I find that after a big “contest” or “challenge” like New Voices or SYTYCW, negativity seems to come out in full force. That’s not to say there’s no positive stuff. Many people in the romance world are lovely, encouraging, and celebratory. But like with anything, there are the nasties.
People that got rejected and choose to get angry/place blame/get snotty.
Please remember, we as aspiring authors are owed NOTHING. Let me repeat that, NOTHING. If you enter a FREE contest and then are mad when you’re not picked (even though the publisher’s job is to MAKE MONEY–not to make YOU money), you need to reevaluate. If you’re mad that you got NO comments, even though it is not an editor’s job to make you a better writer, you need to take a good look at yourself.
You are not owed ANYTHING.
Entitlement is irritating. Bad attitudes are irritating. And it usually speaks to either the fact that you’re immature (both in attitude and in your writing) OR maybe you’re just a bad writer. Good writers usually evaluate criticism, rather than speak out against it.
I see this in my classroom all the time. Students who think they deserve a good grade because they worked hard on it, even if they didn’t follow directions or the end result just wasn’t good enough. Some students will choose to blame me as the teacher rather than trying to do better next time. Their choice, but it’s not the productive one.
They complain to their friend, thinking I can’t hear them. Does their complaint change my opinion of them? Yup. So, if you’re complaining on a public forum, blog, twitter, etc. Don’t think the publisher isn’t going to see that and change their opinion of you. Maybe you’re not using your real name, but I’d still be rather careful what I put out there, even under a false identity.
Was I disappointed in my R? ABSOLUTELY. Was it anyone’s fault by my own? Not even a little. It is my job to do my best and give them what they want. If they don’t want what I offer, it is not THEIR problem or THEIR loss or THEIR fault. End of story.
Nicole Helm 