I know a lot of people have noticed there’s been a lot of bru ha ha in the blogging world lately. Lots of flaming, lots of attacks. Something sad? A lot of the incidents wouldn’t have been that bad if some of us could have just ignored it.
Who is us? Us= the authors.
Anybody who knows me will tell you that I’m about as opinionated as they come. I don’t mind voicing my opinion when asked, and sometimes when I’m not… *G* I think everybody is entitled to their opinion and nobody has a right to tell any individual what to think.
That being said…
Ladies…(and gentlemen if there are any that this blog applies to) some of the stuff happening lately is beyond ridiculous. Insulting readers? Getting insulted because somebody didn’t adore your cover art and they had the nerve to say something? Going off the deep end because somebody didn’t like your book?
Yes, we know that ARCS being sold on ebay is a problem. In the long run, they may cost us the royalties on a couple of books. It SUCKS, plain and simple, that somebody out there is selling an ARC that they got free and they are profiting from our hard work. But most of the readers who buy ARCS don’t realize the ARC shouldn’t have been sold in the first place. Those who do…okay…this hurts me to say it… but so what? It’s not going to hurt the sales that much. only responsible course of action. And it’s one that isn’t going to cost you readers. It’s not one that going to get you written up as Author Behaving Badly and it’s not going to earn you a (dis)honorable mention in the Romantic Times magazine.
Cover art has always been subject to people poking fun at it. It’s just a way of life. Climbing up on a horse and screeching at the people who dared to not like your cover art is only going to do one thing. Make you look bad.
I’m going to offer my opinion on something. I was a reader long before I was published. Weren’t most of us?
And if I had seen a published author whining because of :
- A) A bad review
- B) Somebody didn’t like my covers
- C) Somebody was selling an ARC of my book on ebay
My thoughts would along the lines of… tough *&().
You are published. We all know how hard we work to get there. We all know that there are writers out there who’ve struggled for twenty years to get published and they haven’t done it. We have and there are some of us out there complaining, worse…insulting the people who buy our books because they had an opinion we didn’t like?
I’m still fairly new to being published and interacting with readers. I’ve learned a lot, made a lot of mistakes, and still have a lot to learn. But one thing I think I’ve learned pretty well over the past year or two…some things are just better off NOT being said. Some reviewer thought my book lacked depth and was predictable… so what. I got a bunch of emails about the same book that people loved.
I think some of us would benefit from taking a big step back and asking ourselves…so what they didn’t like this this this or that… is it really worth it to get that upset over ?
My personal opinion is that no… it’s not worth it, not when it costs you readers. Not when it insults the people who buy romance books and ultimately makes your being published possible.
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What?
Good, GOOD post.
Some people are short-sighted and can’t see the woods for the trees.
Thank you for the great post:!:
Shiloh, I hear you…but I also think it’s not so much the fact that authors have spoken up, it’s the WAY they’ve chosen to speak up. I think anyone can voice their opinion in a reasonable way and be respected for it. When you curse and disrespect your readers–that’s something else entirely.
I once had a reviewer make a comment in a review of one of my books that I took exception to. (It was a factual thing.) I wrote back to her nicely on the message board of the review site with a few facts for her to consider. And while we still agreed to disagree, no blood was drawn. She was entitled to her opinion, even if I thought she was wrong. But it was her review, ultimately. She can say what she wants to.
It’s ALL about the way some of the authors have spoken up.
I decided a long time ago that if somebody didn’t like one of my books, my covers, the color of my hair… whatever, I wasn’t going to say much on it. It’s one opinion, right?
I also know that if I’ve formed an opinion, I’m not likely to change it. But I REALLY won’t change it, even if some part of me agrees or understands, if somebody jumps down my throat with both shoes. I’m stubborn like that.
And I figure there are going to be readers who feel the same way. You insult their intelligence, you’ve lost not just one reader, but probably quite a few. You get on a high horse because somebody didn’t like your cover, people are probably going to think you’re obnoxious and again… you’ve lost readers.
