Probably one of the biggest hurdles in writing is criticism

It comes in many forms, from subtle to downright nasty.  The point is that every writer gets criticism. It’s simply a matter of how you handle it.

As for me…

I take every comment, good or bad, as an impetus to write better.

Just remember one very important adage, what I call my Rule No. 1, you can’t please all of the people all of the time.

If you are like me, you write most of your stories under a particular genre and read and study best-selling authors’ methods and writing style, then draft and redraft to ensure that the stories meet readers’ requirements.

That’s my Rule No. 2: always make sure you a) study best-selling authors of your genre style and themes and b) read readers’ comments on your genre because that’s who you’re writing for.

Something else to remember: every writer, including those best-selling authors who have written multiple books, gets bad reviews and sometimes acerbic criticism.

Replying to them is not recommended. Take their views on board and spend a few moments trying to try and see what their issue is. 

Then go and read a dozen of your five-star reviews just to remind yourself that all is well, and there is always room for improvement.