Wednesday Q & J: April 26, 2023

Q: How do you feel about reviews?

J: DEPENDS ON THE REVIEWS!!!!  One is always looking for a “money review,” ie. one the publisher can use to help sell the book.

But even bad or slightly “meh” reviews often have a quotable liner or two. As an ex-reviewer myself, I understand that a review can be written on a bad day, or in a hurry, or by someone who has never liked one’s work, or by an adoring ex-student fan, etc. To take them personally is to bring yourself down with no recourse. Publicly arguing with a reviewer always puts the author in a bad light. So shrug, find a single good sentence or phrase or word if one is there. Then move on.