For most authors, putting a book into the world is nerve racking. Even long before it’s published, writers frequently toil over the impact their words will have on readers. For memoirists, the fear of hurting and exposing family and friends swells. For nonfiction authors, worry over whether the subject matter will incite anger lingers. And even for fiction authors, concern regarding a character’s likeness to a familiar person causes some concern.

There is no way to perfectly imagine what will happen when your book is released. Working with a publicist can certainly help you anticipate some outcomes or target outlets that will positively receive your message, but there’s just no way to know, until you know.

In the event that your book release goes badly (or shockingly or unexpectedly) and you’re receiving harsh criticism, social outrage or familial attacks, there are ways to handle each scenario that can help you come out on top. You may not be able to please everyone, but you can help yourself by avoiding further damage and managing the current circumstances with grace.

Below are a few unfortunate scenarios that aren’t as uncommon as some may think. Learn from other authors that came before you to help avoid some serious publishing disasters.

Scenario #1: Your book makes people mad. Like, grab-your-pitchforks-mad.

 

 

Not all books are going to be met with applause. Sometimes, a particular subject matter will strike a cord and really start an uproar. Perhaps the topic was politically insensitive. Maybe you made the (common) mistake of having a “white savior” for the main character. In our line of work, we’ve seen single, millennial authors deeply upset the mommy blogger crowd (and trust us, that is not a group you want to be upsetting). We’ve also seen former members of a religion produce memoirs that deeply upset family members. Writing a book is personal. So is reading one. And when anything gets personal, feelings can be hurt.

Find Your People

In debates, there are people who fall on both sides of the argument. Rarely is someone or something so universally despised that there isn’t a fair spread of opponents and proponents. Find your people. Find those who support your point of view and focus on delivering your message to those who want rather than trying to convince haters to love you.  It would also be in your best interest to seek out a publicist or reach out to your own contacts for more coverage that casts your book in the best light.

Get Media Training

If the issue has escalated to the point where news outlets are reaching out to you for commentary and interviews, don’t just assume you’ve got this covered. Now is the time for training. Even if you are sticking to your story and have zero intention of apologizing or retracting your opinion, a PR professional can help guide the message in the best possible way. You may not be able to win over the opposition, but you can defend yourself with grace. That is not always easy to conjure on your own when facing personal attacks.

Write an Essay

If you wish to respond to criticism, it’s not always easy to do so through the media. News outlets are always looking for a hook and that does not bode well for you. If you want to be able to address an issue head on, consider writing an essay that you publish on your own platform or a trusted friend’s platform. Be sure to get some feedback before publishing though, everything you say right now is being watched. The Internet is never shy on bullies.

Scenario #2: You flub up on social media. And people noticed.

Social media is the 21^st-century-author’s biggest blessing and biggest curse. You have instant access to your fans and the rest of the world, but with great power comes great responsibility.

Bestselling authors (and debuts) are no stranger to social media. Some even decide to make very daring and direct proclamations and engage in public debate with regularity. If this is the way you choose to run your platform, that’s okay. For many authors this is a perfect fit.

That being said, no one says the right thing 100% of the time.

Maybe you decide to complain online and it irritated your followers. Maybe you engaged in a debate and came off a sore loser or an uninformed arguer. You’re only human, but now you have a band of followers turning on you. That’s when it’s time to enter clean up mode.

Apologize

If you shot off on Facebook and perhaps hurt some feelings, apologies may be in order. Even if there was validity in what you said, there’s nothing wrong with humbling yourself in the face of criticism. We are all human. We all make mistakes. Don’t let it define your career by neglecting other’s emotions.

Delete If Necessary

If you’ve written something on social media and it has generated a massive amount of backlash, no one says you have to leave it there as a virtual target on your back. You may not be able to remove the issue, but you can take away the blemish on your platform if it’s doing more harm than good.

Scenario #3: You’ve gained a reputation. Unfortunately, it’s not a good one.

Some authors develop a reputation. Whether they are respected in the literary community or not, they may find themselves under personal attack. From Jonathan Franzen to Ann Coulter, the reputation of an author and the reason why it has soured could be varied, but having a bad rep doesn’t necessarily mean the end of your career.

