Argh!

I guess part of getting your work published is learning to deal with public criticism.  I was used to having my stories dissected and criticized in the closed environment of my fiction writing workshops but for some reason this felt different.  When I read 2 bad reviews in a row of “Infestation” I must admit I was steamed.  I cooled off quite quickly as I realized that only 2 comments of 48 were unfavorable and reality set in that you can’t please everybody.  Plus, you never can tell what somebody’s true motivation for being negative is.

Anyway, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?  One thing that kept me smiling was a comical response to a not so great review that came to mind.  Jeffrey Ford once posted a review of “The Shadow Year” on his blog that was unflattering.  He proclaimed something to the like of “Hey, look at this guy take a big stinking deuce on my endeavor!” like some badge of courage. Of course “The Shadow Year” has just recently won the Shirley Jackson Award.  So hey, maybe I’ve arrived!  (That’s how I’ll take it anyway!)