Today we have an awesome author with us. Sydney Logan talks about Reader Reviews. Sometimes they are good, sometimes bad and how she handles them. I am very excited about this post. I hope you all enjoy!!! I also want to thank Sydney for being on the blog today. I love featuring authors and any from the Writers Coffee Shop are my favs.
Reader Reviews:
The Good, The Bad, and How to
Handle It All
Guest post by Sydney Logan
author of Lessons Learned
When
I signed my publishing contract for my debut novel, Lessons Learned, one of the
first questions I was asked on my marketing form was about unfavorable reviews
and how I would react to them. Of course, I had heard horror stories about
one-star reviews that could rip an author’s dreams to shreds. I’d also heard
about “bad author behavior” where the author would engage with a reviewer in a negative
way. But I had never really considered how I would react to it.
Lessons
Learned was definitely my baby. My blood, sweat, and many, many tears went into
the book. It is a sweet love story with undertones of religious and social
issues. The subject is timely and somewhat controversial, so I expected some
reactions. For the most part, I’ve received nothing but wonderfully supportive
reviews. Sure, there have been reviews I’ve disagreed with, or wished I could
talk to the reviewer and explain something that perhaps wasn’t clear to them,
but I never have.
The
honest truth is that the very best reaction to a negative review is no reaction
at all.
At
least not publicly.
Still,
authors need to vent from time to time. When I say my husband is my “Lucas,” it’s
not an exaggeration. If I receive a negative review, he hears about it. He
keeps me calm and reminds me to pay attention to all of the positive reviews
and ignore the few negative. One bad
apple shouldn’t spoil the bunch, they say, and in this case, that’s true.
That’s
not to say all negative reviews are toxic. Some can be constructive. If they
are, take what they say and use it to grow as a writer. I had a reviewer tell
me that Sarah and Lucas’s love story in Lessons Learned was overshadowed by
Matt’s struggle with bullying. To me, that was constructive and reminds me to
be more balanced in my writing. I had another reviewer (in a review for one of
my short stories) say that my story wasn’t worth the .99¢ she paid for it.
Needless to say, that particular review wasn’t constructive at all.
As
an author, you really have to find your happy place when it comes to dealing
with reviews. Not everyone is going to love your book. Accept this. Embrace it.
But someone will love it. Most importantly, you
will love it, and at the end of the day, that’s the one review that truly
matters.
About the Author
Sydney Logan is an
Amazon bestselling author and holds a Master’s degree in Elementary Education.
With the 2012 release of her first novel, Lessons Learned, she made the
transition from bookworm to author. Sydney has a very unhealthy obsession with
music, and her iPod is filled with everything from Johnny Cash to Eminem. She
is also the author of two short stories: “Mistletoe Magic,” available
exclusively on Amazon Kindle, and “Stupid Cupid,” which is featured in the
Romantic Interludes compilation. When she isn't reading or writing, she enjoys
playing piano and relaxing on her front porch at her home in East Tennessee
with her wonderful husband and their very spoiled cat.
Her second novel,
Mountain Charm, will be released July 4, 2013.
About the Book
A young girl needs to spread her wings, but a young woman needs roots.
English teacher Sarah Bray never thought she’d return to Sycamore Falls, but a traumatic event at her inner-city school leaves her desperate for the sanctuary of home. By returning to her roots, an older and wiser Sarah hopes to deal with the demons of her present and confront the ghosts of her past.
She discovers a kindred spirit in Lucas Miller, a teacher from New York with demons of his own. As the newest faculty members at Sycamore High School, they quickly become friends – bonding through Lucas’s culture shock and their mutual desire to build new lives. When they open their wounded hearts to each other, their friendship effortlessly evolves into romance.
Their love is put to the test when Matt, the quarterback of the football team, shares his deepest secret with Sarah. When the conservative community finds out, Sarah and Lucas – along with the town of Sycamore Falls – are schooled in the lessons of acceptance, tolerance, and love
English teacher Sarah Bray never thought she’d return to Sycamore Falls, but a traumatic event at her inner-city school leaves her desperate for the sanctuary of home. By returning to her roots, an older and wiser Sarah hopes to deal with the demons of her present and confront the ghosts of her past.
She discovers a kindred spirit in Lucas Miller, a teacher from New York with demons of his own. As the newest faculty members at Sycamore High School, they quickly become friends – bonding through Lucas’s culture shock and their mutual desire to build new lives. When they open their wounded hearts to each other, their friendship effortlessly evolves into romance.
Their love is put to the test when Matt, the quarterback of the football team, shares his deepest secret with Sarah. When the conservative community finds out, Sarah and Lucas – along with the town of Sycamore Falls – are schooled in the lessons of acceptance, tolerance, and love
Author Links
Thanks everyone. I hope you all are doing great and have a great night!
2 comments:
Thank you for having me! :) xxoo
Well said! Love your books!!
Post a Comment