You\u2019re allowed one hour of self-pity. Then look at the reviews again and ask yourself three questions:<\/p>\n

1. Do you see trends in the criticism<\/em>?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Are reviewers citing one or two issues consistently? Readers will forgive a typo, but they have less patience with repeated misspellings or recurrent grammatical errors.<\/p>\n

Are they complaining about sloppy research? Then these folks are doing you a favor. They\u2019re telling you what you need to work on as you continue to write. Open that Great Big Dictionary more often. Buy an eighth-grade grammar book and brush up on what you\u2019ve forgotten.<\/p>\n

Check and recheck dates, ages, locations, and facts as you write, and do it again when the book is finished. The devil is in the details, and if you don\u2019t give the details the attention they deserve, reviewers will rebuke you for it.<\/p>\n

2. Is the reviewer credible?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

If you receive a particularly savage review, check other critiques that person has posted. Often you\u2019ll find that he or she reviews more hair care products and toys than books, and you may discover the reviewer never<\/em> provides positive commentary on a book.<\/p>\n

These folks delight in giving even exceptional work a thrashing. You could psychoanalyze that behavior from here to breakfast, but don\u2019t waste your time. Ignore them.<\/p>\n

\n3. Is there anything you can do?<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re traditionally published, you may have to grin and bear it.<\/p>\n