I love romance novels. I even wrote a few. I’d love to see them published one day. If I were ever published, I’d love it if all the reviews of my books were glowing testimonials to my undeniable genius at writing in this genre, but I don’t live in some Biggirl-centric universe where all opinions are mine. And I like it that way.
So I’m at one of my favorite romance novel sites, All About Romance and I see that Laurie Gold, the owner of the site, has posted this editorial. I’m reading it and thinking “Holy fucking shit, some people are beyond stupid!”
This part really boiled my butt though:
Listen up you whiny, thin-skinned ignoramuses:
[ul]
[li]If you didn’t write peices of shit stories full of bad grammar, plot craters and asinine characters then maybe people wouldn’t say that you’re novels are piece of shit stories full of same.[/li][li]You don’t live in a world where everybody is your mother that loves you and thinks that your grocery list should win The Booker Award. [/li][li]Get a clue. Buy a vowel. Learn something. Starting with the definition of libel, you stuid fucking crybabies.[/li][li]Lobodomy survivors like you are a large part of why the romance genre gets less than no respect. Take your criticism like adults. Stupid bitches.[/ul][/li]I write romance novel reviews on my website. Sometimes not very flattering reviews. Hell, sometimes they are downright rude reviews. Let me explain something-- my bad review didn’t have anything to do with your book tanking-- your publisher, sales department or your own steaming pile of misspelled purple prose has just about everything to do with it.
Un-fricking-believable. Good grief, what a bunch of drama queens. I have never heard of such an attitude.
When you put something out there in the public, you HAVE to expect good and bad feedback. That’s what all of us who put our creative efforts out there (musicians, composers, artists, singers) have to face. What makes these prima-donna romance writers think they are any different?
<somewhat related hijack>
For about $200, you can always publish yourself. (I’ve been doing a lot of research into this, because I am considering the option for a “companion book” for an art instruction website I’ve written.) Going that route would be mostly for the experience, and for the fun of it, though. No expectations of a New York bestseller should be made!</somewhat related hijack>
unbelievable. OF course, there’s some absolutely rancid pieces of shit that get published nowdays, one would think that some one on the editorial staff would have noticed…
It’s amusing to watch, and not surprising. It’s not limited or relfective of the romance genre, either. If you really want to watch the bitch-slapping, check the letters column from Jim Romenesko’s MediaNews column. Journalists are notoriously thin-skinned, and they scream like banshees when pricked. Recently, a former longtime CBS newsman published a book called “Bias,” that charged that the network has gasp a liberal bias. The screaming over that went on for weeks.
This reminds me of my friend helping publish an album in the Christian rock niche. IIRC, he or the artist had the nerve to complain to a magazine that the review was too negative. I guess because they had actually talked to the editor personally, they were guaranteed to get what they wanted.
All the guy said was that the artist shouldn’t produce himself. You know what? I think he was right.
When is this knee-jerk “you said something bad about me, so I’m suing” shit going to end? When novelists put some bad crap out there, they should be prepared to hear the inevitable bad reviews, not prepare to speak to their lawyers.
What a load of crap. Makes me feel like posting negative reviews all over the place just to exercise my First Amendment rights.
Agreed that this is bullshit, but even here we had some idiot threaten to sue the Chicago Reader for libel because he/she didn’t like a pit thread (check the sticky at the top of each forum).
Heck, I’ve copyedited romance novels already accepted for publication that had worse goofs than this. I’ll take a few misspellings over plot craters and rancid garbage any day. (Hint: They keep me in business. Although I have filled in a few craters in my day – not that I got any thanks in the acknowledgments from the worst offenders . . .)
I reviewed a game that I felt was just horrible. I heard from a ton of people, including the head of the development company who thought I was the most horrible person on Earth. I was called a fucking bitch for daring to have such a negative opinion (Not from the developers. They were very polite.) about their baby. It was an eye-opener, but I have to admit, I’m much thicker skinned now. I’m appalled that anyone would sue because someone said something bad about their product.
When I ever get a book published, I’ll accept my lumps as I should. In fact, being a reviewer myself, I’m much more understanding and more likely to write the reviewer and thank him/her for taking the time to read my book.
BTW, this reminded me of a thread I’ve been meaning to start in Cafe Society: How to critique, criticize and review. I’ve noticed, mostly in Cafe Society, a tendency to criticize with comments like: Does anyone actually like Person X? -or- Only a person with a 10th-grade education could like Author Y. They aren’t trying to start a Pit thread. They’re trying to get opinions on the subject, but they’re doing it in such a way that alienates them.
This burns me. Now that I’m thinking about it, I think I will post it.
No, I was never that, um, fortunate. My understanding is that it’s a mediocre title at best.
I’ve gotten lucky, though and reviewed some titles I never thought I’d like such as Geneforge and Hostile Waters: Antaeus Rising. I love what I do on the side!
Those are almost as unforgiveable as using ` for ’ in contractions. Sheesh.
A bad review of a romance novel? Do they ever get good reviews?
I just remember unpacking boxes of Harlequin novels, reading some of the plot summaries on the back, and wondering, “How could anyone read this stuff?” But that was before I really started rummaging through the Sci-Fi section. Oof.
I can’t imagine this kind of action being taken over romance novels. Now if you write a bad review for anything written by L. Ron Hubbard, then you should expect to be sued…heck, those people would sue me for not putting a “tm” after his name.
Threatening meritless suits is a FRCP Rule 11 violation, nevertheless it seems to have become one of the most popular strategies employed today.
