Faction - Sometimes it's hard not to fight back...

So, in this journey of Faction, responses to the book have been great. People have made comments here in there about things they didn't get, particularly one of the judges who didn't fully buy into the concept of the book in Small Press Idol. Not a problem, right? As a creator, though, I've been told you have to develop thick skin. You can't please everyone, I'm told. Didn't really encounter that so much until last night. I was sent someone's review that came across to me like it wasn't read, but skimmed, and the point of the book was completely missed. I was crushed, my first non-stellar review, and worse yet the writing was the person's biggest problem. I was dumbstruck! I realize now, though, after thinking on it, that you really can't please everyone. I've commented on that already in this blog, but it really hit home last night. But the simple fact that two people can read the exact same thing and that eleven reviewers find the book to be amazing while one thinks its derivative boggled my mind. I could fire back, over-analyze the over-analysis, but what's the point? Will I change that person's mind? Absolutely not...

This reminds me of an email I received a couple of weeks ago... I've been slowly but surely working to get Faction out there in the world. I won't give away what I've been doing, but let's just say that 99% of the people I've spoken with have been very receptive. One person, though, out of the blue responds to me, very upset, calling me rude and a few other choice words when TONS of other people only responded positively. Why is that? Did I catch them on a bad day? Who knows... I realized at that moment, too, that people are going to interpret events differently.

Some people see a car passing by and notice the beautiful paint, while others focus on the fact that the driver needs a shave. Some people listen to a CD and love the vocals, while others focus on the fact that the production is "rough" and can't get through it.

Message from Michael ~ we're going to have to toughen up your skin.

Agreed!