Stop The Writer Bullying

One thing that I have encountered since releasing my first book is other authors feeling the need to bully or criticize me. As if the writing community isn't hard enough to become a part of, the actual writing community doesn't even ease the transition. What I find hard to believe is that these groups allow such disrespect and blunt words. What author would allow themselves to bully another author? I would really love an answer to this question because I really would love to know why I am the one bullied and others aren't.

The writing bullying doesn't just sink a person's confidence; it discourages a writer to stop writing. A writer like me, who is young and inexperienced, is quickly convinced that they should give it up because of what another says. Even the author, Anne Rice has mentioned how writer's would relentlessly bully her writing.


Rice herself was a victim of the Amazon "bullies", when earlier this year she began to give advice to would-be writers on the retailer's message boards. "The discourse was meaningful and productive, questions asked and answered, and it was generally very enlightening," said Todd Barselow, the freelance editor who launched the petition to try to convince Amazon to change its policies. "Then the bullies, trolls, jerks, whatever you want to call them, found the thread. That's when the attacks started happening. It got very ugly very fast … With each attack, Anne tried to diffuse the situation and out these people for what they are: bullies. Well, that just made them frenzy even more. Eventually, I left the thread. It got too ugly for me. Anne stuck it out for a while, but finally she called it quits, too."

This is taken right out of an article published concerning Anne Rice signing a petition to ban bullies onto the Amazon site. Now if an author like Anne Rice has been bullied and criticizing by writing bullies- someone who has been given awards for her writing- the writing community needs to take action against these bullies. Read here to read other's stories of being bullied.

Because as a society, we find it easy to pick apart others and totally demolish every remaining piece of confidence by believing that we have a right to express our own thoughts. All these comments and criticisms accomplish is the fights that ensue after they are posted. What could a person possibly hope to accomplish by posting the comments?

Wondering what the effect of bullying has on people? National Geographic believes that there are long term effects on those who are bullied, and who actually bully as well. Click here to read more.

But of course, some writers are going to believe that this article isn't about them. How could it be? They are moderately successful writers who are much older and experienced than I am. They are automatically better than I, right? Frankly, they are still bullies. Still bullies like the puffed up kids at recess stealing kid's lunch money who may be stronger than a author like me, but they still aren't the biggest themselves. So what gives them the right to lash out at my inexperience? Nothing. Absolutely nothing gives them a reason to become a writer bully. Sometimes as a independent writer, all we have is the writing community to support and encourage us. Especially younger authors who aren't openly welcomed within society as it is! Like my other post, "My Note To Young Authors" I still want to encourage other writers, no matter what age, to continue to perfect their craft. Please, don't stop writing because of the critics. Don't stop doing your wonderful, happy hobby on the account of a writer you think as a better writer.

Dear Bully: seventy authors tell their stories