Pitchforks And Torches
Get out the pitchforks and torches, it’s that kind of day…
So, there’s been some brouhaha in the book-reviewing world. Mostly, it’s been yet another edition of Authors Behaving Badly, and I’ll just point you at Cleolinda’s rundown and my own hoary old advice. Of course writers shouldn’t respond, positively or negatively, to reviews. Of course it’s wrestling a pig in mud–the pig loves it, and you just get dirty and look like an idiot. Of course. Of course.
But.
Look, it would take the patience of a saint to put up with some of this shit. And writers are most definitely not saints. Neither, dear Reader, are you.
In any group of people, X% are going to be assholes. It’s like the speed of light–it’s a fucking constant, so let’s get used to it and go on from there. Even those who are not assholes as a matter of course can sometimes act in an asshole manner, given the right conditions. Sometimes, we’re all assholes. You, me, that guy over there, everyone.
I have to tell you, though, sometimes I just don’t blame authors as much as you’d think. There are “review” sites that only serve to aggrandize their owners’ precious little pretensions, and there are “review” sites that should have a sign attached saying “LOOK, JUST FEED MY ENTITLEMENT COMPLEX BECAUSE OTHERWISE I’LL BADMOUTH YOU!”. Then there’s Goodreads–which I use myself, as a means of tracking my reading, and to be available, to a certain degree, to fans. Which is all fine and good, but just like EVERY OTHER SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE, there are some corners of Goodreads that might as well be 4chan. That’s all right if you like 4chan, and of course, if I claim the right to say whatever the hell I want here on this corner of the Internet that I pay for and maintain, I can certainly allow it to “review” sites that appear to be someone’s shallow little reproductions of high-school cliquishness. C’est la vie, c’est la guerre, c’est the fucking marmalade.
A lot of times, however, when I see an Author Behaving Badly On Teh Interwebs–I’m not talking about harassment, I’m not talking about plagiarism–I see a writer getting mad at some deliberately provocative pieces of horseshit. There are “review” sites that keep waving red flags and waiting for the moment a writer, any writer, will snap. They get a charge off this, and I don’t precisely blame some writers for responding. It turns into a situation that only ends well for the petty little provocateur, because they end up getting the emotional charge and the hit count. It never, ever ends well for the writer.
So while I don’t precisely blame the writer sometimes, I do wince. And I do sometimes privately agree with the kernel of some of their rants. I am, and plenty of other writers are, in the position of not being able to offer agreement publicly or professionally, and I think a lot of “review” sites and Mean People on social networking sites bank on that. It’s like the Speshul Snowflakes who decide to be rude to retail or food-service workers. They get the emotional charge and get a kick out of being the “injured party” or merely the Stirrer Of The Shit, and their stink spreads far and wide.
The point of all this is, sooner or later a writer is going to be tempted to respond. If the idea of taking the high road and behaving professionally isn’t enough to stop you, just think about what it means to descend to the level of the jackass who’s trying to taunt you into reacting. Is it worth being just like him or her? Is it truly worth it, when you know you’re just going to end up covered in shit while they laugh at the fact that they made you respond while basking in their brief Internet celebrity? Is it seriously worth it?
This isn’t to exonerate every writer who behaves badly on the Internet. It’s just to say that sometimes, you know, I don’t exactly blame the ones who do snap under the provocation. There but for the grace of God goes anyone, really.
It would do well for us all to remember that.
Over and out.
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Tags: Oh Holy No..., pennyworth advice, shooting from the hip, the internets they know everything, we are not amused
January 16th, 2012 at 3:44 pm
Sing it, Sister!
Generally speaking, authors should act with a certain sense of decorum and professionalism, and that entails not engaing in the troll war. Then again, there are some of those times . . .
I have occasionally been pulled into that trap, though usually it’s been when I’ve responded positively to a negative review, one that suggests I had sinister motives or malevolent misunderstanding or was working to erode the moral framework of literature, etc. (I know, right? That’s a warning sign right there.)
I’ll say something along the lines of “I’m sorry it didn’t work out well for you–here’s what I was going for.” Which, of course, won’t go over so well. Invariably, I’ll get *worse* reactions, wherein Mr./Ms. Self-Righteous not only reiterates that I’m an awful bastard for writing what I did, but that I was a moron for responding to his/her review. Needless to say, not a great situation.
There’s some solace, I think, in knowing that it takes a certain kind of person to badmouth an author in order to provoke a reaction, then capitalize on it. And when I say “certain kind of person,” I mean jerk.
Cheers
January 16th, 2012 at 10:01 pm
I’d rather review a book on the basis of how much I enjoyed reading it than attempt to apply any non-existent critical skills I know I don’t possess. I’m a 55 year old average reader of SF&F and I prefer to detail why I think a particular book is fun to read & worth my own reader’s hard-earned cash than attempt to act like some world-class authority on stuff. I enjoy your work, I’d give you a good review or privately e-mail you the reasons why I didn’t enjoy your latest book. I don’t post negative reviews, but I do privately e-mail writers with reasons why I can’t post a review of their stuff. I’ll promote writers, but I’ll be damned if I’ll post a review slamming someone’s hard work that just wasn’t my cup of tea!
January 17th, 2012 at 11:35 am
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ls, y hv RLLY nvr bn n 4chn.
[Where are the vowels?]January 17th, 2012 at 11:36 am
I hear what you’re saying. A few times I’ve thought that it is probably a good thing that I have no talent for writing. Otherwise, I might be tempted to become an actual author, and I don’t think I could handle the PR end of it.
There are several authors’ blog sites I visit, and they seem like really nice people. Also I am in awe of just how much s*** most can gracefully put up with. Now it’s possible that there is ranting and raging and foaming at the mouth going on in private, but generally I don’t see a lot of it posted on the internet.
Hats off to you! Not only for providing hours of entertainment (looking forward to reading your most-hated protagonist’s POV, by the way), but for grace under pressure!
January 18th, 2012 at 1:59 pm
I rarely review books publicly. Sure, I’ll gladly give feedback directly to the author upon request, but rarely in public. I’ve authors who are my friends, and I like to meet other folk who write, and trashing someones work in public, well, that’d get in the way.
I’ve made a few exceptions. JA Pitt’s Black Blade Blues, for instance (http://www.roxanneskelly.com/2011/07/review-black-blade-blues-by-ja-pitts.html). Why? He did something rare in urban fantasy. He, a guy, wrote a female protagonist. And she was a lesbian. And he did it in a believable way without making her sexuality an issue.
I’ll also occasionally write reviews when I think other reviewers simply haven’t given the work a fair shake… (http://www.roxanneskelly.com/2011/11/sucker-punch.html. Yah, it’s a movie, not a book. Sue me)
My opinion of other people’s reviews? A review written with reasonable arguments is valid. A review written with personal attacks, obsession with minor details, and over-reactions? Well, that’s useless.
January 23rd, 2012 at 10:56 am
I COMPLETELY agree. I just started a blog, strictly so I could spread the word, put up pretty cover pictures and sometimes talk about what ever I want to talk about… but I DO NOT think people should have a blog just to be able to start crap! If you didn’t like a book, well then don’t feature it on your blog, put your little one star on good reads and leave it ALONE!!! There are some books I really didn’t like, but I would NEVER be rude about it, b/c that’s not how people SHOULD be! I say should, some people are ignorant, stupid, whatever their excuse is… You know, if half of the people in the world, would just learn when to PRETEND to act tactful, I promise the world would be a better place. I am very out spoken, sometimes bluntfully, but I would never do it in an inexcusable way.
January 29th, 2012 at 3:06 pm
HILarious because it’s so true.