Guest Nancy Mehl--Reviewing the Reviewers

Reviewing the “Reviewers”

Nancy Mehl

When your first book is published, many times it’s through self-publishing or with a small or mid-list publisher. Once it’s out, reviews are like catnip to a usually docile cat. Your friends and family, who believe with all their hearts that your words like nuggets of pure gold, praise you all over Amazon and wherever else your book shows up. Surely you are the embodiment of Dickens, Shakespeare, and Nicholas Sparks all rolled into one. (Now that’s a scary thought!) Every couple of hours, you click on Amazon to see if another wonderful review has magically appeared. Yep, there’s one from Uncle Joe. Like that aforementioned feline, you’re high on “the nip,” jumping around, grinning like that euphoric Cheshire kitty from Alice’s world. Of course, you may be a little concerned about those dang Amazon numbers that don’t seem to move. Surely the only people reading your book aren’t your friends and family members who got free copies. But…other writers explain patiently that no one really understands Amazon anyway, so you decide to blithely ignore those silly numbers and sniff another line of nip. Besides…there’s a five star review from Aunt Sally!

And then one day a miracle happens. You get an offer from a large publisher that will actually place your book in bookstores! No more begging local merchants for shelf space while you feel like Oliver Twist pleading, “Please, sir. May I have some more?” They point toward the dreaded “Local Interest” section that is always in the back of the store – in the darkest corner. Not anymore! It’s the end cap for you! People you don’t know will actually be reading your book. Hallelujah! Now the fun begins. Your book comes out and you wait for the raves to start. After all, your mom, your best friend Ethel, and your aunt and uncle believe in you. Surely the rest of the world feels the same way! Wait until they discover your genius! You click over to Amazon and… Oh, my. What??? After you pick yourself up off the floor and check your glasses, you start to wonder if you’ve been imagining this deep well of talent that has propelled you to greatness. Could Aunt Sally be wrong? Surely your mother wasn’t lying to protect your feelings. WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON?????

Your red-rimmed eyes take in comments like:

“I wanted to like this book but…”

“…flat characters and a silly plot.”

“Don’t waste your money on this book.”

“I will never read another book by this author again.”

“This author’s mother wears a tin foil hat and dirty sneakers.”

Okay, I made up that last one. But you get the idea.

So…what has happened? Easy, you’ve entered the wonderful world of “real” book reviews. I used quotes on the word “real” because authors need to understand that many of these reviews aren’t as “real” as they seem.

Before I present the “balanced” side of book reviews, may I let off a little steam? You’re welcome to skip this part of the article and pick it up a few paragraphs down. That’s where I present sound and logical advice. But this next part? I will be peering into the deep, dark part of the writer’s brain we all try to hide. The truth we’d never admit to in public. But I’d bet my Strunk and White that almost every single author has had these thoughts. Except me, of course. I would never…(Cough, cough.) Never mind.

What we’d like to say to these people who write bad reviews:

“Excuse me? One star? You asked people to save their money and pass on my book? Where do you work? You work at Starbucks? Let’s see how you like it when I come in this afternoon and announce to everyone there that your lattes are lame and your frappuccinos flop. Oh, and while I’m at it, I’d like to say a few words to your boss. What? I could cost you your job? Your income? Has it occurred to you that your lousy review affects me the same way?”

“You talk to your mother with that mouth? When you’re in church this Sunday and the pastor talks about edifying and blessing your brothers and sisters, will you remember those nasty things you said about my book?”

“By the way, Miss Book Reviewer, you got the name of my main character wrong! You also gave away a major plot point! Not cool!”

Well, you get the picture. Not the classiest way to respond. Nor the correct way either. But the truth remains that if any author turned the tables and lambasted a reviewer, that critic would be mortally offended, even angered. It’s happened a few times – and the results weren’t pretty. In this situation, turnabout is definitely NOT fair play. In truth, most of us will never take a chance on “reviewing the reviewers.” How do we handle the rush of resentment that flairs up when we read an unfair review? The important thing to remember is that most of these reviews are not from professional reviewers. They are from people. People with prejudices and opinions. Many times the review actually has very little to do with your writing ability. It has more to do with personal taste. And yes, it does feel unjust when someone blasts you for silly things.

Here are some real examples from actual reviews. This is from one of my books:

Charity, a six-year-old still takes naps, yet, most every night, she can hardly keep her eyes open. She is content to sit all day and color. Hmm, I don't remember my children acting like this.

What? You gave the book three stars because a child in my book took too many naps???? Really???

This is from a review for another author:

“…whilst giving you a distorted, indeed bigoted, picture of faiths not their own. It is ideologues like ***** who have given Christianity a bad name, such that their Founder would not recognize his teaching amid the wreckage modern fundies have made of it.”

Um…what????? A least the language was…medieval.

And to me, one of the funniest review comments ever:

I will never read anything by you again because you named a town “Intercourse.”

Wow. Those folks in Pennsylvania better take to wearing ski masks.

So…how does a well-balanced writer deal with reviews like these? I dunno. Let me go and ask one… I mean, here’s what every writer must understand if they’re going to tread safely through the delicate mine field of book reviews:

ALL reviews are subjective. What does that mean? It means, that just because Betty Sue hates everything you do, her opinion doesn’t matter one whit more than Cindy Lynn who loves each word that flows through your magic fingers. In fact, it should mean less. People see things in different ways. I imagine that the reviewer who hates my sleepy child character has issues. Many times, in inspirational fiction, it could be something you’ve said that doesn’t line up with the reviewer’s doctrine. They can’t say that because they’d sound like a religious bigot. So…suddenly little, unimportant things become huge stumbling blocks. And the reader who loves you? Something you said impacted them in a positive way. And isn’t that the reason you write? Isn’t it more important that the “naps issue?”

