Idiot Authors Part 1
I've blogged in the past about how some authors really piss me off.
In one week, we've had two glaring examples of Authors Being Dickbags. Both have to do with these Special Snowflakes receiving bad reviews. This kind of stuff really gets under my skin.
First up is Margo Howard writing at article at the New Republic. Ever wonder what an elitist looks like? There ya go.
I'm not sure that I can say anything about Margo's mindset regarding readers/reviewers, particularly those in Amazon's Vine Voice, that's any worse than what she has put out there herself. Check out these direct quotes:
fellow customer would have read those pre-publication “reviews” and thought the book was dreck—although some people, I have to hope, would have spotted these attacks for what they were: ad hominem attacks.In any case, these people are given freebies … cold cream, sneakers, pots and pans, and … books! I submit to you that free stuff does not a book reviewer make.I can see the value—maybe—for man-on-the-street reviews of cold cream and pots and pans, but books?! Especially by people who collect free stuff, feel important because they’re getting this swag, and, forgive me, do not sound in the least like well-read people to begin with.Books, of course, can be and are reviewed pre-publication—but by reviewers who are attached to magazines or newspapers. "Book Reviewer" is considered a profession, and reviews are done by other writers. Good sense would seem to militate against any group of people unschooled in creative and critical reviewing coming up with a worthwhile review.I was so distressed about this injustice that I looked up the list of Amazon’s board of directors. Great good luck, I happened to know two of them, so I pestered the one who was a lawyer, feeling all this slamming by the barely literate approached tortious interference.
Yeah. That happened. Her comments on the same article continue with the snobbery.
Here's the deal, dear freaks... I don't care if you bought my book, downloaded it for free during a promo, borrowed it from a friend, or pirated it online, I regard all of your opinions equally. You gave my work a chance and I thank you.
I don't care if you're a plumber, book blogger, or newspaper editor. The fact that Margo does disgusts me.
Oh, and the whole 'cold cream, sneakers, pots and pans', but not 'books' comment is so pretentious that I thought my head might explode. It's OK to have 'man-on-the-street' reviews of those pots and pans, but not of MARGO FUCKING HOWARD'S BOOKS. Authors, apparently, are Special Snowflakes and are exempt from critique by you regular folk.
Know your role, peons.
In one week, we've had two glaring examples of Authors Being Dickbags. Both have to do with these Special Snowflakes receiving bad reviews. This kind of stuff really gets under my skin.
First up is Margo Howard writing at article at the New Republic. Ever wonder what an elitist looks like? There ya go.
I'm not sure that I can say anything about Margo's mindset regarding readers/reviewers, particularly those in Amazon's Vine Voice, that's any worse than what she has put out there herself. Check out these direct quotes:
fellow customer would have read those pre-publication “reviews” and thought the book was dreck—although some people, I have to hope, would have spotted these attacks for what they were: ad hominem attacks.In any case, these people are given freebies … cold cream, sneakers, pots and pans, and … books! I submit to you that free stuff does not a book reviewer make.I can see the value—maybe—for man-on-the-street reviews of cold cream and pots and pans, but books?! Especially by people who collect free stuff, feel important because they’re getting this swag, and, forgive me, do not sound in the least like well-read people to begin with.Books, of course, can be and are reviewed pre-publication—but by reviewers who are attached to magazines or newspapers. "Book Reviewer" is considered a profession, and reviews are done by other writers. Good sense would seem to militate against any group of people unschooled in creative and critical reviewing coming up with a worthwhile review.I was so distressed about this injustice that I looked up the list of Amazon’s board of directors. Great good luck, I happened to know two of them, so I pestered the one who was a lawyer, feeling all this slamming by the barely literate approached tortious interference.
Yeah. That happened. Her comments on the same article continue with the snobbery.
Here's the deal, dear freaks... I don't care if you bought my book, downloaded it for free during a promo, borrowed it from a friend, or pirated it online, I regard all of your opinions equally. You gave my work a chance and I thank you.
I don't care if you're a plumber, book blogger, or newspaper editor. The fact that Margo does disgusts me.
Oh, and the whole 'cold cream, sneakers, pots and pans', but not 'books' comment is so pretentious that I thought my head might explode. It's OK to have 'man-on-the-street' reviews of those pots and pans, but not of MARGO FUCKING HOWARD'S BOOKS. Authors, apparently, are Special Snowflakes and are exempt from critique by you regular folk.
Know your role, peons.
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