tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post7161887795257548830..comments2024-01-05T15:42:46.899-05:00Comments on Katie O'Sullivan ~ Read, Write, Repeat: Writing Wednesday: Should You Read Your Own Reviews?Katie O'Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17295418503546522882noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-81596590922487531342017-05-26T16:51:17.623-04:002017-05-26T16:51:17.623-04:00Really enjoyed your post, Katie and all the follow...Really enjoyed your post, Katie and all the follow up comments. Everyone is so supportive and has great advice. Reviews either make you feel like the next Nora Roberts or a complete failure. I received a one-star review on Goodreads from someone who didn't bother to make a comment, and when I checked into her background, it was blocked. That still angers me. I'm sorry that bad review put you off your latest WIP, but spend a few minutes re-reading all your positive reviews and carry on. Your books are great.CB Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09365788411598009246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-42110730552804916312017-05-26T09:37:30.762-04:002017-05-26T09:37:30.762-04:00You're welcome. Anytime. :)You're welcome. Anytime. :)Beth Trisselhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13742049964476824594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-19790755949265005532017-05-25T14:25:17.932-04:002017-05-25T14:25:17.932-04:00LOL - yes, well, those people who feel "above...LOL - yes, well, those people who feel "above" the entire romance genre must have pretty dull personal lives.<br /><br />Katie O'Sullivanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17295418503546522882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-27917056158129618582017-05-25T14:23:13.950-04:002017-05-25T14:23:13.950-04:00Ouch - someone actually wrote "don't quit...Ouch - someone actually wrote "don't quit your day job" in a review? That's AWFUL. It does, however, make for a good story for later, when you're rich and famous and sitting across the desk from Jimmy Kimmel or someone like that. I like your books too, Karilyn. Keep writing!Katie O'Sullivanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17295418503546522882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-40708221247818480552017-05-25T14:21:19.549-04:002017-05-25T14:21:19.549-04:00Wine and whine. The solution of champions :-)Wine and whine. The solution of champions :-)Katie O'Sullivanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17295418503546522882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-43187809819082029832017-05-25T14:20:48.455-04:002017-05-25T14:20:48.455-04:00What's that saying? Everyone's entitled to...What's that saying? Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, but not to their own facts. Yeah, I know it's a subjective business. Thanks for chiming in.Katie O'Sullivanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17295418503546522882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-75615459090531332912017-05-25T14:19:50.541-04:002017-05-25T14:19:50.541-04:00Being judge-y works for me too - sounds like a str...Being judge-y works for me too - sounds like a strategy!<br />Katie O'Sullivanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17295418503546522882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-6055539358969828122017-05-25T12:54:02.275-04:002017-05-25T12:54:02.275-04:00Oh, and I light candles. I always light candles fo...Oh, and I light candles. I always light candles for friends who are suffering, so why not for my poor, misguided ego when it takes a blow?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12465676067298712433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-69080406085538818482017-05-25T12:52:13.287-04:002017-05-25T12:52:13.287-04:00I just recieved a "nice" (damned by fain...I just recieved a "nice" (damned by faint praise) review by a friend who said she "doesn't read" romance fiction but she would read mine because she's a friend. Then she wrote a review that tries to be "nice" while showing her disdain for the genre. She is now basking in the afterglow of having been such a good friend by supporting what she's superior to. <br />My response? First, try to beat back revenge fantasies. (She has a book published by a vanity press that will soon be available for review.) Second, take this as a lesson.<br />Wayne Dyer said, "What you think of me is none of my business." Rumi said, "I want to sing like the birds sing, not worrying about who hears or what they think."<br />I want to live like that. I want to write like that. A self-serving review is a test, a reminder to live a centered life and to write like the birds sing.