My Book Is On Amazon and BN!

Anxiously awaited with both excitement and nervous tension, the book has been launched. It appears in all its shiny new cover glory on every known ebook site.  The pages are filled with brief descriptions, links to author sites and social media networks.

Now comes the nail-biting, the anxious breath-holding until the first reviews appear. As a sane and logical person, you realize that each reader is an individual and as such they are all entitled to their own opinions. Odds are some won't be as favorable as others.  As an author, some of the most difficult work is social networking and turning the other cheek. The high road is the ONLY road an author should take.

Case in point? A certain young lady, who probably goes by a new name if she is planning to sell anything in print again, blasted a very nice, and very  correct reviewer who had watered down his criticism and even found nice things to say about the lady's work. She used the "f" word more times than I can recall, and when a ton of blog followers wrote back in defense of the reviewer, she fought with them as well.  Are you recalling this #gone viral event?  By the time someone advised her to just shut up and she took their advice, several publishers had passed her name around as a banned author.

That was an extreme incident, but the author did far more damage than the reviewer ever would have.  Negative comments should either be ignored,  or if the occasion warrants a polite thank you for taking the time to read my work and offer your suggestions type comment--which doesn't require you to agree or disagree with the reviewer. They will then be more likely to give your next book a chance, and perhaps even a more favorable review. A negative reader is still a reader, and that is what all authors are after.  And, as this is America, every individual has the right to voice their opinion.  This is the pep talk all authors should give themselves before their launch date. They should also surround themselves with supportive friends and family who think anything they write is golden--just in case!

Here's to a five-star review for one and all!

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