tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407679229975998493.post8305465611815936221..comments2024-03-18T04:00:19.569-06:00Comments on The Quivering Pen: My First Time: Erika DreifusDavid Abramshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06013514596973186440noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407679229975998493.post-84334536151238891462018-03-16T08:10:49.196-06:002018-03-16T08:10:49.196-06:00Erika, I am a writer and also old, and I've b...Erika, I am a writer and also old, and I've been through every kind of review possible. I'm even too old to have read your work. But your post above is beautifully written and wonderfully clear so I know you are a fine writer.Kelly Cherrynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407679229975998493.post-86982286873844263652012-01-19T16:51:15.010-07:002012-01-19T16:51:15.010-07:00I especially like the first point. Moms are always...I especially like the first point. Moms are always reliable ;)Jeff & Nickihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05331921781299681037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407679229975998493.post-41341515219424994822012-01-19T15:03:33.464-07:002012-01-19T15:03:33.464-07:00Many thanks for the additional responses. This rea...Many thanks for the additional responses. This really is a topic that resonates, isn't it?<br /><br />@stephenmatlock: I haven't read that essay, actually. I will have to go find it.Erika Dreifushttp://www.erikadreifus.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407679229975998493.post-19460936095506044312012-01-17T12:03:09.497-07:002012-01-17T12:03:09.497-07:00If I may add: Email the review to your close write...If I may add: Email the review to your close writer friends who believe in your work. They will likely remind you of the finer points of your book, and also point out that even a not-so-great review is better than none at all. <br /><br />And, as a fellow debut author with a short story collection out from a small press, I can say it's good to remember that we're in a good place to 1) have books out and 2) get reviews at all. It doesn't necessarily take the sting out, but a little perspective can be good. (Ha. I talk like I have perspective myself!)Laura Maylenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18058744860709615256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407679229975998493.post-81882349100464391132012-01-16T14:57:24.990-07:002012-01-16T14:57:24.990-07:00I'm sure you've read Jean Kerr's essay...I'm sure you've read Jean Kerr's essay about how to handle bad reviews, which I won't quote (because I can't find my copy), but essentially you read it and re-read it until it is dead, dead, dead.stephen matlockhttp://stephenmatlock.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407679229975998493.post-84827794976152414662012-01-16T14:56:55.643-07:002012-01-16T14:56:55.643-07:00Erika, I have only one time received a thank-you n...Erika, I have only one time received a thank-you note from an author. As a matter of fact, I loved his book but no one else has ever contacted me one way or the other.<br /><br />I still have that note--a gorgeous photo notecard with his original work--inside the book, and I treasure it. It's surprising to me actually how many people will take time to post nasty responses and how few will express thanks. A sad world.<br /><br />P.S. Oh wow, am I below the great Janet Reid?!!Laurenhttp://www.bibliobuffet.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407679229975998493.post-27460047278817696432012-01-16T14:11:20.374-07:002012-01-16T14:11:20.374-07:00Your mum IS right.Your mum IS right.Janet Reidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407679229975998493.post-48156045028047309382012-01-13T10:43:28.177-07:002012-01-13T10:43:28.177-07:00Hello from England Erika! I now want to read Quiet...Hello from England Erika! I now want to read Quiet Americans (love the title for a start). My sympathies: as a poor young writer my first novel was panned a week before publication in a long, humourless, inaccurate review in our biggest serious newspaper, The Sunday Times way back in 1990. I felt ...well, you can imagine. But after struggling on with the second (more enthusiastically received and now about to be reissued as an ebook), I then wrote a novel called A Vicious Circle which became a best-seller, largely because it was about the bitchiness and corruption of the British reviewing circuit, and a notorious critic tried, unsuccessfully, to sue me for libel. It effectively re-launched my career, enabled us to move house and I've never looked back. So you could always try this option if you have nerves of steel, though I suspect you are too civilised.<br />PS The reviewer subsequently admitted to someone whom she didn't know was a friend that she WAS jealous. So your mother may be right.Amanda Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16084524858700628043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407679229975998493.post-77567800111567359592012-01-13T09:44:19.123-07:002012-01-13T09:44:19.123-07:00I love this, Erika Dreifus! When I read my first ...I love this, Erika Dreifus! When I read my first review that made me wonder just what my book had done to the reviewer, or his mother, or what?!, I did all of your steps above but still felt stunned and mopey. <br /><br />So I added 2 steps: <br /><br />7. I googled all the great authors who'd gotten bad reviews. Guess what? There are a whole lot! <br /><br />8. I was lucky enough to have someone I love come upstairs with a gift he'd made-- a poster with pictures of our pets: <br /><br />"Animal Praise for [the book]. Here's what the pets are saying about [the book]: 'When I open this book, I feel like a door to the outside has been opened....' signed, our cat. And: 'This book is just like my favorite bone...I can't put it down," signed, our dog."<br /><br />Needless to say, I framed the list of animal blurbs for the book alongside frames of other nice things about the book in my person shrine on my office wall. That helped, too.Rebeccanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407679229975998493.post-6845134683450089312012-01-11T11:33:30.405-07:002012-01-11T11:33:30.405-07:00Different publications have different rules, of co...Different publications have different rules, of course, and ideally reviewers would be taken off the "beat" of covering a particular author. Doesn't always work that way, though!