Recently one author on Twitter says how he would be pleased to get 3 stars rating for his books. It is a rare statement and shows maturity because it is not easy to be objective about your books.
Three obstacles to your success in writing are:
Ego. You are persuaded that your books are good.
Inability to receive critics. It is hard to digest critics, but it is a way to progress.
Passivity. If you just sit and wait for someone to buy your books, you will not have success.
There is a saying that an author must have thick nerves and a good stomach. I remember when a woman says to my book "sounds like a horrible book with a horrible title." I had no idea why she said this because she did not read it, she saw it in the group and I don't know who she was. That was my first test and I lost nerves and insulted her because I felt hurt.
A professional writer must stay calm, even with trolls. We must know that some people are frustrated and they will do everything to spoil someone's mood. It feeds them. Recently Goodreads published a warning about trolls.
Another thing is, writing is a journey, not a destination. If you are an author who writes in another language, like it is my case, you will learn a lot.
Three stars are not a bad review. It shows your reader read a book and noticed you can do better. I would rather receive objective three stars with explanation, than five stars without explanation. I don't like reviews in the form: "Amazing. Must read." I am flattered, but did you read a book? I want to know what fascinated you.
During your writing journey, you can choose to surround yourself with genuine people who will help you. For this, you need to recognize those with good intentions and those who want to use you for money or take advantage of you. People who say nice words are not always genuine.
When I think about my books, they progressed since the first book is published. I accepted some critics, and it was the key.
If I did not accept some suggestions, I would not progress.
Critics help you to improve your skills and fill blank lines. I don't think I am the best writer in the world, but sure I deserve attention.
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