While reputation and fame tend to go hand in hand, even debut authors may find themselves gaining unwanted notoriety in a particular community. Authors who speak out against a religion are a prime example. Though you may not be known to the whole world of literature, if you have gained some infamy in a particular niche, there are ways to manage this.

Lean Into It

In Coulter’s case and in the case of many famed and shamed celebrities, she seems content to take the hits and remain loyal to who she is. She isn’t out to be best friends with her critics and frequently puts herself in the line of fire. Her less than sterling personality has become a part of her brand and like her or not, there’s no shortage of Coulter coverage. If you stand fully behind the thing that is giving you a bad rep, there may not be a need to course correct. Just because some people don’t like it, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s wrong. If you’re comfortable with who you are and what you do and it’s brought you success, it is okay to press on and cast likability to the wind.

Rebrand

If however, your reputation has become ignominious, there may be cause for an about-face. Perhaps you never anticipated or wanted to associate yourself with the negativity and repercussions that publishing your book has brought about. If your desire is to drop and do away with the reputation you’ve gained, this may require a fresh start and a distancing from your former author self. A branding professional would be the best place to start as they can inform you on how to bury the blunder you wish to forget by introducing a fresh, “new you” to the public.

Scenario #4: The reviews came in. Some were bad. Then you decided to comment.

Similar to the social media debacle, authors often find the temptation to read bad reviews irresistible. Something about the negativity is magnetic for authors whether they are debuts or veterans.

In the case of one author (and many other authors), the pull to read and respond to negativity was too strong.

This author took a one-star Goodreads review deeply personally and unwittingly started a comment chain made up of hundreds of Goodreads members telling him, in essence, to take a big, fat chill pill.

 

Undoubtedly in your career as a writer, you will get a bad review or two. This is all a part of being an author.

If you’ve already committed this author sin, there is usually only one thing to do.

Stop

Stop immediately. There is virtually no way to do this and walk away with your dignity. The bottom line is, most authors who rebuke their critics come off as petty, amateurish and out of touch. It doesn’t usually win you any fans nor does it do anything for your brand. Your job is to find your fans, not slaughter your critics. If someone hated your book, telling them they are wrong to feel how they feel is unlikely to sway their opinion of you.

Addressing Criticism with Poise

One author capable of addressing critics while remaining likable is Gillian Flynn. If, like millions of others, you read Gone Girl and went “What!?” when it ended, that message was received with shock by Flynn.

She was surprised that her ending was contentious and yet, she had a very simple and dignified explanation. In short, her characters were true to themselves and she asks simply, “What would you have preferred?” Readers may have been mad at the ending, but she allows that while also defending her choice. If you want an example to follow, see how Flynn defends her ending, sleep on it, then approach your rebuttal with as much caution as you can muster.

Scenario #5: You broke the law. Or at a minimum, a lawyer has contacted you regarding content.

Tony Schwartz may not be a name you recognize off the top of your head, but the person he ghostwrote for certainly is. Schwartz is the ghostwriter for Donald Trump’s book, The Art of the Deal. Amidst the obvious onslaught of political drama, Schwartz spoke out against the subject of his written work and was presented with a cease and desist letter from Trump’s lawyer.

Now while you may not be a high profile case like this, it’s not necessarily unusual for a self-published author to run into legal trouble. A traditional author may be covered by their publisher’s due diligence, but a solo writer dreaming to see their work in print may not be so thorough.

Do Your Research

If you are referencing a famous line of poetry, dropping a name brand product, mentioning a celebrity or writing about a real person, there is going to be some obligation on your part to understand the legal ramifications. If you are in the pre-publication stages, there’s still time to understand these nuances. If you’ve already published, it is still in your best interest to do some research, even if you haven’t been approached by a lawyer.

Seek Representation

If you are in the unfortunate circumstance of receiving a legal document, the only approach you should consider is seeking legal advice from a professional. To minimize damage and avoid loss, reach out to a lawyer familiar with the publishing industry.

Not all book launches go perfectly. Some even go disastrously. If you find yourself in a book release crisis, consult an expert and approach the scenario with calm and clarity. The public is fickle and your career is at stake, don’t allow a bad situation to spiral.