How to shoot yourself in the foot

[erastes]

How does a 'special snowflake' type author screw a lightbulb?

They hold it and wait for the world to revolve around them.
(by mylodon)

Apparently there must be something in the stars, or the water--or something, don't ask me. There's a positive epidemic of people with handguns in their pockets, letting them go off and blasting themselves in the foot.  There's the whole name-calling thing which I'm not going to drag over here, but now there's this--yet another author who thinks that by behaving like a complete idiot (and a dangerous idiot, threatening a life) over next to nothing at all--literally a throwaway line by mroctober as he considered collating a reprint anthology is somehow not going to damage his writing career.

I'm sure it's not necessary for me to say this, and the people who act in these extreme ways aren't going to take the slightest bit of notice of good advice, but the internet is a small place, particularly when it comes to genre fiction and threatening behaviour, bullying behaviour just isn't going to be tolerated here any more than it is in the wordplace. The specfic writers hang around together around the D&D board, the romance writers huddle under their bonnets, the m/m writers lurk around the lube dispenser etc etc.  So when someone does something so appalling as this chap has done in a public forum, with editors and publishers looking on with their jaws on the desk--is he going to be surprised when he's blacklisted? (well, yes, he will be, because people like this never think that anything is their fault). Publishers don't want mud to be thrown at them, because it sticks and most bona fide publishers will have a "behaviour" clause in the contracts, demanding that the author does nothing to damage the reputation of the publishing house. It's all too easy to forget this, when there's a wankfest going on.

Comments

[andsaca369.livejournal.com]

The specfic writers hang around together around the D&D board, the romance writers huddle under their bonnets, the m/m writers lurk around the lube dispenser etc etc. This made me giggle.

But... whatever happened to comporting oneself with grace and dignity?

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Or at least, a general veneer of politesse!!

[the-sea-to.livejournal.com]

I lurk IN the lube dispenser!

Also... read it. FANTASTIC! Just made my morning... so amazingly stupid. People don't seem to understand the meaning of the word proffessionalism... boo fucking hoo, someone wrote a 2 liner saying they did not like a story... shut up and take it like a man (or gender of choice)


The precious little snowflake culture is pissing me the hell off. On the other had, it does make for BWHAHAHA amusement. I love that he thinks it is a prividlege to edit his work, if he ever appeared on my desk, I'd write the honest truth, send it back, and then change my address, phonenumber, name email addy, and possibly fake my own death to prevent that idiot from contacting me again. Not worth the bother of his histronics! (or I could just not edit it, but that would be a lot less interesting.)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I suppose it does get him something he's been craving - attention.

[kittymay.livejournal.com]

I wondered why the damn thing wasn't working.

[the-sea-to.livejournal.com]

I know, yes, too much cubic capcity of me and not enough lube. Though I am all slippery now!

[kittymay.livejournal.com]

Good.

*slides you out of the door until you behave*

[the-sea-to.livejournal.com]

behave? we'll be waiting a long time!

[kittymay.livejournal.com]

Well, it'll give you a chance to dry out, then, won't it? : D

[feed-your-muse.livejournal.com]

Good God, talk about getting your knickers in a knot.
I scrolled back through the posts and read the actual comment on the story - there was nothing unreasonable about it at all. Certainly didn't warrant such an insane response.
Even if you do feel gutted at something someone's said about your work, you just have to suck it up (if you disagree with it - ignore it; if it makes you think 'hmmm, why'd they say that?' then maybe it will be something you (one) can bear in mind for future work).
Making threats to people is just wrong. Why would anyone think that it's okay? And there have been enough posts around the interwebs talking about right / professional behaviour that there's no excuse for not knowing what counts as professional behaviour versus comlete dickery.

*Iz baffled*

Merry

=^..^=

[feed-your-muse.livejournal.com]

And, for clarity, where I wrote 'you' read it as a generic 'one'!

Mrrp.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Nod. Rhino skin should come with every computer if one indicates one is going to write with it.

[emmyjag.livejournal.com]

the m/m writers lurk around the lube dispenser

*gigglesnort*

Well, when people like you are responsible for other authors getting banned at other sites and dropped from their publisher because of your jealousy and inability to compete with someone who is only offering their honest opinion...*is keeled ded*

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I know. I'm EVIL. But someone's got to be the bad guy.

[ggymeta.wordpress.com (from livejournal.com)]

I thought you were that other four letter word...the one that rhymes with punt.