I don’t think anybody expects authors to not have opinions. It’s making us into the real life version of the TSTL heroine. But if you can’t voice your opinion in a hmmm…. polite, diplomatic way, then chances are you either should keep to yourself, or take it on the chin when people bite back.
Nicely put, Shiloh. There are ways to express an opinion that are polite and diplomatic, remaining respectful of the fact that others are entitled to their opinions, too.
Amen to that.
Insulting readers and/or reviewers for stating their opinion is bad enough, but when an author says something along the lines of reader and/or reviewer opinions don’t mean spit to her THAT is taking it one step too far. It was a generalized statement to ALL readers and/or reviewers out there because said author had a few bad reviews on Amazon.com.
Well, I’m sorry, if an author talks like that about me, even in generalized terms, I am NOT going to read anything from said author EVER again.
Being an author is high praise indeed. You’ve a rare talent and are able to share it with the world, but when did that make insulting and condescending attitudes okay? It doesn’t. Ever. No matter who you are. And one person’s opinion is just that. Their opinion. It stings the pride and ego a bit I imagine, because as an author you’re putting your blood, sweat, and tears on display for all to read, and when you get a bad review or negative opinion on said work, it truly has to suck. But I say each author shows their maturity level when faced with said situation. Those who are mature read it, get over it, and move on. Those who are immature dwell on it and make a big, huge fuss. Stirring up trouble is not the answer. It only makes you look ridiculous.
The long and the short of it is that ARCs will continue to be sold on eBay until the publishers crack down. And obviously they aren’t losing enough sleep (or money!) over it to be bothered by it.
Sad, but true.
Brava on your excellent post.
Well said.
Okay, well written.
I think a big part of the problem is the instant nature of the internet. Perhaps when opinions are being expressed there should be a 24-hour delay macro in place. What you write won’t be posted until you’ve reviewed and approved it at least 24 hours after you first wrote it.
My publishing credits to date have all been in media tie-in. Star Trek short fiction and e-books plus short fiction and a novel in a couple of gaming universes (Classic BattleTech and Mechwarrior). Fiction related Star Trek and role playing games tends to have readers who feel very strongly that they have some ownership of the fictional universe in which the stories are set. My Orphans* is arguably the least popular book in the Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers series and I have been taken to task in several Trek online communities for not understanding how to write Trek properly.
My initial emotional response to these posts involved much gnashing of teeth and rending of clothes. HOWEVER it did not involve touching my keyboard. Instead, I looked to see what these people have said about other works to gauge their critical acumen. Then I looked at my work to see if they had a point.
As a craftsman, when I find something I’m doing doesn’t work for a number of readers, I need to decide whether I should change that something or accept the fact I will never satisfy those particular readers.
In the case of Orphans, there was one narrative device of which I’m fond that did not sit well with many readers. It was important to telling that story the way it should be told, but is not essential to every story. I did not use it in Honor* and that book was well received.
No reader owes a writer anything. The reader has already made a commitment in buying the writer’s book. It is completely the writer’s responsibility to deliver a story the reader finds satisfying — or at least worth the cover price. At no time does a writer have the right to insult or otherwise belittle her readers. Without readers, there’d be no need for writers.
(*= I was going to make spiffy links to the Amazon pages for my books. But, though I can change the ribbon in a manual typewriter — or perhaps because I can change the ribbon in a manual typewriter — I’m not sure how links are done.)
Shiloh, I’m with you 100%.
I agree, but I’m going to extend it by saying I feel that way about anyone behaving badly, whether it’s an author, reader, publisher, next door neighbor…whoever.
There’s no need to resort to insults and name-calling over things that don’t mean much at the end of the day, when you really think about it. We should all respect each other, and that doesn’t mean acting like sheep and agreeing with everyone someone says, but it does mean we accept that others don’t feel the same way we do. Would I stop driving a Toyota Camry because someone came up to me and called me a traitor and an idiot and that I should buy American or leave the country? Of course not. Yet if someone came up to me and explained the importance of buying American and supporting our economy and that there are other cars that get good gas mileage and have a good driving record, then while they might not necessarily convince me, I would still think twice the next time I bought a car. There are effective ways to get your point across without being rude, accusatory, and insulting.
