Holy shit, is this for real? (Yet *another* post on entitlement)

My list of people whose work I’ll never try because they are assholes towards readers grows by the minute.

Which is kinda sad, because I’ve heard that some of those books are awesome.

On the other hand, there are thousands upon thousands of new books out there, many of them written and published by writer-type people who respect readers even when they disagree with them. I know. What a concept, right?

Plus my TBR pile is scary, so it’s not as if I’m going to be running out of reading material any time soon.

I have been pondering the whole dust up going around over an author doing a Kickstarter for her book. Jane at Dear Author talked about it here, and Lori poked some fun here.

(edited 3/29/15 to add: excellent piece by Jenny Trout)

(edited 4/7/15: storyfy with hard numbers and discussion)

Me? I’m just a little fed up with how some people feel entitled to my money and my time.

Rambling rant and other stories.

(Please keep in mind that this was written on Sunday afternoon. After Monday’s news, all the shit below seems petty, small, unimportant–and yet, life must go on, so here it is.)

*

I’m very tired–working seven days a week ain’t for sissies–and dealing with some family crap that has no easy solution has sapped the cheerfulness out of me. Feel free to skip to the more neutral bits at the end, or entirely ignore this one, and instead expect a review in the next couple of days.

Life is weird enough.

As some of you may know, I have worked in food service for over four and a half years now. It may not seem as a long time, and it probably isn’t when you are talking of other types of work. But, as anyone who has worked behind a counter serving the public knows, it doesn’t take long to become both jaded to the appalling levels of rudeness and entitlement displayed for your hapless benefit, and endlessly amazed at the new levels of idiocy and privilege every other day of work brings.

To whit,  shenanigans from this past weekend.

Because if I don’t share, I’ll explode: a Goldilocks story

Yesterday at work (not verbatim, but pretty damn close):

Customer to cashier: I want a capuccino.

Cashier: One cappucino.

Customer: With vanilla.

Cashier: Vanilla cappucino.

Customer: But not too much vanilla.

Cashier: Light vanilla…

Customer: No, i don’t want light vanilla, I want regular vanilla.

Cashier: Yes, ma’am, I meant “light” as in “not too much”…

Customer: But I don’t want too little either.

Cashier: …

Three minutes later:

The fallacy of privilege

(This post brought to you by the comment thread on Dear Author’s new commenting policy–some screencaps at the end–though it’s something I see happen all the time elsewhere, such as here)

I have seen many comment threads in many forums devolve into statements of privilege and entitlement being flung about, often with little provocation¹. In some cases, there is history between the people commenting, and so there’s some, if often shaky, justification for these exchanges–however uncomfortable they make the innocent bystanders trying to have a rational discussion on difficult and/or uncomfortable topics.

The problem arises when people who have long been part of the community of commenters in one particular venue feel their points of view are more valid and/or important than everyone else’s, and that they have the right to not only dominate the conversation but to express themselves in any way they see fit–and if their host is uncomfortable with their behaviour, or their tone, or with the fact that often their comments cross the line between disagreement with a person’s beliefs and statements into humiliation, shaming or dehumanization of that person²…

Well, more’s the pity.

For their host, that is.

Do all my work for me, please, but only if you are an expert. Thank you.

Originally posted at Karen Scott’s blog

Okay, so I’m probably being harsh in my interpretation, but that’s how this comes across to me¹:

Let’s say, hypothetically, that my wife has written a romance novel, and furthermore, it’s quite good and is saleable. I’m wondering if anyone here has firsthand knowledge of what channel would be best for her to publish it in. Namely, a traditional publisher or a respectable online publisher. Is online publishing as much of a shot in the dark as self-publishing? Are there good resources to help find online publishers or literary agents? Does anyone have an idea of what advance and payment rates might be expected from either channel?

Also, I’m assuming you would get a literary agent for a traditional publishing, but do agents factor in to online publishers?

After a request like that, I hate to sound like a jerk, but… I would also like to have an idea of how much of a reply is opinion and how much is first hand or anecdotal evidence. I would appreciate if you would refrain from just throwing out your two cents worth unless you have actual information, and also try to explain where your information comes from.

And thanks in advance for any replies.

Huh.

Entitlement, yet another post on it

The following is a non-specific but repeated conversation between authors and their adoring public (aka fangirls of both the crazy and not-so-crazy varieties):

Reader to writer: Oh, I love your work!

Writer to reader: Thank you so much, I’m glad to know that.

Reader to writer: Yes, I’ve read everything of yours—twice—and I’ve been waiting to find out what happens to/with character (fill in the blank)

Writer to reader: Thank you…

Reader to writer: You know, you should write faster, dammit, I want to know what happens in the next book of the series! Now!

Writer to reader: I am writing, as fast as I can!

Reader to writer: Oh no, you are not—look, the last book came out six months ago, where’s the next one????

Writer: …..