[emmyjag.livejournal.com]

yes, well. there's so many of those about these days that pointing it out this time would be...de trope? le tripe? I forget. :P

[erastes.livejournal.com]

*quiet giggling*

[rwday.livejournal.com]

Wow. I just read through a few of Steve's posts and the comments and that guy (not Steve, the stalker) is a whole new level of crazy. Telling an editor/reviewer to kill himself and his cat because you don't like a brief, one sentence review of a short story? And then threatening his life? Forget about any sort of writing career - if I was an editor, he'd be on my 'form rejections for life' list, for fear that any comment I made on a rejection slip would be enough to set him off.

Wow.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Can you imagine what he'd do if he got one of Mamatas' critique-rejections? Probably go round his house with a flame-thrower.

[kynn.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was just thinking it would have been all sorts of awesome if Reardon had submitted to Clarkesworld back in the day!

[ggymeta.wordpress.com (from livejournal.com)]

Wow, the crazy flu is in season.

I don't know Berman all that well - I know he emailed once asking about 'm/m comics' and reprinting them, but I must have said something to offend him because he ignored me after that. :) Par for the course with me you know!

I must say though, stalkerchan Cole is way out of line here. No matter how grudgy an author gets [and yes, we all get grudgy!] you don't comment in anyone's blog or LJ on posts that don't concern you--with ignorant word-barf commentary. What was he thinking? He's not at the club ten chairs down the bar with the bass drowning out his obvious bitterness. Bitch needs to let it go, it makes him look ugly--and no wants an ugly man.

will have a "behaviour" clause in the contracts, demanding that the author does nothing to damage the reputation of the publishing house.

Doesn't Samhain have one of those?

[mroctober.livejournal.com]

Oh, you never said anything to offend me. Relax. I still want to do the comics, it's just there is limited time and energy for everything. Lethe is still a one-man venture in a lot of ways.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I thought that probably was the answer, thanks Steve, keep up the good work.

[ggymeta.wordpress.com (from livejournal.com)]

Well that's a load off, thanks for clearing it up. I assumed after I sent my last email and got no reply--it was sort of your way of saying 'don't contact me plz' :) I've been met with that before, so I let it pass.

On the one-man show front, if you ever need any help please don't hesitate to ask for it. I don't mind doing administrative things for free [as long as its a fandom I enjoy ^_-]

[zoenichols.livejournal.com]

I did see that the other day. I was in a state of horror. It's like you know who has begun infecting the children and letting them out to play. Though granted, as far as I know, you know who's never threatened a life. Just humankind's (the side that isn't on you know who's side) intelligence.

But that? Holy shit. What exactly is with everyone nowadays? I'm tempted to start investing in some kind of antidote.

But can you cure absolute asshole-ry? Hm.

[chris-smith-atr.livejournal.com]

That-which-must-not-be-named is a wankpire! (My new combination of wanker and vampire) It would explain a lot.

[zoenichols.livejournal.com]

And it is a brilliant combination! Consider it stolen :)

[the-sea-to.livejournal.com]

Most welcome dear! There has been an outbreak of the crazy. I blame erastes. But I do that for most things... sun coming up, sun going down... wind... it is all down to the sacrifices I make to appease Erastes' mightiness! ALL HAIL! ALL HAIL!

(I may have my own, special, outbreak of crazy)

[kathleenbradean.livejournal.com]

I believe that on the contary, this writer will relish the idea he's been blacklisted. When everyone who is on that list has long forgotten his name and moved on, he will still be writing poorly and blaming the infamous blacklist for his failure as a writer. Who needs to improve when the publishing world is obviously so intimidated by his talent that they had to band together like the forces of evil to reject his superior art? *rolls eyes*

[kynn.livejournal.com]

Yep! The same way how a guy who spent his time and money getting an MFA can proudly bleat that he never wanted to be a writer anyway, he's a TEACHER!

[zoenichols.livejournal.com]

Bwahaha.

"When the masses try to crush me, it is because I am the sole voice of reason in a mad world."

Translated to:

"I am teh awesome. YOU SUCK!"

[semioticwarrior.livejournal.com]

Anonymity + an audience = instant asshole.

But seriously, it takes a special kind of asshole to actively encourage someone to commit suicide. And a special kind of crazy to get to that place over what was a pretty objective way of stating a negative opinion.

[mzcalypso.livejournal.com]

Mercury's in retrograde, but Merc can't be blamed for all of this. It's been a weird few weeks -- some teenage @sshat in Ohio shot his parents because they took away his video game (one of those murder-is-fun games, apparently), a FOUR-YEAR-OLD shot his babysitter in the foot instead of throwing a tantrum.... And George Bush said he thought he did a pretty good job, Brownie.

Insanity abounds.