tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post1100465261254911042..comments2024-03-10T04:29:20.044-04:00Comments on Mad Genius Club: But Who is the Enemy?Sarah A. Hoythttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17478124095732219352noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-8665476996235517202010-09-20T13:15:25.243-04:002010-09-20T13:15:25.243-04:00Dave, you know I pretty much agree with you. Espe...Dave, you know I pretty much agree with you. Especially when it comes to educating the public. I get very tired of hearing in bookstores or reading in the online fora how authors must be making so much money because of the high price of books. I have absolutely no problem shouting from the rooftops the truth of the matter. It's the other stuff, those moments where we shoot ourselves in the foot -- or the ass -- by running our mouths off that I was talking about.<br /><br />We've all been there. The con where the author on a panel disses another author or editor in no uncertain terms. That trip to the bathroom where a group of agents or editors are verbally castrating someone...and all too often someone who knows the castratee is in a stall taking notes. Or worse, when we let our own guard down and say something out of anger or frustration or even disappointment only to turn around and there's the person in question.<br /><br />But, as you know, I think the industry needs to be talked about and shaken up, especially regarding digital rights. That's different...as long as we present the facts and our reasoned interpretations of them.Amanda Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02927312739323222344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-52495188305612420362010-09-20T13:09:51.181-04:002010-09-20T13:09:51.181-04:00Stephen, np. Most of this is nothing but common s...Stephen, np. Most of this is nothing but common sense. But it does amaze me how that one thing seems to fly out the door, especially when at a con or workshop or, honestly, any gathering of more than two writers. We're human, and we make our living with words. So we tend, all too often, to express ourselves a bit more broadly and clearly than perhaps we should.<br /><br />Now, don't get me wrong. I am not advocating always keeping quiet. If I was, there are a lot of things I've said on this blog over the last year or so I never would have said. What I am saying is that we need to be cognizant of who is around when we say it.Amanda Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02927312739323222344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-24161446350440371212010-09-20T13:07:16.869-04:002010-09-20T13:07:16.869-04:00Sarah, I agree -- especially with regard to agents...Sarah, I agree -- especially with regard to agents -- that they do have our best interests at heart. However, they are also human and you know as well as I do that if you are just starting out in the business and they google you and find you have been running your mouth off online about things they either feel strongly against or something they know will rub an editor the wrong way, the door closes pretty fast. While I'm not advocating not speaking your mind, I am saying that we all need to be a little circumspect in what we say and how we say it -- not that I don't all too often open mouth and insert both feet, especially when it comes to digital publishing.Amanda Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02927312739323222344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-29884729560250197562010-09-20T13:04:28.083-04:002010-09-20T13:04:28.083-04:00Brendan, sounds like a good approach. I use a pse...Brendan, sounds like a good approach. I use a pseudonym a lot when it comes to politics. Part of it is because you never know who is reading what you just posted. Part of it comes from knowing too many people who have read a comment by an author or movie star or whomever and vowing never again to buy/read/etc anything by that person simply because they don't like their politics. And we won't get into the whole misquoting or misrepresenting what might have been said thing.Amanda Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02927312739323222344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-42891602438723993212010-09-20T13:00:26.000-04:002010-09-20T13:00:26.000-04:00Pam, exactly. Of course, I'd add in the cavea...Pam, exactly. Of course, I'd add in the caveat that we need to mind our manners all the time and not let our tongue get ahead of our brains. I've seen too many stupid things make it onto the web simply because the person posting them forgot that when he blows off steam online, it never goes away.Amanda Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02927312739323222344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-61389831781242319442010-09-19T22:17:55.156-04:002010-09-19T22:17:55.156-04:00I try to keep my snout out of politics (Which of c...I try to keep my snout out of politics (Which of course can just as awkward as the industry's leading lights make no effort whatsoever to do this. And NOT ranting about how bad the 'others' are makes you suspect at best and almost inevitably simply lumped as 'enemy'. Given that in the US and probably everywhere else that matters to authors, support for any major political party does not reach 1/3 and enthusiasic support does not reach 1/10 (and only the enthusiastic supporters want fat books of self-congratualatory