Dealing with bad reviews

[AshK]

http://www.epublishabook.com/2011/11/29/what-to-do-when-your-books-gets-a-bad-review-part-1/

Helps put "bad reviews'' into categories so we can deal with them better.

[shadowwalker]

If your book is already out there, what difference does it make what or where a bad review is? There's nothing you can (or rather, should) do about it. Waste of time and angst.

[AnyaHarker]

The one thing I disagree with is when it comes to responding to reviews. I've heard (and have several author friends agree with me) that responding to bad reviews especially is very bad form. When you respond you wind up looking like Anne Rice on Amazon. (Though I'll say that's some really interesting reading right there.)

I would agree, however, that if it's an obscene or damaging review (particularly on Amazon) hit the report button. I had friends who had about 4 bad reviews based on nothing more than someone didn't like the title, even though the summary of the book was clearly listed and left horrid reviews based on the title and it was clear they didn't even read the ebook. Oh, and it was a free short story to boot. People.

[eallen99]

I agree it's an exercise in futility to sweat over what to do with bad reviews. Fortunately for me, the ratio of good ones far outweighs the bad, but it still stings. Commenting on a bad review just makes the author look childish and defensive IMHO.  I have also found that most of my one star reviews have a scathing, almost personal bite to them - like they know me and/or might be one of the pathetic characters in my books. If that's the case, then 

BTW, each time I get a horrible review, my sales go through the roof. Go figure.

[bodwen]

Exactly.  Unfortunately, a bad review feels like a whip across the back, but the fortunate thing is that it doesn't look nearly that bad to anyone else. It's impossible to please all the people all the time, so if you publish a book, not everyone will like it.  Look up any book on Amazon you consider a timeless classic, and I guarantee at least one person will say it's awful and overrated.

The one golden lining I notice about people who leave one star reviews is that they tend to rant about the things they don't like, which might actually make the book seem more appealing to people who don't share their world view.

Author responses to bad reviews come across as childish.  In my youth I once mentioned that I suspected that an author lifted her novel from material in the second season of an obscure British TV series.  The author responded, saying I was an idiot and she'd actually based it on the FIRST season of that TV series, so what did I know!  Showed it to my friends and they couldn't stop laughing.

[AshK]

omg Bodwen