Friday, August 30, 2013

Abuse of abuse - a discussion @DenyseBridger

Good morning everyone. As the title of this blog says, I’m going to talk about abuse of a sort today. I’ve given this a huge amount of thought over the past 16 or so hours, and it’s stuck with me to such an extent that before I go to work today, I have to get this off my mind and out in the open.

Let me be very clear before you read further–what you are reading are only MY thoughts on some of the issues I’m about to broach. So please don’t seek anyone out to voice a defence of any kind. If you have things you wish to say on your own behalf once we’re done, then by all means, speak freely.

Last evening an author friend invited me to join a newly formed group on Facebook. The group is called AAA Authors Against Abuse. I’m in favour of that fight, so I looked at their About/mission statement, as it were. It reads like this:


If you agree with us that Goodreads should sort out their bully problem, and wish to join us but are unwilling to do so publicly, you can still help and support us, as well as request information and updates by contacting us at our email address above:

This group is for authors to work together and find a way to stop the endless attacks on authors from goodreads and amazon. Post no links to books here. This group is for finding solutions to troll problems and nothing else.

So, I joined, suspicious of something that occurred approximately a week ago as I write this. To many authors and readers in the community of Goodreads, the name Lauren Howard/Lauren Pippa is legendary now, and not in a good way. I asked very carefully if the Lauren Howard issue had been talked about, and was told it had. One author said it appeared to be a legitimate case of bullying. I then asked if they had read a very balanced and reasoned version of the events that surrounded Ms. Howard and her experience of “abuse” by the Goodreads community. I posted a link to this article, something that had been posted in a well-respected marketing group earlier this week. The blogger took several hours to look into what happened, illustrates with screen caps the author’s own words and later careless attitude in proclaiming the uproar she incited was a case of PMS. The post is long, but it is detailed and objective. There is no denying this was a situation that rapidly got out of control and has left many, many people gaping in astonishment.

Within ten minutes of my posting this link, a moderator of the group informed me that the link was removed and I was not to post “links to propaganda and speculation” as their purpose was to oppose abuse. In doing this, their purpose also becomes to suppress the truth, which is often step one to the supporter of the “abused” becoming an unintentional abuser themselves. The truth is immutable and irrefutable, it’s not a flexible thing, nor is it malleable to suit a need. What the truth is, however, is subject to interpretation, and in that broad venue, everything is subjective to the individual interpreting the meaning. To make an informed view and form an intelligent mindset, people have to be able to reason for themselves. In order to do that, the facts must be visible, or at least accessible to people. A balanced view is neither propaganda nor speculation when the facts are presented in an orderly and impartial manner. The author’s total lack of concern for what she incited indicates that she will never accept responsibility for her part in things. Many people feel this victim was really the creator of an elaborate scam. I have no opinion either way, because I was not involved in this, except in the aftermath as an observer.

I do believe that Ms. Howard was naïve and confused when she questioned what she was seeing on the Goodreads site, and it’s unfortunate that emotions began to take over reason so rapidly. A lot of anger began to direct the course of events as they went viral, and the truth was quickly kicked to the curb in favour of the drama that was unfolding. For some, this became yet another battle cry to invoke change at the giant Amazon corporation. I have an author page at Goodreads, I check it about once a week now. I have never really done more than look at Goodreads, so I am not in a position to “judge” the community there based on any personal experience beyond their odd rating systems.

Do I think that the combined might of Amazon and Goodreads needs to be better “policed” for authors and readers alike? Yes, absolutely. But not at the expense of suppressing the truth in individual instances. I will never support any group of people who are unwilling to listen to all sides of a story, and form their opinions based on all the facts that can be presented. My experience with this group lasted 10-15 minutes before I deleted my post and left them to wage their war in whatever manner they deem appropriate. I wish them luck, and hold no ill will. I do however maintain that a presentation of facts is neither propaganda nor speculation, and it IS essential to intelligent choice. Two authors who were in the group at the time of the post contacted me privately to thank me for showing them the article from this blogger because it gave them that precious opportunity to form an educated opinion. One of those two people had already left the group when she spoke to me.

The issue of Goodreads lies in the ability for readers and non-readers to rate books, and sling mud in groups, etc. Much as I dislike it, I accept that as a fact of life, and a fact of this business. Amazon policy is ever-changing, whether it ever changes to favour the author truly IS the stuff of speculation, as we all know. I have a whole string of one-star ratings from the same person at Goodreads. Was I bothered? Yes, for about a day. Then it was dismissed. It’s part of the job. Subjective to opinion, and every opinion is a valid one. I know of one author whose newest work has a string of sixteen 5-star reviews on it, and nothing else. To the buying public, this is not an indication of a great book, it’s a show of support for someone all the reviewers know personally. That kind of support often turns people off a book, not on to it. My books have five star reviews, and in some cases really bad reviews and one-star ratings grudgingly granted. It’s all opinion, isn’t it? No one is going to appeal to every reader. THAT is not abuse of any system.