Sorry for the rambling. Hope I did get my point across LOL.
I agree with Stacy. I don’t care if you’re a reader, writer, reviewer, etc. bad behavior (ie name calling, personal attacks, flame wars) is always ugly. I’ve seen nastiness coming from both sides of the fence and I must admit, it made me think less of all parties involved. I’m of the mindset that if you can’t be constructive, then don’t say anything.
Although I agree with what you’re saying in principle, Shiloh…
Is it realy appropriate for readers to call authors the kind of filthy names I’ve seen in this flamewar, on Amazon.com, and on posting boards, accuse authors of actual *criminal activity*, make threats toward and spread rumors about their families, their sexuality, their talent… and expect authors to ignore it? Say, “thank you for abusing me and mine!” and move on? Really? Are readers buying the right to treat authors like dogs? Heck, worse than dogs?
People should learn to behave like civilized, adult human beings on both sides of the sales counter. You don’t like what an author says, does, or produces?
Don’t buy it. That’s the joy of capitalism.
And how sad is it that I have to sit here and fear for my career because I’m speaking my mind on an issue?
I also think that there is certainly a difference between a scathing post on a “public” forum such as Amazon.com vs your own personal blog. I think that it is probably completely inappropriate on Amazon to post in such a manner, but one’s own personal blog is one’s own for a reason – to put your own opinions up on the internet. And while I always try to find something good about a book I didn’t enjoy along with the bad, and if I can’t, I generally don’t blog on it at all, I fully support the right of anyone to say what they want on their own personal blog.
Perhaps Amazon.com needs to be monitoring reviews a bit more closely. (Having not read the reviews in question at Amazon, I’m just taking a shot in the dark as to what they contained…)
Okay, is there a flame war on Amazon.com where an author (besides the infamous Anne Rice one from years back) is calling the reviewers names? Can you give me this link?
Awesome post, Shiloh. I totally agree with everything you wrote. Especially about the being published part. I’ve wanted this since I was fifteen. I’m so happy to have realized this dream that I’ll be grateful for every reader. The last thing I’d ever want do is insult the very people I want to share my stories with.
Of course not everyone will like my work. Some will even be mean about it. Heck, you should hear some of the things I’ve said about some books…and even movies. Talk about nasty. lol
You know, I read that Jerry Lewis sent a dozen roses to people who gave his movies bad reviews. As it turned out, those people may have hated his work, but they came away knowing he was a good person. That sort of reputation goes a long way and a lot further than the rep of being a *itch.
I’ll agree that personally, I don’t see the reason for flame wars, regardless of who it is coming from, readers, writers, reviewers… fox, bullfrog or pigeon, so on and so on. There’s no point to it and it accomplishes nothing but to piss people off.
Now I’ll be honest and admit there are times when I have gotten a lot of enjoyment from pissing people off, but what goes on in flame wars is more than just somebody like me trying to pull the tiger’s tail.
But plain and simple, authors really should hold themselves out of anything that is going to get so out of hand. It doesn’t reflect well on them and while they may be of the opinion, I don’t care what they think… the THEY is what lets the writer make their living as a writer.
I read something somewhere… don’t remember where, but it was something along the lines of…
When you’re in a profession… act like it. Act professional.
Couldn’t agree more.
Great post. I agree. same as Jordan, bad behavior on either side of the fence is ugly. I think something about the internet morphs communication, and many folks take that as carte blanche to get stupid. I’m not sure why, but I have stopped bying 5 authors so far based on obnoxous behavior and flame war game playing. I have also, however, bought many more writers because of how they interact on the internet – trying out books I might not have otherwise looked at.
