I read ARC reviews and after that only read the ones my dad sends me 😂 #authorlife

For sensitive writers, protecting your mind from reviews is important because there will ALWAYS be people who don't like something you've written, even if you absolutely love it, but your love for your story is what makes it unique and special. Your love and passion are what make the readers who LOVE your story, love it. Reading reviews can impact that passion and confidence in what you're doing and make you doubt yourself, and that makes it harder for you to create something your readers will absolutely love. So it's important to protect from that. Time has helped me become much more resilient (I rarely get rattled by reviews anymore, whereas years ago it could take me months to get over a really bad one). But it also helps to have a chosen person read your reviews and send you only the best (and most constructive) ones.