#198. How to Handle Book Reviews Like a Pro (With Emily Golden & Rachel May)

Fiction Writing Made Easy

Savannah Gilbo

Education, Fiction, Writing Tips, Arts, Bestseller, Writing, How To, Author, Writing Community, Books, Novel, How To Write Fiction, Writing Fiction, Writer, How To Write A Book

4.9 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 17 June 2025

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Learn how to handle book reviews without letting them crush your confidence or derail your writing dreams. Receiving your first book review can be both thrilling and terrifying at the same time. Whether it's a glowing five-star love letter or a brutal one-star takedown, reader reviews can send even the most confident authors into an emotional tailspin. I recently sat down with book coaches Emily Golden and Rachel May of Golden May Editing to discuss the challenge of negative reviews. Between ...

Transcript

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0:00.0	Have you been dreaming of writing a novel but you don't know where to start? Or maybe you've
0:03.8	tried writing but you keep getting stuck halfway through a draft? If so, I have a free training
0:08.7	you're going to love. It's called three things you need to write your novel in 2025 and in this
0:14.0	free 60-minute training I'll share the exact same process my clients and students have used to go from
0:19.6	idea to completed manuscript in just
0:22.1	months, not years. You'll also learn why most writers never finish their drafts and spoiler
0:27.6	alert, it's not a lack of talent or good ideas, as well as how to overcome feelings of perfectionism,
0:33.6	self-doubt, and overwhelm that stops many new writers in their tracks. You can register for this
0:38.7	free training at savannahgilbo.com forward slash masterclass. So one more time, that's savannah
0:44.4	gilbo.com forward slash masterclass to register for the free training. I hope to see you there.
0:50.4	For reviews, it's not honestly about you. The reviews are for other readers. They're not for you. And so when somebody is writing a review about your book, it actually isn't personal. It has nothing to do with you. It's them sharing their opinion with other readers so that those readers can make an educated decision about whether or not they want to pick up your book. And I think that oftentimes it feels
1:11.4	personal because it is personal to us, right? Like we put our hearts and souls into these
1:15.4	projects. But I think it's really important to remember that those aren't for you and they're
1:19.8	not about you because that boundary can really help you set some guidelines and boundaries for
1:26.0	yourself around how you take in those reviews and
1:29.2	like what purpose it's serving because their purpose is not for you.
1:35.7	Welcome to the fiction writing made easy podcast. My name is Savannah Gilbo and I'm here to help
1:41.0	you write a story that works. I want to prove to you that writing a novel doesn't have to be overwhelming.
1:46.6	So each week, I'll bring you a brand new episode with simple, actionable, and step-by-step
1:51.3	strategies that you can implement in your writing right away.
1:54.8	So whether you're brand new to writing or more of a seasoned author looking to improve your
1:58.3	craft, this podcast is for you.
	...

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