My blogs are being panned. What do I do?

Hi Aunty B,

I am an online designer and have been blogging for about six months. There are a few people who are responding to my blogs and on other sites with really rude comments.

It would be OK if they were disgruntled former employees or people I bullied at school (joke), but I don’t even know these guys. It’s getting under my skin and it’s now affecting my blogging, because I find myself thinking about what they might say.

I have tried posting back nasty comments but that seems to make it worse.

I get positive responses too, but honestly I am thinking about stopping. You are in the public eye. How do you handle criticism?

Bill,
Sydney

Dear Bill,

Darling, I have been in the public eye longer than you have been in trousers. But even so, a good barb can still cut deep. However most wash over me. In other words, I couldn’t really care less.

Why? As I said, I have been around a loooong time and I am so used to people having a different opinion.

Look you are the final judge of your work. If you know your stuff, and I mean really know your stuff, then state it. Too bad if people don’t agree. Maybe you could get some tips on writing – get a friend with a journalist background to critique it (journalists have lots of friends).

Finally, critics come from everywhere, and they usually come with agendas. That’s their problem, not yours. So always work on improvement, and grow a quick skin.

Oh, and don’t answer the really rude barbs. Ignore those people and they go away to try and get a rise out of someone else.

Good luck,

Your Aunty B.