I wonder whether some of the over the top name calling and insulting among and between authors and readers has to do with the fact that more and more readers are actually offering public critique of Romance, when the history of the genre seems more focused on fans than readers.
As a reader, I don’t think an author owes me squat (although I do believe that a publisher owes me a professionally packaged product, but that’s a different discussion). What troubles me in some of this back and forth between authors and readers, though, is the subtext (and sometimes plain text) in some comments that readers of Romance shouldn’t be too critical of the books because they’re “merely” written to entertain (i.e. the “enjoy them for what they are” argument). It seems perversely self-sabotaging to me to discourage the practice of thoughtful reading, if for no other reason than a thoughtfully delivered compliment might be welcomed by an author. As a reader, am I supposed to assume that a book intended “merely” to entertain hasn’t been thoughtfully written? That’s not such an enticing thought.
Actually the insults are in a twisted way a compliment.
The process is called leveling.
If someone sees another person at a higher level, she either promotes herself or drags the other person down. That way, everyone is on the same level.
The higher you go, the more people will try to drag you down (because people are also naturally lazy).
It is one of the costs of being successful (there are many others, it ain’t all sunshine and roses).
So deal with it and deal with it professionally.
Robin makes an excellent point. I hate, hate, HATE using the word FAN. Maybe because I know it comes from fanatic? I don’t know. I prefer the word READER.
If someone wants to call themselves a fan of mine, they’ll surely get no argument from me.
But I don’t like to use the term…it just seems…I don’t know…presumptuous?
I also agree with K that the higher you get, the more people will try and tear you down. I’ve seen with my own eyes and heard with my own ears some truly awful things said to successful writers–usually by writers not quite as popular. Authors behaving badly can also be to each other.
I have to also say…and not to digress…that saying something in a professional and non-flaming manner should go both ways, too. I’ve read some reviews that are downright cruel and seem to want to highlight the reviewers superiority to the author rather than offer any meaningful criticism. I’ve said it before here and elsewhere…I don’t mind bad reviews, but trash reviews are something else entirely. I just think it’s unnecessary–and no, it’s not because I’m a girl or because I write romance. I just find it unprofessional. When you read real literary criticism (which I had the dubious honor of doing quite a bit in college) you never saw one critic say, “the author phoned this one in, folks, because my pet toad could have done better” or the equivalent. They said what they didn’t like and why. End of story.
I have to also say…and not to digress…that saying something in a professional and non-flaming manner should go both ways, too. I’ve read some reviews that are downright cruel and seem to want to highlight the reviewers superiority to the author rather than offer any meaningful criticism. I’ve said it before here and elsewhere…I don’t mind bad reviews, but trash reviews are something else entirely.
I agree, and I think that most level-headed readers understand that such reviews can reveal more about the “reviewer” than the book itself.
Where I think the difficulty arises is in determining exactly what constitutes caustic criticism. Some authors are clearly more sensitive than others, and some readers are REALLY protective of their favorite authors. I’ve seen authors get way upset over things other readers have said (and over things I’ve said, as well) and have been stupefied at their very personal reaction to something that was obviously not intended to be taken personally.
Unfortunately, though, there has, IMO, been such an overpersonalization of the author’s persona in Romance that when it comes time to separate the author from her work, the divorce may not go so smoothly. On top of that, some authors may so closely associate their work to themselves on a personal level, that ANY perceived criticism seems personal. Of course there are also readers who carelessly invoke the author when offering their criticism of a particular book, which further blurs the line. Although I’ve never been one for rules, I do wish both readers and authors had a better understanding of how to proceed in public exchanges about books, the genre, the industry, and life in general. Hopefully, as more readers and authors are involved in blogging and the like, we will eventually stumble onto some common ground where these discussions are concerned.
