Here's a little review hack: have someone go on the book page and press sort reviews highest to lowest then only read the five stars :) Also, about a year after my book came out I had a friend read the negative reviews and pull out anything actionable for me so I could still improve as a writer, just without seeing shitty takes. That helped a lot!
It truly hadn't occurred to me that there might be reviews for my next book, which is also on Netgalley and Goodreads. But I think I'm going to continue not checking--there's nothing I can do about what someone might think at this point! (And wow your cover is really a knockout!!!)
It hadn’t occurred to me that I could request things on NetGalley! (I get ARCs/etc sometimes in connection with my newsletter, but I hadn’t tried to get a digital ARC that way.) So much to learn!
Good friend you've never met that I am, I just skimmed your Net Galley reviews. People are LOVING TTYL. I can't wait to read it! And the cover is fantastic! Breathe. You've got this!
So glad to hear your son is recovering well ❤️🩹 FWIW, I don’t read my Amazon/Goodreads reviews. Maybe my skin just isn’t thick enough, but once my first book had been out for a while, I found that the awful (and annoyingly lingering) feeling I would get after encountering a bad review wasn’t worth chasing the happy (yet somehow more fleeting!!!) feeling of a good one. Purely a mental health decision on my part 🧘🏻♀️🧘🏻♀️🧘🏻♀️
Oh Laura, so so happy to hear of your son's progress. Sending hugs and good wishes. Also, please don't lose sight of your huge accomplishment - you wrote a book. Important readers (agents, editors, and the like) have liked, really liked, what they read. They like it so much it will soon be an actual book, sitting on a bookshelf, waiting for a reader to come by and pluck it up and disappear into the story on the pages.
I'm so happy to hear Hugo is doing well! I try to avoid reviews but love Caitlin's advice--having someone else read the good ones to you is an instant mood booster! I added Tell Them You Lied to my Goodreads shelf--can't wait to read it!
Oh to read or not read reviews... I tell myself now, as a not-yet-published novelist, that I will NOT read them, but I have a feeling this is much harder to do in practice.
It is a lot harder than I thought, tbh. I think/hope it's the novelty of the thing? Once I get more used to it, I wont have to keep looking at them? Maybe?
I so admire you for managing to get a book out in the world — no easy feat for anyone — in the face of all you're confronting with your (sweet!) son. Your book is most definitely on my Goodreads list, and as a debut author myself just embarking on the pub process, I hugely appreciate learning from your farther-down-the-road experience! May your son's recovery be swift, thorough, and as easy as possible.
I feel for you, Laura. I totally get it. You still did something amazing. You wrote a book. You got it published. Forget the reviews, good, bad or indifferent, you should be so proud at what you've accomplished. The right people know what it took. And for every one person who said "meh" two will say 'YAY!"
Hope your son is feeling back to himself. That sounds like a very big deal surgery and certainly lends perspective. And congratulations! The fact that you have an ARC on NetGalley is amazing, and proves you know how to play the long game just by getting to this point. For an aspiring novelist like myself, this is all very inspiring.❤️
Go Hugo! You're crushing it, buddy.
Here's a little review hack: have someone go on the book page and press sort reviews highest to lowest then only read the five stars :) Also, about a year after my book came out I had a friend read the negative reviews and pull out anything actionable for me so I could still improve as a writer, just without seeing shitty takes. That helped a lot!
Smart, Caitlin. Maybe you can read mine for me haha!
This is a brilliant idea. Both the sorting and having someone else go through the negative ones.
So glad your son is doing so well!
It truly hadn't occurred to me that there might be reviews for my next book, which is also on Netgalley and Goodreads. But I think I'm going to continue not checking--there's nothing I can do about what someone might think at this point! (And wow your cover is really a knockout!!!)
And thank you!😊
Just requested The Good Mother Myth on NetGalley !!! 👏🏾👏🏾
It hadn’t occurred to me that I could request things on NetGalley! (I get ARCs/etc sometimes in connection with my newsletter, but I hadn’t tried to get a digital ARC that way.) So much to learn!
YES! You just have to set up an account. It is kind of amazing?!
Eeeee! Don’t tell me what you think unless you love it!
I KNOW that I will love it.
Oh man. I’m so hopeful to be in your shoes one day. But I’m sure I’ll feel the same about the “mehs.” Readers have no idea. But go Hugo!! And go you!!
❤️❤️❤️
God bless little Hugo!
Good friend you've never met that I am, I just skimmed your Net Galley reviews. People are LOVING TTYL. I can't wait to read it! And the cover is fantastic! Breathe. You've got this!
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Added your book to my Goodreads shelf!
So glad to hear your son is recovering well ❤️🩹 FWIW, I don’t read my Amazon/Goodreads reviews. Maybe my skin just isn’t thick enough, but once my first book had been out for a while, I found that the awful (and annoyingly lingering) feeling I would get after encountering a bad review wasn’t worth chasing the happy (yet somehow more fleeting!!!) feeling of a good one. Purely a mental health decision on my part 🧘🏻♀️🧘🏻♀️🧘🏻♀️
I aspire to your level of 🧘🏼♀️ every day! 😂
Oh Laura, so so happy to hear of your son's progress. Sending hugs and good wishes. Also, please don't lose sight of your huge accomplishment - you wrote a book. Important readers (agents, editors, and the like) have liked, really liked, what they read. They like it so much it will soon be an actual book, sitting on a bookshelf, waiting for a reader to come by and pluck it up and disappear into the story on the pages.
thank you!!! I love this
I'm so happy to hear Hugo is doing well! I try to avoid reviews but love Caitlin's advice--having someone else read the good ones to you is an instant mood booster! I added Tell Them You Lied to my Goodreads shelf--can't wait to read it!
thank you for your service, Liz!!!
Oh to read or not read reviews... I tell myself now, as a not-yet-published novelist, that I will NOT read them, but I have a feeling this is much harder to do in practice.
So glad your son came through surgery well.
It is a lot harder than I thought, tbh. I think/hope it's the novelty of the thing? Once I get more used to it, I wont have to keep looking at them? Maybe?
I imagine it must be. We spend YEARS begging for feedback and reading all of it, and then suddenly we have to STOP.
Such a good point!!
I so admire you for managing to get a book out in the world — no easy feat for anyone — in the face of all you're confronting with your (sweet!) son. Your book is most definitely on my Goodreads list, and as a debut author myself just embarking on the pub process, I hugely appreciate learning from your farther-down-the-road experience! May your son's recovery be swift, thorough, and as easy as possible.
thank you so much, Jan!!
I feel for you, Laura. I totally get it. You still did something amazing. You wrote a book. You got it published. Forget the reviews, good, bad or indifferent, you should be so proud at what you've accomplished. The right people know what it took. And for every one person who said "meh" two will say 'YAY!"
I HOPE SO!!!!! and thank you.
It’s the nature of this business. I always wonder how many projects I pass on that go on to get published.
Hope your son is feeling back to himself. That sounds like a very big deal surgery and certainly lends perspective. And congratulations! The fact that you have an ARC on NetGalley is amazing, and proves you know how to play the long game just by getting to this point. For an aspiring novelist like myself, this is all very inspiring.❤️
❤️