ed gorman & company: Sarah Weiman's First Bad Review

ed gorman & company: Sarah Weiman's First Bad Review: "Sarah Weiman's First Bad Review

Sarah Weinman got a less than wonderful review on a piece of fiction she wrote. She talks about it on her blog today. Not surpisingly, she doesn't like the feeling a tepid review leaves her with. It's her first negative review and she wonders how her readers felt about their own first bad reviews. It's an honest and well-written reaction something all writers go through."

Ed goes on to explain his reaction to his first bad review. I have to say that I felt pretty much the same way, and that I still feel pretty much the same way when I get a bad review these days. But after a day or so I forget about it. What the heck, it's only one person's opinion, and certainly I've given books bad reviews before, too.

The thing is that when I started publishing novels, I quit doing negative reviews. I know how they make me feel, and I decided that I didn't want to make anybody feel that way. So for the most part, I talk only about the books I like and mention the others only in private communications. Now and then I might slip, but I really do try to keep my comments on the positive side. That hasn't stopped reviewers from saying bad things about me, however. Probably my favorite good review, the one that sticks with me, is from Kirkus. Usually the Kirkus reviewer hates my work, but he (or she, or whoever) really, really loved BLOOD MARKS. But he (or she, or whoever) couldn't resist getting in a nasty remark, so the review, and out-and-out rave, begins this way: "Crider, the author of two mediocre series . . . ." Sometimes you just can't win.