I realize that many authors feel it is unfair for readers to be able to raise their voices without fear of serious repercussions and that there is an imbalance of power. IMO, readers and authors have a similar level of power, but not the same type of power. For example, authors’ voices carry much, much more powerfully than readers’ voices, and when authors speak, they have an immediate and attentive audience. The responsibility may seem higher, but so, I would argue, is the influence of that position. Readers, while not so influential, have more freedom than authors, because we get to choose and to comment on which books we like and which ones we don’t. What I think sometimes happens is that each group overestimates the power of the other, forgetting that while there are some areas of overlap, readers and authors have different roles to fill and that there are advantages and disadvantages in each position.
Great post, Shiloh. I think it’s about time we all started saying something about this. Romance has a bad enough reputation as it is, the last thing we need is for readers to start saying, “And the romance writers act like whiny children when criticized, too.”
If your boss criticized your performance, would you start calling him/her names? Not if you wanted to keep your job, you wouldn’t.
The readers are my bosses. They’re all of our bosses, no matter how much a few writers would have us believe they’re somehow superior to those pesky readers.
Readers aren’t my bosses. That would imply that I have to write what they tell me to write and well, since there are too many people to please, I’d prefer not to try that. However, readers are my audience–my target market. I’m an artist/businesswoman. I’d be stupid to alienate my audience.
I can’t make everyone happy, but I do have a promise to keep–and that is to write the best book possible.
Robin makes some very good points–but I do think that any one with half a brain knows the difference between a trash review and merely a critical one. For instance, if the words, “I can’t believe this was ever published” or “my monkey could do better,” I’m thinking trash. If phrases like, “the plot simply didn’t hold up under logical scrutiny” appears followed by a specific example, then I’m thinking critical.
But that’s just my opinion.
Oh, meant to add to Robin that she is entirely right that some people takes things WAY too personally. I’ve had emails from friends saying, “can you believe they just trashed me?” and then I read the review and shake my head. Yeah, they didn’t like the book or they simply didn’t “get” it, but trash is something else and I do think it reflects on the reviewer rather than the author.
I’ve read a few posted on blogs by aspiring writers. Real trash jobs. I wonder if editors surfing the net for reviews of their author’s work (and yes, they do do that when marketing says, “hey we need a few quotes for your author, can you find some quickly?”) stumbles upon an aspiring writer trashing her author (not posting a negative review…TRASHING.) Wonder what happens when that writer-who-trashed has a query end up on that editor’s desk? Hm….
I think some of the authors here are giving much to much credence into reader behavior. It is possible for a reader to say that they didn’t like a book in the crudest, meanest terms without a) trying to drag the author down, b) without trying to raise themselves up, c) without any thought to the author at all.
Because reviews aren’t written for the author. I think its pretty clear what many authors think of their readers and the readers’ opinions (lower than shit comes to mind). Reviews are written for other readers. Caustic reviews are not meant to be literary criticism so much as they are a way for readers to vent to other readers.
I think its presumptuous of authors to think that a review is all about them when it is actually all about the reader. This is the way readers communicate with other readers. Sometimes its gushing praise and sometimes its sarcastic putdowns. How many authors have commented that they love Go Fug Yourself? or Television Without Pity? It’s okay to be sarcastic and insulting in other genres and to other celebrities but not to authors? Doesn’t make much sense.
If phrases like, “the plot simply didn’t hold up under logical scrutiny” appears followed by a specific example, then I’m thinking critical.
That is logical. But some people do take it reaaaallly personal. A negative review bites… none of us like them. You just can’t take it personally. I learned my lesson on that a long time ago. Although well not enough…since i still READ them.
I do agree that readers aren’t my boss~most writers don’t write to please the reader. that’s just a bonus.
the book has to please the author first.
I think some of the authors here are giving much to much credence into reader behavior. It is possible for a reader to say that they didn’t like a book in the crudest, meanest terms without a) trying to drag the author down, b) without trying to raise themselves up, c) without any thought to the author at all.
Very valid. Take Karen Scott, for example. I’ve read reviews on her blog and I’d bet my supply of Tim Tams that she is writing that review just to share her opinion with readers. Can she be critical? Hell, yeah. Her reviews can be downright vicious, but she also backs up the negative review with reasons why she didn’t like the book and I imagine she doesn’t give a flying leap if the author reads it, hears about it, is insulted, offended… She’s not doing it for the author. I don’t think she’s trying to bring somebody down or raise herself up either.
