Authors, fans/goodreads and bloggers. A happy little family?

Ugh you guys another author went off on a fan on goodreads yesterday. She called the reviewer a douche and called someone else a moron. When will this stop? Probably not for awhile.

Authors I love you. Let me start off with that. I get that you are human to and that these books are your babies. I GET THAT!!! But under no condition should you be calling someone who paid money to read your work a douche or a moron. NO RIGHT. Let me repeat that they PAID their money to read your book...once you put your book out there it is in their hands. If they give money (or even if the don't) they have every right to say whatever the hell they want about it. The review that got attacked was polite and straight forward. It was no where in even the same ballpark as say my Fifty Shades of Grey reviews.

I have also seen readers/reviewers get nasty. They troll fans of authors/books and make hateful comments on those positive reviews. It's just gotten to be a whole mess. So I've decided to write this post and put my two cents out there about authors relationships, goodreads and my version of proper usage of these things.

Authors. I'm going to say this again. I love you. I truly do. I have had nothing but positive relationships with every single one that I have had contact with. Even the ones who I wrote a crappy reviews of their work. (No not EL James...like she cares about our piddly little blog). I know that none of the authors I have met and have contact with would EVER act this way toward me. I am sure some of them are like, umm who the hell is this crazy fan girl. But they never say that to my face.

I am lucky. I am. I am the fan girl of some of the bestest most awesomesauce authors out there. You know who you are peeps. These folks are total and complete professionals. These authors will answer your questions. Interact with you. Book talk with you etc. Some of these people I am talking about are Tamara Rose Blodgett, Alexia Purdy, Rhiannon Frater, Kody Boye, Logan Rutherford, Harry Shannon, Emily Goodwin, Annie Walls, and Ashley Robertson. They put up with my crazy stalking with such grace you would think they are angels!!
I don't know what goes through these other authors brains. I guess it's just the heat of the moment.

We all make mistakes and say things we shouldn't at times. I know I have done the same thing. The only thing to do is correct your mistake, apologize and move on.

Social media and the new popularity of self publishing has completely changed the game. We are just now seeing this. Part of this adjustment is that authors now have a real face. When you self publish the only way to get your work out there is through goodreads, facebook, twitter etc. Once you have a fan they use these tools to spread and promote your work. A good fan girl/boy is like a mini street team. We flood our news feeds with posts all about books and authors. It's awesome. We get the gratification of helping and interacting with our favorite authors and authors get free promotion!!! Win/win right?
Err not always. There is no middle man (aka big publishing house) in this relationship. So with the good (fan/author relationships, freedom to write as much and how you want/great books at a fraction of the cost of traditonal pubbed books) comes the bad...authors calling readers and reviewers names. Fans attacking other fans. Trolls etc.

So here is how I have succesfully (so far) managed these murky waters as a shark (reviewer). Hell yeah, I have the advantage for once!!!!

First off, I know my words have power to presuade people on what to read. Every single reader on goodreads has that power. From karen brisette, (one of the top reviewers) to little ole me, Lori Parker. Let me repeat in this author/reader relationship WE HAVE THE POWER. Sure the authors put out the product. But they put it out there for us. Once we download/purchase their book it is ours. We physically posses their baby. Never let an author intimadate you to change your review. If you read a book by one of those badly behaving authors. Never ever hesitate to say what you think about the book. Good or bad. They are in the wrong if they attack you. If this happens stand your ground. Or ignore the author all together. They just make themselves look bad either way and you look like a hero.
Name calling looks bad on both people in these types of situations. I have defended a badly behaving author once because the 'haters' started attacking fans of their book. You have beef with this bad author...not their fans. Which brings me to my next point....
If you hate a book or have beef with a book don't seek out positive reviews and spam them with argumentative hate. I have no problem with you posting your dislike for a book I love on my review. If it is done in a respectful way. But don't come on to my review and act like you own it and can say whatever the hell you want to. It's MY review....go write your own. Damn it.

Do look for like minded reviews. I've met some great people on goodreads from reading reviews of books that I love and books that I loathe. Plus if you hang with like minded people you can say whatever the hell you want without offending people.

If you love a book DO contact the author. They love to meet fans. They love to hear the love. From what I gather writing can be a lonely nerve wrecking career. They never know if people are going to love or hate this thing that they poured their heart into. I acutally encourage you to go stalk them on facebook, twitter and goodreads. It might just pay off for you like it has me.

If you hate a book DO NOT contact the author and share your hate. Why would you do something like that? That is super mean. Did your mother not teach you manners? That's why you're on goodreads. Write your review and let it be.

That's my advice. It's mostly common sense but sometimes I wonder if people lack that....

Now onto something else I want to talk about. I have been seeing/hearing fans of authors wondering how to become a beta reader. In my experience there are three ways for this to happen. One the author puts out a call for betas. You send them an email and pour your heart out and pray they pick you. PS a big thanks to author Emily Goodwin's husband for picking me to beta Deathly Contagious.

Another way is a much much longer process. You build a relationship with the author. This is how I became a beta for Tamara (although I have yet to start. Can't wait til Sept!!!).

Or just ask/offer. Sometimes this works too.

Being a beta is not all puppy dogs and lollipops. Although I'm not gonna lie getting to read the book before eveyone else--awesomesauce x100. Not only does the author have to trust you (which hopefully they will--you are a fan after all). But you have to trust the author. You have to know that when you point out their mistakes that they won't unleash a verbal hell on you. You are getting a raw copy of the book it's not going to be perfect. You have to know that you can go through it with your red pen of death and you will still have your author friend at the end of the day! It's a two way street.
You don't just offer up the bad either though. I always point out the parts that I love too.

So I guess what I am saying is treat each other with respect and have fun!!! Have a wonderful afternoon and thanks for reading my ramblings.