tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246220242273461143.post1313230631568716354..comments2024-03-29T00:47:12.051+00:00Comments on Biblibio: Twitter, author interactions and other thoughtsMeytal Radzinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15805413335735169073noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246220242273461143.post-90717277862589990202013-10-04T13:00:35.653+01:002013-10-04T13:00:35.653+01:00What you say about needing to pause before saying ...What you say about needing to pause before saying something is part of why I'm not on Twitter much. The author kerfluffle sounds, from the description you give it and what I'm reading in the comments, like another attempt by bloggers to enforce a kind of general civility. What I've found over the past five years is that a lot of authors read blogs about their first novel, but when they come out with a second or a third, they no longer have the time or emotional energy, so it seems to me that the problem eventually solves itself. In the end, the writing has to stand on its own, without a lot of context.Jeannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01374498643286099244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246220242273461143.post-13016357041434452642013-09-16T15:59:06.002+01:002013-09-16T15:59:06.002+01:00From watching twitter today I now sort of understa...From watching twitter today I now sort of understand the debate you were referring to and support the right for authors to comment on blogs/negative reviews if they so wish. I thought you were talking about the problem of bloggers and authors getting too friendly and failing to write honest reviews!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07698068501004755678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246220242273461143.post-81630348208330197572013-09-16T15:47:57.771+01:002013-09-16T15:47:57.771+01:00I also didn't see the debate, but I agree rela...I also didn't see the debate, but I agree relationships can be very problematic. Like Jackie says, a positive relationship can be just as difficult as a negative one. I would say that I tend to be a bit more generous to authors once I have gotten to "know" them, virtually or otherwise, but it is actually even true without any interaction at all, because of all the pressure (peer and otherwise) not to be "snarky" and to try to be generous and kind. So even if my initial reaction to a book is "this was an amateurish waste of time" I would absolutely not post a review that said that. Rather, I would say I didn't like it as much as other readers, and here are some of the reasons, etc. So I think that the very act of posting in a public forum in and of itself can change the whole process. But as for authors attacking reviewers, I think they also have some obligation to meet these informal rules of the [online] road and be polite and respectful.rhapsodyinbookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07041412748239010264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246220242273461143.post-1280578028972595112013-09-16T11:54:52.155+01:002013-09-16T11:54:52.155+01:00I didn't see the twitter debate you are referr...I didn't see the twitter debate you are referring to, but I do find relationships with authors difficult and try to avoid them where possible. I don't mind authors who comment on my blog posts, but it depends a lot on their attitude. I once had a fantastic exchange with an author who disagreed with a review I'd written about her book. I complained that it wasn't realistic and she wrote a fantastic email to me about how it was all based on fact and how truth is stranger than fiction! She actually changed my mind about her book, but that is a rare thing. <br /><br />The main problem I have now is that authors tend to engage with me after I've written a glowing review of their book. That leads to a difficult situation when I don't enjoy their subsequent books as much. Another reason to avoid starting that relationship in the first place!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07698068501004755678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246220242273461143.post-76077365783352294972013-09-16T06:43:00.016+01:002013-09-16T06:43:00.016+01:00Probably not reading many English-speaking blogs!Probably not reading many English-speaking blogs!Meytal Radzinskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15805413335735169073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246220242273461143.post-33193018553805952992013-09-16T06:42:19.349+01:002013-09-16T06:42:19.349+01:00I'm really not sure about whether authors shou...I'm really not sure about whether authors should or shouldn't start responding to negative reviews (part of the whole confusion), but otherwise I think we're both pretty much on the same page. As for the last point, I think it really depends on the blogger. I know of bloggers who as they grow (and even as they grow relatively "old" within the book blogging world) prefer more and more contact directly with publishers, and less in the more roundabout, "conventional" ways. And then there are bloggers like you. Probably a very personal thing.Meytal Radzinskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15805413335735169073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246220242273461143.post-84645302380754287412013-09-16T01:26:39.103+01:002013-09-16T01:26:39.103+01:00This really never happens in my corner of the blog...This really never happens in my corner of the blogosphere - where are all these offended writers attacking me on my blog? Please?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07546287562521628467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246220242273461143.post-43169563860616093102013-09-15T22:42:36.368+01:002013-09-15T22:42:36.368+01:00Seeing that conversation get so vitriolic so fast ...Seeing that conversation get so vitriolic so fast made me sad because neither opinion that was driving the conversation was entirely wrong; they were just preferences, and both valid ones.<br /><br />I'm like you in that I don't mind if an author comments on one of my posts, although I'd like them to be polite when expressing disagreement, just as I'd want any commenter. And if an author is obviously rude and aggressive in comments or tries to dominate the discussion, I'd probably respond sharply, just as I would to any aggressive commenter. However, I do think in general that it's wisest for authors not to respond publicly to negative reviews, only because even if they say they're just trying to have a discussion, it's hard not to come off as defensive when responding to criticism. And a smidge of defensiveness can come out sounding more aggressive than intended. <br /><br />Yet even though I don't mind author comments, I'm not interested in rolling out the welcome mat for them either. If they find me, fine, but the longer I've been blogging, the less direct interaction I want with authors and publishers. I don't mind it, but I'm not looking for it.Teresahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09896331683344872038noreply@blogger.com