WLP Needs To Rant.
March 2, 2010 in Authors, Book News
Usually, if anything bad pertaining to blogging/authors/publishers/etc happens…I vent quietly to one or two people. I think it’s not right to air our dirty laundry in public, because really this isn’t a personal blog but a “business” albeit one I pay for, one I spend MY time on & one I use to promote OTHER PEOPLE (authors/companies/whatever). Contrary to popular belief, I do not get paid to do this. Nadda, zip, ziltch. But today is different, it happend to me & people I know who aren’t as outspoken (okay big mouthed) as I am. Who won’t defend themselves because they are a new blogger, or because they are hurt that an author spoke to them like they were a piece of crap on the street.
I’ve noticed some rather crappy things around the net this week & it’s not only bothered me, but authors have observed this & aren’t happy either.
Here’s the thing.
Even before I blogged, I would spend over $100.00 a month on books (prior to knowing the book depo existed). Now think about it, that’s over $1200.00 a year I would spend on books. Now it’s a bit less, thanks to wonderful Publishers/PR & Authors…yet I still spend in the range of $60-$80 a month on books. That is MY money, keep in mind I was laid off in July but yet that’s my only indulgence, books. I don’t ask for presents now, I ask for gift-cards to bookstores. Add to that, the cost that I myself pay to host this blog & domain name, money out of MY pocket no one elses.
So when I read & actually encounter authors telling me when and where and how I should spend MY money on their books, you can bet your ass I am upset & angry. Not only was I told not to buy books online, but to go in store because online won’t help NYT rankings…I was told afterwards that my sales didn’t count because I am Canadian. I was not the only one either, countless times readers were being spoken to rudely & it’s so freaking wrong. I couldn’t sleep I was so angry lastnight & it takes a lot for me to be that angry. For the record, I have never read this authors books & was asking about her FIRST BOOK.
In any case, after that lovely exchange, every single one of that authors books got taken out of my cart. No thanks, I was & am extremely offended.
Yes, bloggers/readers have feelings.
I work my ASS off, to the point where I could be either found staring at a book for hours or emailing an author for an interview, or spending HOURS sitting at my computer working on this site. FOR FREE! I do this because I love to read & I love to share good books, I don’t have to do this, none of us do. I don’t pirate books, I buy them with cash that is hard to come by for all of us!!
I have to give kudos to both Bree/Donna (Moira Rogers) & Stacia Kane for sticking up for us readers & bloggers and a special thanks to the author who apologized to me on behalf of all authors, I do not blame all of you for a few peoples actions.
But I will never buy a book, when I am told how, when, & where I should spend MY money the same way I wouldn’t expect an author to read my review & change their book because I didn’t like it.
AGREED! GRRR…I get bossed around by my boss…I don’t need to be bossed around by people who don’t even know me…about my passion to boot. I agree and I have no problem telling my feelings, feel free to throw tomatoes now.
Amen sistah! Only 1 person can boss me around, and thats whomever is paying me at the time!
Shock Horror how dare they… If it were not for us buying talking sharing the word there book would be collecting dust of decomposing in the land fill.
AND YEAH I”M CANADIAN I MATTER….
Good for you Natasha hey I’m about 31/2 hrs away for you have ya heard of of Chatham????
Yes Mam, Chatham/Kent
I think I want a button that says I’m Canadian & I matter! LOL
Feel free to create one my blessing.
LOL
“I’m Canadian and I matter!” LOL….
I can see the button now… I think it should look like a gold medal! Go Canada! (And, btw, if your national anthem doesn’t get out of my head soon, I’m going to have to break down and learn the words….. darned Olympics, anyway…)
LMFAO!
Wonderful Post!!! This was bugging me so much this week!!
Nice call!!!
Hugs!
(hugs) I thought I was crazy & over sensitive
Vent away! I agree with you 100%. I am so tired of authors who tell me where and when to buy their books. Really? I’m not sure who some of these authors think they are.
Something I have really begun to notice is the ego of a few of these authors. They act as if the readers just don’t matter. If it weren’t for us readers, certain authors wouldn’t have gotten on the NYT.
You are doing an awesome job and I appreciate the voice you give us readers! Keep up the good work!!!
Thanks Kimberly
Wonderful post. It seems I am bossed around by everyone but I draw the line at my money. All the book blogs do the authors a HUGE favor, errr, can you say FREE PUBLICITY?!?! And to have someone have the cajonas to actually think they can tell you how to spend your money is simply mind boggling.
Amazing isn’t it?
I love your blog and I’m glad you spend the time doing it!
Thanks Ruthann, I’m glad people enjoy it
Great post! And how dare…….. *insert cuss* I mean, you matter; What the hell? we all matter as readers! We buy their books, we give our support… C’mon, it is not nice that you were told that your sales matter not just because you are Canadian *raises pitchfork and kicks some ass*
Just know that for a hell lot of them [authors] you do matter, and also to your readers =) *hugs*
LOL I just got a visual of a bunch of people where the Canadian flags carrying torches & the scene from Frankenstein, snicker-snort !
LOL I just got a visual of a bunch of people wearing the Canadian flags carrying torches & the scene from Frankenstein, snicker-snort !
LOL! Now I can picture that, too! hahahha
Play up the stereotype and use hockey sticks instead of pitchforks. That way you’ve got an excuse to bring along plenty of yummy Tim Horotons coffee and donuts. No sense in being cold and hungry while while you’re mobbing.
