Reader vs. Author

[jmc_bks]

I think that Karen Scott made a very valid observation in her post when she said:

If you guys don’t really believe that there’s a Reader v Author disconnect here in Blogland, well I just see this as further proof. Because unless you’re fawning over authors, deep down, a lot of them just aren’t that interested in hearing your opinion as a reader.

She's referring to Tess Gerritsen's post "Authors Who Bite Back", which seems to imply that it's okay to cyber-stalk a reviewer who don't give writers five star reviews as long as you don't get caught, and the posts that follow, including her adieu to the cruel world of blogging.

Being a cynic, the part about Deborah Anne MacGillivray's foolishness being only that she got caught is disappointing and offensive but not hugely suprising to me. What really gets my back up is more or less blaming Dear Author for her blogging exit. She put the words out there on her blog, for better or worse. The fact that readers and other bloggers found it offensive and said so? Not the fault of Jane or DA. Welcome to the Internet, where everyone can read what you have to say, and many will respond.

My patience with this sort of circle-the-wagons, readers-are-morons-who-should-pay-to-read-my-work-and-shut-up kind of attitude is dwindling. In the last year or so, less and less of my websurfing is looking up new (and old) authors online, because I just don't want to know that the person who wrote a book I loved is an ass. Most authors aren't. And even those few who sometimes come across that way probably aren't either -- I just happened to catch them posting on a bad day. Maybe they meant to be funny and it just didn't come across that way. (Is that what Gerritsen was trying to do? I don't know.) Again, welcome to the Internet, where your humor is hard to discern through whatever font you've chosen for your blog.

I've got a couple of Gerritsen's books in the TBR mountain. The fact that I found her original post on the whole Deborah A. MacGillivray/Amazon abuse situation offensive isn't going to make me discard them. But it does remind me that we inhabit different places in the reading/publishing world. And in her part of that world, readers should not say anything mean or critical of an author's work...unless they want to be stalked online and perhaps in person. In my part of that world, as long as I don't make an ad hominem attack, I'm free to share my opinion of that work.

Comments

[menage-a-kat.livejournal.com]

To be honest, I don't think Gerritsen meant the original comment the way it sounded. But instead of just saying "Oops!" and apologising and clarifying what she meant clearly and concisely, her defense was somewhat wishy-washy and just gave everyone more fodder for dissection. The thing about humour is that not everyone will share your particular brand, so humour as a defense isn't going to satisfy people you offended to begin with.

When Jennifer Crusie was called out for a couple of comments she made in blogland, I really liked the way she handled it--explain, apologise, move on. Yeah, sometimes she adds snark, but she's the first to admit that maybe her brand of humour isn't for everyone and that what she meant may not have been how others read what she posted.

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

Humor is so hard to convey in writing. Unless /descriptions/ or emoticons are used, the loss of body language makes it too hard to distinguish sarcasm from earnest statements.

If TG had simply owned her words, I'd've respected her position even as I disagreed with it. Leaving blogland just seemed like a child packing up its toys and going home in a huff when a game didn't go its way.

Agree

[(Anonymous)]

If TG had simply owned her words, I'd've respected her position even as I disagreed with it. Leaving blogland just seemed like a child packing up its toys and going home in a huff when a game didn't go its way.///

I was disappointed at her theatrics because it really wasn't necessary.

Keishon

[dogzzz2002.livejournal.com]

Keeping in mind I haven't followed the whole Dear Author thread I did go and read the post and follow up you linked to. I was completely understanding everything Gerritsen said until the last line. I'm all about Karma - you throw sh*t up in the air, don't be surprised when it falls back on you. What DAM did was horrible and creepy and quite frankly she doesn't sound like a person I would want to meet ever. The last line of Gerritsen's post was definitely off putting. Still, ending your blog? I'll have to see what the comments are like over at DA but seriously, strap a pair on and cope. Hell, be the bigger person.

That said, I don't think Jane realizes how off putting her own wording can be. I didn't like the letter she wrote to Gerritson and the suggestion that Gerritson post it as written smacked of elitism. Or maybe it's paranoia. Either way, I'm not sure either party came out looking good.

I also don't bother with author blogs - I'm an Anne Stuart fangirl and I think I've been to her blog twice. I'm a fangirl of the author's books. After that, I'm all good.

CindyS

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

Do you check out author websites? I'm always curious. Because I like author websites for excerpts and publishing schedules, but then skip the blog section.

[(Anonymous)]

Wow, I just wasted an hour reading all of that - I hadn't followed the discussion.
What strikes me, I think, is the disconnect. Ms Gerristen is obviously finding the situation difficult, but for the most part, people disagreed politely. If she finds that level of online disagreement so poleaxing, why can't she imagine how frightening it must have been to be cyber-stalked like Reba?

Marianne McA

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

I skipped a lot of the earlier conversation at DA -- 500+ comments were too much -- and only returned at the end. I thought most who disagreed with Ms. Gerritsen were polite, unlike her fans, who were rather rude on DA.