Saturday, August 23, 2014

All You're Ever Gonna Be Is Mean

Ever know someone who, in the guise of being helpful, is just downright mean?  Bet you do.  Well, there's this person who shall remain nameless (you can think the name, just don't say it here) who makes part of their job being mean to writers who are sincerely looking for help.  Although why they would come to this person is beyond me - they must not be reading the backlist of posts.

A few years ago, I was one of the followers.  I so wanted to have this person as an agent.  I figured as high-powered as they were, they'd be good for my career.  And I took their meanness as frankness - which I appreciate.  After numerous rejections, I still tried.  Then one day, I decided to friend them on Twitter - cuz, hey, that's what writer folk do. They didn't accept my friend request.  Not only that, they blocked me.  Which confused the hell out of me, because I am really not block-worthy.  Unless you're a certain kind of person who likes to spout rules but makes sure they apply to everyone except themselves.  Then I could be block-worthy*  :shrug:

So, I didn't bother bothering this person anymore.  I mean, it was clear that any query I sent them would be rejected anyway.  "Oh, it's that B.E. Sanderson person again.  Auto-reject."  Oh well.  We had a sufficiently large chasm between our general philosophies of life, we wouldn't have worked well together anyway.  And still, I followed their blog because every rare once in a while - amidst the frankness meanness - they would drop a kernel of something important. 

At some point there's a watershed moment.  That moment when you can run one way or you can run the other.  When the scales are overbalanced to such a degree that you have to notice the benefits are outmatched by the bullshit.  No matter how many tiny kernels of data they may hide amongst the crap, they will never be worth putting up with the digging.

And you realize that all they're ever gonna be is mean.  So screw them.  And pretty much screw the people who follow them, too, because the comment chain is more and more like a gathering of the International Association of Mean Teenaged Girls all the time.  What are we, folks, thirteen?  Let's all point and laugh in sync, shall we?

Oh, and in case you don't know where the post title comes from, watch this

*block-worthy should totally be a word.


7 comments:

  1. I guess when some people feel they're in a position of power, it gives them a right to be mean. Sounds more like that agent is "block-worthy"! Who needs someone like that in their life? Not me!

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    1. Exactly, Stacy. And no, none of needs that kind of person. (Or their acolytes. LOL)

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  2. I think I know who you are talking about. And you know? I'm with you in this. Sometimes, people get so caught up in their "image" that they forget/lose track of/ignore the fact that their "Thing" is not a Thing at all. It's like internet trolls. I really wonder how many books s/he's sold since s/he became a Thing. As an author, I wouldn't trust and if I were an editor, I can't imagine wanting to do business with such a person. Just my 2 cents worth, and with the cost of inflation, we all know how much that's worth. LOL

    Anyway, with so much negativity in the world, why add to it? Go for the folks who believe in you and what you do. Right? *nods*

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    1. LOL, I have a feeling you do. Oh, I have no doubt this person is still selling books, because they kind of exemplify a certain pervasive mindset we're facing right now. And for what it's worth, your 2 cents are worth gold, baby.

      Exactly. There's too much negativity already. I know who believes in me, and I love you all so much. :hugs:

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  3. Agents always like to warn us about our egos, yet forget that shoe has to fit both parties. Egocentric personalities are more trouble than they're worth.

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    1. You said it, Maria. I'm all for having a healthy ego - after all, who better to love than yourself - but this person has an unhealthy ego and they surround themselves with unhealthy people who feed it. Like the blob with caretakers. LOL

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  4. Without naming names, getting into details or posting anything that will attract the follower trolls, I can tell you that you're absolutely right. Hope that helps dispell any lingering doubt. :)

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