Bad Author Behaviour
Is it just me, or is there a lot of Bad Author Behaviour on Goodreads lately?
I won't link to the latest incident or call anyone out, because whether it's the author, a sock puppet, or some random helpful fan who thinks they're doing the author a favour, I don't know. But it's unattractive behaviour, and nothing will land you on a "Don't buy" list quicker than slagging off the people who bought your book in good faith.
Here's how I see it.
Goodreads is for readers, not authors. The second someone pays for your book, they can like it, hate it, or they can desperately want to KILL IT WITH FIRE. It's their right. And it's also their right to tell all their friends what they think. That is the whole point of the site.
Okay, sure, not all reviewers are fair and balanced. Too bad. But it is not your job, and it's sure as hell not your BFF's job, to call them on it. Because Goodreads is for readers. You're playing in their sandpit, and you take the bad with the good or you get the hell out.
The moment you publish a book and it's in the public sphere, your don't own it anymore. Okay, you own the copyright and whatever, but it's not your ickle precious baby who has to be protected from the big bad world. Hell no. You wave it off, you wish it well, and you let it make its own way.
The simple fact is, some people will love what you write and some people will hate it. And if you're not ready to deal with that, then maybe you're not ready to call yourself an author.
On that note, I don't comment on reviews of my own books. I might "like" a few now and again to get the cover out in everyone's feeds, but that's it. I'm more than happy to talk about my books if you invite me to, but I'm not going to butt in on the conversation you're having with your friends because I don't have any right to do that. Readers shouldn't have to worry that authors are going to start a shit storm because of something they say.
When you get your royalty cheques from your publisher, where do you think that money came from? So to all the Authors Behaving Badly out there, grow up, chill out, and stop biting the hand that feeds you.
I won't link to the latest incident or call anyone out, because whether it's the author, a sock puppet, or some random helpful fan who thinks they're doing the author a favour, I don't know. But it's unattractive behaviour, and nothing will land you on a "Don't buy" list quicker than slagging off the people who bought your book in good faith.
Here's how I see it.
Goodreads is for readers, not authors. The second someone pays for your book, they can like it, hate it, or they can desperately want to KILL IT WITH FIRE. It's their right. And it's also their right to tell all their friends what they think. That is the whole point of the site.
Okay, sure, not all reviewers are fair and balanced. Too bad. But it is not your job, and it's sure as hell not your BFF's job, to call them on it. Because Goodreads is for readers. You're playing in their sandpit, and you take the bad with the good or you get the hell out.
The moment you publish a book and it's in the public sphere, your don't own it anymore. Okay, you own the copyright and whatever, but it's not your ickle precious baby who has to be protected from the big bad world. Hell no. You wave it off, you wish it well, and you let it make its own way.
The simple fact is, some people will love what you write and some people will hate it. And if you're not ready to deal with that, then maybe you're not ready to call yourself an author.
On that note, I don't comment on reviews of my own books. I might "like" a few now and again to get the cover out in everyone's feeds, but that's it. I'm more than happy to talk about my books if you invite me to, but I'm not going to butt in on the conversation you're having with your friends because I don't have any right to do that. Readers shouldn't have to worry that authors are going to start a shit storm because of something they say.
When you get your royalty cheques from your publisher, where do you think that money came from? So to all the Authors Behaving Badly out there, grow up, chill out, and stop biting the hand that feeds you.
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Honestly, I'm flabbergasted at the behavior. It's almost like [most]of them have never worked in a professional environment in their entire lives. There's a list of what not to do...it's basically the same list of what not to do in any business situation.
And then once they commit a business faux pas, instead of saying "mea culpa" and apologizing, they dig in their heels and get mad when they get "fired."
Whoaaaa... Lisa, what happened to the 3+ pages of comments?(Hey there, ladies! *waves*)
ETA: soon wrote: "Whoaaaa... Lisa, what happened to the 3+ pages of comments?(Hey there, ladies! *waves*)"
I know! :( Goodreads ate my blog, and when I put it back up, all the comments were gone.
MrsJoseph wrote: "Honestly, I'm flabbergasted at the behavior. It's almost like [most]of them have never worked in a professional environment in their entire lives. There's a list of what not to do...it's basical..."
Exactly. It shouldn't be that hard to remember how to be both professional and courteous. And maybe if they can't remember that, they shouldn't be interacting with readers at all.
Lisa wrote: "...I know! :( Goodreads ate my blog, and when I put it back up, all the comments were gone."IDK, Lisa... Were ALL your posts wiped out? What about other authors? Call me a cynic but something may be rotten in the state of Denmark...
Madame X wrote: "I just see them as little baby birds that get tossed out of the nest and they don't know how to fly. I wish they had someone to say, "Hey, here's the deal." "Maybe it's inexperience...but it's a mistake you can't afford to make. It's very, very easy to get put on a "don't buy" list, and probably impossible to get off one.
There are a lot of books out there. Don't hand anyone a reason not to try yours.
ETA: soon wrote: "Lisa wrote: "...I know! :( Goodreads ate my blog, and when I put it back up, all the comments were gone."IDK, Lisa... Were ALL your posts wiped out? What about other authors? Call me a cynic bu..."
Yep, my whole blog. It's imported from Blogger, so it's all untouched over there. I just lost the comments from anyone who'd commented via Goodreads.
It was the same week that nobody's blogs were getting imported, and people were having trouble updating statuses and stuff, so probably part of some larger technical issue.
Geez... in case GR gobbles Lisa's blog again...Madame X, your comments about Clueless Author Behavior vs. Badly Behaving Authors summed up in a nutshell my own thoughts. With some, I want to say, "there, there" and try to help in some way while with others, I'm fair ready to burn in effigy. Grrr!
Lisa wrote: "Yep, my whole blog. ...It was the same week that nobody's blogs were getting imported, and people were having trouble updating statuses and stuff, so probably part of some larger technical issue."
Oh, great, now I feel bad... didn't know about the blog problems. Shame that such great posts were lost :(
ETA: soon wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Yep, my whole blog. ...It was the same week that nobody's blogs were getting imported, and people were having trouble updating statuses and stuff, so probably part of some larger tec..."
Lol! Don't feel bad! This is the internet - shit happens!
Lisa wrote: "Lol! Don't feel bad! This is the internet - shit happens!"Actually, I was feeling bad about jumping to nasty, cynical conclusion. O.o But losing all the comments suck too.
So they get their book out there and they want to do the things they're supposed to do, like blog and interact, but they're clueless and they don't do their due diligence and they speak before they get the lay of the land.
I just see them as little baby birds that get tossed out of the nest and they don't know how to fly. I wish they had someone to say, "Hey, here's the deal."
With Badly Behaving Authors I feel like that initial experience of shock and cluelessness has hardened into wilful ignorance, drawing of lines in the sand, outright malice - it's not the surprised hurt of the ill-prepared but the defensive stance of someone who knows what's coming and has chosen a very poor coping mechanism.
The clueless ones just make me feel sad.