Reader Reviews

[Brent Robison]

It felt great the other day to discover an unsolicited reader review on my book's page on Amazon, especially since the writer is articulate, really understands what I was trying to do, and loves the book!

I just posted on Facebook a request for my friends who've read the book to post a little review of their own. Just asking like that is not easy for me... so the surprises are especially cool.

This whole book promotion business is difficult, eh? Or am I just too much a hermit?

[Steve Hamilton]

Brent, I'm dead serious, man. And I say this with love.

Do not read reviews.

[Wendy Drolma]

Steve, your response to Brent has me curious, Given what he has said in his post, I'm wondering why you would suggest he not read reviews? I ask this not because I have a problem imagining what it would feel like to read a less than complimentary (or worse) review but because, overall, Brent's been happy with the written response he's received. Is there something about reading even those that's not advised? Sincerely...Wendy

[Brent Robison]

But wait... isn't that the whole reason I wrote the book... to get praise from strangers?

Kidding. (But sometimes it's easy to forget that writing is "fun.")

I'm guessing the problem with reading reviews of any kind is that they distort an author's vision of his own work.... ?

[Steve Hamilton]

Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so dogmatic, I guess. (It was late at night, when I don't think as much before posting.) In any case, everybody's experience is going to be different. Of course. But bottom line, it was the best piece of advice I got from more than one veteran writer when I was starting out myself, and I see the wisdom in it more and more each year. It's the good reviews, especially, which can mess with your head if you let them. You're only human, after all, and you can't help but respond to the positive feedback, and to (at least) subconsciously bend yourself toward that same light when you go back to work.

Does that make any sense? I mean, again, I didn't mean for it to sound so black and white. All I know is, I don't think I've ever benefited one little bit from any review, positive or negative. I made myself start ignoring them a few books ago, and I think it was the right call. But what do you think?

Thanks,

SH

[Brent Robison]

Steve, I think there's a lot of wisdom in what you're saying. "Bending toward the light" is a very apt image that will stick with me. While it's a natural response to praise, it's also potentially an insidious undermining force. I also think you show a lot of self-knowledge to be so clear about no actual benefit coming from reviews. I can see how that would be entirely possible -- your work is your work, and it improves by your own private, hard-earned growth. I don't have enough experience yet to really know, but I do imagine some benefits: from bad reviews, pointers that inspire improvements; from good reviews, a feeling of validation that may keep me from giving the whole thing up. But I would certainly prefer to be self-contained, happily invulnerable to opinions, focused and always moving forward.

One practical problem for me is that, as a self-published author, I have to go out there and solicit the reviews, then I have to excerpt them for promotional efforts. So ignoring them is just not an option. Unless I just let the book slowly find its own audience (which may be another way of saying "disappear into the black hole of obscurity").

Thanks for your generous advice; I appreciate hearing from a veteran. And I look forward to seeing your new book!

Brent

[Steve Hamilton]

Brent, thanks for putting this site together, and for everything you do to keep it running. When they asked me to do that January Jumps thing at Bard, I made sure to schedule the same day that you'll be there, just so I can heckle you and throw popcorn.

[Brent Robison]

Hey, that was my plan too! Looking forward to hearing what you have to say.