Stylo Fantome's Blog - Posts Tagged "bully"
Come One, Come All, To The Blogger Beat Down!
I don't even have the energy to do this, because I'm so over the craziness of the day.
I just ..., I don't get it. Why do people always constantly feel the need to be telling other people what to do? I'm a bossy bitch, but goddamn, I ain't got time to be telling people on the internet that I haven't ever met how they should or shouldn't be behaving.
So if some blogs want to do a blackout to remind us all of the power they hold, then FINE. It's just a few days! As big of a bummer as that is, seeing bloggers shun authors because of one crazy lady's actions, it's been an even bigger bummer watching other blogs and authors get down right nasty.
All the blogs that I have seen saying they're going to be doing the blackout have been polite, nice, apologetic - explaining that this is something they feel they need to do reestablish the boundaries between author and blog. Which is THEIR choice.
But the blogs and authors I've seen speak against it, a lot of them have gotten kind of mean - "I'll make note of who is participating," "I think all of this is stupid and those blogs are being stupid!", "I'm glad at least some certain blogs still have my back and won't participate!"
Jesus, when did every fucking thing in the book-world become specifically about the person who is reading about it!? I think it's fascinating to watch how many authors have taken it personally, like these blogs called them at home and said "sorry, we're not gonna post about YOU, but we're still helping everyone else."
Do I think the blogger blackout is fair? No. Do I think they have a right to do it? Yes. If some crazy fucking bitch stalked me and showed up at my house, would I probably want to do my own form of a blackout? You bet your ass.
I really do think the boundaries between blogger and author gets blurry. We all cross lines. My street team is mainly comprised of bloggers, and there are bloggers I have met along the way that I genuinely consider friends - not just people I talk to online, but people I would invite into my home or my life, EVEN if they showed up unannounced and uninvited.
For example - Taylor is a friend of mine, my brain twinsie, a woman I know I could probably message at 2am with a question about what the fat content is in an avocado (sometimes you need to know!), and she'd probably answer. I can ask her anything, talk to her about anything.
HOWEVER, Trina and Taylor's Bedtime Stories book blog is a completely separate entity and I never message or harass or cajole them. I respect them as a blog, I follow their posts, and interact with their page as an author interested in what they're posting.
See the difference?
I never EVER forget that bloggers have their own job to do - I never ask those in my ST to post especially for me, I never instruct them how to review or what kind of reviews to leave, I never send repeat messages, and I never EVER make demands. Why would I want to piss off the people that promote me for free!? If they have time, they'll get to it. If they don't, then I have to accept that - pissing someone off never got anyone a friend!
For us smaller-time indie authors, blogs really can make or break us. There are lots of authors who were once something, and then pissed off a big blog, and now ... crickets. Eeesh.
Anyone can write a book. ANYONE. Doesn't mean it will be good, but anyone can do it - if you can speak a language, you can write a book. So I am no more special than any other person out there - I just happened to hit publish. THAT'S IT. I think a lot of authors forget that, and start to think that blogs owe US something.
Well, I never forget that I wouldn't be here - I wouldn't exist as an author - if it weren't for blogs. Not even a little bit. Not at all.
So if y'all wanna blackout for a couple days and remind of all of us that maybe, just maybe, you're as important to this industry as we are (duh), I say do what you need to do. Go for it.
And I will be here when you get back, with the exact same feelings as I had before you left.
Respect for fellow book lovers.
Cause in the end, that's all any of us are.
I just ..., I don't get it. Why do people always constantly feel the need to be telling other people what to do? I'm a bossy bitch, but goddamn, I ain't got time to be telling people on the internet that I haven't ever met how they should or shouldn't be behaving.
So if some blogs want to do a blackout to remind us all of the power they hold, then FINE. It's just a few days! As big of a bummer as that is, seeing bloggers shun authors because of one crazy lady's actions, it's been an even bigger bummer watching other blogs and authors get down right nasty.
All the blogs that I have seen saying they're going to be doing the blackout have been polite, nice, apologetic - explaining that this is something they feel they need to do reestablish the boundaries between author and blog. Which is THEIR choice.
But the blogs and authors I've seen speak against it, a lot of them have gotten kind of mean - "I'll make note of who is participating," "I think all of this is stupid and those blogs are being stupid!", "I'm glad at least some certain blogs still have my back and won't participate!"
Jesus, when did every fucking thing in the book-world become specifically about the person who is reading about it!? I think it's fascinating to watch how many authors have taken it personally, like these blogs called them at home and said "sorry, we're not gonna post about YOU, but we're still helping everyone else."
Do I think the blogger blackout is fair? No. Do I think they have a right to do it? Yes. If some crazy fucking bitch stalked me and showed up at my house, would I probably want to do my own form of a blackout? You bet your ass.
I really do think the boundaries between blogger and author gets blurry. We all cross lines. My street team is mainly comprised of bloggers, and there are bloggers I have met along the way that I genuinely consider friends - not just people I talk to online, but people I would invite into my home or my life, EVEN if they showed up unannounced and uninvited.
For example - Taylor is a friend of mine, my brain twinsie, a woman I know I could probably message at 2am with a question about what the fat content is in an avocado (sometimes you need to know!), and she'd probably answer. I can ask her anything, talk to her about anything.
HOWEVER, Trina and Taylor's Bedtime Stories book blog is a completely separate entity and I never message or harass or cajole them. I respect them as a blog, I follow their posts, and interact with their page as an author interested in what they're posting.
See the difference?
I never EVER forget that bloggers have their own job to do - I never ask those in my ST to post especially for me, I never instruct them how to review or what kind of reviews to leave, I never send repeat messages, and I never EVER make demands. Why would I want to piss off the people that promote me for free!? If they have time, they'll get to it. If they don't, then I have to accept that - pissing someone off never got anyone a friend!
For us smaller-time indie authors, blogs really can make or break us. There are lots of authors who were once something, and then pissed off a big blog, and now ... crickets. Eeesh.
Anyone can write a book. ANYONE. Doesn't mean it will be good, but anyone can do it - if you can speak a language, you can write a book. So I am no more special than any other person out there - I just happened to hit publish. THAT'S IT. I think a lot of authors forget that, and start to think that blogs owe US something.
Well, I never forget that I wouldn't be here - I wouldn't exist as an author - if it weren't for blogs. Not even a little bit. Not at all.
So if y'all wanna blackout for a couple days and remind of all of us that maybe, just maybe, you're as important to this industry as we are (duh), I say do what you need to do. Go for it.
And I will be here when you get back, with the exact same feelings as I had before you left.
Respect for fellow book lovers.
Cause in the end, that's all any of us are.
