Well… it happened.

I got my first real bad review. This is supposed to be a right of passage for an author, right?

I only have a handful of reviews so far... so this one? It didn’t just sting—it tanked my average rating. I went from a proud 4.5 stars to a painful 3.0 in a single blow.

That’s the thing with being new to the scene. When your book is fresh and your review count is low, one voice can carry a lot of weight. And when that voice isn’t kind, it echoes.

The Truth? It Hurt.

I’ve heard so many good things about Marked by Fate—from readers, from coworkers, from friends, from acquaintances I’ve met through work or community events. People have cried at the launch party. Told me they couldn’t put it down. Compared it to The Hunger Games. Asked when the sequel’s coming.

And yet… that one negative review? It’s the one echoing in my head right now.

Why is that?

Why can we hear something wonderful ten times and still believe the one voice that tells us we failed? Why is it so easy to let one critique unravel all the confidence we carefully stitched together?

The Doubt Creeps In...

It’s not just the review—it’s the questions that come with it.

Was everyone else just being polite?

Were they too close to me to be honest?

Is my book really what I think it is… or am I just hyping myself up to protect my ego?

Am I fooling myself?

These are the thoughts that hit me in the quiet moments, when I should be proud but instead feel hollow. I know some of this is my depression talking. Life hasn’t exactly been easy lately. But knowing that doesn’t make the spiral any less real.

I’m Allowed to Be Human... I Think.

I know bad reviews come with the territory. I know not everyone is going to love what I’ve created. Art is subjective. Beauty in the eye of the beholder and all that.

But I’m also allowed to admit it hurts.

I’m allowed to be disappointed.

I’m allowed to care.

And I think we need to say that more often. Especially as indie authors—especially as debut authors—we pour our souls into these pages. We create with no safety net. We publish with no filter. We’re vulnerable in a way most people never see.

And sometimes? That vulnerability gets stomped on a little.

I’m Still Proud!

Even with the sting. Even with the doubt. I’m still proud of this book.

Marked by Fate is still the story I believed in enough to write. Enough to edit. Enough to publish. It’s still the book that made people cry, made people binge-read, made someone walk up to me and say, “You wrote this? I need to hug you.”

So no, one review doesn’t undo that.

But yeah… it left a mark.

And I just wanted to say that out loud.

If you’re a fellow writer or artist who’s gotten your first gut-punch review, I see you. It sucks. But it doesn’t define you. Keep making things. Keep telling your stories.

And if you’re a reader who loved the book, now’s the time to leave a review. Not just for me—but for every indie author out there whose voice matters more than one star ever could.

With a vulnerable heart,