"Amazon feedback comments for authors"

[John Jarrold]

Same is true of some actors and other creative people. The main thing is to believe in your talent - not psychopathically, but if an agent and a publisher (both of whom are professional people, not charity workers) think you have something, then you do have something. You just can't expect everyone to like what you do, because that is never the case.

Look, if your book doesn't sell and every review is bad, then there is a problem! But if it sells well and you get both good and bad reviews, you're doing as well as you can reasonably expect. As in life, if you expect everyone to like you, and what you do, you'll be disappointed.

[David Elliott]

As Bob Dylan once said: Everybody must get stoned!

Or maybe that was about something else ...

[gary compton]

When I was a kitchen fitter what drove me to deliver a good job was the fear of the customer saying 'I am not happy with that.' when I got those sort of comments I hated it and it spurred me on to improve. So I suppose yes you have to be thick skinned but there is nothing wrong in turning negative comments into a positive experience. That's just me though - everyone is different!

[Teresa Edgerton]

Except that you have to remember, Gary, that the reactions of readers can be more subjective than those of other customers. Those parts of a book that one group of readers condemn may be the very parts that other readers fall in love with. So, yes, you can use negative reviews to spur you on to better things, but you have to be careful that they aren't spurring you on to remove everything that makes your writing special.

[John Jarrold]

Too right. As a publisher or as an agent, you deal with writers as individuals.

[John Jarrold]

Originally Posted by garycompton

When I was a kitchen fitter what drove me to deliver a good job was the fear of the customer saying 'I am not happy with that.' when I got those sort of comments I hated it and it spurred me on to improve. So I suppose yes you have to be thick skinned but there is nothing wrong in turning negative comments into a positive experience. That's just me though - everyone is different!

And the same is true of everyone, including publishers. I once submitted a book set partially in the 16th century, and partially in the present day. Half the editors who saw it loved the historical sections, the other half loved the present day sections!

Subjectivity. A wonderful, infuriating thing - and true of everyone viewing a book, a piece of art, music....!

[gary compton]

Thanks Teresa,

I hadn't thought of that - that's why I am still fitting kitchens...do you want a quote? Travelling could be expensive though but it would be worth it!

XXX