characters are tricky to manage. It's entirely possible that you used them as mere stereotypes and so you made them only one-dimensional and stuck them into the story to help the protagonist but not much more. Try to imagine these characters as real people.

Here's a good trick which also helps when writing dialogue -- Don't make your characters like marionettes on strings, where you force them to move here and there and shove words into their mouths. If you do, your characters will absolutely be flat. Instead, try to imagine them as real people. Then put them into a scene and watch how they behave -- realize that if you define the character realistically in your mind, that character will then act as you would like. Then, just "take dictation" and write down what happens and what is said. This is a great way to prevent one-dimensional characters who speak wooden dialogue.

Don't be afraid to do a rewrite. It took me months to write my novels and almost the same amount of time to tweak and revise them. That's what a good writer does -- works and works and sweats until the end product is the best possible.

Some of the criticism may have been valid, some not. You're the best judge of which to accept and which to ignore. I had a good pal read my newest book, third novel in the series, and he made several comments that my protagonist private eye didn't do the "right thing" and acted irrationally and wrongly at times. To which I responded "you're right -- he screws up a lot -- that's who he is." So the criticism I received there was well meant but the friend didn't realize that my private eye was not intended to be a hero type who never fails. Far from it. So in this case I understood the comments but disagreed with them.

Other times, I've had very correct criticism and learned from it.

Sounds like you got some constructive feedback mixed with erroneous criticism. That's pretty common. So it's incumbent on you to decide where your book is headed and take measures to fix the flaws. This is good.

If you PM me I'll give you my email. Then you can send me 2-3 chapters and I'll give you a very honest appraisal.

Good luck and keep writing!

[MARich]

Some really good advice, thanks. And yeah I will PM you

[DarkestbeforeDawn]

If you agree with the criticisms, then perhaps you should revisit it. Whether you want to take the time and correct and fix everything is up to you. To keep yourself going as a writer, you kind of have to swallow the nails and keep moving, otherwise you'll stay fixated on that one thing forever. Strengthen your writing from the criticisms and make this the last time you'll make that mistake!