As a self-published author, you’ll likely receive constructive criticism at some point. I would like to share my top suggestions on how to handle that situation based on personal experience. I clearly remember the first time one of my books received constructive criticism. In actuality, this particular review was mixed. She liked the story, but had a concern about the finer details. Since this review was on Goodreads, I took the liberty of thanking the person for her review and attempting to allay the concern. I also considered revising my book, but opted not to do this because I realized that it's impossible to please every reader. This leads to a helpful mindset you should adopt when receiving constructive criticism. You, too, must realize that you can’t please every reader. After all, we don’t always love every book we’ve read. I certainly don’t. I’ve also learned that authors should not respond to reviews left on Goodreads. The higher-ups eventually let me know that I could be banned should I do that again. This is a newer rule, which I’m glad to know and pass along to you. So, while you should avoid the people-pleasing trap, you should also avoid replying to any Goodreads reviews you receive.

On the other hand, if the criticism you receive unsettles you, it’s helpful to discuss it with a friend, family member, or mentor. They can talk you through it so that it rattles you less. That’s what I did. I spoke to my husband about the situation, and he suggested adding a disclaimer to the beginning of the book. He even helped me with the wording. That chat and related action helped me feel better. Something the criticism I received taught me was that perhaps I should have researched the topic of my book more thoroughly. It was clearly a make-believe children’s story, and to be clear, I did some research. However, perhaps I could have done more and changed details early on. This would have avoided the concern the reviewer mentioned. On the other hand, sometimes running with the creative freedom we have also works well enough.

Depending on the criticism you receive, you could take it into account for your next book or creative work. That’s not necessarily a requirement, but some constructive criticism could be implemented to make our next work even better. It’s also important to examine the big picture. Did you receive other reviews that were glowing with praise? That comes back to the fact that you can’t please everyone. I received several reviews for this particular book, and no one else had the same concern this particular reviewer mentioned. That leads to my advice for handling constructive criticism: read the criticism, consider it, but also take it with a pinch of salt. Our job as authors isn’t to please everyone. That's an impossible feat. Also, realize that with time and experience, handling constructive criticism should become easier. I have found that to be so.