The reviews of my book have started to come in, and to my relief and pleasure, they've been pretty great. You can read some of them here: Publishers Weekly; ForeWord Reviews; Baltimore Jewish Times; a review by the novelist Antanas Sileika. If I've received a bad review (and I'm not saying I have!), you'll note that I'm not telling you about it, nor am I complaining. 

I know some writers don't read their reviews, but I'm not one of them. I can't help myself. I read and get pleasantly flustered by the good ones. I read, then rant and rave and argue against the bad ones. Importantly, I do this vocally, usually alone, and never on the Internet.

Lukewarm or even bad reviews are part the package of being an author or practicing artist of any kind. They will happen to all of us lucky enough to get our work selected for review by journals, magazines, or newspapers. The trick is to take the high road whenever you can. Rail against reviewers if you like, but do so in private. Preferably in your kitchen over a cup of tea or a glass of wine, depending on exactly how bad the thing is.

Here's what made me think about our reactions to perceived and real professional slights: 

A regional writers' association I belong to recently posted a link on Facebook. It was to an article in which the region's publishers' association offered some simple professional tips for would-be authors -- innocent enough. As soon as the link went up, one writer who felt wronged both by a publisher belonging to that association (who had rejected her manuscript) and by its magazine (that gave a bad review of her book once it eventually appeared) posted a series of inflammatory comments lambasting the rejecting publisher, the association to which the house belonged, and the association's magazine.

The result was a long string of negative comments by the same author, outlining all the ways she'd been mistreated. A real rant. I'll admit that it was fascinating to read, and actually kind of instructive about aspects of the publishing industry, but I couldn't help feeling that in being so public with her vitriol, this writer was doing herself and her career serious harm. 

Now, while I totally get the need to rant and express anger, I repeat: do so in private.

Everything you post leaves a trace. Even the stuff dashed off in a forum in a moment of anger. So be careful and manage your electronic legacy. 

Public fury and retributions will burn bridges and incinerate any whiff of an opportunity. If you insult one publisher, chances are his or her colleagues will hear about it. People talk, and bad behaviour is not quickly forgotten. Finally, it's unprofessional. No one wants to work with a loose cannon. Don't give the impression that that's what you are. If you can, ignore the bad reviews and celebrate the good ones. 

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This post is part of a weekly series called “Countdown to Publication” on SheWrites.com, the premier social network for women writers.

Julija Šukys is the author of Epistolophilia: Writing the Life of Ona Šimaitė (2012) and of Silence is Death: The Life and Work of Tahar Djaout (2007). You can find out more about her at http://julijasukys.com.