I’m posting this against the wishes of the Decompose staff, but in the spirit of full disclosure. . .
Coach’s Midnight Diner is hot off the press, and I received my copies this Monday. The mag looks terrific and I’m thrilled to have my story, Polly’s Muse, included in the mix. It’s being sold on Amazon (the link’s HERE) and currently has four out of five stars. But it appears I’m the reason it didn’t get five. The lone review is really positive, until we come to this:
Not every story in the anthology works. For example “Polly’s Muse” was well written but was yet another “Screw Tape Letters” send up and didn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the anthology. However, most of the stories were satisfying.
Okay, full disclosure, right? I was stunned. At the risk of sounding like a thin-skinned, hypersensitive, egotistical artistic type, I’ve struggled a lot more with my first bad review than I expected.
Maybe it’s the swift dismissal: “. . .yet another ‘Screw Tape Letters’ send up”. Read: Yawn. Maybe it’s the feeling that I let Coach Culbertson and the other authors down. That’s right, blame me for that one lousy missing star. Or maybe it’s just because I worked so damned hard on that story!
Did the reviewer read the whole thing? Perhaps he had a hard day at the office or just has something against muses. Maybe he had to throw in a negative comment so that Coach wouldn’t get big-headed and anybody that wrote a story about pixies was a good target. I’d been warned about backlash from writing ARTICLES LIKE THIS. But this couldn’t be that, could it?
Anyway, a pastor friend of mine used to say: If you don’t want to be criticized, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing. There’s one way to stop getting rejection slips and bad press — stop writing. But if that’s the case, I guess I should look forward to more bad reviews. . .
Oh, Mike, you are so much a writer. You completely obliterated the “well written” part and focused on the snooze factor which is really just an indication the reader didn’t like your topic of choice. Subjective, Mike. You can’t please ’em all. What if this reader hadn’t mentioned it was “well written”?
Hey, I probably would’ve cried, but then rejection of any kind isn’t in my DNA. And yet I continue to write. Weird.
I can’t name one Screwtape Letters “send up.”
It’s interesting, but Tosca Lee’s Demon: A Memoir is often compared to Lewis’ Screwtape Letters. In fact, one Amazon reviewer says, “IF you liked Screwtape Letters, you’ll love Demon.” The book is getting good reviews. So, yeah, I’m a bit puzzled by the cold shoulder.
Well, you have to be published in order to get bad reviews, so you have that going for you. Remember, the editors liked your story enough to put it in. So obviously they thought it was good.
And there’s no accounting for taste, anyway. “Wild Hogs” made $168 million at the box office this year. I haven’t seen it, but I’m guessing it’s not very profound.
Congratulations, Mike.
Except for the bad review part. But, like they say, “you can’t get a bad review unless you’re published.”
Btw, you’re safe from me. I’ve never read The Screwtape Letters. And, I loved Lee’s Demon.
Btw 2, I’m sure at least one person didn’t like the Screwtape Letters when it came out. Doesn’t mean it wasn’t good.
Ouch. Sorry about that, Mike. If it helps at all, a friend of mine who is a talented actor/director with an MFA in theater singled out your story “When Bill Left the Porch” as his favorite from Relief’s winter edition. And he didn’t know I knew you when he brought it up.
Like everyone else said, this review is just one person’s opinion. If we all liked the same things, every restaurant would be Tex-Mex.
Mike,
You finally got me to bite. For over 2 years, I’ve visited your site. Quite a few times I’ve been tempted to comment. Your “Letting Kids Make Their Own Choices” posts actually got me typing in one of these boxes, but I got distracted or busy or something. You’re one of the reasons I got off my behind and started blogging.
I have no other comment except I feel your pain. I also know that the desire to express yourself in writing is too great to suppress and you shouldn’t. Your writing causes people to think. It inspires. Rise above the critism and if you can’t call me and I’ll go with you to leave the flaming bag on stingy-star guy’s door step.
This is hardly a critique on your writing. The fact that Polly’s Muse didn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the anthology is outside of your control.
Raise your heads Decompose staff!
Somewhere around the tenth positive review, the sting will start to wear off. I think it’s just the nature of the beast!
Becky
The best way to learn is to make a mistake.
How did the Decompose staff rate your story anyway?
Congratulations!
You could do worse than being compared to C.S. Lewis:)
That’s what you get for being published.
Remember how people are all different and have different tastes? It’s okay that this guy didn’t like your story. It really is. Print the bad review out and hang it on your wall. Be proud of it!
Thanks, you guys, for the encouragement. I really, really appreciate it. Mark Dominguez, bless you for breaking your long silence. Be looking for an email from me. Nicole, you’re right — I did overlook the “well written” part. Mark Harbeson, you made me laugh with the Wild Hogs reference. Dayle, I didn’t like Screwtape Letters when I first read it either. Jeanne, I’ve always liked the creative use of corn, which is why I like Tex-Mex. And thanks for reminding me about Bill. Chris, you’re right about the writing part but wrong about the Decompose staff (see below). Becky, I have had my fair share of good reviews so I guess I should buck up. Melody, my only mistake is not spanking you sooner. You know what, Janet? I think I will put this on my wall. . . and throw darts at it. And, since I’m in the transparent mode, I have a BIG confession to make: I AM THE DECOMPOSE STAFF. God’s grace to you all!
Mike Duran: “I AM THE DECOMPOSE STAFF.”
Who knew?!?!
Eeek, Mike. (Hey, that has a pretty good ring to it.)
I, too, feel your pain. It pretty much sucks. Mark Twain said he could live two months on a good compliment, and I wonder if the corollary is something like, “I can be in a suicidal funk for a year after one bad review.”
Nah, don’t let them have that power over you. What do they know anyway. They’re just….
…readers. Oh, yeah. Well, eat some chocolate or something. And write witty blogs posts so your fans can shower you with compliments and drown out the voice of that know-nothing spirit-killing party pooper. Or something.
I find it a weird comment anyway. I liked the Screwtape Letters. My computer is named after the title demon. Seriously.
A.You’re one of the most talented writers I know.
B. In the name of friendship, up his. Wink.
Congratulations on your first bad review. Thanks for your honesty. We all struggle with being pierced no matter how tough we thought we were. That transparency is what makes you such an incredible writer.
Just for the record, I still stand behind publishing the story, and was damn sure to get it to print before anyone else who may have read it got a clue to its brilliance and published before I did. Diners are full of eclectic personalities, and I for one am proud to have Polly sitting at the counter. Here’s a different blurb to take the place of that one:
“Mike’s symbolic treatment of the creative ability God wrote into us is nothing short of amazing.”
And ya think there’s a reason why you’ve been published twice by us? Yeah, it’s because you’re a great author.
Your friendly neighborhood editor,
Coach Culbertson
Head Fry Cook
Coach’s Midnight Diner
Wow! Thank you all for the kind words. Rachelle, the pain has long subsided but I’m still eating the chocolate. Is there a problem? Gina, “up his” was similar to my first response. It was also heartening to see that, on NJ’s interview with Dean Koontz, he too related a “bad review” story. Perhaps I can use this in future interviews, huh? And Coach, I’m constructing a story about renegade muses that wear camo, wield meat cleavers, and perform water boarding on book reviewers. D’ya think THAT will work for the next Diner?
Strangely enough, it just might. But I think that instead of meat cleavers, they should wield M16’s and maybe rocket launchers. After all, even renegade muses need to accessorize well. Otherwise, their foes may double over in laughter first, and that wouldn’t be much of a fight scene. 🙂
-Coach