Reviews & THANKS!

One of the 'guidelines' you get as an author is that reviews are for readers. There's some discussion about whether or not authors should comment/like/read reviews, or whether they should just remain untouched by authors.

I thought it was a bit rude not to like/thank someone for a review, so I thought I'd do that. But then sometimes people don't leave a written review, just a number of stars out of 5. What do you do with stars? Do you thank/like them too?

I'd heard that you shouldn't read negative reviews because they could be harmful to your writing...but I found reading positive reviews stopped me writing. No one told me that!

I wish I knew why they affect me, but I suspect it creates that 'am I good enough?' question. In my case, it's 'am I good enough to do this again?' If I write another book will people like that too?

There's something about creativity and insecurity going hand-in-hand. I put so much of myself and my deepest thoughts into a story, and that leaves you vulnerable to criticism. Don't get me wrong - I don't write true events, the characters aren't me, nothing in the stories actually happened - but I tap deep into myself to create each story, each character.

While I love receiving an email/note from a reader (which for some reason makes me happy and not scared), I don't go looking for reviews. I know they can help people pick a book to read. I know they're great for on-selling. I know I should be doing so many things...

So today I went to have a look and see how The Healing Season, Honey Hill House and A Heart Stuck on Hope were faring in the review (written review) and rating (no words, just stars) stakes. On Amazon AU, there are:
4 x 5 stars reviews for The Healing Season
2 x 5 stars reviews for Honey Hill House
8 reviews for A Heart Stuck on Hope; 6 of them are 5 stars.

On Goodreads, there are:
37 ratings, most being 4 and 5 stars for The Healing Season
49 ratings, most being 4 and 5 stars for Honey Hill House
73 ratings, most being 4 and 5 for A Heart Stuck on Hope
5 ratings, 3 being 5 stars for Last Chance Country. 

So, today, I'll be unable to write but I'd love to give a huge THANK YOU to all the readers who have read and enjoyed our books. 5 stars are incredible and to have so many blows my mind.

That people take the time to leave a written review is also incredible and many thanks if you have!

I'm quite blown away that my story could resonate with others. It makes me a very happy writer.

Many thanks for your encouragement and support. I'll have to get a thicker skin so I can check these out more often! :)