Dee Osah

Ever written something you thought was the bomb.com yet all you got were crickets or bad responses? Or maybe you shared a written work with family and friends and not one person commented, or maybe they did (but in a way you didn’t expect)?

Before I became the second half of Dee Osah and ventured into self-publishing, I religiously posted free writing content on my blog. I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment whenever a story or a chapter was completed. I couldn’t wait to share it with the world. And when I did, lack of responses or dwindling enthusiasm from family or readers felt like a rude awakening. I began to question myself and the process. “Am I a good writer? Is this worth it? Maybe I should just give up and try something else?”

Becoming a self-published writer exposes you to more than just self-doubt. Different perspectives and preferences await the opportunity to evaluate your work. Sometimes the evaluation can be gratifying and sometimes grating. Sometimes you’ll smile and the next you’ll shed a tear (or two). Sometimes you’ll want to throw in the towel and stop writing for a while. But I encourage you not to give up. Your story and perspectives are important. Your voice needs to be heard. You are on the right path.

Constructive feedback is the perfect companion to discipline and determination in this journey of becoming a writer. We can’t grow if we don’t learn. Constructive feedback is a useful tool to speed up that process of learning. It toughens our skin, broadens our perspective, and hones our voice. Not everyone will like your story, that is inevitable. But not everyone is a “hater”. There might be some who liked/disliked certain parts and cared enough to leave a detailed review worth your consideration. I encourage you not to dismiss every unfavorable review. Sure, you can celebrate the five stars and the million likes, but appreciate the three-star reviews and constructive comments (even the ones written as essays). There may be gold hidden there.

I recall our first self-published novel under Dee Osah. We were excited to share with the world. We believed in our story and invested in all versions (including audiobook). Then we waited for the feedback to pour in. It trickled in bit by bit, and our excitement started to wane. Some of the feedback had me on cloud nine until one three-star review sent me crashing down, head first. I started wondering if all the work we put in was “worth it?” But a little time after, we returned to the first book with fresh eyes and a broadened perspective that could see exactly what the 3-star reviewers mentioned. The points made suddenly seemed obvious and glaring, so how did we miss it? Affronted outrage for a seemingly bad review suddenly became an aha moment. With time and a little consideration changed “What are they even talking about? It’s so clear that’s what we meant…” into “We can see what they meant. This sentence would be confusing to the reader…”

And that, dear colleague, is what true constructive feedback is all about.