I once wrote a book that a fair number of people on Goodreads didn't like, but that same book also won an award. I concluded I'd had decent luck with the book and left the Goodreads reviewers alone.
If I needed to be liked, I could write another book tailored to that end. If the strategy didn't work, then I'd walk away. Why invite people to associate my name with self-importance and stalking that results in infamy?
If you read a review of your book which you conclude was written either by an idiot or someone with a vested interest in hating you, then that's one more reason not to try to engage them.
I've always favored Epictetus's response to criticism: "He must not know me well, or else he wouldn't have complained of those faults alone."
|