This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things!

Good morning, Readers!

I'm a little ticked off at the moment.

I'm looking at you, self-pubbers. Image courtesy of clker.com. Click for link.

As you know (or don't...?), I am a self-published author.  Still looking for that traditional contract, but I'm quite happy to write and publish myself in the meantime.

As you may also be aware, self-published stuff tends to have a bad reputation.  Much of that  is earned, to be fair, but self-published writers as a whole have been busting butt to erase that reputation.  We, as a collective, have been trying really, really hard to put out the best product we can.  And it's working, for the most part.  People are starting to take self-published authors more seriously.  We're appearing on panels at literary conventions, and several organisations have opened up their doors, permitting self-published authors as members where before they were denied.  Many writing awards are now open to considering self-published works. Yay!

Good job, self-pubbers!

Better yet, it has been a few years since last we heard news of poorly behaving authors as well.  Until Tuesday, that is.  When this gem of an article came to my attention.

For fuck's sake!  This is why we can't have nice things!

Self-published authors, what is it about this profession that makes you believe you can behave so badly?  I don't understand.  It's a profession.  Act professional!

There have been all sorts of scams associated with self-published writers, from sock-puppets to revenge reviewing, and now this, this trying to trick people into giving you a review.  You don't see this shit with traditionally published authors.  Sure, they get reputations for being grumpy, or racist or something, but they're never associated with scammers.

Too many self-published authors are.

This shit has to stop.

Look, I get it.  I'm there.  You're a self-published writer trying to get noticed without the support of a marketing team.  You're trying to get yourself heard amidst a cacophony of voices, all screaming just as loud as you.  For the most part, you feel like you're screaming into the void and no one is listening.  It's depressing.  It's hard.  It's really, really hard.

But guess what, bucko, that comes with the territory.  This is what you chose.  When you entered this profession, you chose the hard road (to be honest, there's no easy road with writing.  At all.  It's hard even for those with traditional houses to back them up).  This is what you signed up for.  It's tempting, I'm know, to try and cheat to get yourself a leg up.

But Christ, every time you pull shit like this, it reflects badly on the rest of us.  Those of us who are fighting the same damned fight you are.  Those of us slogging away every day to try and get noticed.  You're making it harder for us.  People will turn us away because they now associate self-published with scams.  And I'm not okay with that.

So stop pulling this shit.  Stop it.  Stop.  You will always get caught, and you're reflecting badly on me and my profession.

Do you know how you get to be a successful self-published author?  You work your arse off.  You get up, and you write, you write well, and you put out the best product you can.  You market and you hustle.  You don't scam.  Will this guarantee your success?  No.  No it will not.

But at least you won't be associated with the word "scam."

Now get off my lawn!