*pensive* sorry, you said donuts? *grin* yumm
ROTFLMAO why diddn’t I think of that …
After ALL did we not just WIN Gold for
WOMEN ‘S & MEN’S Hockey.
Ann
I have my Timmie’s in my hand too
I take mine with cream and I am a fan of timbits (Chocolate)..
got my hand & feet warmers ready…
Hockey stick yeah Great Idea after all did we not just bring home gold for Men’s Woman’s … Not Rubbing it in… Ducking now;-}
Thanks Ale (hugs) but you’d scare me with pitchforks!
No worries, I promise I will not hurt yah! =) It is just to scare off those peaches who think themselves our masters just cause they entertain us (I am just talking about the horrible ones) =D
mmm peaches.
Being a recipient of one of those rude comments I thank you for getting this out there. I myself have a small blog and love to share what I am reading, but I am too shy to ever think of “fighting” back or defending myself to these authors. Being Canadian doesn’t mean I don’t count, maybe my purchase doesn’t help the authors’ “ratings” but I still enjoy the books and recommend them to others.
You said everything perfectly and I’m sure the rest of us quieter ones out here are all thinking the same thing.
The comment to you, upset me the most because I know how quiet you are and I found it rude and unfair. Chin up, I got your back with my big mouth and fast fingers!
You are the biggest sweetheart in the bloggersverse!
Hardly, i’m the bitch but I DO NOT LIKE seeing people get hurt.
you just want us to think you’re a bitch…. you are really all soft and gooey inside.
LOL I am all of the above.
I have a message to pass along to you, can you send me an email? It’s too long for Twitter
What.The.Hell. Seriously I’m offended for you. I think its rather rude for an author to “take it upon” him/her (self) to tell you personally, that you don’t contribute to their sales b/c you live in Canada or if you buy online. Don’t get me wrong I love B&N, love the experience of caressing all the books – sorry I’m getting side tracked.
I do most of my shopping in store, cause its faster and I have no patience for waiting…but I wasn’t even talking about a NEW release, I was asking about the first book in FIVE!!
I’m not sure what goes on in some people’s heads, dude. I just don’t get it.
Me either, people are strange
Natasha I love your blog also and you know what do not personally care that I am in United States and you are in Canada because you read books, you buy books and yes you matter very much for those reasons to the authors out there on a bit of a power trip!
I know who you are speaking of I think and am not going to name names in case I am wrong, however it happened somebody somewhere went a little overboard lately with thinking that we readers can be dictated to. If we stop buying books online most of us would not buy much, I personally have no book source other than my local WalMart close enough to haunt for new reading material that is within a 20 mile radius. I am not going to drive all the way in today’s economy to the Borders and the Barnes and Nobles anymore because it is over 100 mile round trip just to go booking!!! I will still sit down at my keyboard and shop at both these stores and others for the best bargain without ever putting gas in my vehicle tank! Anyhoo go ahead and call this post a rant, I call it someone being brave enough to say what many people think and were either too shell shocked or afraid to voice in a public place.
jackie b central texas
Thanks Jackie, I think shell shocked it is. I couldn’t sleep lastnight going am I just being over sensitive? But then I saw someone I know getting it worse and knew shes too quiet to defend herself and that pissed me right off. NO ONE should ever be talked to like that, especially if they are spending their hard earned money!
Yeah, you probably are being overly sensitive. I usually go through at least two good rants a day-wherein I use swear words in new and creative ways-and I still sleep like a rock at night. But then I’m somewhat of a jerk, so I have a different perspective.
You know I agree…. someone has lost their ever loving mind. I tweeted it last night and thought about posting almost this same things this morning but was waiting to see what would happen.
I never thought that blogging would turn into the full time job it has…. and my time is limited. Authors showing their ass like this just give me more time for other authors I want to read and who appreciate us however we are. I adore Moira Rogers and will be adding Stacia to my reading pile very soon.
You’ll love Stacia, she’s the shit!
Do add Stacia to your list! She’s an awesome author and an awesome lady who has great, strong opinions and knows how to articulate them. Whenever she decides she has to write a post to talk about something that’s been going on in the romance world, I always know I’m gonna agree with 95% of what she says, and she’ll say it better than I ever could.
I haven’t read Stacia but after reading her post I was all happy face thinking that I already had a book waiting on my kindle for me to read. And it has just moved up on the to be read stack too.
You’ll love Stacia, perfect amount of action, snark and lurve!
I’m speechless that an author said Canadian sales don’t count. It boggles my mind…especially about where and when to buy books dealio.
*sigh* I’m sorry you lost sleep over this but I can understand your angst.
Thanks Donna, but I count in my own little neck of the woods LOL
Seriously, next time smile sweetly and reply “So you’re saying it’s OK to just pirate them then since the sales don’t count? Thanks!”
I wish I would have thought to say that!
LOL! I just love that reply! heehee
[...] if you’re looking for a blogger perspective, there’s a Wicked Little Pixie who got her rant on. I’m sending her the leftover limes for [...]
I’m just gonna say this–even tho I can’t really see what I’m saying publicly because this damned font is so small all the words look like one word.
