Bullying and Authors:
There’s a lot of it going on in the community. It seems every time you turn around there are more stories of petty slanderous comments being slung back and forth. The indie community’s getting hit hard, some authors are even pulling their books.
It’s sad, heartbreaking even, but it’s not new. Bullying’s been around for as long as people have. This method of bullying is new, raw and personal in nature. It’s cruel and intentional. Maybe it can never be completely done away with, but I’m thinking we can certainly bring the bullies to their knees at least.
Every author deals with criticism, it’s part of the territory. Just like every author needs to accept that everyone’s entitled to their opinion. However, a line’s crossed when that criticism becomes a personal attack or vendetta. I’ve heard some humdingers, plain ridiculous things (like the author’s appearance takes away from their written work!?! Really?!?!) and plain mean things. Yet, there’s something I also see:
Camaraderie in the indie community. Support for other authors, in all shapes and forms. Everyone helping one another. And standing up for each other. For all the grumpy, rotten people there’s 10 awesome indie rock-stars. So let’s bully the bullies by showing them just how much we DON’T need them, be them sneaky and passive or obnoxious and crude, ignore them and help your peers. Together we can all make a big difference!