Freedom of speech is a cry to battle for those with a cause. But like all freedoms, it can be abused. To use a false cry of bullying and abuse to support what may very well be a well-meaning effort to support change corrupts the ideal/goal from the start. Perhaps that more than anything else is why I walked out of that group last night. Whatever people choose to do, if you want it to be a positive thing, you have to be open-minded and value all views, not just those that support you without question. Without that balance of opposing views, you become an abuser of the very principle you think you’re defending. Authors, in my opinion, need to accept that people will behave badly, and they will trash your books from time to time. The only “defence” is to continue working and leave the “trolls” and the “abusers” to indulge in their small-minded campaigns. What will remain true is the simple fact that GOOD books will appeal to real readers. By continuing to write and do your job, without going to battle with publishers, Amazon, or anyone else, you earn the respect of your readership–who remember not just the book, but the grace with which the author conducts herself/himself when under fire.

In closing, do I think Amazon and Goodreads need to change? Again, yes. Policy needs to be better balanced, to insure both readers and authors are protected and benefit from this massive corporate bookstore presence.

Also, to anyone who would like to read the article that was posted, you can find it by clicking HERE


18 comments:

  1. This reminds me of the LendInk fiasco of a couple of years ago, when a legitimate service was branded a "pirate site" and very nearly destroyed because of it, very simply because people did not take the time to investigate it on their own.

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    1. Thank you, Aaron. I had omitted to post the link to the original article, and it's included now. Thank you for taking the time to stop by. Much appreciated.

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  2. Your article is very precise and well said. For new authors such as myself it is imperative that we are made aware of these incidents.I happened to get a small dose of miscommunication with an incident from a LinkedIn group I belong to where people were on a Like My Page Fiesta. Well, as I checked I had just a few, let me say radical religious folks liking my page- now come one, Really? I think they see that I write Paranormal for children and the flags go flying. I contacted the group moderator and made a very nice comment on the page as to the fact of don’t Like just to get Likes if this is not a page you are truly in sync with. I later had a man post that I was accusing him of spam. How crazy is this?
    Your article really makes us all awake and aware of what is out there . Well done, Denyse. :)

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    1. Lorraine, in my experience, and it is vast at this stage with publishing, many people are simply racking up numbers and don't give a damn who or what they are ostensibly supporting. I've dealt with religious fanatics who seem to view anything remotely sexual as the work of the devil. I've had to listen to the sermons of anti-romance advocates who think romance writers are somehow inferior and lacking in talent. I learned to choose my battles wisely, and my friends with even more discretion. Stay focused on your work, not popular opinion, and always question what you are being asked to "support" or join, because your public image is the most valuable asset you have, apart from your talent.

      Thanks for coming by.

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  3. Once again, Miss Denyse, you have found a way to discuss issues with a modicum of tact and class. You never cease to amaze me in how you handle such situations with respect. You make your point in a manner that is acceptable to those of us who want and expect unbiased opinions. I have a lot of respect for your opinion knowing that it is told in this manner. Thank you for educating me in the ways of the publishing and facebook worlds.

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    1. Thank you, Haven. Experience is a valuable insight, and the one thing that can't be taught. However, time shows most of us the proper way to conduct our business in public.

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  4. Very well put, Denyse! If we all would stop and consider that not everyone has the same viewpoint or agenda and just continue to do our own work regardless of other opinions, I'm sure there would be less drama and lower blood pressures all around. I love food and love to cook, but have learned that not everyone likes the same food as I do, nor does everyone like my cooking. And that is okay. Everyone has different tastes and it does not become a personal issue (the concept was hard to grasp as a newly married young woman at times lol).

    April Nichols

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    1. April, thank you for coming by - and a perfect analogy, indeed. Hugs,D

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  5. I feel confused because it just seems like there is no protection for Indie or small press writers with these sites. I can take critiques. I understand not everyone is going to like my books (however, when the Zombie 'Pocolypse happens-those people are going to be SOL) but I don't see why Goodreads and Amazon both can't weed out a critique from out right abuse. As far as Facebook...I'm losing faith in many of the author related groups. I was added just today to 15 groups-groups that either do not include or support my genre or just wanted "authors" to say they had numbers. I hate to turn the Witchy Poo switch here but what ever happened to, "If you can't say nothing nice, then don't say anything at all."? Are there really so many sociopaths on the world wide web or are just sites like Amazon and Goodreads just too lazy to moderate their own sites? Denyse, I'll be expecting Demetri or Rhave after dark. Great post btw.

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    1. Nikki, I don't think it's so much a question of protection for Indie authors as it is a tendency for many new authors to misunderstand, and over-react in some cases, to what they find a strange new world. I'm not condoning any of the malicious behaviour that is very real and exists on sites like Goodreads from some people, but the truth does remain - abuse can be dished out by authors as well as readers, and in the end, it can be a career killer.

      One of the more valuable lessons any author can learn, and the earlier the better, is to not respond to ratings and reviews with anything more than a polite thank you, if you feel the need to respond at all. Again, speaking only from my personal experience, what bothers me more than readers/reviewers behaving badly is the authors themselves who try to manipulate the public, or worse - attack their fellow authors for perceived wrongs. On Facebook, there are entire groups, closed or secret, that exist solely to plot and destroy others. There is no way to police inherent nastiness, and the protection offered by the vast magical realm of the Internet makes it so easy to turn cowards into bullies who think they can't be hit back.

