If you’re wondering how to handle criticism on your first book, you’re already well on your way to dealing with it well. I still remember sending my first novel off for edits and feeling a bit overwhelmed at the feedback I received. There was so much of it!
While feedback from an editor is for your good and the good of your book, once you publish your book and engage in book marketing, criticism from readers can start coming in.
The more you market, the more criticism you’re likely to receive, simply because you’ve grown a larger pool of readers. This is normal and not something to worry about.
We’ve taught over 8,000 authors how to write, publish, and market their books over the last 10 years, and our students have received their fair share of criticism. If you want to learn how to handle criticism well when it comes (because it will), just keep reading.
How to handle criticism on your first book:
How to handle criticism as an author?
Learning how to handle criticism on your first book is very similar to learning how to handle feedback from your editors and beta readers. Below are 8 steps to help you handle this type of feedback well. While this is written directly to you as a first-time author, you can apply it to any book you publish.
1. Let it sit
When I was at university, I studied nonverbal communication. In class, we watched different world leaders assert dominance simply by how they communicated.
In interpersonal interactions, slow is powerful. Watch an interview with a well-known celebrity who’s been in the business and is media trained, and you’ll notice they’re slow and methodical in their responses to questions.
Because they’re confident that they’re in charge, they’re also confident in taking the time they need to respond. The same applies to handling criticism on your book. When you receive your first bad review or get an email from a reader who didn’t like your ending, let it sit.
Whatever you do, don’t rush to respond. My writing mentor recommends waiting 24 hours before replying after receiving edits from your editor. It’s wise to apply the same mindset to reviews.
Part of learning how to handle criticism about your first book is learning to slow down. You’ll respond better once you calm yourself.
2. Look for the good
If a reader took the time to read your book and then reach out, it means they care enough to contact you.
Maybe they don’t like your book cover design or are upset about how you handled a particular character’s arc, but they did take the time to tell you so. You can learn from this.
I’ve found that the best writers are the most humble: confident in their creative choices but open to hearing feedback from those least credible to give it.
Particularly if you’re writing a book series, you can consider the reader’s feedback for your next book. No, you don’t have to take their feedback, but being open will broaden your creative capacities and help you see your story from a new angle.
3. Remind yourself what readers love
I have an entire album on my phone titled Writing Encouragement. In it, I keep screenshots of emails, social media replies, texts, anything where someone has contacted me about my writing and offered encouragement.
One tip: Don’t gatekeep encouragement from yourself. No matter how small, if something someone said lifts your spirit even an inch, save it to your album, folder, or wherever is easiest for you.
Years ago, a famous author wrote a book. I read the book, wrote an entire article on it, and posted it on X. He replied! This may be a small thing in the grand scheme of publishing, but it encouraged me.
Guess where his reply sits? Screenshotted, in my Writing Encouragement folder. Whenever I get discouraged on my writing journey, I can just swipe through my screenshots and feel encouraged.
Creating something similar for yourself is one of the best ways to deal with criticism, especially on your first book.
4. Don’t forget this is your first time
Dealing with criticism can be hard, especially when it veers away from constructive criticism and enters the territory of blunt or downright rude. This is your first time publishing a book. Read that one more time. This is your first time.
That means this is the time that will be most difficult. You’ll likely make the most mistakes. People will criticize you. Readers haven’t had time to fall in love with your voice yet.
All of this is okay. The more you press through the criticism on your first book, the more practiced you will be in how to handle criticism on your next book.
Simply remind yourself you’re new at this and celebrate the fact that you did something enormous: You wrote, edited, and published a book! No matter how much criticism you receive, this accomplishment is worth celebrating.
5. Run responses by a team member
If you do choose to respond to a negative review or email, be sure to run your response by someone you trust before communicating with your reader.
You could choose a friend or family member, but recognize that they may feel offended on your behalf. It may help to run your answer by your editor or writing coach.
They can help ensure your response is professional, thoughtful, and kind. A good rule of thumb is to keep communication concise yet positive.
6. Take notes for next time
There are many people who refuse to look at reviews, good or bad. This is something to consider as you learn how to handle criticism on your first book and apply this knowledge to your future books.
Dr. Amen, known for his work on brain health, says that, “Negativity bias is the tendency to prioritize negative input over positive ones. It influences everything, including how we perceive things.”
If you find yourself ruminating on negative reviews or going down a dark hole thinking about reader criticism, you may want to consider reading a great book instead of your reader reviews when you publish your next book.
7. Collect positive reviews
Similar to point number 3, it can be tremendously encouraging to ask a friend or member of your team to sift through your reviews and save all of the positive ones.
This means you don’t need to look through the reviews yourself, but you still get to hear the great comments readers share about your book.
If you do happen across a negative review, simply read through the stack of positive reviews from your fans. This can remind you that readers truly do love your work.
8. Focus on the fact that creativity is subjective
While creativity is a skill, it is also subjective. Recently, I was at a creatives’ conference. During a panel, a film producer said that he only wants to see great scripts, but that at the same time, creativity is subjective.
What one reader may dislike about your book may be the exact plot point, character arc, or theme another reader loves. Every writer will receive difficult criticism at some point. The key is learning how to handle it well, and this starts with understanding that art is subjective.
How to disarm criticism?
A response as simple as thanking the reviewer and acknowledging that you understand how they might have that particular response to your writing can be incredibly disarming.
This can be particularly helpful in live Q&A events or even when you receive a difficult question while appearing as a guest on a podcast. For example, imagine someone says, “Why did you kill off your hero in the end? I really thought that ending was awful.”
You could respond with something as simple as, “Thank you so much for bringing that up. Writing that ending felt awful too! I did my best to write in a way that showed integrity to the character [plot point, etc.]. I’m glad you enjoyed the character as I did!”
How do I stop overreacting to criticism?
Overreacting to criticism is easy to do, but can be stopped by simply recognizing the reaction.
Ask yourself a few questions to help you stop the reaction:
- How am I responding right now? (Name what you are doing/feeling.)
- Does this criticism ring true? (If it does, consider how you can make appropriate changes. If it does not, write it off as subjective feedback.)
- Regardless of your response to question two, remind yourself why you write (love of the craft, sharing your knowledge, telling stories, etc.), and get back to it!
How do authors deal with bad reviews?
Mentioned briefly above, some authors simply deal with bad reviews by not looking at them. How you specifically learn to handle criticism on your first book, and subsequent ones, is unique to you.
However, you can start articulating what works best for you by using the 8 steps above. Remember, no matter how much criticism you receive, there are readers who love your work and spend hours of their weeks reading what you’ve written. That is a huge honor!
How to handle criticism on your first book:
Now that you’ve learned how to handle criticism on your first book and all the ones you’re yet to write, take your next step by using our free resource below!
Don’t let fear of criticism hold you back from writing. Instead, let it inspire you to pursue greatness, knowing your work will connect with just the readers it should!
