Goodreads…ah, Goodreads.
Seeing those first reviews coming up on Goodreads are quite nerve-wracking. And actually checking up Goodreads can be quite nerve-wracking.
Honestly, I read the reviews a lot at the beginning, and then only sporadically. For my own sanity. But I do try to learn from them now: what’s the one thing readers seem to enjoy about my writing? I’ve read somewhere you should try to inject more of your strength in your books and try to improve your weaknesses.
And yes, sometimes I can’t be pretending I’m all fine and dandy.
That’s usually when I write desperate emails to my lovely writer friends. Bad reviews happen, they really do. When it does? As I said, I reach out to my friends who are awesome in cheering me up, I re-read emails from readers who loved my book too and sometimes I check out what other books those readers didn’t like…in the mix, there is always one book I absolutely loved that they also hated. That makes me feel better somehow…or I look up reviews of books I loved and realize some of them have worse average than mine. However, I NEVER ENGAGE with reviewers.
I also use Goodreads for giveaways and for raising awareness about my book that way. I found it to work quite well. But from now on, I will only put up one book.
Join me tomorrow for H…Hybrid
Elodie Nowodazkij 
Ooh, I love your theme. Yeah, you can lose part of your sanity if you focus too much on reviews. There are so many variables that go into them from the reader’s personal preferences to the many who may have enjoyed your work but don’t post reviews.
Hi, I’m working my way down the A-Z list.
I read all my reviews, and yes, occasionally I’ve got a little bit depressed by them. But on the whole, I think I handle it quite well, usually with hysteria 🙂
Nice to meet you, Elodie
Annalisa, writing A-Z vignettes, at Wake Up, Eat, Write, Sleep