      BTW, the boys will be by anytime, so make sure the kids are busy and Mike isn't around, or he'll end up being lunch for Demetri and Rahve. ;) Thanks for stopping by, Nikki.

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  6. Thank you for a well-reasoned post, Denyse.

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    1. Thank you for visiting, Miriam. Your support is always welcome and appreciated.

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  7. I've said this before and I'll say it again: I have no problem with one star ratings or bad reviews of books. I do have a problem with book reviews that attack authors, saying things like they are rapists and pedophiles etc. I do have a slight problem when someone comes out and claims they never read the book they just rated a one star. Trash my book all you like, I don't care. It's just a book. Trashing me is something different completely. Posting lies about people on blogs is something different completely. The attack on me had nothing to do with reviews.

    As for Lauren Howard Pippa, she was still legitimately scared when these people came after her. They also took to blogs and Amazon forums to libel her. It was still uncalled for, even if she did overreact. But over-reaction is normal when so many people swarm onto your books and leave nasty shelves and comments. It was still a gang style attack that happens far too many times to not be organized by the same group of people.

    The people involved in Laruen's attack, and make no mistake, it was just that, an attack, have been practicing this kind of behavior for years. They will spin things around, twist the meaning of words and flat out lie. They never explain why the attack happened in the first place, except to say she commented on a bad review when in fact, the review itself was fake, as the person/people leaving it never read the book, and in fact, she never commented or complained about it, she merely asked a question.

    Those same people also terrorized a book group on Goodreads called "Mystery and crime Thrillers". That has been documented. These same people were also caught discussing how they could try and get a person's disability checks taken away from them. I have a screenshot of that comment. The point being, this "war" is not about reviews, it is about defamation / libel. It is about how these attacks and the people involved continue their assault by stalking, harassing and bullying the people they attack on twitter, Facebook, and personal blogs and other forums for the sole purpose of attempting to ruin people's reputation and hinder future book sales of the those they attack.

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  8. The following is an explanation by group admin in regards as to why your link was removed:

    "Our admins deleted the link to a blog about the Lauren Howard/Pippa issue when it was posted on our group because at this time, and until the people involved reveal the over 40 comments they deleted when the whole argument went viral, then the Lauren issue IS still speculation. I mentioned that the link given to us was propaganda because most of the blogs still posting about the Lauren thing, are by people who many of our attacked authors in this group have been attacked 'by'. A lot of these blogs still mentioning the Lauren issue are written by known Goodreads bullies. This is not an idle statement and can be proven. Therefore, I deleted the post to avoid the intentions of the poster, which were to inflame the group. These blogs are revelling in the fact that none of the comments written by the people arguing with Lauren can be found, so no-one REALLY knows exactly what was said, except those not willing to publish the full, unedited, conversation that they all claim to have screencapped, but are only willing to throw Laurens comments out there for the world to see. I just wanted to make our position clear on that issue. We support attacked authors and reviewers and readers, and will take no part in flame wars between blogs that are posting half of conversations and stating it as truth simply because it supports their side of the issue."

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    1. As a member of this group, I have had some posts in the group removed too. I just shrug my shoulders and move on.

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  9. All valid points, but my only point here is to allow everyone the courtesy and respect of forming their own opinions by allowing ALL the facts that can be gathered to be spoken about. Frankly, there is a point when attempting to silence even idiots only adds credence to their attacks, and it will never suppress them. New venues will be found to continue.

    I whole-heartedly agree that reviews of books should be restricted to the books - not the authors themselves - and to ensure that, Amazon and Goodreads both need to screen posted reviews for more than profanity. As I said, I wish this group well, but if they continue to judge what is or isn't relevant, they're just a variation on the problem.

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  10. I have to admit, I'm one of those who didn't take the time to read or learn and I jumped on that bandwagon. I want to thank you for a very balanced article and for posting the link to the original. The biggest reason I don't read my own reviews is because of these sorts of situations. I still believe in Freedom of Speech. I think personal attacks need to be curbed, but having had someone call one of my books "stupid", I think I can take the high road here. As someone who actually suffered from PMS (thank you, Menopause, for ending that one), I'm quite insulted that the child would use that as an excuse.

    Hopefully, we've all learned lessons here. Hopefully the changes will be made.

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    1. Thank you for coming by, Jesse. I agree, it's very, very easy to be swept into situations when only one side is presented. We're all guilty of it at one time or another. It's one of the things I've had to teach myself, to step back and curb that knee-jerk reaction, and to assess with a cooler head. Whatever happened here was tragic, and no one will ever really know the full truth, but wide-reaching damage to many people has been done - not just the author who in the end was very cavalier about it all.

      Against Abuse - absolutely. But in a rational and productive way, not in a manner that suppresses balanced view. We're all, at least theoretically, adults - we need to be open to all points of view and weigh them according to our personal views and beliefs. We can only do that if we have all the information that is available to us.

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