My Memoir Received it's First 1 Star Review on Amazon: 10 Reasons I'm Grateful For It
My memoir, "Blank Canvas, How I Reinvented My Life After Prison," received its first 1-star review on Amazon.
It definetley stung, but it made me realize a lot of valuble info.
1. Fear
Before I publised the book my biggest fear was getting slammed on Amazon. It almost led me to not publish. I faced that fear, which was magical unto itself.
And when the fear came to fruition all it did was sting for about 10-15 seconds.
I can leverage this experience to move forward on other projects that scare me.
2. The Amazon Algorithm
Amazon favors books with more reviews, good or bad. This review will help, ever so slightly, boost the books visibility. And I'm 1 review closer to hitting 100 reviews.
3. Learning
What can I learn from this review? How can I use it to improve on my second book?
The 2nd book is currentley in the works.
4. Reframing
I have the opportunity to reframe what was my biggest fear and create a gratitude list.
5. Content
I'll use the experince to create content for my 1:1 coaching business. I'll discuss fear and the goals we set for ourselves.
6. I got it out of the way
It's no longer something floating around that may happen. It happened and will probably happen again.
7. Right of Passage
It feels like a right of passage to receive a bad review. Every single book ever published has received 1 star reviews. I just finished "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini which I absolutely loved. It has 24K positive reviews on Amazon.
Here's one of the 1 star reviews:
"Worst story too graphic for anyone to read. Not sure how this is even considered literature."
8. Content Part 2
I'll figure out a way to use it to market the book.
9. Amazon Average Rating
I believe it was Robert Cialdini on @JamesAltucher's podcast who said the optimal rating for a book on Amazon is 4.2 to 4.7. Consumers don't trust 5 star ratings, they believe all the authors friends rated the book. This review dropped me to a 4.8.
10. The Journey/Not the Destination
Before I wrote the first word, I was shaken to my core thinking about the first critical comment/review the book would inevitably receive.
I was convinced I couldn't handle it. I was convinced it would destroy me. I was convinced I'd never write again, even though I hadn't even written anything at all.
I was standing at "A" and freaking out about "X, Y, Z."
When we embark on a new journey, we think we know how we're going to feel and react while we're on the journey.
Our past hurts inform our future fears.
But we don't have a crystal ball. We don't know how we're going to feel until the moment actually happens.
There's something so critically important to connect with at the beginning of any journey:
You have to go through B before you get to Z.
And, by the time you get to X, Y, & Z - you're not the same person you were at A. You've been transformed; you've evolved in a way that you couldn't see or comprehend when you first started.
Because you've slain the fears and the doubts from journeying from A to B and all the way to Z.
And the person you've become is no longer scared of X, Y & Z.
Title: Boring after the 1st Chapter
Review:
I heard the author on a podcast and was intrigued by the interview. The book was not what I expected. The author did not really connect with me in how he reinvented his life after prison. I was very bored with everything past chapter 1.
In the book he mentions various things that he did to improve his life after prison but does not explain any of these life-changing methods in detail. Quite a let-down from the excitement generated from the podcast interview.
I wish him well and perhaps he can improve his writing skills before authoring another book.