Thread by @Jennifer_Estep

#MondayMorningMailbag Q: How do you deal with bad reviews and all the other negativity that comes with being an author?
A: Being an author is very, very hard, and publishing is often a tough, soul-crushing business. 1/ #authors #authorlife #writinglife #books #publishing

No matter whether you are indie or traditionally published, so many bad things can happen to you as an author – terrible covers, low sales, books/series being misnumbered, books being taken off sale for no reason, accounts being frozen . . . The list goes on and on and on. 2/

Plus, everyone is going to have an opinion about EVERY LITTLE THING in your book – good, bad, and ugly – whether they have actually read your book or not.
Y'all wouldn’t believe some of the comments I’ve gotten over the years, including the following:
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-- Someone complained because I had kudzu growing on a building in one of my Elemental Assassin books. They said I couldn’t possibly be from the South because no one ever lets kudzu grow on a building in the South. 4/ #authors #authorlife #writinglife #books #publishing

They didn’t say anything about the plot, the characters, etc. It was all about the kudzu, which was literally one line (!) in the book. 5/ #authors #authorlife #writinglife #books #publishing

-- Someone said they were shocked that I was an author, given all the typos in my book – and then they misspelled the title of the book in their email. The book in question was JINX, book #3 in my Bigtime superhero series. One word, four letters, and they still misspelled it. 6/

-- Someone said one of my Crown of Shards books could have been good if I had just read through the book before it was published. For the record, I read through all my books anywhere from 5 to 10 times before they are published. 7/ #authors #authorlife #writinglife #books

And this is just a small sample of the mean/rude/snarky comments I’ve gotten. I used to say that authors needed to have thick skin, but you know what? We shouldn’t have to have thick skin. People should just be nicer and more polite to each other. Period. ❤️ 8/ #authors

If you don’t like a book, that’s fine. But please don’t tag authors in negative reviews. We will accidentally see enough bad reviews of our books. We don’t need people pointing them out to us too. Please and thank you. 9/ #authors #authorlife #writinglife #books #publishing

Whenever I get bad book news and need a pick-me-up, I will try to do something good for myself, like take a yoga class or schedule a massage. Or I will treat myself to something small, but fun – a new book to read, a new kind of tea to try, a new color of nail polish, etc. 10/

I might also call/email an author friend and complain to/commiserate with them. 11/ #authors #authorlife #writinglife #books #publishing

I also find that listening to music can help me shake off a negative review, disappointing sales report, or whatever bad thing is happening. Here are some of my go-to pick-me-up songs:
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-- BEFORE HE CHEATS by #CarrieUnderwood -- amzn.to/3rToE8u -- Yes, I know it’s about a guy cheating, but I love the revenge element of the song.
-- I WILL SURVIVE by Gloria Gaynor -- amzn.to/3r9dqO7 -- A classic pick-me-up song.
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-- YOU’RE NO GOOD by Linda Ronstadt -- amzn.to/3r6C2XK – I love how she is telling off the other person in this song.
-- GASLIGHTER by #TheChicks -- amzn.to/3AMYKHx – A good reminder that sometimes, the bad situation is the result of someone else’s actions.
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-- CHRISTMAS ISN’T CANCELLED (JUST YOU) by #KellyClarkson -- amzn.to/3r7WU0A -- I know it’s a holiday song, but it works for me any time of year.
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WALLS (NO. 3) by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers -- amzn.to/3r9qD9F -- A good reminder that you're going to have some bad days, but they won't last forever.
-- SHAKE IT OFF by #TaylorSwift -- amzn.to/35yNnrh -- A great song whenever you’re having a bad day. 16/

I love all the above songs, but my favorite pick-me-up song is SO WHAT by #Pink -- amzn.to/3rVYO3D. This song reminds me that no matter what horrible thing someone says about my books, that I’m still an author and doing what I love. And that is pretty awesome. 😎 17/

How do you deal with negativity? What are some of your pick-me-up songs?
18/18 #authors #authorlife #writinglife #books #publishing #songs #music