But it can’t be said that nobody does these things just for the reasons of belitting an author, or trying to make themselves look or feel better.
The internet is a very impersonal place. So much anonymity makes it easy for some people to say things they wouldn’t ever say in real life.
I imagine that’s where a lot of this comes from.
For instance, if the words, “I can’t believe this was ever published” or “my monkey could do better,” I’m thinking trash. If phrases like, “the plot simply didn’t hold up under logical scrutiny” appears followed by a specific example, then I’m thinking critical.
What about “I can’t believe this was ever published” followed by a handful of insightful reasons for that opinion? Although I’m not a fan of the “vicious” review, what makes me pay attention to someone’s opinion about a book is the reasons they offer to back it up. Because of my own background in literary studies, I almost always wish Romance reviews were more detailed, but the reviews that work entirely in generalities and vague declarations — positive and negative — make virtually no impact on me as a reader. I also don’t like it when a reviewer misrepresents or gets wrong actual elements of a book (I’ve run across this with a very popular reviewer) and don’t trust that kind of review. The only reviews that move me in any way are those that demonstrate actual thought about a book and offer cogent reasons for each opinion. I have to say, though, that while some reviews have moved me to read a book, I don’t think any have stopped me from trying a book. I actually think the majority of Romance readers are pretty level-headed when it comes to valuing the opinions of other readers.
I agree with Jane that most readers are writing their opinions of books for other readers, in large part because reading is, despite this electronic environment, a community activity, and it’s fun to share strongly felt reactions — both positive and negative — to a book, to start or contribute to an ongoing conversation about specific books or certain trends in the genre. Sometimes it’s enjoyable when an author contributes to those discussions, and sometimes it isn’t. I don’t like the idea of authors compltely refraining from public comment, but I also wish that some authors would just realize that the overwhelming majority of readers who dislike their book aren’t trying to engineer the author’s personal or professional demise.
Sure there are readers who seem to be using their comments about Romance novels to showcase their own wit or cleverness or personal issues, but there are also many, many readers who just enjoy talking about the books that authors have voluntarily placed in the public sphere for us readers to purchase and, well, read.
Robin and Jane both make excellent points. That’s why I’m not talking about discussions on message boards or anyone’s personal blog (though one where an aspiring writer trashes a competitor’s book for all the world to see is a horse of a different color–for entirely different reasons.) For instance, Mrs. Giggles doesn’t bother me and yes, she’s trashed a few of my books (and loved a few, too, yeah!) She does, however, entertain me. She doesn’t pretend to be anything more than she is–a reader giving her caustic opinion.
But there are other venues–review sites–that I do expect a certain level of professionalism. But maybe I’m wrong. Hey, it’s been known to happen.
What about “I can’t believe this was ever published” followed by a handful of insightful reasons for that opinion?
I’m all for insightful reasons for an opinion, so you’ll never see me knock that. I’ve read some books that I’ve thought (quietly to myself) that I couldn’t imagine how they’d made it into print. But the fact of the matter is, it *did* make it into print–someone (actually, several someones at most publishing houses) with some level of expertise in this area thought this book was worthy of publication. If I were to review a book such as this, I think I’d want to explore that as well–why did it sell? Why do other readers like it?
I’m with you, though. I like the long reviews. I put more stock into those. However, I still check a book out for myself before I make a decision to buy or not. With the exception of my local newspaper’s 18 year old film critic, I’ve found few others who shared my opinions in all things.
Since when is calling a writer foul names or making rude comments about their personal life a “review”? Of any kind?
That’s not acceptable behavior, I’m sorry, and here we continue to vilify the authors for getting upset about it!
Writers are *people*, no matter how popular they are! Don’t they deserve to be treated as such?