No reader/blogger should ever be dismissed in their efforts to support an author’s work. No author should ever, ever, ever demand they satisfy their quest to be on some list by meeting the author’s idea of suitable purchasing practices.
No. Author.
I don’t care where you buy my books. I don’t care if you got it in the buck nintey-nine bin. I don’t care if it was free at the library. I don’t care if you swapped it–borrowed it–used it to hurl at an annoying fly. I’m just appreciative that you did. I won’t beat you down if you didn’t like it. I won’t grudge if you bought it at a tag sale. I owe you the best story I know how to tell, and if I know in my own mind, I put every last effort I had into it (and believe me, shed a brain cell or two-snort), then I can sleep at night.
You, as the reader, don’t owe me anything. You don’t owe me accolades. You don’t owe me lavish praise. Whether you loved it or hated it, I appreciate your time.
I appreciate.
Because I appreciate means when you acknowledge me–I acknowledge you with the gratitude deserving of your shelling out 14 bucks and upward in some countries to purchase my book. I’m not sayin’ I’m giving up a lung for ya now. I’m just saying thanks, my kids appreciate the chocolate covered granola bars. The chocolate covered ones are a huge treat here in Casa de Cassidy
I’m also not expressing this view this because I want praise for my attitude. I’m not saying this because I want to have a pile on–one where I stand on top of the pile and beat my chest in righteous author indignation. Cuz that’d hurt. My chest is old
I’m just saying it because this subject’s a hot button for me. I’m big on author/reader interaction, and that’s just who I am. That’s not for every author, or for that matter, every reader–I get that. However, any expression of effort from a reader should always be acknowledged to the best of your authorly/time-management abilities. You’re not some great reward, bestowed upon Readerlandia. There’s always someone bigger, better, faster, smarter. It’s prudent to try and remember that.
It’s not okay to dismiss a reader’s efforts when the effort ‘s made in the interest of the author. Not. Okay.
Dakota
control-plus (either the one on the number pad or above the =, doesn’t matter), makes things bigger in most web browsers.
OMG–that helped some!
but it only makes the blog bigger, yes. But not the lettering in the comments section–which is where I was struggling–because you know, old here
I’ll just squint–have wrinkles around my eyes. No, don’t pity me. It’ll be fine. LOLLOL
Thanks for the help!
Hey Dakota, you might try changing the font size on your screen. I have Vista but I can do that by clicking the Page menu on the top toolbar and either using Zoom or Text Size. There are some websites I have to do that with. I don’t see any difference in the change Nat did on this end. Unless it’s just that the page is white now and maybe makes it look sharper? Good luck and don’t squint!!
I like you, Jenna–I do
Thank you!
Yes, I will fix that just for you and your insane number of complaints about it that I keep ignoring!
And I appreciate, that most authors care
OMG–is two insane?
What does that make three and four?
Snort.
2? Ha. full of shit you are DC. But…guess what, I forgot again! AAHAH
Oh, come on, Dakota. Everybody knows Moira, you, and I are just kissing ass.
Funny…when Stephen King says he loves readers, nobody accuses him of sucking up…I guess you’re not allowed to love readers until you’re a huge huge seller? Or maybe it’s okay if you have a penis?
Eh at least you kiss ass Stacia, I was called a wanker for this post
Apparently I’m whining. *snort*
So if you’re wanking while I kiss ass…it’s like an amateur porno film. Hee!
Damn we’re good! When should we sell the rights to our online porn? LOL
I’m thinking that would lead to an entire new crowd of fans though. Could be a viscous circle.
Ohhhhh… That is a bad pun. That is a painful pun.
Clever…but bad.
K whining is not the definition of the word wanker that I KNOW ;-}
just saying…..Ann
Hmm…I haven’t heard a whole lot about this problem, but from what you’re saying, I’m guessing it’s increasing.
I think you definitely have a point here. I think most of us in the book blogosphere spend quite a bit of our hard-earned cash on books, and having authors telling us what to buy, where to buy it, etc., is a bit insulting. And I KNOW that the majority of book bloggers work there asses off to keep the blog up and running. It takes a lot of money, time, and commitment.
Great post!
Thanks Natalie, I think many people think you just type and post, if only it were that easy!
Natasha, I for one want you to know that I appreciate everything you (and other book bloggers and reviewers) do for us and I’m very lucky to count you as a personal friend as well. You’re an awesome lady! I can’t believe anyone would say something like that. I am extremely grateful to anyone who spends their hard-earned money on my books, especially those in other countries because it means you probably had to pay more for them than we do! And I certainly don’t care if a reader buys online or in a store. I’m still a new enough author that I’m amazed that anyone buys at all! LOL. Oh sure, we should probably all buy from brick-and-mortar stores as often as we can, just to support our local economies, but I’d be a hypocrite to tell anyone to do that since I buy all my books online. My local big-name chain store is a half hour drive both ways, I can’t ever find anything in there, and the staff is often unhelpful, so I haven’t been in there in at least a year and a half. I guess I’m not contributing to anyone being on the NYT list. Oh well. I think maybe sometimes authors get caught up in that and forget why they write. I’ll probably never see my name on the NYT list. And I’m ok with that. As Joss Whedon once said: “I would rather write a show that a 100 people HAVE to see than one a thousand people would LIKE to see.”
I hope you managed to get some sleep, Nat! I’m sure my nephew-cat would be happy to snuggle wiith you and help you out with that.
