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Friday, February 24, 2012

You Will Never Do This...

Head on over to Seanan McGuire's blog and read up on her situation...

The book thing is out of her control. It messes with sales rankings and it shows Amazon being a complete and utter [phrase redacted for the children]. But the comments? The hate? That's 100% in your control.

Don't do this. Ever.

One person kindly suggested that sexual violence would be the appropriate response to my forcing Amazon to withhold ebooks. Another offered to slap the stupid out of me. And several stated that they would now be pirating all my books, because I had given up my right to their money (I had a right to their money?).

See, apparently, the ebooks are being withheld because I, personally, am trying to force everyone to buy my preferred format (physical). So sexual threats and relentless abuse are totally acceptable, because it just shows me the error of my ways.
Threatening a woman with sexual violence is never acceptable. There is no circumstance in this world or any other where this is OK. If you think it is please turn yourself over to the local police precinct and ask for a mental health evaluation before you hurt someone.

Let me address some of these concerns...

1) Authors never assume they have the right to your money. Most of us are scared to death you'll hate our work because publishing something makes us feel vulnerable. We put a ton of work into getting these stories perfect and we don't want that effort wasted.

2) Readers don't have a right to an author's work. It's awesome that you're a fan and all, but all that hard work belongs to the author. You have no right to punish someone by pirating their work. You want a free story, go write one yourself. Make up your own characters. Type your own words. Create your own world. I encourage it, you'll have fun, and you'll get your free book. Win-win.

3) Authors don't care what format you but their book in. Sorry, we aren't snobs like that. Hard cover, paperback, e-book... We want you to read our story, and we want to get paid for our work. Format is like font, we all have our favorites but it won't change the bottom line.

4) Sexual/physical threats and verbal abuse are never acceptable for anything from anyone. It doesn't matter if you are an author, a reader, or a random person who just happens to be breathing there is no situation where attacking a stranger is acceptable. Sexual threats and abuse aren't acceptable in any circumstances. I'll concede physical violence in self-defense, but otherwise? Save it for the fiction.

Are we clear? Promise me you'd never do anything like that, okay? I'd like to think you're all wonderful, well-adjusted people. And, pretty please, wait for the release date to buy a book.
- Liana

6 comments:

  1. WOW. I see a lot of vitriol in book reviews on amazon, but I had no idea that there were so many losers out there that they feel the need to name-call and even threaten (even if empty, a threat is still a threat).

    Behave, people. Is it really that difficult?

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  2. And threatening an author because you think you're a fan? That makes no sense.

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  3. That's so scary! I promise *is raising hand in the way I assume boys scouts do when they pledge, assuming they 'pledge'* not to come across all threatening... ever!
    Wagging Tales

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  4. Thank you!

    I run on the basic assumption that everyone who reads this blog is a wonderful person who would never do anything naughty outside fiction and that I'd love to meet all of them in person. But it's extra nice when you promise you'll stay good. :o)

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  5. Oh geez. This really makes me worry about ever publishing my work. Some people are just scary.

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  6. Jessica - They go after authors, scientists, teachers... any woman who blogs or has an opinion on the internet can be prey. It makes me wonder what they do to the women they meet in daily life. If you're threatening someone on the internet you're not far from threatening someone in real life. It's just a matter of whether you think you're anonymous enough or not.

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