Complaints

One thing I’ve learned
after three years of being
a published author
is that people will complain
about everything.

I’ve heard complaints
about character names,
about character beverage preference
(one hero likes orange juice
but the reader felt
he should be drinking apple juice),
and,
of course,
about typos.

There are complaints that I listen to.
U.S. readers have complained
about the use of foreign words.
I now severely limit those.

There are complaints that I ignore.
I cannot change a character’s name
after the book has been published.

I don’t read complaints
while in the product development creative space
(i.e. writing).
Nothing kills creativity like criticism.

I also know that
a reader receiving a book for free
is MORE likely to complain
than a reader buying a book.
I keep that in mind
when I give books away.

Complaints can be a wonderful source
of improvement
and future products
but they should be managed properly.
They should assist you in DOING,
not prevent you from taking action.