The Wrong Agenda
Normally, I don’t get involved in this kind of thing. Inevitably, when there is a conflict between two people, and I decide to step in on one side, I end up regretting it. But not now. Not this time.
Since I first stepped into this business of writing, Writer Beware has never led me wrong. When I found my publisher, I checked their site, and didn’t find said publisher there. And guess what? No fees from my publisher! Whadya know? The money DOES flow toward the author! Empirically, Yog’s Law works.
There’s no telling how many aspiring authors Writer Beware has helped, or how many dollars they’ve helped keep in writers’ pockets. So, when “The Write Agenda” appeared a while back, and I read the attacks on Victoria Strauss and Ann Crispin and other authors, I was more than a little displeased with these people. The people behind TWA hide behind anonymity, and attack people who have publicly put their names out there for the world to see, and become targets for every big scam artist on the block. They try to disprove Yog’s Law, and discredit writers’ advocates, under the pretense of being numb from “reading numerous author help related posts” that they claim “are subjective and do not offer any substantial documentation regarding purported claims regarding publishers and other industry professionals.”
These same people, who are making these accusations against Writer Beware are also trying to intimidate others in their opening page. Below is an exact quote of their page, attributed to TWA:
“be careful what you post . . . it’s getting litigious out there! Lawsuits and Cease & Desist Letters against authors are on the rise. Loyalty to some self-proclaimed publishing “watchdogs” may have a price.”
A direct quote from The Write Agenda’s page. Well, here’s the thing, TWA… you can’t maintain your precious anonymity AND expect anyone to take your thinly veiled threats seriously. Cowardice has its own price, see. And until now, I’ve been happy enough to pursue the same course of action Writer Beware has, to wit, ignoring you and laughing at your rants that claim to be in the writers’ best interests while trying to convince us that it’s really better for us to let publishers and agents charge us money to make money off our work. News flash: We’re not stupid. Convoluted bullshit logic is still bullshit, and plenty of people are going to call you on it. Myself included.
Now, however, you are trying to impact any author who disagrees with you. Boycott lists, propaganda lists, and now a book burning? Seriously? You could not sound more like McCarthy if you tried. This is what pisses me off. These people claim to be writers. But I’ve not seen any real advice here for a writer to profit from. All I see are attacks, smear attempts and lies. And the use of the biggest tool of the censor: book burning. The one thing any REAL writer thinks is an abomination. Scientology tactics, anyone?
In essence, I think the following sums things up nicely: Yog’s Law works. Anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to sell you something. TWA says it doesn’t. Guess what I think they’re trying to do?
Sell you something.
If loyalty to publishing watchdogs has a price, I'm willing to pay it. What I'm not willing to do is stay silent. Not any more. If you want to try to make me "pay" for being loyal to Writer Beware...step up. But if you do, at least have the spine to say who you really are. Let me show you how it's done.
I'm Ben Reeder, and I'm an author who doesn't believe you. I'm also an author who stands by Writer Beware and their mission. So bring it. I'm ready.
Since I first stepped into this business of writing, Writer Beware has never led me wrong. When I found my publisher, I checked their site, and didn’t find said publisher there. And guess what? No fees from my publisher! Whadya know? The money DOES flow toward the author! Empirically, Yog’s Law works.
There’s no telling how many aspiring authors Writer Beware has helped, or how many dollars they’ve helped keep in writers’ pockets. So, when “The Write Agenda” appeared a while back, and I read the attacks on Victoria Strauss and Ann Crispin and other authors, I was more than a little displeased with these people. The people behind TWA hide behind anonymity, and attack people who have publicly put their names out there for the world to see, and become targets for every big scam artist on the block. They try to disprove Yog’s Law, and discredit writers’ advocates, under the pretense of being numb from “reading numerous author help related posts” that they claim “are subjective and do not offer any substantial documentation regarding purported claims regarding publishers and other industry professionals.”
These same people, who are making these accusations against Writer Beware are also trying to intimidate others in their opening page. Below is an exact quote of their page, attributed to TWA:
“be careful what you post . . . it’s getting litigious out there! Lawsuits and Cease & Desist Letters against authors are on the rise. Loyalty to some self-proclaimed publishing “watchdogs” may have a price.”
A direct quote from The Write Agenda’s page. Well, here’s the thing, TWA… you can’t maintain your precious anonymity AND expect anyone to take your thinly veiled threats seriously. Cowardice has its own price, see. And until now, I’ve been happy enough to pursue the same course of action Writer Beware has, to wit, ignoring you and laughing at your rants that claim to be in the writers’ best interests while trying to convince us that it’s really better for us to let publishers and agents charge us money to make money off our work. News flash: We’re not stupid. Convoluted bullshit logic is still bullshit, and plenty of people are going to call you on it. Myself included.
Now, however, you are trying to impact any author who disagrees with you. Boycott lists, propaganda lists, and now a book burning? Seriously? You could not sound more like McCarthy if you tried. This is what pisses me off. These people claim to be writers. But I’ve not seen any real advice here for a writer to profit from. All I see are attacks, smear attempts and lies. And the use of the biggest tool of the censor: book burning. The one thing any REAL writer thinks is an abomination. Scientology tactics, anyone?
In essence, I think the following sums things up nicely: Yog’s Law works. Anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to sell you something. TWA says it doesn’t. Guess what I think they’re trying to do?
Sell you something.
If loyalty to publishing watchdogs has a price, I'm willing to pay it. What I'm not willing to do is stay silent. Not any more. If you want to try to make me "pay" for being loyal to Writer Beware...step up. But if you do, at least have the spine to say who you really are. Let me show you how it's done.
I'm Ben Reeder, and I'm an author who doesn't believe you. I'm also an author who stands by Writer Beware and their mission. So bring it. I'm ready.