Your nephew-cat stepped on my head to wake me up because he needed company so he could sleep!
(hugs)
*snort* At least he didn’t wake you up at 2AM to go out and play in the snow! I’m convinced that’s what was going on here. The Jacks didn’t want to go out at bed time (but I made them anyway), then woke me up two hours later and went out and just fiddle farted around out there forever! The same dogs that I have to get dressed and put my shoes on and walk out there with to make them go do their business in the snow! By the time they decided to come back in I was wide awake. Brats.
So, just to give the benefit of the doubt…. I’m assuming this whole thing wasn’t simply a case of some reader saying, “Gee, I love your books and I think you should be on the Times list. What, as a reader, can I do to help you get there?” Just a thought, but It doesn’t sound like it to me. I mean, sure we’d all love to be on the Times list because that = sales= happy publisher= more contracts= authors being able to pay for the important things in life like bills and chocolate. Sounds like someone doesn’t care about sales, only about being on The List. I don’t get that but, hey, I’m new here.
Nope it totally wasn’t, one person said “I’m so excited, look what I bought” and posted a pic…then she was verbally beat down for buying it Monday and not on the release date and then because she’s canadian she got the yelps. Then it was followed by “I told you all 10000′s of times NOT to buy early” etc.
Yes.
I saw the comments of which you speak. They made me uncomfortable, both as a reader and an author.
I know that the author in question uses kind of an abrasive tone in her tweets and blog posts, and that’s fine if that’s her style. And if some of her commenters were in on that, that’s fine too. But I can see by the comments on your post here that many people were offended by her militant approach. Like I said, it made me squirm a little.
I like her books. I won’t stop buying them. But hey, my purchases don’t count, because I’m in Australia
If someone, anyone, anywhere, anyhow, anytime buys one of my books, I’m stoked. If someone blogs or reviews or talks about it to their friends, I’m doubly so. If I could get your names and thank you all personally, I would.
So thank you all.
Thank YOU as well for feeling uncomfortable, it would have been a lot easier to just ignore it. I’m amazed at how many authors noticed and were offended.
At least our purchases don’t count together
OMG. NOBODY puts Wicked Little Pixie in the corner! I don’t care if you buy a book while you’re on Mars, it counts in many, many ways, the very least as a sale. Don’t get me wrong. Every author wants to be on a list (especially the NYT). Every author works for the next level of success so they can keep their jobs, and keep doing what they love. Each morning I get up and think, “I’m soooooo freaking lucky.” Working from a place of gratitude keeps my head on straight.
ROTFLMAO!
If your books are available on Mars, I am all about supporting you!
NOBODY puts Wicked Little Pixie in the corner! LOL best line ever.
ann
I’m glad you did this post! I have been feeling uncomfortable lately with certain over eager tweets telling people where to buy books, when to buy books, how to buy books, etc. and then crudely telling people that if they don’t purchase the book by those rules then their purchase and investment in a way into that series doesn’t count. I purchase books because I love to read and also because I like the authors books and want them to keep making more so I never download pirated books either. I can understand rants against book pirates but I can’t understand rants against readers who purchased your books. It just makes me angry and not likely to read your books.
I don’t get it either Heather, because those rants caused a 50 dollar loss from me.
I just posted over at Stacia’s but wanted to here too. I love supporting authors, not for my gain, or attention, just because it feels good to support writers of books I like when I know how hard they work. I haven’t been blogging about books that long, but I was feeling pretty crappy this week because I thought that maybe a thank you would be nice. Nothing else, just a thank you. Then I started seeing stuff on twitter and thought maybe I was just misunderstanding the entire situation. I thought I should do more, buy more. Then I realized that I had like ten bucks left after paying my fricking bills and I can’t take it out of my grocery money– the kids do need to eat:) I STILL felt guilty for not running out and buying new releases. This morning I’m just sad about the entire thing, and I agree with Wicked and the other Canadians-you ARE important. I’m just rambling now because I’m upset and kind of wondering if the entire book blogging thing was a mistake:( Ugh.
NO dont say that… I have to say I am not that smart when it comes to computers getting my emails were at the top of my list seeking out a few craft projects new releases from my Favorite Authors then one day I clicked on a link at the side of someones site found my fist blog..
Can we say SNOWBALLED….. I discovered a whole new world new authors I would not have picked up & read if it were not for you Bloggers SO YEAH YOUR WORTH IT TO ME…
Ann
No it hasn’t been, don’t let one bitch spoil the whole thing. I’ve met so many cool bloggers & authors because of my blog, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Wow, just wow! Thanks for having the balls to post this.
I gotz ballz
Here you go, in case you run out.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/drinks/2818/
LOL nah I like the brass ones I apparently gotz.
dude, never turn down balls. unless they are smelly.
Oh I totally know who you are talking about although I haven’t seen any of the comments or whatever.
Playing devil’s advocate here, I agree with what you’re saying to a point, but authors have been saying “wait to buy my book during the week it’s released, not beforehand” for a while. So telling people “when” to buy it has always been there. Granted, most say it in a “please wait” tone than a “damnit wait”, but it seems like that idea has always been around.
Now the “why” and “how”, that is annoying. I read and blog because I enjoy sharing what I read. I share all my news because I know I’m not the only one who wants to know. However, telling me what to do with my reading is totally beyond unacceptable.
