How Not To Be A Professional

As a writer, you will get rejection. That is a fact. Unless you keep all your writing in a box under your bed that you never ever let anyone read. Rejection gives you a thicker skin. It lets you know that your writing is alive and out there.

Let’s look at two of the most popular books in the world: The Bible and Harry Potter. I bet you have massive opinions on these two books. So do I. I also bet that you have met someone who thinks the exact opposite of you on these two books. No book is universally loved or hated. If anything I write is ever universally loved, then I’ll know that I’m dead and writing this as a ghost. Though, on a side note, I do think we will still not agree on the merit of books in heaven. (And yes, there will be books in heaven. I promise.)

I’ve heard many author’s say they don’t check reviews of their books anymore because it is too painful. And anyone can write a review. Go check out your favorite book on Amazon.com and read the one star reviews. I’m sure you’ll be shocked at how anyone could hate the book you love that much. Now imagine you wrote that book. Not a good feeling.

But anyone can write a review. Good or bad. That is part of being a writer. Most importantly, you need to learn to grow from rejection. To move on. To not let it get to you. And if it does get to you, for heaven’s sake do NOT rant about it on the internet. The internet never forgets. And you will be seen as unclassy and unprofessional.

Take for example this most recent train wreck. Here is an author who is “defending” her work against what has to be described as an honest and fair review, despite it being 2 stars. If you have to tell people to F*** off multiple times to defend your work, maybe you need to reconsider what you’re saying. Perhaps you should just grab a bowl of ice cream and cry to your mother. Because then at least it won’t be on the internet for the world to see.

And thanks to her skilled remarks, this lucky author has now gone viral. This review of her book, with all of her unprofessional comments, has been posted on numerous writing websites and tweeted across the internet. She is famous. I hope its what she wanted. But I personally hope if I ever become famous it is because of the fantastic book I wrote, not the scathing remarks I made to an honest reviewer.