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?
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