<br /><br />I should have added that, since receiving that author's response, I've employed the same tactic myself...Keirhttp://twitter.com/KeirGraffnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407679229975998493.post-71649410976137015722012-01-11T06:21:20.595-07:002012-01-11T06:21:20.595-07:00Thank you all for the additional comments. Thanks ...Thank you all for the additional comments. Thanks especially for the detailed response from Keir. I have to hope that given this reviewer's reaction to the first book, the editor wouldn't assign my next one to her--and I can't help suspecting that she wouldn't want to spend her time reading, let alone writing about it. Still, your points are most valid.Erika Dreifushttp://www.erikadreifus.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407679229975998493.post-7540189743931512712012-01-10T19:47:46.548-07:002012-01-10T19:47:46.548-07:00Erika, I am both a book reviewer and a novelist, a...Erika, I am both a book reviewer and a novelist, and I have a lot of experience on both sides of the equation. Out of over 500 book reviews, I've probably panned a couple dozen books--it happens. I do pride myself on being fair and I try to keep both the author's intentions in mind as well as his or her intended audience. Still, like anyone, I sometimes have a bad day at the office. Occasionally a book bugs me and I'm not as evenhanded as I could be.<br /><br />Following one moderately negative review (not a pan), I received an incredibly nice note from the author, thanking me for my time and effort in considering their work. The author said they were sorry I didn't like this book but, hopefully, I would like the next one better. Very classy and certainly more productive than hate mail.<br /><br />The next time I received a book by that author, I liked it better than the first. I'd like to think I was considering the book only on its literary merits but...who knows? I definitely had a favorable opinion of the author going in.<br /><br />Every time I see people react negatively and publicly to bad reviews, I think, "What if the same person reviews your next book?"<br /><br />Play the long game...Keirhttp://twitter.com/KeirGraffnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407679229975998493.post-2390145953547499472012-01-10T14:37:39.858-07:002012-01-10T14:37:39.858-07:00Very well put, as always, Erika. My own book recen...Very well put, as always, Erika. My own book recently received a negative review in a publication that I myself have written three reviews for. Basically, the book had been assigned to a reviewer who was clearly not a member of my target demographic and who wished I'd written a different book, focusing on younger characters. I decided not to do anything about it (what could I do?), but the founder of the publication, who is a friend, was so upset when he saw the review that he actually took it down from the website. That was pretty satisfying, although not as satisfying as getting a positive review!Natalie Wexlerhttp://www.nataliewexler.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407679229975998493.post-23179342074335411762012-01-10T12:04:22.789-07:002012-01-10T12:04:22.789-07:00A great and honest post. I'm sorry about the g...A great and honest post. I'm sorry about the gut punch . . . :(Nina Badzinhttp://ninabadzin.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407679229975998493.post-36567581683185342242012-01-10T06:09:38.078-07:002012-01-10T06:09:38.078-07:00Thank you so much.Thank you so much.Erika Dreifushttp://www.erikadreifus.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407679229975998493.post-79194706785339502282012-01-09T16:56:50.249-07:002012-01-09T16:56:50.249-07:00Erika, a wonderful post (as always) and this is so...Erika, a wonderful post (as always) and this is something that is so hard to write about but that every writer can understand. I do think Keir's suggestion is interesting in that all reviewers really do need to keep in mind that there is a living, breathing (and often sensitive) writer on the other end of every review -- it's always a shame to see someone forget that. I'll be curious to see if anyone's done that and how it went...<br />And, for the record: Erika, your book is beautiful. Truly.M.http://www.midgeraymond.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407679229975998493.post-9794886007926535872012-01-09T16:44:56.706-07:002012-01-09T16:44:56.706-07:00This is very elegant and gracious advice; beautifu...This is very elegant and gracious advice; beautifully said. Just recently saw an author on twitter address a negative situation in a public way and cringed... it does tend to backfire.bookspersonallyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05776600422633283514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407679229975998493.post-80733713013378813182012-01-09T16:31:01.374-07:002012-01-09T16:31:01.374-07:00Amy, thank you for your very kind comment, and Kei...Amy, thank you for your very kind comment, and Keir, you're right--I did try to be sufficiently tactful here to keep the reviewer's identity private and focus more on the experience of receiving the review than "publicly contesting" the review itself. Your idea of contacting reviewers as you suggest is interesting--have you (or anyone you know) done that?Erika Dreifushttp://www.erikadreifus.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407679229975998493.post-51310359576464203902012-01-09T10:42:34.518-07:002012-01-09T10:42:34.518-07:00Bad reviews are tough. My first-ever prepub review...Bad reviews are tough. My first-ever prepub review was a pan! But even bad reviews are better than being ignored, I think.<br /><br />It's never worth publicly contesting bad reviews, of course, as complaining only brings more attention to a review that is likely to be soon forgotten. However, I do think it's worthwhile to write a polite note (with no hostile subtext) to the reviewer thanking them for their time considering the book. I'm sorry you didn't like this book, you can add, but perhaps you'll like the next one better. <br /><br />It reminds the reviewer that there's a human being on the other end and, who knows, if they review your next book they might remember your classy response and soften their approach.Keirhttp://www.keirgraff.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407679229975998493.post-77863592301848638082012-01-09T10:33:05.737-07:002012-01-09T10:33:05.737-07:00David - thank you for providing the venue for Erik...David - thank you for providing the venue for Erika to share.<br /><br />Erika - thank you for what I have come to expect from you - a mixture of grace, humor and candor I don't often find elsewhere. I will take your advice to heart should I ever reach the point in my writing where I am actually receiving reviews!Amy Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10613446967051981724noreply@blogger.com