It's Insecure Writer's Support Group day, the final one of the year! No worries, though. It's continuous, just like clockwork, and occurs on the first Wednesday of every month, every year, all year long. If you want to join, go HERE. Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh and this month's co-hosts, Sandra Hoover, Mark Koopmans, Doreen McGettigan, Megan Morgan, and Melodie Campbell!
Do you have your mediation ears on? Okay, here I go!
I got my first 1-star review on Amazon and it was a bit devastating. It made me doubt myself and my writing abilities. I know I'm not the best writer out there. I'm still a work in progress. But the reviewer was a bit unkind.
First, she made fun of something I didn't write:
Let me be clear. The writing is trite...please find a different way to say "right before my very eyes." As opposed to what? My NOT very eyes...my sorta eyes?
She quoted me on "right before my very eyes." I did a search of the final manuscript, even checked every sentence where "eyes" were mentioned, and it wasn't there. Nothing even came close to it.
Apparently, here is the crux of the problem:
The story is good. I would have been willing to buy a new story had this one actually had an ending. I just hate being manipulated. This story and all others by the author are hereby banished from my kindle.
Even though the writing is "trite" she thought the story was "good" and would have been "willing to buy a new story". So the story wasn't actually that bad, she was just mad about the ending or what she considered the lack of an ending.
Here's the dealio: I released the Afterlife series in three separate novellas. I tried to give each novella an ending for that particular story, while at the same time letting the reader know that there was more to the story and they'd have to buy the next book to get the full story. Second Death, the first book and the subject of this review is perma-free (so she didn't buy it).
I sort of get where she's coming from, but I certainly didn't think in terms of "manipulation" when I set up the marketing strategy, i.e. read the first one for free, buy the other two if you're interested.
I really do want to be fair, though. I want my readers to be happy and of course I always, always, always want to do the right thing.
So, here are my questions for you:
Is this a bad marketing strategy?
Should I take books II and III down and only sell the series as a whole so that there is an "ending" readily available?
Thanks so much for your help!
What are your insecurities this month?
You can't please everyone. You did fine. People have issues. It's more them than you. I work with the public as a hairdresser. Trust me. Peeps are weird sometimes.
ReplyDeletePeeps sure are weird sometimes, Shelly! Thanks for your support <3
DeleteWhat Shelly said. No matter what you do, you can't please everyone.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the part where she says something about a line that isn't in the book isn't fair.
I thought that was especially unfair, Alex. I'm certain I've heard that particular quote/response before so I think she read it elsewhere then applied it to my book.
DeleteI so agree with Shelly and Alex. I would not worry about one person who didn't like your book. What we like is so subjective and can even be affected by our moods and what's going on in life.
ReplyDeleteThat's so true, Natalie. Any given day might see a different take on things from the same person.
DeleteA bad review can really drag us down. The solution? Don't read them. (yeah, right) Some people are mean-spirited, nasty, and/or jealous. Ignore them. Easier said than done.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes,
Diane
IWSG #85
I know I shouldn't read them, Diane. But I have so few from the series that it jumped out at me when I was on the page. I try to stay away. LOL.
DeleteJohn Locke says a bad review merely means that person is not your target audience or a psychopath ... or both. :-) Many folks are just fond of being cruel and destructive. We are putting out ourselves to everyone, and that means bullies as well. Hate that it happened to you. :-(
ReplyDeleteHaha, I like John Locke--didn't he write Paradise Lost? He'd know about the haters.
DeleteSorry to hear about this. And I might have to apologize for what say next. I don't do series because I hate, absolutely hate, being left hanging. The only way I'll read a series is if I have the whole thing in my hot little hand. But that's me, not everyone feels that way.
ReplyDeleteAnna from Elements of Writing
No need to apologize, some people don't like series'. I luurve them myself. It is frustrating when you have to wait for the next one to come out. I don't mind the anticipation though :-)
DeleteI think the answer is in your post. The reviewer said several conflicting statements and quoted a selection that wasn't in your book. Do you want this person guiding your career? Do you want them in charge of your creative life? Nope. I TOTALLY get that you want to please readers, but that's like herding cats. You'll get a few, maybe most, but others will have their "it was the worst story I had to finish it right away even though I hated all the characters but it was my favorite story of the year besides the ending which sucked" posts. You can't win those people because they aren't able to communicate effectively. They finished your book, which I think matters most.
ReplyDeleteAnyhoo, I think if you feel doubtful that your book doesn't have a satisfying ending, then maybe that's worth looking at. But it sounds like you have some experience with the strategies you're using (permafree, novellas), so don't dump it all for one mixed bag review. My two cents!
Thanks for your two cents, Steph! So far, it's the only complaint I've had. I am going to think about how it's packaged, though.
DeleteYou can't control people's expectations.
ReplyDeleteThat said, ask yourself if the ending was complete enough. If the answer is yes, the reviewer didn't 'get it'. If no, you know what you need to do.
Marketing wise, I would put the first book as perma-free with links at the end of the book for books 2 and 3.
I don't know for sure if the ending was complete enough, Maria. I'm thinking it depends on the person reading it. I like reading series' and don't mind buying next in series or the anticipation. But like emaginette said above, she hates them.
