KU Author Bullying, I've had enough!
Today, I've had enough.
I'm in several author groups. You know the kind ... all there to help one another. Ninety-nine percent of the time, they are VERY helpful. Personally, I have learned a lot from them and thankful for them.
However, today seemed to be bash KU Author Day.
Let me explain, I'm a KU author. All of books are on KU and I've been successful on it. There are a lot of authors, who hate KU and feel Amazon is trying to monopolize the market. They're not wrong. We all are aware of Amazon's plan. We're all not that stupid.
But let me tell what KU has done for some authors, including me. It's helped reach readers that never would have given my books a chance any other time. It's helped me become successful in this craft. A craft I love and want to thrive in.
Someone once told me, a long time ago when I just started to self-publish, the Indie world would be the downfall for the Indie world. I didn't quite understand, until recently.
I'm an adult. An adult who doesn't talk behind others back. If I put it in a private message, I know people are smart enough to take a screen shot and post it in social media. Come on, we've all done it, one way or another. Therefore, if I don't say it to your face, I won't say it behind your back. But, my goal has been - and always will be - to uplift others. There are some talented writers out there, with the most amazing ideas, but no one gives them a chance. It's why I started Gone Writing Publishing. To help writers get their chance.
But I've grown old of the drama and the bullying.
Today, was the straw that broke me. Personally, I took great offense to when other authors say - just because they were on KU - they weren't real author nor do their opinions matter.
Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!
Just because we chose to use Amazon as our only platform doesn't mean we're not authors. It doesn't mean we don't know how to market our books or get it on reader's kindle. It doesn't mean we don't pour our hearts, blood, sweat, tears and soul into our characters, editing, formatting, covering and publishing our stories.
I know my stories aren't perfect. I know I have bad reviews. I know people hate my stories. I get it. Hell, I've read stories and can't even finish them, they're so bad. Albeit, I'm trying to be a better author. This past year, I've taken online classes in creative writing to get my juices flowing. I took an English class to work on my grammar and writing. (Although, I'm still working on those parts. Those commas hate me!) I bought marketing books, took classes NYT Authors put on, and read numerous blog articles about getting my books to readers. I followed the rules as if the were the Bible of the Author World. I hired an editor and I've been having my older books edited again. I found the best cover designer, who creates breath taking covers for me.
And you know what ... it worked. It started to pay off. Albeit, it was on KU, but I started to gain confidence in my writing and my bank book. Not to mention, my publishing company started to take off and I was passing on my new found information to others.
And then today happened.
Now, I've sat at my desk all morning, afternoon and evening, with tears in my eyes and not wrote a single, damn word of my latest project.
As an child/teenager, I never was bullied and if I was, I don't remember. I always just stuck with my friends, kept my nose to the books, and ignored the world. Looking back, probably wasn't my brightest idea, but it worked for me at that time.
As an adult, I never thought this shit would be happening. I never thought a bunch of people, most of whom I don't even know personally, would affect me in such a way. Today, it has. Today, I let people cause me pain and I won't stand for it.
I'm a KU Author. I'm the owner of Gone Writing Publishing. I'm a human being and I - nor anyone - should be treated as if they're shit on someone's shoe. It's how I felt today and I won't do it again.
I'm going to power through this day, going to wipe my tears, and I'm going to write. Will everyone love my work? Nope. Will some people like them? I hope so. Will I get bad reviews? Yep. Will someone hate Oxford Commas? Yep and others will love it. Will others love my covers as much as I do? Nope. Some might even hate them. Will I forever be in KU? I have no clue, but I won't judge those who are and are not in KU.
Albeit all, I'm going to take this day as a reminder that I'm doing well and I'm going to keep doing it.
The point of all this is to tell everyone, especially the Indie Author World, stop being an ass. For all of those, who put the STOP BULLYING banner on your FB profile/page, follow through with it. If you see a KU Author struggling, don't brush them aside, help them. Give them some advice, maybe even give them a word of support. Just something to not make people feel so alone. Who cares if they're on KU and you're Wide? Does the world stop spinning because you were kind to a fellow author? Does the Earth fall of it's axis if even associate with a KU Author?
I hope someone explains it to me, because I have author friends who are on all platforms and author friends that are KU only. I respect them equally.
I'm using the words of Ellen right now ... be kind to one another.
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