The Low Light Reel
Not every day can be a highlight. Some days, you return to your KDP and let sad thoughts creep in. This was a 2-star review of my first book.
I'll let this be formative and help me get better at writing. : |
I'll take a harsh critique if it holds some actionable feedback.1
1. Amateurish in style.
I will take this as a framework for the rest of the critique, and by working on the notes provided, I can be less amateurish to the reader.
2. Characters were better than dialogue.
I feel that dialogue is the strongest aspect of my writing, but this reader disagreed. They did think that my characters were stronger, so I should lean into that as I go and look for ways to improve the dialogue.
3. Dialogue was stilted / not believable.
Stilted and believability. Given the genre of the book, making sure that dialogue is believable will help ground the work and keep the audience invested. I should continue to look for ways to review, refine, and get feedback from readers on whether something feels believable to them.
4. "Ok so far"
They either intended to read the next book in the series OR were in the middle of reading the first book when they gave the review. If it's the former, that is good. If it's the latter, that isn't very encouraging. I must keep the reader engaged throughout the book, especially in the middle.
5. The story was bland and unconvincing.
Again, I will need to work on what is in the middle (the meat of the story) to keep the reader engaged. I will need to continue to think about what would convince the reader. It may be best to reach out to people who can beta-read my third (and final) book of the series.
It's a good thing to accept criticism to improve yourself. But you also have to put things into perspective and not give too much credit to just anyone's opinion. Has this reader already published something?