I so didn’t realize you were one of the commenters that was getting bitch-slapped. Did you bitch-slap her back?
If it is the author I think it is, I couldn’t get through the first book in her series and now I don’t know if I want to try it again. There are too many books out there to spend time on one where I might get an angry author commenting on my review. There are too many books being published for authors to become divas…there are always other options out there.
Aw, man, and I really wanted to “grow up” to be a diva, too! You’ve just crushed my dreams, Jackie! LOL…
Check out the comments, no one could devil’s advocate those comments.
Hey, Jackie!
You’re right–lots of authors ask fans to wait to purchase because in some respects, after prior numbers for a preceding book, they can possibly predict they might hit a list. Buying on the hard release date counts–the leaks prior to them don’t.
But to literally tell a fan the book sale doesn’t count because it was from another country is hurtful and dismissive. To drive that point home over and over is, IMHO, over the top and unnecessary.
As a reader I am willing to wait If the author is one of my fav’s After all I want to keep reading his or her work.
I know many a time I have seen THE book on the SHELF early before the release date I am sorry but its like But It’s like passing up your favorite chocolate bar when there is 1 left on the shelf you have to have it…. yes I am guilt of buying early I have also seen me buy the book twice on release date too.
I know Authors have NO control over when the book is put on the shelf.
Oh no, I’m with you on the who “you don’t matter part”. Readers do count, regardless of where they live. Yeah, it’s been said a million times, but that’s because its true – without readers, there wouldn’t be authors.
I still haven’t seen the inflammatory comment yet. I’ve been looking (I like seeing the context), but I don’t think I’m finding the right thread. I have yet to see where she was that rude. Granted, she does come off a little…divaish with some of her comments that I did find, but some authors are like that. It’s one of the tricky aspects to the web – you may think you’re sounding one way (i.e. playful, flirty, etc), but that doesn’t mean the reader is going to hear the same thing.
Sad. I bet you never thought you would find out so much about rankings and sales when you starting a fun blog to tell people about a book you just read. lol
* Canadians Are Readers Too!*
*started a blog
Oops!
lol if you only knew the half of it
Whaat? I hadn’t heard of this! I would have been like listen, bitch! It’s MY money and I’ll spend it however I want! a la Cartman from South Park. Damn skippy, LMAO.
Seriously though, I agree with you 100%, I know that if this had happened to me, I would have blown a vessel. I work 12-hour shifts for MY money, no stranger is going to tell me how to spend it!
I can’t believe you missed it Wendy! LMFAO always last to the party!
Dude, I’ve been working for the past three nights! Then I sleep during the day, I’m SO out of the loop, it’s not even funny! LOL
LMFAO go through twitterville, you’ll find some goodies
[...] also want to thank you all for your comments & emails & tweets due to my little rant and thank you to all the authors who stopped by to voice their opinions on the [...]
If I was an author, I could not live with the stress of checking that holy grail of NY Times making sure I made it, my rankings on Amazon and where ever Moe, Larry or Curly bought my book or when. I would be so amazed if one person bought my book.
But telling readers when, what time, what street corner and where they should buy a book, and if they don’t do what the author says, will turn their back on their reader because they bought the book a day early or 6 months later, well, that makes them sound pathetic.
Especially when an author puts down a reader in a joking matter because a reader had surgery on the day of their beloved release just so they could make that oh so beloved best selling list, you can make sure I will never be buying that author’s book ever.
Nice post.
That one irked me, dudes in SURGERY wtf else is he gonna do?
Natasha, wow, I read about the diva yesterday and didnt realize she was dissing YOU….oh and the Canuk thing….wrongedy, wrong, wrong! Kudo’s to you and your ballzzz…..us Canuk’s rock!
Oh I know shes so wrong, and slightly outta touch. But yeah she went at a lot of people on Monday, never been so digusted with an author.
As a new little author, I’m just grateful readers know I exist! To then start dictating to them the exact method for how they should buy my work just smacks of fail. And as a reader, sorry, but my money is precious and where and how I spend it is my decision. Yeah, I want to support authors I love, but I don’t want to be treated like a minion.
Thanks for stopping by Naomi and EXACTLY!
I haven’t seen the author’s comments, nor do I know who the author is (where have I been?!) but holy moly! That author needs to learn some people skills, and should know that dictating to readers on where and how they should spend their money is a dumbass thing to say.
I’m sorry that yourself, Amy, and others were subjected to this. It couldn’t have been a nice feeling.
The author is Rob Thurman, Lou.
She went on my DoNotBuy list after this blog just because I hate how something awesome (Amazon Reviews) has been made meaningless by authors abusing the system and posting, paying for, or swapping fake reviews to trick people into buying their books.
16 September 2009 @ 04:57 pm
Whoring for Amazon Reviews
“It’s the annual…bi-annual now…whoring for Amazon reviews. I’ll give fifteen signed Trick of the Lights to those who leave an Amazon review (unless it’s not positive…if it’s not positive, I’d either think you wouldn’t want a signed copy or you have a strange internal struggle with yourself and need mental help.)
She does kind of have a point about people probably not wanting a signed copy if they posted a bad review though. I know if Laurell K Hamilton sent me a signed copy of Flirt, it certainly wouldn’t be getting the kind of treatment an author would appreciate being given to a signed copy of one of their books. Would be a heck of a lot of fun figuring out creative new ways to torture a book though.
