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I Read What You Write on the Internet
Nov. 23rd, 2010 01:53 pmAs an author, an editor and a reviewer, I spend a lot of my life online. Everything I do is remote. Therefore, I have a lot of Google alerts set up. Every single time my name is mentioned, I eventually know about it. Ditto with a number of my projects.
The problem with this is that I often read things I'm probably not meant to see. The bigger problem with this is that I do, in fact, often read what you write on the internet. "You" means people I have reviewed or rejected. "What" is in regards to what "you" have said about me, personally, or the projects I am working on and/or may have just rejected you from. (Ditto goes for those I have just accepted but that is not what this post is about.)
I understand that less than stellar reviews hurt and rejections suck. I have been through both. But, I promise you that I have never sat back in my chair and thought, "Ok, whose life can I destroy today? I think I will set up Author X for a fall. This should be fun." I have never planned that. I dislike giving out less than 5 star reviews and rejections are the bane of my existence. However, these things…they do happen.
You, as an author, don't have control over this. What you do have control over is how you respond publicly to it. If I have two people who respond a rejection and one says, "Dammit. Rejected again. All right. Time for a polish and to send the story out again." While the other says, "Oh, God… I was rejected. My life is worthless. I don't think I'm going to leave my house for a week." Which one of these authors do you think I'm going to be comfortable working with again in the future? Which one of these authors do I think will be easier to work with if I do accept them for a project and then need to edit them?
Obviously, the first one. And if it comes down to me having only one invitation left, the first one is going to get it based on how they (much more professionally) reacted to bad news in public.
The same thing happens when it comes to reviews. It's OK to not like the review I gave you. However, it is not OK to only focus on the bad parts of the review, ignoring the good parts of the review and publicly accuse me tricking you or setting you up to fail or any of that. Because, whether you know it or not, I will probably read what you have said about me. Maybe because Google alert has told me you've written about me. Sometimes because a friend will IM me and say, "Uh, you might want to read what Author X is saying about you."
Editors are human. What you say about them and how you react to them doing their job will color how they look at you in the future. I have removed authors from my "top tier" list for future projects based on how they have dealt with rejections and what they have said about me online. I read what you write on the internet and if what I read tells me that you will be more trouble than you are worth, then I will head that problem off at the pass.
This is why authors should remember to be professional online when dealing with something upsetting. It is better to walk away from the computer than to damage your reputation. This is the part of things that authors have control over. I bitch about my bad reviews but I don't bitch about them online. I cry in private and keep my suit on in public. This is the best piece of advice I can give any writer.
The problem with this is that I often read things I'm probably not meant to see. The bigger problem with this is that I do, in fact, often read what you write on the internet. "You" means people I have reviewed or rejected. "What" is in regards to what "you" have said about me, personally, or the projects I am working on and/or may have just rejected you from. (Ditto goes for those I have just accepted but that is not what this post is about.)
I understand that less than stellar reviews hurt and rejections suck. I have been through both. But, I promise you that I have never sat back in my chair and thought, "Ok, whose life can I destroy today? I think I will set up Author X for a fall. This should be fun." I have never planned that. I dislike giving out less than 5 star reviews and rejections are the bane of my existence. However, these things…they do happen.
You, as an author, don't have control over this. What you do have control over is how you respond publicly to it. If I have two people who respond a rejection and one says, "Dammit. Rejected again. All right. Time for a polish and to send the story out again." While the other says, "Oh, God… I was rejected. My life is worthless. I don't think I'm going to leave my house for a week." Which one of these authors do you think I'm going to be comfortable working with again in the future? Which one of these authors do I think will be easier to work with if I do accept them for a project and then need to edit them?
Obviously, the first one. And if it comes down to me having only one invitation left, the first one is going to get it based on how they (much more professionally) reacted to bad news in public.
The same thing happens when it comes to reviews. It's OK to not like the review I gave you. However, it is not OK to only focus on the bad parts of the review, ignoring the good parts of the review and publicly accuse me tricking you or setting you up to fail or any of that. Because, whether you know it or not, I will probably read what you have said about me. Maybe because Google alert has told me you've written about me. Sometimes because a friend will IM me and say, "Uh, you might want to read what Author X is saying about you."
Editors are human. What you say about them and how you react to them doing their job will color how they look at you in the future. I have removed authors from my "top tier" list for future projects based on how they have dealt with rejections and what they have said about me online. I read what you write on the internet and if what I read tells me that you will be more trouble than you are worth, then I will head that problem off at the pass.
This is why authors should remember to be professional online when dealing with something upsetting. It is better to walk away from the computer than to damage your reputation. This is the part of things that authors have control over. I bitch about my bad reviews but I don't bitch about them online. I cry in private and keep my suit on in public. This is the best piece of advice I can give any writer.