Somebody mentioned that you wouldn’t call your boss names. Would you stay in a job where a boss called you a “b*tch” or a “c*nt”? (And yes, those are quotes from one of the posts in question.)
I think we should be able to talk openly about books – both readers and writers – without blogbashing and name calling. It doesn’t always work that way, but it could. We should be able to ask why something worked in one book, while it doesn’t in another. This is especially necesary for new and aspiring writers.
Often, when things are blown way out of proportion it’s because one quote is taken out of context, and the rest of the conversation is left out. Forums are like that, sometimes blogs, even reviews. Giggles, for instance, happens to like my erotica…however I could pull a line from her review to make you think she hated it. But then, if you as Giggles to review you, I think most are prepared.
Namecalling bothers me in any form. I think the internet makes it easier – you don’t have to look the person in the eye, or bump into them later…unless of course you post on their blog to get them to see the slam on yours.
To make romance better – which I think is what we all want – we need to be complimentary and critical, and unafraid to ask the questions that might put us on blast.
That’s not acceptable behavior, I’m sorry, and here we continue to vilify the authors for getting upset about it!
Not many people have said that authors shouldn’t get upset about crap like that, anon. I’ve seen it happen and it’s happened to me in a few places, but writing is a profession. In any profession, you have to act like a professional
In my former day job, I was called nasty names several times, to my face, and if I had responded the way I would have liked, I’d have lost my job. Since I sorta liked being able to feed my kids, I had to hold it back.
It’s the same thing in the profession of writing. You want to be taken seriously by readers, editors, other authors, agents, etc you have to rise above some of the crap that you get slammed with.
Julie…
I love Mrs. Giggles. Getting slammed by her is a rite of passage, isn’t it?
LOL, Shiloh. If it’s a rite of passage, I’m a world traveler.
Hm, I’m still a Mrs. Giggles virgin. Maybe that’s a good thing?
I avoid reading the trash talk – I hear about it through the grapevine and don’t go look, because I know it’ll upset me. Very nonconfrontational, and that goes for bystanding confrontations. When a close friend was called a cow and told to piss off, it turned my blood cold. That was a long time ago, but I haven’t forgotten, and have no wish to see anything like it, ever again. I’m just astonished at the things people will say, whether they’re readers, or writers.
On the other hand, isn’t it generally a handful of bad apples? For the most part, everyone I ‘meet’ on the Internet are likeable, good-natured people. I wonder, if no one paid any attention to the flame wars, would they die a quick death?
Not many people have said that authors shouldn’t get upset about crap like that, anon. I’ve seen it happen and it’s happened to me in a few places, but writing is a profession. In any profession, you have to act like a professional
Maybe there’s also a difference to be noted between different type of ABB; I know I react differently to what I perceive to be an author inexplicably provoking readers and an author who gets a tad defensive when she feels personally insulted. I don’t expect every author (or reader, for that matter) to take every comment on the chin, or to be ready with that good-natured quip. We all have our bad moments and some of them happen over the Internet. As for the name calling and borderline defamatory statements, I’ve see it happening for a while now between and among readers, not just between readers and authors.
There are so many issues related to this topic, aren’t there — from the way women interact, to the role of critique in Romance (is it really welcome and on what terms?), to the rise of these “anonymous assaults,” to the ways in which the Internet is changing the Romance culture (or perhaps revealing it as more diverse and complex), to the ways in which publishers mediate the relationship between author and reader (i.e. requiring personalized notes from authors to readers at the beginning of books), to writing as both a profession and an art form, etc., etc., etc.
I really hope that this column inaugurates more honest and forthright discussions of some of the issues that create the (sometimes necessary and inevitable) tensions between authors and readers. I actually think tension can be a very, very good thing, but it requires some maintainance to prevent snapping.
Courteous or rude, to me the bottom-line question is quality control.
I’ve been reading for several decades, fiction, non-fiction, cereal boxes, anything printed. And I have to say that of all the genres I’ve read – mystery, police procedural, sci-fi, humor, general fiction – I have never seen such disregard for research, grammar, spelling, and punctuation as seems to be the norm in Romance.