Thanks A Reader. I just read her comments on Amazon. WTF? She needs a lesson in PR, and should learn to step away from the keyboard. I won’t spend a penny on her books at all. Her attitude stinks!
The asshattery outweighs any point she might have and any sympathy I *might* have had. Just check out her comments on the 1 star review by Liam for Trick of the Light on Amazon.
Fear not, I wasn’t excusing anything. I am no lover of the asshattery. Mostly it just got me thinking of all the fun things I could be doing with the books that it turns out I absolutely hated rather than just giving them to friends who have atrocious taste in reading material.
It’s a bit of a moral dilemma. Do you continue giving terrible books to someone who will like them even if it positively enforces their abysmal taste or do you destroy them and have said friend read less?
Oh… eek. Bad reviews and bad form on her part! This makes me glad I don’t read reviews or go hunting for them. If my mom or my editor finds one they think I need to see, they send it to me and I read it. Or if a reviewer sends it to me directly. I appreciate the hell out of anyone who takes time out of their life to write and post one, but I’m too tender-hearted to want to stumble across a bad one! I assume with time authors get sort of immune to that, but I haven’t gotten there yet….
I know that it is probably futile but isn’t the real problem here the NYT? Not the authors in general. Not the readers. Instead of putting pressure on readers and having everyone conform to the timetable of some corporate monster, shouldn’t there be a publishing and industry campaign to pressure the NYT into implementing a more reasonable, flexible and meaningful measurement system. Why does everyone bend for the NYT?
I think you have very valid point there Doug. I’ve wondered about the rules of ranking for NYT myself in past.
Because they’re somehow under the impression that everyone still reads the print newspapers would be my guess.
Yes & No Doug. I understand the “want” for the NYT, but you have to remember WE (not me really) buy the books & we help promo those books. But we could go on for days about the NYT & the pressure, etc.
Honestly, I wish this would all die down. I’m sick of rehashing it at this point, but it seems people are just picking up on it.
Ha! Welcome to the Internet. Where arguments never end. Hope you enjoy your stay.
LMFAO I had no idea people gave a shit to be honest, like really? I like my little corner of the interwebz with you as my only weirdo.
Eh, it’s just easier for people to argue about something when they have a high level of certainty that they’re not going to get punched in the face for being a jackass.
You are in your own little corner (refusing to make another Dirty Dancing joke here on principle), it’s just the corner of a planet-sized room. I mean Marta Acosta went and looked up some insane political rants of mine from back around the `08 election. Stupid interwebs.
Stay in the corner, there are very scary things out there. Even to me and I’m more or less inoculated against even goatse (if you don’t know what this is, DO NOT google it, just be happy) level weirdness.
The NY Times almost went under last year and only has enough funds until 2012 unless someone comes and buys them. If the NY Times folds, which is a depressing, what is the strength of hitting the NY Times best seller list? It will be a mute point because the Times has disappeared and that label won’t mean anything. If the “list” goes to the internet, that what?
And just because you make a much wanted list, you don’t necessarily make millions of dollars or the promise of still having a publishing contract.
I posted about your post on my blog: http://kbgbabbles.blogspot.com/2010/03/respect-entitled-between-reader-and.html
Hey Nat, I understand you’re sick of hearing about it, but last week was a hella week for me and I’m only catching up on your blog now and I so desperately want to add my five cents’ worth.
I read the comments in question and thought they were a tad abrupt. Since I had every intention of buying the book though I asked if, as a reader from Australia, my sale counted at all. I found out it doesn’t (beacuse, obviously, as far as the NYT is concerned, unless you live in the US and within a reasonable distance from big bookselling corporations, you don’t count at all) and was then told I could buy two of the books to receive the offered sneak peak of the first chapter of the next book.
She lost me from that point.
I simply do not have the money to buy a second copy of the fifth book in a series. That, however, is not the issue. What has put me off is being told to spend more than I have on something that I really can’t even give away. It’s the fifth book, for goodness sake. No one wants to start a series from the fifth book.
And you don’t want to get me started on her attitude toward people who bought the book early… A simple ‘thanks for buying my book and maybe you could recommend me to your friend after this date’ would have sufficed, instead of metaphorically biting their head off.
Since I like the series so much, I’ll keep buying them, but only that series – the rest of her work has been scrapped from my AutoBuy list. I’ve lost all respect for her.
Wow, I had no idea any of this was going on and I’m certain you’re tired of hearing about it by now, but I feel the need to contribute my 2 cents.
I’ve never read anything by the author in question. I’d heard her name a few times, but my TBR list is about 8 miles long and I’d really like to work through some of those before I start on anything else. But she was on my “I’ll get around to that author/book eventually” list, as she was recommended to me by a friend whose opinion on books I respect a lot.
She has now been taken off that list.
I’m a full time student and I don’t work. I also happen to be a full time mother who is the sole provider for my child. I don’t spend money on extravagant things unless I can help it, because I’m on a fixed income. That being said, I do spend money on books. I can’t help it – they’re my one indulgence… my number one addiction. I have thousands (literally – last count was 1600) of eBooks waiting for me to read them, but I still can’t help but pick up the latest paperback/hardback by my favorite authors (of which there are many).