Okay, what about the professional reviewers? Folks who do this for a living? They’re still people. They can be wrong. But…they can also be right. When I first started out, I listened carefully to these folks. I still do. Through their insight I began to identify patterns, and it helped me immensely. Through their help, and trying to develop a humble spirit, I improved my writing. I owe them a lot. Even the crabby ones.

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To all the writers out there: Reviews are just opinions. That’s it. You have to know yourself well enough to sort the grain from the chaff. When twenty people rave about your characters and one person calls them “flat,” you can toss that negative comment out if you know yourself and your writing. If you know that creating characters is one of your strengths, why would you listen to someone you don’t know who makes a comment that doesn’t ring true? Your mind is not a garbage can. Don’t store trash in it. Knowing who to listen to and who to tune out is one of the greatest weapons you’ll ever have as a writer. Now if several reviewers mention one thing over and over – pay attention. You will learn from it. Reader/reviewers have important things to say, and repeated concerns are usually valid. But when I get a nasty review that’s just goofy – or doesn’t make sense - I tell myself, “Well, I guess I wasn’t writing for that person.” Besides, don’t the letters and emails we get, thanking us for writing something that touched someone personally, mean more than all the other reviews put together? Of course they do. Those are the comments that should remain.

To the reviewers: Be kind. 1 Corinthians 13 isn’t just for Sunday. You need to know that authors DO see their reviews. Especially when a book first releases. Remember that this is their job. Their livelihood. Take that seriously. I worked as a book reviewer for many years. A professional book reviewer for my state’s largest newspaper. Got paid and everything. I NEVER WROTE A NEGATIVE REVIEW. Does that mean I gave everyone a good review? No. If all I could do was just give a synopsis, I did that. If the book was really bad, I simply made an excuse and refused to review it. Maybe you feel some special calling to “be honest with your review.” Bully for you. I feel a special calling not to leave people hurt and bruised by my opinions. How you spend your life is your decision. If unleashing your point of view in an unkind manner is something you’re not willing to compromise, go for it. But before you press “send,” you might give your words one final perusal. Did you sprinkle your review with pithy, hurtful phrases to showcase your incredible deftness with words? Or did you speak the truth in love? (That’s scripture, by the way.) Many times, the kind way to present your negative remarks could be framed as follows: “This is only my opinion. Someone else might really enjoy this book.” Flat out condemning a book as if your point of view is the only right one is unnecessary. Because it’s not.

One important note: Most casual (not full-time) reviewers work hard to review books simply because they love them. Many times there are children at their feet and supper waiting to be made. Even so, they put their hearts and souls into promoting our books – and we should appreciate them. And I do. Many of them have made me cry. The good way. Please understand that without you, we’d have a limited chance to get the word out. We love you. We really do. It’s okay to gush, and it’s okay to say a certain book isn’t for you. No problem there. My other comments are really for folks who are needlessly unkind. They are in the minority. You are in the majority. We respect your time and your dedication. Thank you so much.

Back to the writers: Take the good. Listen to the bad. Keep what’s useful and toss out what isn’t. Don’t be snotty. Don’t comment back on Amazon. (Yes, I know I did this once or twice, but I’m growing!), and most of all…forgive.

And always remember this: When I get in a snit, God whispers these words to me. “You said you wanted to follow this path. This is part of it. Do we go on? Or do we quit?”

To that I say…”Go, Lord! Go!”

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Inescapable

Lizzie Engel is used to running away. At eighteen, she left her Mennonite hometown, her family, and her faith with plans never to return. Five years later, Lizzie finds she'll have to run again. False accusations at her job, a stalker, and a string of anonymous threatening letters have left her with no other options. This time, however, her escape is back to Kingdom, her hometown.
As Lizzie becomes reacquainted with Kingdom, she realizes she may not have left her Mennonite roots and her faith as firmly in the past as she thought. She draws on the support of Noah Housler, an old friend, as she hides out and attempts to plan her next steps. When it becomes painfully clear that the danger has followed Lizzie to Kingdom, suspicions and tensions run high, and she no longer knows who to trust. With her life and the lives of those she loves at risk, Lizzie will have to run one last time--to a Father whose love is inescapable.

BIO – Nancy Mehl

Nancy Mehl lives in Wichita, Kansas with her husband Norman and her very active puggle, Watson. She’s authored twelve books and is currently at work on her newest series for Bethany House Publishing. The first book, “Inescapable,”released this month.

All of Nancy’s novels have an added touch – something for your spirit as well as your soul. “I welcome the opportunity to share my faith through my writing,”Nancy says. “God is number one in my life. I wouldn’t be writing at all if I didn’t believe that this is what He’s called me to do. I hope everyone who reads my books will walk away with the most important message I can give them: God is good, and He loves you more than you can imagine. He has a good plan for your life, and there is nothing you can’t overcome with His help.”

She and her husband attend Believer’s Tabernacle in Wichita.

Find Nancy online:

http://www.nancymehl.com/

http://www.nancymehl.blogspot.com/