Negative criticism is, in my opinion, an invaluable tool for the success of an author. Or at least, it’s been an invaluable tool in the way that I’ve been able to hone my craft. Writing a book or any artistic endeavor eventually always comes to the same crossroads. The place where artistic integrity meets consumerism.
As an Indie published author, I’m also the CEO of my own small business, so at a certain point my books transition from pieces of literary art into products to be sold. One of the best ways I’ve found to accurately pinpoint pitfalls I have with my writing and to assess how well my marketing is doing is getting criticism from readers. Are they all saying the same thing? Am I reaching the readers with my marketing that will enjoy my book? Do I get more comments about my editing than the actual content of the book?
All of these criticisms and questions help me to evaluate the state of my writing, the state of my business, and how to move forward in a way that will benefit my career as a whole. It’s good to be told what your weaknesses are so that you can put the effort in to work on those things. I never want to stop learning or growing, I want to always be pushing myself to be better or to step outside of my comfort zone. Hopefully, in doing that, I’ll have a long career ahead of me.
How do you handle negative criticism??