I am a disabled veteran (hence the fixed income). It’s not like I’m in a wheelchair or anything, but sometimes I have issues walking for long periods of time. My primary source for buying books is via Amazon.com these days because it’s so much more convenient (and let’s face it: causes me less physical pain to have to go up & down the stairs at my condo, walk around the store, etc). I’m sorry if my saving myself from physical discomfort doesn’t help the author’s numbers towards the NYT bestseller list, but it’s not my responsibility to ensure said author makes it on the list. It’s my responsibility as a reader to buy the books that I want to read, when I want to read them, and where I want to read them from (print, eBook, whatever).
I assume I’m the only one who thinks this entire thing has been blown out of proportion. Assume because there’s no way I’m going back and reading all 128 of the comments left.
Seriously, she was running a contest and the instructions she gave were for the contest. It’s not as if she did something really bad like drove while drunk, flashed her lady bits at elementary school children, or mixed stripes with plaid.
What is it with Romancelandia and their angry mob syndrome? It wasn’t enough that one person blogged about it, everyone else had to pick up their pitchforks and torches and join in. Why? I honestly want to know why. What did or does ganging up on one person accomplish?
Emma, this blog post was made MARCH 2nd, at the time I was the only blogger who posted about it. I was pissed & I posted because I had directly been involved.
I have not replied to any comments ON this post or elsewhere since MARCH 6. I am sick of hearing about it, replying to it. I’m with you, I don’t get why this is still being posted about elsewhere, it’s a week old. But thats the internet & I can’t stop people from linking to this post so I ignore it.
I’d love to close this post to comments & make this post private just so all the drama would die down, but alas other people have picked up on it & the ball keeps rolling. If I closed it, that would be a whole other can of worms. Hence why I haven’t been responding to comments or to other peoples blogs about it.
So if you think I’M beating a dead horse….
Le sigh. Welcome to Romancelandia, Pixie. What we have here is called Angry Ass Mob Syndrome. It’s about the season and the mob has found it’s first victim. It no longer matters that the subject is old and that you were just one person stating an opinion. The others have gotten a hold of it and now the poor dead horses must be beaten to bits and pieces.
I do have one question for you though. Did you ever think to email Rob and be like, Dude seriously, that was pretty fucked up what you said and as someone who has supported your books before I really didn’t appreciate it? Because I’ll be honest with you. Your intentions might be pure but all the others that hopped on Romancelandia’s Angry Ass Mob’s bandwagon are not. I’ve caught bloggers blatantly bending the truth about the things that have happened. And like a swarm of locust this thing just keeps getting bigger, worse and destroying everything in its path. Including Rob. And no one seems to give a fuck because she’s the “bad guy” and deserves to be punished.
See, my issue had nothing to do with the contest itself. I’ve never read Rob & was placing an order for books online. Shiloh Walker suggested Rob, so I tweeted Rob to make sure the first book was Nightlife. That’s when the shit went down, I was told not to order online (which now makes sense with the contest, but I wasn’t aware of the contest) then told to go into the bookstore (again contest I had no idea of) and finally, because I’m Canadian my purchases don’t count on the NYT. Now understanding this all had to do with a contest, I get it…but still it was abrupt.
Then when someone I know (whos extremly quiet & sensitive) got excited and told Rob she bought the 5th book, Rob was VERY rude to her. That’s since been delt with, she’s gotten an appology & that’s the end of it. All delt with in private.
I know exactly what you are talking about & I’ve gotten bashed because I apparently was too sensitive in my post about my “favorite author Rob” again, wrong since I’ve never read Rob, don’t know her if I’d have passed her in the street. But thats the net, people do what people do and you can’t stop them. All you can do is ignore them. People are gonna keep bringing this up, but not everyone has all the facts…funny thing is, I don’t even care anymore! LOL
Let me be extremely honest with you. When a lot of people join in Romancelandia’s Angry Ass Mob, write their own posts, leave comments and etc it’s not because they care about you and what may have happened to you. Don’t get me wrong. Some do. But the majority? Smell blood and just want a piece of the action.
And seriously, can you be anything less than abrupt on Twitter. You have 140 words.
I refuse to ignore the mob anymore. They’ve had their time and they don’t belong in my happy lovely world of Romancelandia. (Yes, my world. I like being happy damn it & the mob isn’t going to take that away from me.) Dude, it’s a land made of fricking books, we should be happy 24/7! We get to read and write all the dang time. So why aren’t more of us happy? Why aren’t more of us willing to let things go? You really have to wonder.
You have 140 characters, not words. Huge difference.
The thing is, its not our job to email authors and let them know when they are out of line. I have never bought any of Rob’s books so I wasnt about to email her and tell her she was being an ass – that would just be odd. I was following her on twitter, I saw the rude comments and the obnoxious behavior so I unfollowed her and took her off my “to read” list. *shrug* Blogs are our own little corners of the internet, we have the right to post anything that is bothering us or we want to talk about. The fault here is not with the blog who posted an opinion on something that was happening but with the behavior to begin with. As much as I doubt you want any of us to tell you what to write on your blog or in your books, don’t try to make bloggers and readers for guilty for reacting honestly to what was bad author behavior.
