Don't Let the Critics Bring You Down

There are authors that have transported me with the magic of their words and even altered the course of my life. Some are well-known, others are obscure. In any case, every impactful creative genius I’ve ever read has also received bad reviews from crabby people. Thank God they cared enough about me, their ideal reader, to ignore that other noise. My life, and everyone I connected to, is so much better for it.

As far as I’ve noticed there’s no level of artistic, intellectual or spiritual achievement that exempts you from crap reviews, so it’s really not worth the mental space. You’ve got to love the people who love your book enough to ignore whoever hates it.

The good news is you don’t have to go head-to-head with a lot of critics in the beginning. When you launch for the first time you have to work to get attention, therefore you can debut in friendly communities of your choosing.

While it may seem frustrating to launch to a small audience at first, remember Malcom Gladwell’s wisdom from his bestselling book, The Tipping Point: products and ideas that begin in small a supportive environment are more likely to grow to reach the masses. Barack Obama’s One America Speech which he gave at the 2004 Democratic Convention is the perfect example of this. It’s said to be the speech that made him president. There are parts of that speech that had been tested for years as a stump speech in his home district of Illinois as a state senator. He would speak to small crowds, sometimes standing on a portable two-foot wooden crate. But because his words resonated deeply, they spread like wildfire when elevated to a national stage.  

As you grow, more critics may show up. Just ask Barack Obama. However, those experiences help you gradually develop a thicker skin and all the strength and courage you need.

That said, we’re all a part of a larger conversation and there are also insightful critics who challenge us to go deeper, listen, and understand. They ground us and point out our blind spots. The rest is just the humility to know that sometimes you’ll be wrong and be called to grow. Just make sure you love the readers enough to keep at your craft and do better.

Whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, if you’re a writer, you’re a thought leader. No matter what you’re writing, you’re taking people on a journey where they’ll explore new ideas, emotions, and inner landscapes. Thought leaders don’t wait to reach out and serve, but do so knowing we’re lifelong learners. Cultivating a beginners mind keeps us on the straight and narrow path. There’s always a stretch of road in front of us and behind us. Keep taking those solid conscious steps.