Create a Plan BEFORE You Get a Bad Book Review
#truthbomb
Some people aren’t going to like your book.
Yes, that sucks. It’s hard to hear. But there it is.
Because I get it:
You’re really proud of that book. You know it (and your message) is here to change the world.
And you’ve done a good job in the whole process: rewriting, editing, getting feedback, and then writing some more. But there’s something really important that is never told to authors – and it really should be.
Somebody will hate it. They’ll hate it so much, they’ll leave you a one-star review. And IF you’re lucky, they’ll keep their comments to how dumb the book was (and maybe how much they didn’t like the writing.) If they’re a true Troll, or simply having a Really.Bad.Day, their one-star review will ALSO be a personal attack.
What happens when you get your first 1-star review?
Take a deep breath. Because let’s be perfectly honest here: it’s going to happen. Somebody is going to hate your book – and if you let it, that little 1-star review will have the power to obliterate all the 4- and 5-star reviews that came before it.
Your best defense is… a plan.
It’s not a plan for how you’ll plead with Amazon to remove it.
It’s not a blueprint for how you’ll hunt down the reviewer and make him change his mind – and publicly apologize.
It’s not a plan for how you’ll fire off a witty comeback that is not only the perfectly placed literary knife to the ribs but also makes you look brilliant, beautiful, and 15 pounds lighter.
Here’s the thing about reviews: there’s not a single way you can respond that leave you looking classy. If you argue with a “bad” review, you’re whiny; if you thank the reviewer for a “good” review, you’re a creepy stalker author.
#authortip Never respond to your Amazon reviews. Nothing you say will make you seem classy. Click To TweetStill, you need a plan for how you’re going to handle it.
Here are some tips:
1. Don’t check on your reviews right before bed.
I’ll admit, when my first book was newly published, I checked sales stats and if there were any new reviews about every three hours. All. Day. Long.
But I knew from past experience, a nasty email from a client had the power to ruin a good night’s sleep. A bad review from a stranger… no WAY I’d be able to sleep. Keep Reading!