Jumping on my Soap Box

Hey fans. I know you're used to book promos and freebies.. but I want to get real here for a minute. Here's a typical day for meas an author/blogger:
I get up with hubby, he goes to work. 
My 2 yr old gets up, breakfast, potty, get dressed, learning time
I blog, we play, then lunch. 
Then nap, and I write while she sleeps, clean my house, do wifey stuff
She gets up, I try to write more, while she plays.
I make dinner.
I bartend til close.
Come home and write, then get 4 hours of sleep, if I'm lucky. 

WE ALL MAKE SACRIFICES TO BE AUTHORS!!!!! 



I spend any free time I have writing my books. Many late nights, lots of hours of work, and typing, thinking, what not... I pour all of me into these works, as many authors do.

Things I know:
1. Not everyone who reads my books will like them
2. I can expect bad reviews. 
3. I can expect negative things to be said about me and or my writing
4. The world is full of negative people who look for anyone or anything they can complain about just for the sake of making theirself feel better.

Things I do when I hear or see said negativity:
1. Laugh
2. Share with friends so they can laugh
3. Pour some wine or crack a beer and laugh some more
4. Move on

Things I don't do:
1. Whine publically that someone hurt my feelings
2. Beg for attention

With this being said, I'm not trying to be an asshole, but if you're an author, please refer to Things I know.. because EVERY author knows these things.. going into publishing, it's a given that they are NOT going to be liked by every single person who is out there. Every author can expect a negative review. 

Goodreads? Yes, I place reviews of books I read there. You know why? Because it's easy to copy the HTML they give you into your blog, making your blog post that much cleaner and easier to set up. 
Do I read things said about me on Goodreads? No, in fact I do not even look at my reviews on Goodreads. I don't care. Goodreads is good for 1 thing only.... the HTML Review. 

Do I read reviews on Amazon? Yes! I do. Do I get upset over a negative one? Sure, I feel a little down, but... I think.. what can I do in my next book to make it better. I DO NOT dwell on it. I DO NOT whine about it. 

So, this "newbie author" is talking about Death Threats, Threats of Rape and more.. My question in, where are these comments? Not on the author's book. Not on the author's profile. So where are they? I'd really like to see them before deciding if this person is just whining or looking for attention. 

1 thing I've learned since I became an author.... DO NOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU SEE/READ/HEAR without proof! I've seen bloggers get jumped on and accused of pirating books, when they didn't, then their reputation ruined over a mis-understanding.
I've seen authors who didn't send out prizes people won quick enough... and then people start saying that the author doesn't stand up and actually give out their giveaways... bam... reputation ruined. This is just how the world works these days. Gossip spreads quicker than ever because of social media and then is built up into something it's not. SO... my point is.. I would like to see and made up my mind for myself. 




What's my point you ask? Well... this.. 
http://laurenpippa.tumblr.com/post/58778318048/cancelling-the-release-of-learning-to-love

This so called "author" who has yet to even PUBLISH a book has caused quite the stir among Indie Authors and Bloggers today. Everyone now feels sorry, because she went crying about "shelves" her book was on in Goodreads and things being said about her and her book. Here's what I have to say to that:

My case in point: Here is the author's response to someone's 1 star rating of their book on goodreads 

These are actual comments from Goodreads: I have screen shots if you want of these same comments

Lauren Howard Derrick wrote: "Uh oh, sounds like a speshul snowflake is melting?"

Once the rating system was explained to me (ie. users rating to express anticipation) as a new user of Goodreads, I was fine just to move on. I am no "speshul snowflake" and don't appreciate your sickening sarcasm. What you have done by being so vindictive is truly low, and I pity you for being such a heartless human being that you would deliberately try to hurt someone who was just confused and trying to understand.(less) 
Aug 17, 2013 09:41am

Derrick Lauren wrote: "I can't control what my friends say,..."

But you COMPLETELY ignored it the first time around. And even now, you are actively ignoring it.
Why don't you comment asking Vicky to apologize for her threats and to remove it?

You have a double standard going on here and I'm simply calling you out on it. Why don't you delete your initial comment as you don't know that Eric didn't have an arc?(less) 
ETA: soon Kelly, your analogy (and post) fails due to the following:


(1) Despite the fact that the author profile for Lauren (and yes, I'm deliberately not giving her the courtesy of "Ms.") indicates GR membership since at least April 2013, she apparently never bothered to read up on the "employee manual" and figure out some basics about her "company". This wasn't her first day or week of work so NOT responsible or professional.

