Recently, I have come across the post of a fellow author, (who happens to be a great person) and she explained how she was being bullied over a stock photo that she had bought and used for the cover of her book. Apparently, the other author had used the same photo for a book that he/she wrote a few years back.
This author has taken it to Bully Extremes. Leaving bad reviews, calling this author a thief and overall trying to ruin her reputation.That is truly unfair, for my friend certainly paid for the right to use the photo as did the other author. There are bound to be hundreds of book covers using the same images from stock photos.
This is just one type of bullying that I have encountered in the ten months that I have been writing. I have seen authors bully reviewers because they didn't like that particular reader's review or comments. That author's friends then gang up on the reviewer with snide comments and insults until the reader either deletes the review and comments to escape the attack or takes down all the names of those who commented and makes damn sure they never buy a book by an author of that name! Not to mention the fear of ever leaving another review for an author to see! Simply accept the fact that one person out of a hundred gave you a bad review.
I have even seen reviewers bullying authors and at some points calling these works juvenile or immature and slinging harsh insults as well ! A simple "The book is not for me" will suffice. Sometimes they go to even more extreme measures by publicly trashing them to express their displeasure and it 's not needed. Possibly point out the good aspects as well as the bad if you must leave a low ranking review! These types of things can bring a person down!
We all want to be encouraged to continue to bring forth great stories to the public! We love to hear from readers, it can be very constructive and help us move forward and better our technique!
In saying that, I ask all to refrain from this behavior, it only comes back in the end. Would you want to be at the sharp end of a knife? How would that feel if someone did that to you? I will accept feedback for this article and welcome anyone who would like to share an experience and how it turned out in the end.
Julie
This author has taken it to Bully Extremes. Leaving bad reviews, calling this author a thief and overall trying to ruin her reputation.That is truly unfair, for my friend certainly paid for the right to use the photo as did the other author. There are bound to be hundreds of book covers using the same images from stock photos.
This is just one type of bullying that I have encountered in the ten months that I have been writing. I have seen authors bully reviewers because they didn't like that particular reader's review or comments. That author's friends then gang up on the reviewer with snide comments and insults until the reader either deletes the review and comments to escape the attack or takes down all the names of those who commented and makes damn sure they never buy a book by an author of that name! Not to mention the fear of ever leaving another review for an author to see! Simply accept the fact that one person out of a hundred gave you a bad review.
I have even seen reviewers bullying authors and at some points calling these works juvenile or immature and slinging harsh insults as well ! A simple "The book is not for me" will suffice. Sometimes they go to even more extreme measures by publicly trashing them to express their displeasure and it 's not needed. Possibly point out the good aspects as well as the bad if you must leave a low ranking review! These types of things can bring a person down!
We all want to be encouraged to continue to bring forth great stories to the public! We love to hear from readers, it can be very constructive and help us move forward and better our technique!
In saying that, I ask all to refrain from this behavior, it only comes back in the end. Would you want to be at the sharp end of a knife? How would that feel if someone did that to you? I will accept feedback for this article and welcome anyone who would like to share an experience and how it turned out in the end.
Julie
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