Reviews: How seriously can you take them?

Good morning and Happy Memorial Day to everyone!  (Here in the US we take a day in the spring to remember our veterans and to thank them for the service they've given to their country.)

Just got my first really, really negative review.  It was on Dream in Color, and the author of the review opened with "Don't waste you time and money."  Ironic, since the reviewer, SB  (not me, my initials, yes,  but not me) didn't pay a nickel for the book. SB went on to say that the characters were too far fetched, but not in a good way.  Looking at the other reviews she wrote for other books, I see 1)  She reads a lot and 2)  she really likes thriller series involving people in super heroic situations.

So I guess it would be true that a story about a middle aged woman living a life of quiet desperation and being in love with a rock star from her childhood would seem a little out there.  I guess having an overbearing boss and a nosey mother is just something SB has never encountered.

Okay, enough sarcasm.  But seriously, I'm letting this affect me.  This three sentence review done by a person I don't know, someone not brave enough to put his/her full name on the review has gotten me down and I'm wasting a golden day of writing fretting about this.

How seriously can we take reviews?  When you're new and unknown in this business, as I sort of am, every review is important because there aren't many of them.  Most of my reviews are from people I know or friends of friends or someone with some sort of connection to me.  Only recently have I been getting reviews from complete strangers.  Some are very nice...one is very not.

We all want positive reviews.  It makes us feel like we're on the right track, like we're doing something good.  One negative review, especially one this  completely negative, can send anyone into a tailspin.

Is it a measure of talent. this review?  Is it a true commentary on the content of the book...or is it just that a person who has no connection with a character quite as "every day" as Ramona Simms may not understand the ache in her heart every day for something she isn't supposed to want or have?

Folks, I can't be objective here.  But you can.  Kindle owners, I'm giving away all three of my books today on Amazon.  Today only! 

Click here to get started!
If you like them, leave a review.  If you don't...well, be honest...but gentle!