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Quick thread on the ongoing Reviewer Discourse:
1. Check out the reviews below. Same book. Two different reviewers. Both of them are exactly right.
2. The moment you jump from creation to publication/sales, you release your art into the world. It is the reader's now.
1. Check out the reviews below. Same book. Two different reviewers. Both of them are exactly right.
2. The moment you jump from creation to publication/sales, you release your art into the world. It is the reader's now.
3. You cannot, and should not, seek to control the subjective experiences of others. Imagine standing next to a piece of your art in a gallery and seeking an opinion from each person who views it. Imagine arguing with them when their opinion differs. Madness.
4. Every piece of art that you've ever loved with every fiber of your being is equally and passionately despised by others. Why would you imagine the art _you_ create would be any different?
5. Picture Cormac McCarthy fussing over a 1 Star review of Blood Meridian. I can't.
5. Picture Cormac McCarthy fussing over a 1 Star review of Blood Meridian. I can't.
6. Some reviews _are_ petty bullshit. I once told a young man, full of praise for my work, that my micro-press wasn't open for submissions. The next day he plastered Amazon with 1 star reviews.
C'est la vie. Welcome to the internet.
C'est la vie. Welcome to the internet.
7. If you can't handle negative opinions of your work - honestly, that kind of thing will fuck up my whole day - then don't seek it out. Rather, invest that time and energy in anything else.
8. Speaking of "anything else", working on that next book is the fastest way to not feel so precious about your older books. You'll never get it perfect, but you'll sure as hell get better.
9. People who actively read and review are too far and few between. With all the art in the world, they chose to give a piece of their precious lifetime to what you created. Respect that shit.
10. If you are going to venture out and read reviews, know that reading the negative ones with Mickey Mouse's voice makes them much, much funnier.
Drinking helps, too.
Drinking helps, too.
