# How to stay proud and confident with your published book



## sunaynaprasad (Jul 24, 2015)

For the 3rd time, I got a negative review (which was private since the reader didn't publish it) that tore my book into pieces and said everything wrong about it to the point I wanted to stop selling my book. They said everything had issues and flaws, as if I hadn't studied the craft before and wrote it my way, like I did with a previously published book that is currently unavailable on Amazon. In fact, the reader talked about it the same way other readers talked about the book that I took off the market a few years ago. I felt like they were shaming my writing.
Unlike the previous two times I felt insecure and embarrassed of what I've written, I actually contacted my publisher and told them to remove my book from distribution channels. Then a few hours later, I changed my mind and told them to keep it.
Now I published the book 2 years ago, when I was 19. Of course, my writing has improved since then, and if you look at the reviews, more of them are positive then negative. I pre-experimented with readers before publishing my book and they all enjoyed it. I even submitted it to a prepublication review service that doesn't guarantee a positive review and they gave it four stars and said the issues were minor and could be fixed.
Now obviously, I can't prevent more negative reviews, but how can I prevent myself from wanting to take my book off the market and doing it over? Another thing, my improved ideas came back and I chose that I would wait a few years and then republish it, but only one a site that I would create and not Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc. I don't want this to keep happening. I want to stay proud of my work. I try to remind myself that I have a lot more positive reviews (4 and 5) than negative (2 and1) and that the majority always wins. Any strategy suggestions would help. Thanks.


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## Pluralized (Jul 24, 2015)

Don't publish your book before it's ready, if you're self-publishing. Engage the help of beta readers and make it as good as possible. If it's done, ready for public scrutiny, publish it and move on. Don't live or die over each individual review.


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## movieman (Jul 24, 2015)

If some people don't hate your book, you're not pushing the envelope enough. I've bought books before because the things the one-star reviews complained about were exactly what I was looking for in a book.

All that really matters is that the readers you wrote the book for like it. When I see a review saying 'the grammar is awful and this book really needed an editor', I know it's from a frustrated writer and ignore it, because they aren't the people the book is aimed at.

(I would also add that I think 'this book really needed an editor' when I read some trade-published novels, but I don't go posting one-star reviews because of it).


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## Kyle R (Jul 24, 2015)

There will always be critics and haters of your work (this is true for all authors). Just because someone bashes your story, that doesn't make their comments true. It just means it's their personal opinion.

Pay more attention to the positive reviews you receive (especially the ones from parents who have said that they love reading your book to their children). Those reviews deserve your attention, too, because they are telling you that you have fans, and that you are clearly doing something right. :encouragement:


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## AtleanWordsmith (Jul 24, 2015)

Looked at the reviews, I wouldn't worry too much about the [EXPLETIVE DETECTED]s that wrote them.  You seem to have generally positive reviews, and that's what matters.

Can't please everyone, so, like Kyle said, focus on the positives and let the negatives roll off your shoulders.


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## shadowwalker (Jul 24, 2015)

I wouldn't pay attention to any reviews. They're not for the writer, after all. These aren't critiques. Reviews are written for other readers, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it.



movieman said:


> When I see a review saying 'the grammar is awful and this book really needed an editor', I know it's from a frustrated writer and ignore it, because they aren't the people the book is aimed at.



So non-writer readers don't notice bad grammar and editing? Boy, have you got some surprises coming!


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## Caragula (Jul 25, 2015)

Agree with shadowwalker, you can't underestimate your readers, who, in all likelihood, for years and years read trad published books that got grammar right, then go to self pub and see errors etc. they'll think it's lazy, like the writer didn't care enough, it does suggest the work itself won't be of sufficient quality.  We can argue the logic of that perception, but we cannot and should not ignore it.  We MUST accept that perception and cater for it.

The whole trad and self published thing aside for a moment, it's worth thinking about why trad publishers give you an editor to work with you on the book.  Why do they think it's important to get both the grammar and other inconsistencies in the text sorted out with a fine tooth comb?  They, after all, are hopeful of selling that novel to far more people than just 'other writers', the mass market in fact.

Whatever their reasons are, become 'your' reasons in self publishing.


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## sunaynaprasad (Jul 26, 2015)

Thanks, everybody.


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## Riis Marshall (Jul 26, 2015)

Hello Sunay

Personally I would be pleased with a review or two that went something like this: 'This is absolutely, positively the worst book I have ever read in my life. Whatever you do today, under no circumstances buy this book!'

I think it would do wonders for sales.

Keep writing.

Never surrender!

All the best with your writing.

Warmest regards
Riis


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## David Gordon Burke (Aug 3, 2015)

Excuse me but I just stopped by Amazon, saw the negative review you mentioned and then, lo and behold, notice that you have 88 reviews for the book.  I figure less than one in four will review so I guess you've sold about 400 copies give or take?  

And you are worried about 1or 2 three star reviews?  Damn, with failure like that, I wonder what sucess tastes like.  (in other words, your failure is quite close to my sucess)  

At the risk of getting really snotty, I'll just sign off now.  Buck up.  Get a grip.  Get over it.  
Here's a quote that you should really apply to critics - "*Pick *a number between 0 and 0. That's the number of %$#&$$?s I give."

David Gordon Burke


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## movieman (Aug 5, 2015)

shadowwalker said:


> So non-writer readers don't notice bad grammar and editing? Boy, have you got some surprises coming!



Yes, some do. But 99% of non-writing readers have no idea what a book editor is.


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## shadowwalker (Aug 6, 2015)

movieman said:


> Yes, some do. But 99% of non-writing readers have no idea what a book editor is.



So? I don't know what a gaffer is, but I can recognize when a movie was tossed together versus done with care.

Number One mistake authors make (in my estimation): Think readers are dumb.


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## Phil Istine (Aug 6, 2015)

I suppose that, on the basis that I don't like everything I read, it would be unreasonable to expect that everyone would like what I write.


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## Dave Watson (Aug 6, 2015)

A 1 star and a 2 star review out of a total of 88 is really nothing to lose sleep over. I have 25 reviews of my first book and I think that's a moderate success for a self published book.


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