Responding to reviews of our work

In light of recent twitter and fb traffic about self-published writer Jacqueline Howett, it might be timely to discuss how and whether to respond to reviews of our work. Ms. Howett caused quite a stir by responding to a review of her work that was not as complimentary as she would have wished. (booksandpals.blogspot.com) Although the reviewer noted her work "compelling and interesting", he also noted consistent spelling and grammatical mistakes. Ms. Howett took exception and ultimately responded in vulgar fashion.

Should we ever respond to reviews of our work and if so, how?

I am new to this community but from what I have seen, responding to reviews, even those we view as unfair, is not productive. If you haven't managed to enthrall your reviewer, then it's one of two situations: either the reader is not your target demographic and you weren't speaking to them or your writing still needs work. In either case, responding (particularly with vitriol) won't help you find the audience you seek.

I feel very strongly connected to my writing, but if I publish my work, I expect that it will not be met with universal approval. I'm sure it will be difficult to stomach what I consider to be unfair reviews, but I hope that I will be able to let go of my passion (and/or ego) and see the opportunity for improvement that may present itself.

What do you think?

An Ideal Writing Group

My ideal writing group is small, maybe 6 people or so. It is a mix of published and unpublished authors who are serious about writing and who review each others work in depth. I am not picky about grammar until I nail the feeling of the scene. I prefer reviews that address character complexity, appropriateness of dialogue and generally make me think about how the story wants to be told.

I have found writing groups at the gym, on line through Craigslist and google and through word of mouth. I am trying out a group now in Victoria, but so far it has been mostly about writing exercises and not peer review. The organizer is trying to change that. I like the idea of a writing group on line, but find I get more energized when meetings are in person.

I have had difficulty with poetry writing groups. I don't want to be a poet, but most times, that is how stuff comes out of me. I don't like the pretentiousness of poetry groups filled with aspiring poets but I know that my work is still developing and needs critiquing.

When you find the right group, you know it. I have such fond memories of my group in Vancouver.

Good luck to all in finding a group that fits them and urges their work to break on through to the other side.

Writing Exercises

Writing exercises are a great way to hone your skills (and procrastinate the novel you've stalled under).
This is a great site to get exercises:
fictionwriting.about.com/od/writingexercises/tp/craftexercises.htm
 Enjoy!

Introduction

Hi Everyone,
I have meaning to start one of these for a while. I am a writer who works at a self-publishing house. I will be posting about writing mostly. There may be the occasional travel picture. Right now I want to post a listing of writing contests that I found on-line. I find that the act of writing for a contest, even if you don't place or win, refines your craft.

Creative Writing Contests

www.be-a-better-writer.com
I hope to hear from other writers and develop an exchange to help us survive what some are calling the death of the book printing industry. eBooks are doing quite well, though, so there is hope.
That's all for now