Critiques vs. Reviews

How much weight should writers give reviews?

I’ve been thinking about that for the past few days. The world is full of people who want to offer their opinion. Even more are popping up in this age of social media. Everyone has a hot take and they will tag you, comment on your page, or, if you are famous, make videos offering their opinion on your work.

Did they like it?

Did they not like it?

Why?

Some people have got enough social capital to be considered an authority. People respect their opinion and pay with their attention spans to hear it. Ask an influencer how much they make just for an opinion.

Let me be clear, there is nothing wrong with this. Reviews are how we figure out whether we want to spend our hard earned money on something. If the people are good, they will point out both the good and the bad of something. We are all bombarded with the new and the shiny. Having someone we trust to give us an overview is helpful. I will happily listen to someone on YouTube give their opinion on a makeup product I’m thinking of buying, a piece of electronic equipment, and, yes, even a book.

But as a writer, should I care about reviews of my own stuff?

I think the answer is no.

Reviews are for readers.

Critiques are for writers.

What’s the difference?

Critiques happen before the work is published. You should share drafts of your stories to those that will give you an honest opinion before the rest of the world sees it. Good writing friends will point out problems and inconsistencies. Some call these folks alpha or beta readers. It doesn’t really matter what you call them. The point is that this is not a review.

After the story comes out there is not much you can do. I suppose if you self-publish, you could take the book down and revise it. That happened to me with my first collection. There was a glaring spelling error on the first page and I unpublished it to fix it quick. But most of the time, the story is out and it’s not going to change unless the author makes the effort.

Hopefully, by the time a book is ready to be published (or a short story) it has been read many, many times and is the best it can be. So reading reviews of your work is pointless for changing it. The reviews are for the readers.

So if you are a writer, I would recommend focusing on the manuscript when it is being crafted. Find folks who will give you honest feedback (you can even pay an editor if you need to). But once the story is out there in the world, detach yourself from it. Beyond this point, it is not for you to change. The reviews are now for the readers. Your work (writing) should be done.

Critiques are for writers.

Reviews are for readers.