DeleteNope. Don't change a thing. Your books are awesome and I thoroughly enjoyed reading them. Don't let this one reader dictate what you should do.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Christine. That seems to be the general consensus. I just want to be sure I'm doing the right thing :)
DeleteI don't mind a bad review if I learn something from it, but when I come away scratching my head...where someone clearly didn't read the book...I find that upsetting.
ReplyDeleteEven the classics get bad reviews, so you're in good company. I know that doesn't help much when you're in the midst of the sting of such a review, but it's true. Keep on doing your best and putting your work out there...believe in yourself. You won't make everyone happy, but if you enjoyed creating the work, it's worth it.
Natalie, now I'm wondering if she really did read it. *shrugs* Well, like you say, I'm going to keep moving forward.
DeleteLike the others said above, no writer can please everyone. We shouldn't even try. For example, I dislike Steven King. Does it tell you anything about Steven King? No. It tells you something about me. That review was vile - and it tells us more about its writer than about your novella. Disregard it and keep going. Trust yourself.
ReplyDeleteNice analogy, Olga! I was just telling someone that I'm not a Star Wars fan, LOL, but I know it's good, even though I don't like it.
DeleteAs a series reader, I say: book one has to have a resolution to the current story, not the overall concept. Something has to be resolved satisfactorily and still move the larger plot concept along. I am already “pre marketed” to with the mention that the book I’m reading is part of a series. If I like this book (characters, setting, genre, concept), I will definitely read more.
ReplyDeleteI've written three star reviews for the first book in a series that I felt spent too much focus on "marketing the next book" with a catchy character or setting. I like a cliff hanger as much as the next person, but not if the first book is obviously a set up. Key word OBVIOUSLY. I usually feel the book is rushed, or holding something back, just to pinch a penny from me.
At least she did have some nice things to say also. I doubt one, one star review will make or break the book sales. Marketing is fickle, and like readers, you can't please everyone. Hopefully you can learn something from this review (is the writing trite? Does the story have too much of an unfinished quality?) and integrate that into further writing/publishing.
Donna, I don't think it's trite at all. I think it's original. It's a cross between MG and YA and is light when compared to other YA. It's a cozy paranormal mystery so nothing earth shattering happens on the page, only off. If that's trite, then I guess it's trite.
DeleteI wouldn't let one negative review bully you into making a wholesale change to your strategy.
ReplyDeleteIF you felt like doing something, you could always go back in to each version and add something along the lines of "The story continues in Part Two /Three." That would eliminate anyone thinking they were being "cheated."
Look at Stephen King... he wrote six volumes of The Green Mile and SEVEN volumes of The Dark Tower.
I would brush this off my shoulder and move on.
Seriously.
Best regards,
Mark (IWSG co-host, author and certified slacker:)
I thought I set it up as a "continued" story, Mark. The first page says it's Book I of the series and then the end says "to be continued." I will go back and check out the description, though, to make sure it's clear. Great idea. Thanks!
DeleteI would keep the book at perma-free. It's a good marketing strategy. I've heard stories of readers complaining about this tactic lately. No idea why. Making the first book in a series free to entice you to buy the rest is a tactic I've seen done for YEARS! Some people, I think, just like to complain, so I'd shrug it off as that.
ReplyDeletePatricia, I think I've dissected it enough now to let it go. LOL.
DeleteThis is a tried and true marketing strategy. You can't please everybody, but I admire you for trying.
ReplyDeleteHaha, thanks, Jamie :)
DeleteSo sorry about the negative review. Those never fail to hurt!
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't think your marketing strategy is bad at all. I'm a huge fan of series, and plenty of the ones I've read have had their books end with cliffhangers. Someone hating that doesn't mean you've made a poor choice; it just means they're not part of your demographic.
It's probably not her normal kind of read as it was free and she's not a teen or young adult, so I think you're right, Heather.
DeleteNegative reviews DO hurt, especially when they seem unfair. And it's funny how the words in those reviews stay with you longer than the words in good reviews. Human nature, I guess. And I'm going to echo what everybody else is saying: This person isn't really your target audience anyway.
ReplyDeleteYes, definitely not my target audience. I'm nearly done dissecting it so I can let it go. ;)
Deleteignore this review =)
ReplyDeleteyou're doing great!
i cracked up at my first 1-star, the reviewer said i was too paranoid and needed to get over my conspiracy theories - hello! that was part of the story! ha hahaha
just like your guided endings are the point! we will not please everyone, nor should we try. keep up the great work, sweetie!
Move on, Gwen. And as hard as it is to do, chalk that one star up to experience or poor reading skills. If the passage she's criticizing doesn't exist, I'd say her Kindle needs more backlighting. Also I wouldn't put into question your marketing strategy based on one review. Now go have an eggnog or some hot chocolate and enjoy the season. See you in 2016.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a good marketing strategy - it doesn't actually sound like she even read your book - which is sad, but I agree with C. Lee and that's she's criticizing something that's not there.
ReplyDeleteDon't let someone like that get to you. You are awesome.