Every so often, I’ll check Amazon or Goodreads to see if anyone has left a review. This is an excerpt of the most recent which was about “Six Bullets: Less One,” the second installment in a Western series:

“Andrew Davie has sneakily become one of my favorite writers over the last few years. His McGill & Grouper 5 novella series is my favorite, almost on par with Hap and Leonard or Matt Scudder crime novels, but just about everything he’s written has been fun and affordable.”

Sometimes, it’s the opposite of that:

“I’m not one who likes to be the keyboard warrior..but, would comment that this novella was not one that I enjoyed. Gratuitous violence from start to finish, very two dimensional lead characters who were barely believable. The plot was not convincing and had it been any more than the 60 odd pages, I’d probably have abandoned it… My view obviously and I’m sure many might have other opinions, but at least it was only a couple of lost hours!”

The second review was for “Pavement.” Regardless of whether people enjoy my writing it’s one of the few times I have confirmation that people outside of my friends and family are reading what I’ve written. As you might imagine, it can be very seductive to check to see if there are new reviews.

Over time, I have tried to become more aware. I continue to check, but I focus more on enjoying the creation of these stories, and sharing them with my first reader. Once I send it to the publisher, that’s when it’s time to let it go. At the beginning, it was tempting to buy ads or spend time creating trailers to put on YouTube, but the more I can find enjoyment in the writing, editing, etc. the more satisfying it will be. I will continue to check for reviews, but I’ll be able to put it in perspective.

For example, it’s enjoyable to reminisce about the fact the lead character, Albert Binax, was named after Abbott Binax laboratories who manufacture COVID tests that my Uncle John would bring when he’d visit my mother after her ALS diagnosis.