I’m having a hard time responding to you because I don’t understand your stake in this. And you’re correct, it’s not your job to email an author when they are out of line because you aren’t the behaviour police. We can assume we are all adults and as thinking and (I assume) rational adults we all have something called free will and freedom of speech.
So who has the right to decide whether what someone says is rude or not? Were the comments made directly to you? No, then seriously why hop on the bandwagon? Why blow something up to a point it need not go? What do you get out of it? What does it do for you? Does it honestly make you feel better?
I just don’t get your anger in this. “I wasn’t about to email her and tell her she was being an ass…” That’s your opinion and you have every right to that but just like you don’t have to conform to my way of thinking you should behave, neither does Rob or any other human being have to conform to yours.
We all have responsibilities, whether we choose to believe it or not, and one thing you may fail to realize is there’s no readers/blogger/authors/etc in this. There’s just human beings. People with lives, families, emotions, and stresses. People are people simple as that and no one deserves hurt feelings, not even the “bad guys”.
And just in case you didn’t know, actions speak louder than words. Speak with your wallet. Don’t like what an author said? Don’t buy their books and certainly don’t give them free advertisement/promo by blogging about them where many people will see their names become curious, go to their website, read their blurbs AND buy their books.
Likewise, I have a hard time understanding your side in this as I fail to see who the mob is and wasn’t aware there was one. It someone out there encouraging a boycott or something? I haven’t seen one, but then again I am behind on my g-reader
I responded originally because I had an opinion *shrug*. I was following her and her tweets to her followers (me included) were out of line IMO and made me uncomfortable. I didn’t like being treated as if my only value as a readers was to help her reach “the list”. I am not angry at all, in fact I rarely get angry, but that doesn’t mean I am ok with WLP made to feel like she did something wrong by posting this. Most of us were already talking about it behind the scenes anyway, at least now it was out in the open and others were able to weigh in and offer other thoughts even if they are contrary to our own.
We can agree to disagree Ms. Vixen. Was she treating you as if your only value as a reader was to help her reach the list or was that your intepretation of it. It’s kinda funny how not one of her regular readers have joined the mob. Why is that? If you have anything else to say you can email me.
oh it is absolutely all about my interpretation, but thats all any of us have. If it was my interpretation I guarantee it was someone else’s as well (as evidenced by the comments above). Interpretation and perception is a pretty valuable thing on the internet when you are marketing yourself and trying to gain new readers I would imagine.
Whoops. Forget to leave my email address. emma at emmapetersen dot com.
Seriously? You’re a writer and you come up with a line as nonsensical as “So who has the right to decide whether what someone says is rude or not?” Everyone has the right to decide what they think and believe. Christ lady, when you see someone being an asshole, if you don’t at least think, “hmm, they’re being an asshole,” there’s something deeply wrong with you.
It’s called Personal Responsibility. Google it. When you say or do something, you are responsible for what comes from your actions. Rob said some things that made a lot of people think she was an asshole. We’re supposed to not discuss it between ourselves why exactly? I seem to remember an author getting ripped pretty brutally recently for telling people what to do and now you’re trying to tell us what to say and think to boot? Oh fuck you.
Honestly, I didn’t much care about what Rob said because I’m used to content creators being loudmouthed jackasses from all the years of Hollywood spouting off on politics. Deliberate stupidity like this post isn’t nearly as easy to excuse though.
If I asked you to email me I wonder if you would? Probably not. It’s so much easier to spout off on a public forum. If you really have something to say to me beside the oh so colorful “fuck you” please feel free to email me. emma at emmapetersen dot com.
I pretty much said all I had to say on the matter. If you want to privately beat a dead horse though drop a line to themightybuzzard at gmail dot com.
I wasn’t so much going for colorful with the “fuck you” as efficiency. I’m a coder. Faster is better. You’re an author. You’d prefer the two paragraphs that I condensed into two words. Different strokes and such.
yep, you may be the only one
I have no pitchfork but I will never buy a book from a certain author. Sorry, I like my authors to not be rude and disrespectful to people who buy their books. Telling people in other countries they have to buy TWO books to equal a USA entry and get the reward everyone else gets? Totally asshattery. Giving commentors a hard time for buying books early? Again, asshattery. Insinuating that people who buy your books before the day you specify are stupid and not helpful to you, just plain disgusting.
Authors don’t need to kiss my ass, but I won’t give my money to those who are rude and demeaning to fellow readers. There are too many good authors who won’t treat their readers like pawns to get the super secret decoder ring for me to waste my time with the others.
I’ve just now become aware of this broohaha today and I too won’t be buying this particular author’s work anymore. I had yet to even haul what I already had out of the TBR pile, but I’ll be donating it…to a library maybe. An author who so blatantly doesn’t appreciate readers certainly won’t be getting any support from me.
So sorry this was your experience. Nobody deserves to be treated so.
[...] week of its release, unless they live in Canada, in which case she doesn’t care about them (Canadians were outraged). Thurman wanted Roadkill to make the New York Times Bestseller List, and told her fans that only [...]
WOW! WTF? I can’t believe I missed out on this one. I’m just now hearing about this. I’ve been sick with the flu and now that I’m in the land of the living – I see that one of my fave authors has completely lost her mind. It’s too bad that this happened. I stopped following her on Twitter a few months back because she was ranting about something else and it completely turned me off.
[...] WLP Needs To Rant. My least favorite post but apparently you all like drama. [...]