<br />Judy Meadows (Judy Gabriel) www.judymeadows.comAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12465676067298712433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-12657822473578479602017-05-24T22:22:19.225-04:002017-05-24T22:22:19.225-04:00I'm so sorry someone gave you a nasty review, ...I'm so sorry someone gave you a nasty review, Katie. I like your books. I always read my reviews, even the nasty ones. Sometimes I let those nasty ones sit for a couple of months and go back and reread them to see if it's mean-spirited or if it's something I could improve on in my writing. Sometimes people just don't like the author's writing for whatever reason and those, to me, are real reviews. Others are mean-spirited. Like the one that told me not to quit my day job. That's not anything I can learn from so it now makes me chuckle. I try to read the negative reviews and see if they will help me improve. Months after I'm finished being mad about it, that is. ha! :) Chin up and keep on writing. Don't let that person get you down.Karilyn Bentleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04359102189839118744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-7690853459343186962017-05-24T16:28:35.393-04:002017-05-24T16:28:35.393-04:00My husband says opinions are like as&h@#es eve...My husband says opinions are like as&h@#es everybody's got one. <br /> 😬What works for me besides wine and whining is to remember that all of my favorite authors the prolific the successful and the lauded also get those reviews. If there is anything to be gained from the review in a constructive sense, take it and move on. Charlotteoshayauthor.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17994548860606367251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-29856743717176985612017-05-24T13:37:48.713-04:002017-05-24T13:37:48.713-04:00Oh, Katie, I feel for you. Why do we waste time on...Oh, Katie, I feel for you. Why do we waste time on hurtful reviews? I sent in a short story to a contest with three reviewers. Two of them loved it, the other ripped it to shreds. All I can take from that is everyone "has" an opinion. We have to learn to let go and move forward. Judy Ann Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11933875283816712058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-68898952962927839952017-05-24T11:34:54.082-04:002017-05-24T11:34:54.082-04:00Sorry that happened to you while on vacation! I...Sorry that happened to you while on vacation! I'm pretty new at publishing and was lucky to have mostly enthusiastic reviews of my first book. For the two so-so/unimpressed reviews I received, I didn't take it to heart, because both reviewers seemed, frankly, kind of dumb, at least on paper. So my way of dealing with it was to turn around and judge them unkindly. I'm not saying it's a lofty response; it's just one that worked for me. And since my second book releases in another week or so, I guess I'd better start toughening my skin now. I think we all related to this post--thanks for letting us share! Nell Castlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06931753937672731960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-72244084281607716492017-05-24T11:10:32.281-04:002017-05-24T11:10:32.281-04:00Constructive criticism is always a good thing. I l...Constructive criticism is always a good thing. I liked Beth's "meanie head" description of those non-constructive reviewers, don't you?Katie O'Sullivanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17295418503546522882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-4376231974461645672017-05-24T11:08:55.984-04:002017-05-24T11:08:55.984-04:00Thanks Tena. I do know this too - and even got a m...Thanks Tena. I do know this too - and even got a mother's day email from one of my favorite stalkers, who usually ends his inquiries about the series with a "no pressure" kind of line. I love hearing from him. I'll focus on him instead :-)Katie O'Sullivanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17295418503546522882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-931234889180334992017-05-24T11:07:13.890-04:002017-05-24T11:07:13.890-04:00I totally appreciate you taking the calorie hit fo...I totally appreciate you taking the calorie hit for me, Anni, since I'm currently on a stupid last-ditch diet before my college reunion. I'll save my calorie count for that next shot of tequila :-)Katie O'Sullivanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17295418503546522882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-47873754804052370032017-05-24T11:06:05.628-04:002017-05-24T11:06:05.628-04:00Thanks for that reminder - one of my other favorit...Thanks for that reminder - one of my other favorites from Eleanor is "Do One Thing Every Day that Scares You."<br /><br />Although I don't think she meant read reviews. I think she meant more along the lines of get your writing out there to be criticized.<br />Katie O'Sullivanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17295418503546522882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-91465643475618417702017-05-24T11:04:51.192-04:002017-05-24T11:04:51.192-04:00"Obviously she needed more yoga."
