“I Just Got Naked With a Thousand Strangers”

“It feels like I just got naked with a thousand strangers”. That’s how I’ve described it when asked what it feels like being a published author. Is it exciting? Is it surreal? Yes, but…..it ALSO feels like I’m standing in a room, butt-naked, with thousands of eyes trained on ME. The experience with each new reader who purchases a copy of one of my books is comparable to being intimate with a guy for the first time. Imagine that he’s silent during the act, gets up without saying a single word when it’s all over, and then you sit by waiting for a phone call – except the phone call comes in the form of a review. Sometimes you hear back. Sometimes you don’t. Sometimes…..he’s only calling to tell you that it sucked. LOL Just kidding, but you get the point.
Do I read EVERY review? Yes….I think all authors probably do until they get so big and so well-known that we couldn’t possibly track down every site where someone has shared their opinion. I’m not there yet.
One thing this experience has taught me is that my skin is thicker than I realized. How would you feel if someone called your kid ugly? I had to laugh at that exaggeration, but it was necessary! That’d hurt, right? Yeah……that’s kinda the feeling you get when you read a bad review, or get the dreaded “It was okay” feedback. Authors, be ready for it all because it’s coming LOL. It’s not a testament of your talent per se, but it’ll definitely make you feel that way at the time. What I’ve learned to do is refer to the negative reviews of books that I LOVE! They’ve all got at least one 1-star review from someone who didn’t quite appreciate it. It happens! Pick up your face and move on! I can name ten movies right now that I personally don’t care for, but I have friends or family who could watch them daily. That’s just the way it goes. Don’t let it stop you from writing.
Trust me, with the bad DEFINITELY comes the good. There will always be readers who criticize your work, but oh what a wonderful feeling it is when you get the reviews, the Facebook likes, and the email from people who really “got it”. They read the book, understood EXACTLY what you were trying to do and say, and they enjoyed every minute of it. THAT feedback numbs the sting a bit. I, for one, appreciate each and every review. Good. Bad. Indifferent. There is something to be learned from it all, and a mature writer knows that. Every critique gives you just a little bit more insight into the thought process of your audience. Take what you can from all of it and consider it a lesson learned. But I caution you to even beware of the positive reviews. Don’t let it pump your head up to the point of thinking that you don’t have to put your heart in every story that you tell. Don’t take your readers’ loyalty for granted. Let their love and support motivate you to continue to write from your soul and give each book everything you’ve got. A big “THANK YOU” to everyone who supports me ❤

With love and humble appreciation,
Raven