How To Ruin Your Writing Career (In One Simple Step)
It's not worth the fight
There are many things you can do to help your career as an author.
There are just as many things you can do to hurt your career as an author.
And there is one thing you can do that will stop your career in its tracks and ruin all of the hard work you've put into it.
This one simple step?
Fighting with your readers or commenting negatively about reviews.
Now here's why.
The Importance Of Readers
Without readers, there would be no authors.
If not for the support, feedback, and time and money spent by readers authors would cease to exist.
When a reader spends their money to buy your book and their time to read your book - they owe you nothing.
As soon as that book is in their hand the transaction is over.
It's become a trend lately for authors to make videos reading their reviews or complaining about the feedback they received on their work and as an author - I feel disgusted to share a profession with them.
When readers invest their time and money in us all we can do is sit back and hope they enjoy it. If not? Oh well.
It's not something to start a fight about.
The Danger Of The Fight
If you visit a restaurant and the food is vile, you are within your right to leave the restaurant a poor review, but you don't expect the restaurant to screenshot your review and blast it all over their social media pages do you?
Reviews are not meant for the author.
I'll repeat this.
REVIEWS ARE NOT MEANT FOR THE AUTHOR.
Reviews are there for the person sitting and scrolling through their phone deciding where they are going to go out for dinner. Not for the restaurant.
If you decide to make one of these videos reading through your feedback and complaining about those who gave you their time, their money, and their honest opinion of your work you can expect three things to happen.
Damaged Reputation- Arguing with your readers is unprofessional and will keep others from supporting you.
Lost Readers- Why would another reader want to pick up your book when there's a chance you are going to call them out publicly if they don't like it?
Viral Backlash- Readers support other readers before they support authors. Attacking one of them is like attacking all of them. Bad news spreads faster than smoke and you'll see quickly what the impact has on your sales and standing as an author.
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Be respectful of your audience online and for the love of your career stay out of the reviews of your books.
If you need to know the general idea of what readers think about your book ask a friend or partner to give you a quick rundown.
Do not attack your readers or your reviewers. They are entitled to their opinion just like you are entitled to yours.
Stay respectful.
With love,
B. xo xo
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This story was originally posted on Medium.
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About the Creator
Elise L. Blake
Elise is a full-time writing coach and novelist. She is a recent college graduate from Southern New Hampshire University where she earned her BA in Creative Writing.
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Comments (2)
This is so true. While I understand the sensitivity of creators and dislike the trolls, I've noticed as someone who supports creators, when they spend valuable time giving attention to negativity, it destroys the community. People who may have wanted to leave constructive comments or helpful ones, will back off because they don't want the risk being around negative energy. If anything, the creator would do better to make a statement expressing gratitude for those who build and support community. Why not discuss the most helpful comments rather than spend too much on the negativity? Thank you for bringing this up. I thought I was only one of a few that agrees with what you're expressing.
Love this! Brilliant, insightful, helpful, thank you!