Topic #543
Name one thing that a writer should never do.
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Actually, let me list a couple of top tier pieces of advice for writers. Why stop at one, when there are two really important things to keep in mind? At the risk of sounding like one of those click bait articles or videos, I really mean don’t do this one thing. The fact is, engaging in these can end your career.
Aside from not committing the plagiarism, which will get you sued and end your career, Authors should avoid responding to negative reviews. This won’t defend your honor or your credentials. It will make you look unhinged (regardless of it being warranted or not), but it will also make you feel unhinged. Why would you waste your precious energy on some ass hole? There are people who literally spend all their free time trying to wind someone up online. They enjoy it like normal people enjoy a roller coaster. Someday, their sociopathy will have a clear category and be treatable. Until then, save your time and breath.
A one star review can be really upsetting. Trust me, though, when I say that it’s part of the drive to flick someone’s nose and get off on their reaction. It is highly unlikely they even read your work. A bad review, even if backed up by comments about the text, should only be seen through the lens of how you can improve your craft. Brush aside the unhelpful and pointless snide remarks and look for anything that you can use to hone your skills. When nothing is there, write it off as a troll. Don’t get your bestie to respond. Resist running to anyone to respond on your behalf. Lastly, don’t hire folks to bump your ratings in response. Artificially blowing yourself up is just as unhelpful. You could get your work banned from publication.
Deep breaths. I feel your frustration as one who experienced it.
The next bit of advice is super important to your success, too. You may think that we writers work in a vacuum. While we do our efforts on our own, we still come together to do many of our next steps. From editing, proofing, spit-balling ideas, publishing, marketing, and the all important community, we need one another. Community being the main hub, instead of an office building, is how we get along and figure it all out. It helps us feel sane. We build real relationships with other authors, that are symbiotic and necessary.
To best maintain your relationships: don’t diminish other writers. We have each come to this art by our own means. Taking a giant dump on how that happened (traditional institutions or otherwise) doesn’t make you look smarter. Anti-intellectualism, in fact, attacks your own path. Being a writer is seen as an intellectual pursuit by bookish individuals. You came from the streets or you came from the hallowed halls, you sought out education and the betterment of your mind. Writing is a noble art! Authors are viewed as deeply insightful intellectuals.
If we dump on education institutions, we dump on the art we engage in. Don’t mistake this for legitimate criticism. Criticizing how things are taught and gatekeeping, is a necessary task. It improves access and quality. What we don’t want to do is stop others from reaching for this, too. We don’t want to shut down the drive to write. All of that will shutdown the drive to read. So not only would dumping on it cause less people to seek out writing, it’s going to lessen the pool of readers. Why would we do that to ourselves?
It’s understandable to fear going unheard. There are a lot of books out there. Undercutting other authors to improve your chances is not the way to manage your marketing. The most successful authors I have seen work with others. They’re often editors and do marketing. They love the art and want to share it with others. They celebrate all the books. In no world does being against reading and learning make a wider field in which to share your writing.
All that said, being realistic about those who are ahead of us and those coming up behind us is fair. If you’re not realistic about where you fit, how do you improve? If I thought I was the great American Novelist, I’d never do any better. What would I think I had to change? But, don’t forget, you must respect your own accomplishments, too. Diminishing yourself isn’t going to help you anymore than blowing yourself up falsely. The realism goes both ways! Holy shit! You published a book. Do you know what a huge deal that is? Only 6-7 million publish 2-3 or more times, out of a whopping 8.3 billion people in the world. (AI calculation via DDG search assistant).
Don’t cry on me now! You’re brilliant. Now, don’t mess that all up by trying to knock the sparkle off another one of us or loosing it online with idiots. You’re better than that.
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Yes, I’ve read many times about not responding to trolls. It’s very tempting to though!
So tempting! I can’t imagine wanting to do that to someone, though. Something very wrong with them.
If I get a one-star review, I just shrug; it obviously was the wrong book for that particular reader. As for my fellow authors, I try to help and encourage them wherever I can. We’re all on the same journey, and we need all the support we can get in the face of the AI slop onslaught.
i can’t imagine you getting 1 star! Your ideas are so good.
My mother always said to never say anything unless you have something good to say. That’s still true, many years later. (although some days it’s awful tempting to do otherwise.)
I agree! Thumper says that in my head whenever I am tempted. Sometimes, he doesn’t win, because the desire to put someone in their place is too big!