By Susan Spann
One of the lessons I seem to repeat most often in my #PubLaw posts has (on the surface) little to do with law. In fact, I repeat it so often that I’m officially calling it #PubLaw Rule #1:
Don’t be a Jerk.
It’s a slightly more “SFW” version of the gaming community’s popular Wheaton’s Law (Google it…research is good for the soul.) and no less applicable in publishing … or anywhere else in life, for that matter.
Unfortunately, it’s sometimes hard to keep your cool when dreams are on the line, especially when negotiations, contracts, reviews, or sales don’t go your way. And at some point in your career, all of those things will go against you.
Today, we’re taking a look at some ways to prevent yourself from being “that author” … the one who ends up on the bad behavior lists.
1. Don’t Let the “Submit” Button Go Down on Your Anger. Business moves much faster–and more publicly–in the digital age. Blogs, Facebook, Twitter give us instantaneous access to other authors, readers … and everyone else on the planet with a computer and a few extra minutes to kill. Unfortunately, that also makes it faster and easier for authors to make angry public statements which feel justified in the moment but which, upon reflection, were unnecessarily hostile or ill-advised. The best rule is never blog or use social media when angry. If you must write something, write it offline and give it 24 hours to “settle” before you post. Review it only after the initial anger passes…and see whether you still believe the comments are justified and constructive.
2. Don’t Kick Sleeping Dogs, and Don’t Respond to Bad Reviews. Some people won’t like your book. Some people will actually hate it. Some people will say, in public, that your book should be burned as a service to humanity, to prevent an innocent reader from accidentally stumbling across it in a used bookstore (yes, that’s a real review, which a friend of mine received). DO NOT RESPOND TO BAD REVIEWS. Period. End of story. Even a troll has a right to an opinion, and no single review will make or break a novel. What can break a novel–and a novelist– however, is a reputation for arguing with readers and reviewers in public. Let the reviewer have his or her opinion. You’re free to disagree–but do it in private.
3. Compliment and Support Other Authors. Rising tides float all ships, and getting people interested in reading helps all authors. Read a good book? Tweet or Facebook or write a review–and don’t expect repayment in return. Authors who give to others acquire a good reputation; those who never read, never give a compliment except in exchange for “equal value,” and never share their own love for books are missing a great opportunity. Nice people do nice things. Be nice. It comes back around to you.
4. Try to See Negotiations, and Other Publishing Situations, From the Other Person’s Point of View (Not Just Your Own). The more you practice seeing situations from someone else’s side, the better you’ll be at spotting creative solutions, not only in negotiations but in all aspects of your publishing career.
5. Kill Your … Emotions (Once You Reach the Business Side). Emotion increases myopia, so do your best to remove the emotion from the negotiating and publishing process. Pour your feelings into your writing … let your passion flow on the page. But when you reach “The End” remember: writing is an emotional process, but business belongs to the logical brain.
These aren’t the only ways to keep yourself from becoming “that author” in public…but they’re a start. Publishing might seem large, but the business itself is surprisingly small, and reputations follow us much longer than we imagine in those early days of a writing career.
The more positive you are, the more attractive others will find you … a rule that applies as much in publishing as it does in the rest of life.
Got more tips for keeping things on the positive side? Hop into the comments and share!
Susan Spann is a California transactional attorney whose practice focuses on publishing law and business. She also writes the Shinobi Mysteries, featuring ninja detective Hiro Hattori and his Portuguese Jesuit sidekick, Father Mateo. Her debut novel, CLAWS OF THE CAT (Minotaur Books, 2013), was named a Library Journal Mystery Debut of the Month. The second Shinobi Mystery, BLADE OF THE SAMURAI, releases on July 15, 2014. When not writing or practicing law, Susan raises seahorses and rare corals in her marine aquarium. You can find her online at her website (http://www.SusanSpann.com), on Facebook and on Twitter (@SusanSpann).
Great advice! Any you’re not kidding about #3. What goes around, comes around. Long before I was published, I crowed about authors whose work I enjoyed. It never occurred to me to expect a quid pro quo. But what I’ve gotten in return is authors supporting me right back. And as for #2, it’s a waste of time to worry about negative reviews. Unless the review says something that can help you in your future writing, move along–there’s nothing to see here.
I am always blown away by new authors who publish their first book and freak out when they receive a bad review by posting blog or a retort on Facebook. To me, it has always made them look desperate, needy and insecure.
The bigger problem? They just advertised to every reader in their writer’s platform that in someone’s opinion, the book sucked, big time. Why would anyone want to spread bad news about themselves?
Great article Susan!
This is such important advice, Susan. Thanks for telling it like it is. We only hurt ourselves when we fight back, especially in a public arena such as Facebook or Twitter.
These rules don’t just apply to publishing – they apply to life. Thank you Susan!