Are You One Of THOSE Authors?
Face it. There are certain authors that are THOSE kind of authors. The question is, are you one of THOSE kinds of authors.
In case you are wonder what I mean when I say THOSE kind of authors are, I’ll explain. THOSE kind of authors are authors who fawn over every kind bit of praise they get. They blog, tweet, and facebook every glowing “5 Star Review”. But THOSE kind of authors also do something else. They feel the need to attack anyone who doesn’t like their work, even if it is a legitimate opinion. Just like they blog, tweet, and facebook with pride about how much people loved what they wrote, THOSE kinds of authors also blog, tweet, and facebook attacks on people who don’t like their work and dare to not give it glowing praise.
THOSE kinds of authors belive that every reviewer who has a good thing to say about them is spot on and praise worthy. But, every bad review is written by a scum bag asshole who doesn’t know their posterior from a hole in the ground. Only good reviewers are entitled to their opinion. Reviewers who thought the work was lacking are not “expert”, “understanding”, or “smart” enough to get it.
Over the past several months I have, unfortunately, run across a great many of THOSE sorts of authors. They follow me on twitter, friend me on facebook, and contact me through my email asking me to exchange links with them. Then I see how they treat people that disagree with them. And I am not talking about the real dregs of the internet who are just trolling for attention and saying obviously over the top things, cruel thnigs about the books they review. I am talking about people who give honest, simple reviews of those works, but reviews that are not flattering.
I’m not here to name names. THOSE sorts of authors are not worth the time or publicity such an act would afford them. I do however have something to say to THOSE authors out there.
If someone didn’t like your book, and they were polite, or at least honest, about it, there is no need to spend an entire blog posting on your site dressing down said person. One of THOSE authors that I had the misfortune of almost following on twitter spent, no kidding, 3,153 words in a single blog post lambasting a reviewer of his book when the reviewer said only, essentially, that he simply did not like the book. The reviewer did not say that the book “sucked”, that the author was “incompetent”, or that the author was akin to the hind end of horse. The reviewer only that he did not like the book, a self-published book by said author. But the author’s lamenting post called the reviewer all of these things and more while moaning that such people should keep their comments to themselves because, get this, bad reviews hurt his ability to sell books.
Ok, like I said, one of THOSE kinds of authors.
Don’t be one of THOSE kinds of authors. If someone didn’t like your work, let them to their opinion. What should you care? I mean, if all those glowing reviews weren’t just friends being nice but rather, real, honest ones, from people who truly loved your work, why do you care?
Never in the history of writing has there been an author who garnered only praise. Never in the future will such an author exist.
Any writer who does not understand this point is destined to have a miserable existence.