(2) It doesn't appear that Lauren "return[ed] to work" after getting an explanation. Granted certain comments have been deleted now but seems that Lauren stayed around to berate Derrick whilst completely ignoring her friend who suggested that another GR member to "go put [his/her] hand in a blender!"

(3) Yes, it's human nature to defend one's self. But it's also human nature to be a complete idiot. See how that point goes nowhere?

More relevant is that Lauren here wants to be an author―which, many would agree, is a profession. So then she damn well should be prepared to act like a professional―and to suffer the consequences when she fails to do so. Her behaviour would've been UNACCEPTABLE in most normal companies b/c her later tantrums aside, it was the equivalent of telling the customers to sod off.

(4) Shelving a book on GR is NOT the same as a review. And WHEN such occurs is utterly irrelevant as to how an author should behave.


To borrow someone else's analogy, this clusterfeck is more akin to a person's decision to drive. Operating a motor vehicle demands responsibility and some common sense. A person better learn how to control a vehicle, as well as the basic rules of the road, before shifting into gear and driving onto a public road. If not, then said person poses a hazard to self and others.

There has been no "bullying"; there has been no intimidation or intent to destroy anyone's confidence. OTOH, there havebeen two verified instances of Lauren's friend and/or "fan" wishing violence/death on another GR member.

In summary, Lauren got on the road without bothering to read up on the rules and sadly, crashed and burned. There's a lesson to be learned here, I think.(less) 

How many times have you heard me say, Do Not Respond to negative reviews?! Any author that I have worked with who asks me to help them, that is the first piece of advice I give. DO NOT RESPOND!! What happened? Authors friend pipes in and causes problems then author jumps on someone else instead of friend who threatened other people!!! Me thinks someone is not such the innocent victim we thought huh?

You do see that the author and friend both deleted their comments? But when someone replies, their comment is still there somewhere!!! No hiding !!


1. If you were my friend, I'd slap the shit out of you. Thankfully we aren't friends and I don't know you, because I hate whining, and violence. If you're going to be an author or some sort of public figure, putting yourself out there, you need to be able to handle criticism, negativity and anything else thrown your way. If you can't, then don't publish. Do you think Nora Roberts whines about bad reviews? 7- 1 Star Reviews out of 27! Is she throwing up blog posts whining that people don't like her? Or is she moving on to the next book saying, I have the best fans, because those who do like me, really love me? Who cares that someone put it on a shelf called "When hell freezes over" it was your friends/fans who started this problem in the first place by threatening someone who marked it low star rating.

2. If you're doing this to create a buzz, then planning to hit publish in a week so that all these people feeling sorry for you right now will buy it, then you're shady. What kind of person can't properly advertise and put in the hard work for them self that they need to "fake" butt hurt feelings to ensure lots of sales when they publish something they arlready planned on putting out there. I have seen this so many times!!!! Authors saying they are pulling a title over something stupid, then sales sky rocket because everyone wants to know what the big deal is, and then it stays up for sale. ***Please note, I'm not saying that's what this "author" is doing, I'm just trying to make a point.*** 

Those of you who have been fans awhile, you know damn well that I'm very involved with authors. I will do what ever I can to help promote them and be successful, while still maintaining and working on my writing career. It really bothers me that I have spent the last year working my ass off to advertise myself, get my name out there, without the improper buzz of making myself look like I'm a whiny baby looking for attention. AGAIN, IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE NEGATIVITY THEN YOU DO NOT BELONG IN THE PUBLIC EYE! Being an author puts you out there, in the public eye. You need to accept it and move on!!! Telling people that you're NEW to this? Well, duh, we know that. We also know that you will never make it in the Big Leagues of Authoring. New? We were all new at some point. Guess what?! We don't all go around pulling this crap! Here's what my Grandmother would have said to me if I were "newbie author" crying.
"Hike your big girl panties up and quit your bitchin. You're better than that. Whining is only stooping to their level." Congrats Newbie.. you've just stooped to their level.

Now, you can hate me, talk crap, say I'm being bitchy, I don't care. I'm not trying to be an asshole, I'm expressing my feelings to you. This shit annoys me and at least once a month I see it happening! I just can't sit here and watch everyone feel sorry for these people anymore! You're wasting everyone's time. Either publish your damn book or don't. Who cares, if you do publish, I know I WILL NOT read it, because of this.
I'm sorry to interrupt your evenings. It just bothers me to see everyone feeling "sorry" for this "Wanna Be Author" !! 

Stepping down off of my soap box now! Have a great night, see you in a few hours with some freebie posts!