Flame war ahoy!
A genre-fiction author of 15 books complained about getting bad news. Her editor was retiring. The author expressed apprehension at the thought of giving up a seasoned editor for one who was under 30.
In her comments, an anonymous person warned the author not to tarnish her own reputation by complaining in her blog. The author went off on that anonymous person and several others.
An anonymous agent called the author a nitwit. Told her to shut up and count her blessings. The agents fans commented in agreement. The author tried to defend herself, reexplaining her points and declaring that she tries to blog the ups and the downs of being an author. Several of the agents fans told her to stop whining. The author called them wannabes. That pissed them off big time.
As I see it, there are two issues here.
1. Talking smack about your work on your blog.
Should you ever do it? It’s up to you. Where do your rights to express yourself intersect with your coworkers’ and present/future employers’/publishers’ right to read your blog and make negative decisions about you because of it? Only you, the author of your blog, can decide.
2. Whining after publishing a book.
How dare you do it? Do you know how many people would give their toes to be published authors? They haven’t been able to do it, but you have. Therefore, you are one of the luckiest people on earth. Therefore, you have no right to complain. Ever. About anything. If you complain, it’s only fair that you forfeit your right to be a published author. From now on, any author who complains should give their book contracts to someone who would be more appreciative.
Not only are children starving in China, but people who comment on blogs are going without agents! We’re talking about people who’ve worked hard to achieve the dream of being a published author… a life in which the writer’s every dream is realized and nothing can ever go wrong again. Everyone knows that published authors have nothing to complain, whine, fret about or fear. How dare you pretend otherwise, you ungrateful hag from Hell? You are lying to everyone who hasn’t yet become as lucky as you. Why are you doing that? What are you trying to do – scare us away from pursuing what must surely be our destinies? You don’t deserve your good luck! I deserve it, instead!
Other people not allowed to complain:
Celebrities
Lottery winners
Naturally slender women
Learn it, live it, love it. If you’re a published author or one of the people listed above, I suggest you find two or three trusted friends and restrict your whining to private conversations with them, held in dark rooms late at night.
Nobody likes a whiner, you see.
(Unless you’re whining about how unfair that you haven’t been published yet.)
