I will open by stating the obvious: No one is perfect and you will make mistakes. One thing about writing in public is that you are putting yourself out there. You might make writng mistakes (seeing if you are paying attention =P), get into image disputes (sometimes you might grab the embed code on Flickr, Pinterest, whatever, and then have the creator say that you are stealing his/her content. It’s happened to me), or write something that doesn’t sit too well with the majority of your readers. What do you do when this happens?
The first thing you have to learn is to not react without any thinking behind it. This is especially true if you are writing for business. I have seen some writers/bloggers start going back-and-forth arguing with people, and I think that is not the best way to go. You are just making yourself look bad. It’s like my mom always said to my sister and me: Think before you speak. Before you start throwing a temper tantrum, get away from the computer, and forget about it for a few minutes. If it’s really bad, then maybe increase the time to an hour. You need to calm down and really think about what is the best way to approach the situation. I know that we all wish we could go to each and every doorstep of the people who have left snide remarks like in Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back, but then reality sets in, and you realize that you are not in a movie that can be rewound.
After you have calmed down, you can now write a response that is screaming professionalism. Believe me, you will score points with your readers, and even the person who left the snarky comment. You are representing your company’s and/or your brand. Don’t embarrass yourself. I also recommend that you always double-check or triple-check your response before you send it out. This is especially true if you are sharing it with your social networking sites. Even if you delete it in a second, a few people will see it and there is nothing you can do to prevent them from forwarding it around.
However, the criticism and comments that you receive might have some truth to it. Don’t be overdefensive. Even if it’s a rude comment, read it with an open mind. The person might be on to something, and it could improve your writing and business. So listen and don’t clam up.
I always cringe when I send something out because you never know the response, but as I have learned. Not everyone is going to like what you write, you will make mistakes, and all you can do is learn how to handle backlash with as much grace as possible.
Written by: Shevonne on October 13, 2011.
Last revised by: Shevonne on October 24, 2011. Tags: criticism on writing, handling rude comments on blog
How to Handle Rude Comments with Grace
I will open by stating the obvious: No one is perfect and you will make mistakes. One thing about writing in public is that you are putting yourself out there. You might make writng mistakes (seeing if you are paying attention =P), get into image disputes (sometimes you might grab the embed code on Flickr, Pinterest, whatever, and then have the creator say that you are stealing his/her content. It’s happened to me), or write something that doesn’t sit too well with the majority of your readers. What do you do when this happens?
The first thing you have to learn is to not react without any thinking behind it. This is especially true if you are writing for business. I have seen some writers/bloggers start going back-and-forth arguing with people, and I think that is not the best way to go. You are just making yourself look bad. It’s like my mom always said to my sister and me: Think before you speak. Before you start throwing a temper tantrum, get away from the computer, and forget about it for a few minutes. If it’s really bad, then maybe increase the time to an hour. You need to calm down and really think about what is the best way to approach the situation. I know that we all wish we could go to each and every doorstep of the people who have left snide remarks like in Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back, but then reality sets in, and you realize that you are not in a movie that can be rewound.
After you have calmed down, you can now write a response that is screaming professionalism. Believe me, you will score points with your readers, and even the person who left the snarky comment. You are representing your company’s and/or your brand. Don’t embarrass yourself. I also recommend that you always double-check or triple-check your response before you send it out. This is especially true if you are sharing it with your social networking sites. Even if you delete it in a second, a few people will see it and there is nothing you can do to prevent them from forwarding it around.
However, the criticism and comments that you receive might have some truth to it. Don’t be overdefensive. Even if it’s a rude comment, read it with an open mind. The person might be on to something, and it could improve your writing and business. So listen and don’t clam up.
I always cringe when I send something out because you never know the response, but as I have learned. Not everyone is going to like what you write, you will make mistakes, and all you can do is learn how to handle backlash with as much grace as possible.
Source: emmajanenation.com via Shevonne on Pinterest
Last revised by: Shevonne on October 24, 2011.
Tags: criticism on writing, handling rude comments on blog