Use Those Negative Reviews

By B.D. Lawrence @BDLawrence3

We’ve all received less than positive reviews. For me, when I published my first book, An Angel and a One-Armed Man, I started seeing four and five-star reviews with the occasional three-star review. But then it happened. I received a two-star review. It wasn’t the star count that gave me the pit in my stomach, it was the comment that went along with it. This reviewer said, “The story didn’t have any real surprises in store and there was little by way of action. I wanted more intrigue and that old time detective novel ambiance. I kept turning the pages but not with any enthusiasm. Even the ending didn’t offer any real spark.”

Ouch. This one hurt as I pride myself on storytelling and keeping the reader engaged. I let that review fester for some time. I was working on book two of the One-Armed Detective series, The Coyote and a One-Armed Man. I finished the first draft. Some more reviews came in on my first book and they were positive, so the negative review moved to the backburner of my mind.

That negative review resurfaced, though, as I started on draft two of the second book. I had sent that book out to beta readers, and one beta reader out of the five that responded had some negative comments. Those negative comments echoed somewhat the two-star review I’d received on book one. I decided to use both that negative review and the negative comments from the beta reader to ensure I didn’t get one of those negative reviews for book two.

During the first rewrite of Coyote, I focused on putting in intrigue and mystery. I infused the book with action hoping readers would find it a page turner. The negative review I had of Angel drove me to up my game as far as mystery, intrigue, and action in the second book.

As for the negative comments from the beta reader, there was one in particular that I also found useful.

In The Coyote and a One-Armed Man, there is a sixteen-year-old autistic girl who is forced into sex trafficking. I thought I had done a pretty good job of her character. She is rescued early in the book. The beta reviewer had this to say, “also found it difficult to believe that after a 16-year-old autistic child spent weeks as a ‘forced prostitute’, she would not have major traumatic problems requiring extensive professional help.” It was great feedback. Rather than dwelling on the negativity this beta reader had for my book, I used his comment to ensure others would not come away with that same feeling. I added more of this girl’s mental state showing the buried trauma she had due to her experience. Because she was autistic, that emotion was not necessarily displayed, but I added other indicators to show it was there.

Reviews are important for writers. The more the better. And negative reviews, while they can sting, can be used to help us improve. Be disappointed, be hurt, but after you’ve given the negative review some time and space, go back to it and learn from it. Use those negative reviews to make yourself a better writer and make your next book a better book.

B.D. Lawrence writes stories of Justice, Vengeance, and Redemption. Check out his short stories and novels at https://www.bdlawrence.com. He hopes they will leave a strong impression on you and that you will like them and find them interesting and entertaining.