Please Hold, While I Be A Complete Bitch

Things I intensely dislike:


1. People who are nasty for no reason

2. People who don't pay attention


Reparation hasn't even been released yet, and it already has THREE fake ratings. A 5-star, given by someone back in October when NO ONE had been given the book. A 3-star followed soon after that. And today, a 1-star from someone who either couldn't have possibly read it, or they received a pirated copy - which I find hard to believe, but still isn't cool.

Now, maybe these people like to just randomly rate books - based on covers, based on my previous books, based on my social media presence, whatever. Still not okay. Still not fair. Even the 5-star makes me mad - I like to EARN my 5-stars, I like to EARN my high ratings. And low ratings - that's just nasty. Who has time to be mean just for mean's sake? Over a BOOK? I wrote it, and even I know it's just a BOOK. I don't take time out of my day to troll Goodreads to down rate books I've never read - I'm too busy WRITING BOOKS. If I EVER have that much free time, please, someone get me professional help.

OR, as has happened in the past, maybe they accidentally rated the wrong book. They just got done reading a book with a similar - or even the same! - title, and just didn't pay attention to what they were clicking on. Understandable - but still fucking annoying. Places like BookBub, and major author signing events, look at your ratings on here and on amazon, so by someone NOT PAYING ATTENTION, they are potentially HURTING MY BUSINESS. And this goes for 5-stars, as well! A bunch of random fake 5-stars makes it look the author is paying/begging/bribing for high rankings, which I don't do.

Because that's what this is - yes, it's fiction, and it's beautiful, and it's sexy, and it's a craft or a gift or a talent, whatever. But a lot of people forget, especially lately, it's a business. A business that generates income. For some authors, their ONLY income.

People don't seem to like to acknowledge that side of it - I think that's part of why there's such an uproar in the Indie World, with authors blaming fans or other authors for bad sales. Because no one wants to admit that creating art is still a business. It sounds seedy and cynical and cold-hearted, but that's the truth. If you spend money, and want to make money, you have to have that mind set a little.

Plus, it's just fucking rude and hurtful. I work hard on my stories, so it sucks when someone just randomly clicks a button without thinking about it. Hours and months and sweat and tears, for you to just look sideways and click a button.

I have lots of 1-stars, and DNF ratings. Which are fine - people are entitled to their opinion, and I can honestly say I have learned from those reviews and I am thankful for them (holy crap, I DO say "laughed" a lot!).

But if I'm going to have battle scars, I'd like to EARN them; DESERVE them. Not just have someone blindly lash out.

None of you would appreciate it if we showed up to your jobs where you work really hard and love what you do, and knowing nothing about what it is you do, we then put on a blindfold and filled out an evaluation form about you.

Not too cute, is it?

Playing around with your paycheck and your self-esteem isn't okay - please remember that when you're here, that's what you're doing to us.

There is a person behind the book you're rating. And as shitty or as amazing as that book may have been, they worked hard on it. So if you're going to give it a 1-star or a 5-star, KEEP THAT IN MIND.

Someone worked hard on something and put it out into the world. So show them just a tiny bit of respect and at least pay attention to what button you're hitting.