Group Lists - Author Absenteeism
WARNING, RANT IN PROGRESS!
What is the god-damned point of having a group list when the owner, usually the author, is never around?
I don’t know about anybody else, but I don’t just join groups, so that I can become bestest pals with the sometimes irrelevant people who are on them (harsh you’re thinking, but I too may be considered irrelevant by others), so imagine how annoyed, and irritated I get, when I join a group, with the hopes that I get to ‘meet’ said, esteemed author, and maybe get the lowdown on what they are like, whether they’re emotional cripples, or well balanced individuals , only to find that if they post once a week, you’re lucky. By this time, I have gone to the trouble of introducing myself to the group, hoping for maybe a kind word or two, from the author, whose books I have become obsessed by.
A little time goes by, nothing, then a little more time goes by, nothing still, you wait and wait, but still nada, then finally one day, when you are not expecting it, suddenly there’s the long awaited post sitting in your in-box, your heart races with excitement, at last, word from your esteemed author. You open it up to find this:
‘Dangerous Desires, by Ivor Biggun releases today , get your copy from Shoddy Books now!!’
Hello!! It’s great news that they are releasing a book today, after all, it’s their books, that brought you to their loop in the first place, but give me a break, this is not what you visualised when you thought about getting to know them better, *sigh*, impersonal generic announcements, that could have been better served being on a newsletter only group!
The thing is, we are just so danged loyal. When the author finally decides to grace us with their presence, do we say “where the heck, have you been, we’ve been waiting for ya?” Do we hell, we salivate, whilst chanting ‘we are not worthy’ and go into that sycophantic mode, I so detest. Hey, I’ve done it myself, so I know!
I’m not completely heartless (no dessent amongst the ranks please) I appreciate that these authors are incredibly busy people, what with conventions, book signings, family life, and one thing or another, but as loyal readers, and in a lot of cases, the people who made it possible for said author to be so busy in the first place, don’t we deserve a little more attention? Don’t we deserve to be treated better than a cast off lover, who you no longer bother try to keep happy, because they’ve outlived their usefulness? Is this just me, or does anybody else feel this way. Authors, feel free to comment.
What is the god-damned point of having a group list when the owner, usually the author, is never around?
I don’t know about anybody else, but I don’t just join groups, so that I can become bestest pals with the sometimes irrelevant people who are on them (harsh you’re thinking, but I too may be considered irrelevant by others), so imagine how annoyed, and irritated I get, when I join a group, with the hopes that I get to ‘meet’ said, esteemed author, and maybe get the lowdown on what they are like, whether they’re emotional cripples, or well balanced individuals , only to find that if they post once a week, you’re lucky. By this time, I have gone to the trouble of introducing myself to the group, hoping for maybe a kind word or two, from the author, whose books I have become obsessed by.
A little time goes by, nothing, then a little more time goes by, nothing still, you wait and wait, but still nada, then finally one day, when you are not expecting it, suddenly there’s the long awaited post sitting in your in-box, your heart races with excitement, at last, word from your esteemed author. You open it up to find this:
‘Dangerous Desires, by Ivor Biggun releases today , get your copy from Shoddy Books now!!’
Hello!! It’s great news that they are releasing a book today, after all, it’s their books, that brought you to their loop in the first place, but give me a break, this is not what you visualised when you thought about getting to know them better, *sigh*, impersonal generic announcements, that could have been better served being on a newsletter only group!
The thing is, we are just so danged loyal. When the author finally decides to grace us with their presence, do we say “where the heck, have you been, we’ve been waiting for ya?” Do we hell, we salivate, whilst chanting ‘we are not worthy’ and go into that sycophantic mode, I so detest. Hey, I’ve done it myself, so I know!
I’m not completely heartless (no dessent amongst the ranks please) I appreciate that these authors are incredibly busy people, what with conventions, book signings, family life, and one thing or another, but as loyal readers, and in a lot of cases, the people who made it possible for said author to be so busy in the first place, don’t we deserve a little more attention? Don’t we deserve to be treated better than a cast off lover, who you no longer bother try to keep happy, because they’ve outlived their usefulness? Is this just me, or does anybody else feel this way. Authors, feel free to comment.
posted by Karen Scott at
6:39 pm
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