codecalla

What is the proper response when someone tells you “your work is crap“?

1. Use your full vocabulary of Shakespearian insults to take that person down, because Shakespeare makes everything funnier and better.
2. Look at the messenger.   No, really.  Who the heck are they?  Is there some kind of impairment that they possess where they cannot see your brilliance?
3. Ask yourself why this person should have any of your attention.  Is this person a credible or knowledgeable person?  Did they actually read/experience your work?  Are they just spouting off to get a response?
4. Get annoyed and completely disregard that person, suggest that they take themselves off.  De-friend, un-follow, or whatever it is that you can do to passively-aggressively respond.  (or make a list, lists are cool.)
5. Look for specifics.  Is there anything they have said that could be useful?  I mean, is it a steaming pile of crap or a dried pile of crap?
6. Use your faultless logic and reasoning and identify all of the fallacies they have used to make this erroneous judgment call.  After all, making a general statement to the whole of self-published writers without actually taking the time to review them individually is nothing short of prideful, arrogant, claptrap.
7. Realize they weren’t directing the statement at you, and still get offended anyway, for the same reason as above.
8. Wonder how much crap other writers have created in creating and keep creating anyway.
9. Be thankful that someone has taken the time to express their feelings, however misguided, and pat them on the head.  “Oh, that’s nice, dear.”
10. Realize that unfounded criticism is the internet currency of the moment.  People clamor to be the next witty detractor.  Criticism is not the same as critical feedback.  Choose your battles, keep writing anyway.  Don’t bother about loose generalizations from someone, since they aren’t interested in helping you become a better stronger writer.  It’s not about you, after all.  It’s about them and their cleverness.
11. Read the rest of the article.  (Just in case the title alone inspired 10 reactions and you had to decide your next move before continuing).
12. Of course the final answer is looking at the full message, if you were able to get past your agitation at their title, and look at some of the possibly valuable, albeit general, advice given.