Monday 4 August 2008

Water Under the Bridge

Why do bad reviews hurt more than good reviews feel great? We've been riding the review rolloercoaster with Ken Burnett's 'The Field by the River' this week, with a wonderful review in the Mail on Sunday, followed by a less positive one in Friday's Daily Mail. Somehow, though, the negative points, however mild, seem to have a way of lingering longer than the glow of the good comments, however great. And it's not just the writer who feels like that -- any publisher worth their salt will also feel a twinge of apprehension about their own judgment. The remedy is normally a quick skim of the book itself, and the reaffirmation that although everyone is entitled to their opinion, in this case you're right, and they're wrong.

Dealing with reviews is a bit like learning to ride a bike -- however much it hurts, you've just got to dust yourself off and get back in the saddle again. After all, it doesn't matter how nice the bike is (and this case, it's a very nice bike indeed), there'll still be the occasional pothole in the road to deal with.

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