So you got a 1-star review...
You wrote a book and it's out there for the world, and... you see a 1-star review on Amazon. You will understandably question your life choices, especially if you did everything yourself or paid actual human money for services (if someone is accepting monopoly money, please let me know). But this isn't the time to give up; you're a writer, and negative feedback shouldn't send you into a tailspin of questioning and mixed family dynamics of failure. But a 1-star or 2-star review can be useful for you, and you shouldn't let it ruin your day.
Why Reviews Feel So Important
A review is a different sort of feedback; it's usually unrequested. Now you might ask for a review but that's not typically the case. What you will likely be seeking, at least in the early stages of writing, is constructive feedback. You want this feedback to improve your craft, but a review of a published work can often leave you feeling depressed because it mentally attacks all of your insecurities (known and unknown).
But reviews aren't for you, they're for prospective readers and consumers. Even if someone writes a scathing review, it might be enough to make another reader intrigued. The blank review is easily ignored, but the one with three paragraphs is typically more attractive to other buyers. When I buy online, I read reviews to see if they validate my preconceived ideas or if I need to further examine my needs. But any review can do this, from 5-star to 1-star. If someone doesn't like a product, I'd rather know why.
But reviews aren't for you, they're for prospective readers and consumers. Even if someone writes a scathing review, it might be enough to make another reader intrigued. The blank review is easily ignored, but the one with three paragraphs is typically more attractive to other buyers. When I buy online, I read reviews to see if they validate my preconceived ideas or if I need to further examine my needs. But any review can do this, from 5-star to 1-star. If someone doesn't like a product, I'd rather know why.
5 Essential Mindset Shifts for Review Resilience
1. Your Book Is Not You
A review is not an attack on you or anything else that you produce. Probably. People suck and there are people that get a thrill out of causing other people misery. But don't let it get you down, you wrote a book and that is evidence of your strength.
2. Know Your Ideal Reader
You need to know your audience. Know your audience before you write, and write for your audience. Don't write a romance novel for sci-fi fans or a comedy for horror fans; write a story and your audience will find the piece. If someone leaves a 1-star review but doesn't even bother reading other books in the same genre, ignore it.
3. Accept That Reviews Will Sometimes Hurt
Just move on. It might sound cold, but move on. Consider this a justifiable time to get some wine and/or a pint of ice cream and watch the cheesiest of cheesy movies, but then move on. A bad review should NEVER cause supreme levels of depression.
4. Understand That Rating Systems Aren't Consistent
Reviews mean different things to different people. I already told you that I don't let a 1-star review decide a purchase for me, and that I blatantly ignore reviews that don't say anything meaningful (regardless of the star rating); so a 1-star review only means that the reviewer didn't like your book.
5. Silent Readers Usually Love Your Book
Most people don't leave reviews, especially if they like something. It might sound counter-intuitive, but you will likely get direct emails from fans rather than a review. Feel free to urge fans to leave reviews, maybe even offer something in return for a review of any kind (such as a hitherto unpublished short story). Or submit your book for ARC reviews; these are people who agree to a review in exchange for a free digital copy of the book, and they usually won't leave less than a 3-star review.
In summary...
Reviews can suck but they're inevitable; don't let them get you down.
