This morning I saw this video by Meghan Tonjes where she “reads” Fifty Shades of Grey. I use the quotes because it’s really just her commenting and sometimes reading quotes out loud. (Since I am never going to read the book unless I get it for free, it was a bit amusing to me.)
That book is ridiculously huge right now. There are plenty of people who love it and plenty who hate it. That’s the ticket right there. People have strong opinions about it. It’s that sort of book. It’s like those people in real life that draw people to them because they’re crazy meanwhile they push people away for the same reason. Can you fault a person or (a book )for living life that way?
As authors, bad reviews cut us to the quick. Yeah, babies, yada yada. But really, when there is a review that’s bad, it questions our abilities as writers. That’s what really hurts. I don’t mind someone making a comment about my story and saying it’s boring or flat. My real issue is that I then feel awful because I couldn’t make that story come alive for that reader.
I know that you’re not always going to be able to make a story that appeals to everyone. It’s not realistic with everyone’s differing tastes. These sorts of books that clearly appeal to someone (and they really do even if that someone is not me) get a lot of attention because people feel so strongly about it. What’s ironic is that they then appeal to the people who like them the least because they want to see what the fuss is about! So it’s a win-win for the author.
How many times have I read comments from people who hated the books but still read all three? It’s the same way with Twilight. People will read all the books and complain heartily about the sex scene that comes in like the last book and I always wonder, why do you keep on reading if you really hate it so much? I’m not really going to guess, though maybe it’s like when you happen across a traffic accident in real life and you want to see what happens even though you feel really badly about standing there gawking like everyone else, especially when someone responsible comes along and asks you to clear the way.
So I guess this is an interesting lesson on why bad reviews aren’t necessarily world ending. If you get a bad review, like one or two stars, and you get five star reviews (generally in equal portion) feel good because you make people feel things, even if it might be crazy anger and insane love. I won’t say that makes a book a good one, but it’s good to keep people reading.
Write Your Own Story 
Annie Neugebauer (@AnnieNeugebauer)
So true. And eventually, when books get big enough, people like me read them just so we can form opinions about what everyone else is talking about. Like tonight, when I’m going to check out my (free) copy of 50 Shades. (Same reason I read Twilight and Hunger Games.) A girl’s gotta be informed, you know? 😉
N.M. Martinez
True, and that’s a perfect reason to pick something up. I do the same, usually because I want to know if it’s as bad as they say. And in this case, since I know it was fan fiction, I’m curious about reading it as a published book. I’m too embarrassed to get it from my library, lol. Eventually, I probably will break down and check it out.