Anoth..."Obviously she needed more yoga."<br /><br />Another laugh out loud statement, and loving the matter-of-factness of how you take it all in stride.<br /><br />I'm so glad we're all sharing today - it helps to know we're not alone. I'm not alone. Writing can be such a lonely business and it's great to know I have all of you to commiserate with! <br /><br />Happy Writing to ALL!Katie O'Sullivanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17295418503546522882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-11336249930805838612017-05-24T10:57:19.101-04:002017-05-24T10:57:19.101-04:00Katie, as always, a lovely thought-provoking post....Katie, as always, a lovely thought-provoking post. I'm used to reviews for my yoga teaching because I teach numerous classes on an international yoga website. Those ones can be fun--one reviewer waxed poetic about me clearing my throat and wanting to kill me for it. Obviously, she needed more yoga. Now that my book reviews are coming in for my debut, I can't help but read them. Once again, I remind myself that not everyone will like me or you. In fact, I might really annoy someone or inadvertently touch a nerve. It's okay not to please everyone. In fact, strong reactions can be a sign you touched the reader and isn't that what you want at the end of the day? Although, a mean email without public nastiness would be preferred! Let it go. Move on. Know you are fabulous, because you are! Claire MartiClairehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09053502831615206034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-26284020264392806812017-05-24T10:50:39.270-04:002017-05-24T10:50:39.270-04:00Katie, I read the negative reviews only once, cons...Katie, I read the negative reviews only once, consider their opinion, and then move on. In most cases, it's always followed by a glowing review. Yet, do I get angry, cry, or stomp by foot? Yes to all three! But I swiftly move onward. There are those who need to be mean--crave the power behind the screen to spew nasty comments. Whenever I start to doubt my work, I recall one of my favorite quotes by Eleanor Roosevelt, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Hugs! Mary Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11999861032120466782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-87159668617671201582017-05-24T10:47:50.984-04:002017-05-24T10:47:50.984-04:00Oh, Katie. I'm ploughing through a chocolate-n...Oh, Katie. I'm ploughing through a chocolate-nut bar just for you. :) I think people who don't have the imagination to write, deliver stinking reviews. Maybe it makes them feel better! The good reviewers who take the time to read a book, rarely if ever post a devastating review. They choose rather to leave nothing or just a 'did not finish.' All we can do is work to push the negative feelings and self doubt where it belongs...far far away. And we definitely can't let it linger for more than a day...or a shot of tequila! You are a wonderful author! Anni xxAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15582957779887018995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-4382766181376393352017-05-24T10:41:55.309-04:002017-05-24T10:41:55.309-04:00Some people are just mean. They enjoy the power th...Some people are just mean. They enjoy the power they have over people like us. I once read about a reviewer who said they hoped the authors children would die. I totally ignore mean people. The ones I pay attention to are the good reviewers who say - 'I enjoyed the book, however...' Sometimes you can learn something by those.Sandra Daileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08061923642210002206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-89052115763282673992017-05-24T10:41:20.378-04:002017-05-24T10:41:20.378-04:00I agree with what everyone has said. It's a fa...I agree with what everyone has said. It's a fact of life when you are a writer. There is always going to be someone who doesn't like your work. Doesn't mean you are a bad writer, but that writing is subjective. I received good advise from a fellow writer. Read the bad review once, and never read it again. Don't dwell on it, move on. Don't let it get you down.Easier said than done, I know, but it's what I try to do. Remember there are others waiting to read your next book, don't let them down. Tena Stetlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17728074623573439351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-74990146365562443612017-05-24T09:44:52.930-04:002017-05-24T09:44:52.930-04:00Oooh, I hate that. I've had a few reviews wher...Oooh, I hate that. I've had a few reviews where they get the story facts wrong and I wonder if they really read the book before they decided to give an opinion... that shouldn't be allowed, or at the very least ought to be dealt with by a librarian when it's pointed out.<br />Katie O'Sullivanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17295418503546522882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6831433709810155834.post-62892954112613548592017-05-24T09:43:18.094-04:002017-05-24T09:43:18.094-04:00Thanks, Leigh. I find stamping my feet while cursi...Thanks, Leigh. I find stamping my feet while cursing makes it better, too. It's the getting back to work part I'm having trouble with. But you're right. It's part of the job.Katie O'Sullivanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17295418503546522882noreply@blogger.com