There are writers who produce excellent stories–well-crafted, cleverly plotted with intelligent dialog, a joy to read. They are, sadly, in the minority.
Romance may be fantasy. It may be “entertainment lite.” But for a reader who expects fiction to be an accurate mirror of life, an historical romance that features characters in 1702 AD behaving and speaking as though it’s 1972 is not a book I’ll finish.
An excerpt that puts apostrophes in plural’s (sic), says “she wanted to go to” when they mean “too,” speaks of someone having a “discrete” affair when they mean “discreet” — I would not buy that book. If I were reviewing it, I would say that I was unable to finish because the writing was so poor. Not that the story was bad, necessarily, but that it was written with such a poor level of craftsmanship that it wasn’t worth the effort of deciphering the abuse of the English language.
Human emotions are heady stuff. Love can be the deepest, most powerful subject matter anyone can write about. But when a writer assumes that her imagination is so superior that she does not owe her readers the trouble of looking up a word or punctuating properly … I’m sorry, that writer deserves a bad review, if for no other reason than praising poor writing gives the uninformed reader the idea that this is how the language should be written.
And as for the cover art … personally, I like the simple ones that don’t feature human beings. I like to “cast” the characters for myself, and a seriously ugly cover will put me off buying the book unless I know the author is good.
And while I’m being picky, Shiloh, isn’t “brouhaha” one word?
I agree entirely that we’d all benefit from a degree of common courtesy in internet exchanges, as well as in the world at large. But when a book is published, no one expects the publisher or author to do anything but sing its praises. Since we readers do not generally have unlimited money to spend on books, the critical reviewer provides an important service for us. If a book is gramatically crippled or historically ludicrous, I want to know, because if I buy the book, I am paying the writer to continue producing inferior work, and why on earth would I want to do that?
Actually, I rarely sing praises about anything, especially something I’ve written. I’m my own worst enemy when it comes to promoting my books because I am never satisfied with them.:shock:
And I dunno how to spell bru ha ha… Didn’t bother to look it up.
There’s always going to be editing issues with books and while some want their historicals accurate and complete, other people aren’t going to be concerned with how historically accurate a book reads, be that with clothing, voice, speech, etc, if the story pulls at them enough.
I’m not looking to fix that issue~that’s another area that is very subject to opinion and reader preference so there may not be a perfect fix.
I just wish some of the nastiness I’ve seen lately woudl quit. It’s getting old.
Okay, putting my neck on the chopping block here. I’m a book reviewer. I’d love to write in-depth analysis on every book, but there are so many books out there and only so much bandwidth/paper and time.
We’re told, for the most part, to keep it short and simple. Offer a quick verbal sketch of the players without giving away too many twists.
I can’t speak for every reviewer out there, but I personally agonize over my reviews. Especially the less than complimentary ones.
The last thing any of us want is to discourage an author. But I don’t write my reviews for authors or publishing houses. No–the readers are my audience, too.
And while I’ve panned my share of books over the years, I take no pleasure in belittling an author.
Why some reviewers or readers do, is beyond comprehension.
Oh…and if I’ve given you a “bad” review in the past, please don’t take it personally. It’s just an opinion, nothing more.
There is a difference between voicing your opinion and being downright vicious. No one deserves that.
P.
The “bottom line” here isn’t “quality control,” it’s *common human decency*.
No wonder the world is in such horrible shape, if it’s okay to abuse hardworking people because you don’t like their product.
Wow! I guess all my idealism and romancing of romance writing has been shattered. I feel blessed to be contracted and I feel like it is a step in the right direction to making it a career. But anytime someone puts out a piece of art, and writing is art, it will get held on high by one person and torn apart by another. Not everyone liked Picasso, and today there are people who can’t see the value in his work, but thankfully others do. I couldn’t agree with you more Shiloh. Great points.
Cara North
http://www.sirensandmuses.com
http://carolinanorth.blogspot.com