sermons or diatribes on the hellfire that the other bad guys are going to get.) This implies that any loud supporter (and if I was tactless enough, I could name major editors on both sides of the divide) obviously have no interest in 66.6% of the possible market, and probably 90%... Or think their audience can be told what to read. <br /><br />I try not get into politics - mine don't fit molds anyway - but I am actually getting to the point where, after 15 years of being polite (ish) about the industry, and having had this make no difference really, where I actually talk about the taboo areas -- like the share that authors get of books sale price. I appreciate that this is not something publishers, or agents, or retailers or distributors want mentioned in public. I just think it's something that readers need to know because the situation as is, is not tenable for their authors.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12315551718688781746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-71158813784711647902010-09-19T19:57:13.171-04:002010-09-19T19:57:13.171-04:00As Kant wrote, while I will never say things that ...As Kant wrote, while I will never say things that I do not believe, there are things I believe that I do not say, even to close friends. There are a longer list of things I believe which I don't type online, and didn't even when I was participating in political blogs every day and hadn't yet begun to think that I might become "a writer" some day. I work for a defense contractor, so a certain degree of circumspection and self-restraint is an expected part of the territory.<br /><br />That said ... there are some political views I DO share online. But I don't argue online. I add my input on an issue, if I think doing so might have merit and I respect the principals in the discussion, and leave it to be accepted or rejected by them, based on their needs and beliefs. I only "argue" in person, with an eye to who can hear me -- and frequently not even then.<br /><br />I don't know anybody in the business yet, except as a fan. So I haven't had to worry -- yet -- about the other pitfalls you pointed out. And the warning is worth having. Thank you.Stephen Simmonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07522113936557314128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-60106053273249937102010-09-19T17:10:49.378-04:002010-09-19T17:10:49.378-04:00Amanda,
What you said ties in with what Kris Rusc...Amanda,<br /><br />What you said ties in with what Kris Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith say: Whose career is it? Yours. Who makes sure your best interests are served? You. Now, mind you, often you're between a rock and a hard place, but you can still choose the least of two evils. Of course your relationship with your editor AND PARTICULARLY your relationship with your agent shouldn't be one of enemity -- but neither should you assume they always know what's best for you. It doesn't excuse you from doing your homework.<br />This said, please don't go all paranoid and keep things from your editor/agent, or deliberately sabotage them. For a given value/most of the time they do have what they view as your best interests at heart.<br />Of course, I once got rid of an agent who wouldn't let me work with Baen....Sarah A. Hoythttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17478124095732219352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-75173364683323181192010-09-19T15:53:32.501-04:002010-09-19T15:53:32.501-04:00If I want to say things aren't right in the in...If I want to say things aren't right in the industry or blow off steam I tend to use a passive voice. It comes across as less confrontational and has the added bonus that many people aren't used to reading it these days so read the first para(and perhaps the last if they won't have to scroll down) and skip on. That way I get to blow off steam and nobody notices. It is either that or use a phudonym.Brendanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12290731721638936110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4940224740718934743.post-35884046125775978592010-09-19T11:37:31.439-04:002010-09-19T11:37:31.439-04:00I try to keep my temper. And more important, my pe...I try to keep my temper. And more important, my perspective as a debater.<br /><br />You need to recognize when someone is unpersuadable. State your case for the sake of the spectators, and walk away.<br /><br />It's getting easy to spot the people who twist every possible opportunity into a debate on their own hot button items. We'll be getting a lot of this for the next six weeks, until the US midterm elections.<br /><br />For the Non-Americans, these "mid term" elections fall inbetween our presidential elections. One third of all Senators and _all_ Representatives are up for reelection. It's our first opportunity to let our government know how we feel about what they've been doing since our new president was installed.<br /><br />Since President Obama didn't have a magic wand . . .<br /><br />It's going to get dirty, quickly.<br /><br />So we all need to mind our manners online these next few weeks. No matter the provication, no matter which side we're on.<br /><br />Because what happens on the internet, stays on the internet, and can be tracked down and quoted, years, decades, from now.MataPamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11128604732495114033noreply@blogger.com