A blog about the topics of writing, Writing Advice

Why Writers Need Support Groups for Success

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Group of five people discussing and reviewing documents in a library setting
Five people engage in an active study session around a wooden table filled with books and notes.

 
When was the last time you talked to a fellow writer, whether live or online?

Hanging out with like-minded people is huge, in my opinion. Discussing various topics is simply amazing.

Finding a writing group in your area is not always an option. Thankfully, the internet offers a plethora of groups. It may take time to find one that suits you, but once you do, the feeling of belonging is fantastic.

I have been a part of many groups. One in fact that I started. We did not always agree, but the core of the group was there. That was to hang out, talk, edit, read, and possibly access resources to help us out.

Doing it alone is not fun, for writing is a solitary endeavor for the most part. And if you don’t have eyes on your manuscripts to give you helpful advice, what you produce can be an ugly mess.

Recently, the writing group I was a part of died due to the host having to deal with her medical issues that needed to be attended to.

That left me once again on the lookout for a group  to join or create another one.  Remembering my first group was from the library system, I searched there. I found a new group starting that I am excited about.

It is new, so I am not walking into a group that is already familiar with each other.   I am not sure if this one will pan out, but I will find out soon, now. I am open to checking it out.

I hope you all have such a group, whether it is in person or online. Who truly gets us except other writers?

A blog about the topics of writing, The elements of writing a book

Responding to Bad Reviews: Should Authors Engage?

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What do you feel when you see that you have received a one or two-star review? It can range from disbelief to unhappiness and anger. And in my case, the need for me to respond to what they wrote.

I thought about it a lot, I wrote my reply, but couldn’t hit send. What could ensue could be bitter and for all the world to see. Is this what I wanted for my book and my brand?

And not only that, if I saw an author going back and forth with a reviewer. What would my reaction be to that? It is easy to reply, but very hard not reply.

Not everyone will like your books. There will always be trolls waiting to put someone down for a few reasons. Sometimes it falls under being mean.

Reaching out to others, a small few said to reply, the vast majority said to hold off, to something I had mentally decided to do. I was concerned the review would be seen.

Would people read and review my books once they saw that? A concern I had was that people would see it and would not read or review my work. I have left very few one or two-star reviews. I tend to reach out to the author to explain my thoughts on the book. They have been grateful that I would go this route instead of leaving a low-ranking review.

I would never, and have never, leave a nasty one; that isn’t my way. I even had someone tell me that having a bad review could be a good thing. People could be curious to know why the review was written and end up reading the book. I am not confident that has happened, but I got the logic of it.

Receiving a low review sometimes comes with no text. The way ebooks are now, you can leave a review by just giving it a star without explaining why. It is too easy now to bring a person’s ranking with no fanfare. I have no control over that. What I can control is not to reply to a nasty review. And I am okay with that now.

A blog about the topics of writing, Uncategorized, Writing tips and ideas

100 Reviews: My Journey with ‘Jasper, Amazon Parrot’

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Jasper and I have hit 100 reviews. Granted, it took a while, but we’ve surpassed the 100-review mark for my book, Jasper, Amazon Parrot: A Rainforest Adventure.

Overall, the reviews were really nice to read. As with everything else, there’s normally a downside. That being said, some reviews are not so nice, and others are written by trolls.

When this book was first released, I received a one-star review. Reading the review, I knew there was no way they could have read the book.


The review was for the hard copy of Jasper. The book was released, and a day later, the review popped up. Amazon is fast with its delivery most days. But the review arrived a day after the book was released. There was no way. This was back in the day when Prime took 2-3 days to deliver.


I contacted Amazon and explained the situation. They took it down. The review showed back up, and Amazon took it down. This happened three or four times.


The person was as persistent as I was. But I didn’t want the first review of my first book to start off with a one-star. Now, if they had read it and that is how they felt, so be it. But Amazon agreed with me. Perhaps behind the curtain, they could research and see if they had indeed delivered the book that quickly. But it came down to it not being possible.


Trolls are everywhere in this world, wanting to bring a person down for whatever reason. Maybe they have nothing else to occupy their time. Perhaps, they are jealous. I honestly can’t think of many reasons why.


But thankfully, Amazon worked with me.

The Musings of A New Englander