I got my first three-star review Monday. I have to admit, it caught me a bit off-guard.
It’s not that I didn’t expect I would eventually encounter a three-star review. They happen. What I wasn’t prepared for was the soul-crushing effect that came with it.
First there was denial:
‘Hmmm – I must have misread that.’
Wait…what?
Then, there was anger:
What? How can someone say they read through a book in a matter of hours and then give it THREE STARS?’
I will destroy you!
Bargaining came next:
‘That doesn’t make any sense. Maybe they misclicked? Is there something I’m missing here?’
Maybe if I can get another 30 five-star reviews…
Then I went back to anger!
‘Curse you, random Amazon reviewer! Your insolence will not be tolerated!’
My anger cannot be expressed in text!
Depression hit. I realized my book sales were doomed. All was lost:
My dreams are dead…
Finally, there was general acceptance. Maybe not complete acceptance – but a general peace, and determination to keep pressing forward.
And prove that reviewer completely wrong. Because he (she) is. But I’m not angry about it.
Onward to victory! I really wanted an American flag fluttering in the background… my buddy Mike’s apartment just doesn’t do the moment justice.
The thing that surprised me most was the realization that a three-star review hit me harder than I think a one or two-star review would have. A one or two star review I could just accept as someone who didn’t like my book, and oh well, what could I do? But a three star suggests that the reader just thought my book was OK.
Just like in relationships, it’s easier to dismiss the person who just doesn’t like you than the person who seems generally disinterested. You want to know why, and you don’t understand how they couldn’t think you are anything other than absolutely incredible. And since I’m aware of how distinctly awesome I am, it’s all the more confusing. : )
It really is fascinating that something so common, and not-at-all unexpected, can throw us off. But people often only imagine rosy outcomes, and are unprepared for any rejection at all, no matter how many times it happens. Many of my fellow writers can attest to this fact, and the publishing business is a brutal instructor. And as much as I might dislike it sometimes, one honest review is worth more to me than a hundred faked five-star results. To be successful, you have to learn to deal with it, and move on.
As they say, the best never rest. And neither will I.
