Like any artist, we throw ourselves out in front of millions of people. We put a lot of time into our passion. For example, The Shadow Series has taken up the better part of the last four years of my life. To say that these books are important to me is a severe understatement.
Each author writes in the hope that someone will connect with our work. Sure, dillusions of grandure occassionally fill our heads early on (for some that may never go away), but the harsh reality of the publishing world quickly squashes (or at least humbles) that goal.
When I receive a review such as this one from Goodreads.com, I am filled with pride as I know this person was exactly who I wrote the Shadow Series for! Here's the review by Desert Rose:
"Every loner teen-age guy dreams of having super-powers, and being a hero. They daydream about that pretty girl who doesn't seem to ever take notice of them. They have one friend who's been there since Kindergarten. They hate their home life, and can't wait to turn 18 so they can get out on their own. They have a car that's an extension of themselves, that they love til the end, even if others spit at it. Sound familiar? Well, that's Test's life in a nutshell. Til now...
What do you do, when you suddenly have super-natural powers that seem pretty limitless? Apparently, in Test's world, you just try to fly under the radar and not cause trouble...after impressing the girl of your dreams, and your best friend, of course.
After some unfortunate accidents occur from his new powers, Test is thrown into a world of running, survival, and searching for answers. With the help of friends, both old and new, he sets out to figure out the secret behind his past, and try to figure out a future that doesn't include being a lab rat, or prison.
With good writing that flows well, this fast paced story keeps you on your toes until the last page, and leaves you wanting more. It is a story I think any guy can relate to, and any girl will enjoy. I'd recommend it to any YA fan."
This is a review that every author dreams of. It's better than a paycheck. It feeds my soul and desire to continue. Now, for the reverse...
Receiving negative reviews still stings, though a lot less than it did in the beginning. The thing that bothers me the most about bad reviews is that they are typically left by someone that seems to have been expecting the book to be something that it was never meant to be. It's also pretty obvious that they are not part of the target audience. When comments are made like "this seems like it was written for teens" or when it mentions "Twilight", it's obvious that they didn't read the synopsis or see what category the book was in. I'm not angry with them for leaving the bad review...I'm actually very sorry that they spent their hard earned money on my work.
The bottom line is that when an author puts themselves out there, they're going to get the gammet of reactions. Don't expect everyone to love your work. I'm floored when I look at the reviews for Of Mice and Men and see that it has negative reviews. (I do that sometimes BTW--look at the negative reviews of some of my favorite books. It helps me to keep things in perspective.)
Well, I'm running out of time. I have to get ready for church so I'll try to connect again later. Take care all!
No comments:
Post a Comment