By Michelle Griep, @MichelleGriep
I write historical romance. There’s a key word there. Romance. Which implies love. Which means, in Christian fiction, boy likes girl, girl likes boy, you’ll encounter hand-holding and long, deep gazes, and yes, gasp, even kissing. But judging by a recent review I received, you’d think I’d just penned a sequel to Fifty Shades. Sheesh.
Here’s a little piece of advice…if romance makes you squirm, maybe you shouldn’t read it.
But I only thought that in my head. I did not say it out loud, and I certainly did not attack the reviewer by slapping up a defense shield or firing back. Bad reviews happen. It’s part of the writing game because this is art, and art is subjective. So, what’s a writer to do when a scathing review rubs you the wrong way?
#1. Roll over and play dead.
This is the do-nothing response, as in, well, don’t do anything. Don’t comment. Don’t fight back. Just let the reader own his opinion and you own yours.
#2. Re-read your positive reviews.
Sure, someone might hate your work, but haters gotta hate. That doesn’t mean you have to wallow in their words. Instead, camp out in the glowing reviews from those who love your art.
#3. Consider the criticism.
There could be some valuable gems of wisdom beneath all the negativity. After you’ve had a good cry, mine into that review, looking for a vein of gold takeaway value.
#4. Write.
No, don’t write a response. Simply turn to your current manuscript and write harder, better, dig deep into your writerly storehouse and produce better than ever material.
#5. Count it all joy.
Clearly, your writing struck a chord in a reader. So, yeah, it was a negative chord, but hey…you created a response. In this world of apathy, that’s quite a feat.
Negative reviews are inevitable. How you respond, however, is not carved in stone. Before you knee-jerk react, consider trying one or all five of these responses first.
A war-torn countryside is no place for a lady—but Mercy Lytton is a lady like none other. Raised amongst the Mohawks, she straddles two cultures, yet each are united in one cause . . . to defeat the French. Born with a rare gift of unusually keen eyesight, she is chosen as a scout to accompany a team of men on a dangerous mission. Yet it is not her life that is threatened. It is her heart.
Condemned as a traitor, Elias Dubois faces the gallows. At the last minute, he’s offered his freedom if he consents to accompany a stolen shipment of French gold to a nearby fort—but he’s the one they stole it from in the first place. It turns out that the real thief is the beguiling woman, Mercy Lytton, for she steals his every waking thought.
Can love survive divided loyalties in a backcountry wilderness?
Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She is the author of historical romances: The Captured Bride, The Innkeeper’s Daughter, 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, The Captive Heart, Brentwood’s Ward, and A Heart Deceived, but also leaped the historical fence into the realm of contemporary with the zany romantic mystery Out of the Frying Pan. If you’d like to keep up with her escapades, find her at www.michellegriep.com or stalk her on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.