How Indie Authors Learn to Handle the Rollercoaster of Feedback
For a week or so after launching *An Irish Mystery*, I kept having the same thought: "Where are all these people who bought my book? Why aren’t they reviewing it?"
Then I looked at the calendar and reminded myself: the book hasn’t even been out a full month yet. If readers are anything like me, juggling busy lives, it often takes a few weeks (or more) to finish a book. A little patience is needed.
My First Few Reviews
When the third review landed — another 5-star — I was thrilled. The star appeared first (Amazon takes a while to approve the written part), but soon enough, the full, encouraging message followed.
Then I saw it: a fourth review had come in.
Three stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
My heart dropped just a little.
"What If Someone Doesn’t Like It?"
People had asked me this before.
"What will you do if someone gives it a bad review?"
And my answer was always calm and rehearsed:
“That’s okay. My book won’t be for everyone. Different tastes, that’s life.”
But when the moment comes — when it's your book, your work — it stings more than expected.
You can't help but think: Why?
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Perspective (and Plot Holes)
To get some perspective, I looked up bestselling books ones with huge followings. And guess what? Plenty of 2-star and 3-star reviews. That was oddly reassuring. Then I read a book I'd picked up from a BookFunnel promo: 'The Lost Tomb'. As someone who researches history, I was instantly thrown off by a major error:
The book featured the Hindenburg in 1940?
For the record, the Hindenburg was destroyed in 1937.
There were more errors too: plot holes, technical slips, things that pulled me out of the story. (If you're curious, I shared my full thoughts on Goodreads.)
It made me rethink that 3-star review of my own.
At least it wasn’t 1-star.
At least it wasn’t because I’d gotten big, basic facts wrong.
Everyone Reads (and Rates) Differently
Here’s what I’ve come to realise:
For some people, 3 stars is a positive review.
It might mean they enjoyed it; but it wasn’t their usual genre.
Maybe they liked it but didn’t connect with a certain character.
And honestly? At least they gave it a go.
They took a chance on an indie author, and they read it.
And ultimately, that’s what it’s all about.
📖 An Irish Mystery — Out Now
Historical intrigue, hidden secrets, and a gripping debut.
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