The Bully Question Answered

Hello! I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Carroll, I thought you were going to post all "Glass" subject matter over at your other blog?" Well, yeah, basically, but, I still want to try and keep bully related material here when it has something to do specifically with the bullies. The issue with Amanda Nelson wasn't really a direct "bully" occurrence. Anyhow, this is a very important post I think to clear the air about the bully issue.

So I'm trolling some Amazon forums and I stumble upon an interesting post or comment. It's actually a question asked by one of the bullies who is known (for now) as "deleted". This is great! This gives me a chance to explain what makes up a bully. I hope the bullies are paying attention and I hope the rest of you are too because the Carz is going to explain exactly what makes a bully, a bully.

First, the question by "deleted".

We can see here that "deleted" is trying to figure out why he / she / they are bullies. "Deleted" seems to think that a bad review or a one star on a book is bullying. Well, it isn't, provided it's an honest review / rating. You have to read the book to rate and review it honestly. 

Anyhow, here is what makes a bully, a bully. (Pay close attention "deleted".)

Let's say I'm a Goodreads author and some girl just left me a harsh review for my book. Let's say my book was about robots but the girl never mentions this in her review. For whatever reason, the girl thinks the robots are real people. So in the review, the girl says something like, "real people do not act this way." 

Okay, now the author (me) comes in and reads this review. My thought is, "she thinks the robots are real people, this is why she didn't like the story." So I, the author, leaves a comment explaining to to the girl that they are not real people, they are robots. 

The girl throws a hissy fit. How dare the author (Me) comment on MY (HER) REVIEW?! Authors need to learn their place. And how dare he (Me) (the author) correct the reader? 

Perhaps the girl and I get into a little debate or maybe, even a scuff. Then it goes quiet for about a day. Then out of nowhere, fifty insulting comments appear on the review. Other reviews appear as well, all of them attacking the "authors behavior". A flurry of carpet bombs occur. One stars across the board. And not just there on Goodreads, but these people go to Amazon and any other place the book can be found and they rip it to shreds there too. Then they go to all of their social sites and start leaving links all over the internet. 

Fake ratings. Fake reviews. personal insults. The whole works. This is bullying. Let me say that one more time, THIS IS BULLYING!!!!!!!

Bullying is nothing more than purposely going after someone (mainly an author) for no other reason than people trying to be "behavior police". Even if the author deserves it because the author and the girl got into some kind of disagreement over something, it still remains a situation that should be between that girl and that author, and no other person has the right to get into "their" dispute. The girl has no right to contact her friends and her friends have no right to "go after" said author. 

You see, this is where it gets confusing for the bullies. They don't understand that it's bullying when you write that fake review and talk about YOUR OPINION regarding the author in a book review. It's bullying when you and ten or more of your friends go into the authors space and start harassing them and insulting them. 

Maybe it's frowned upon for authors to respond to reviews and such, but you do not make anything better, or teach anyone a lesson, by bullying them. You just show your ass is all. 

It's just like that article by Brenna Clarke Gray on Book Riot, who is she to advise anyone on anything? Especially trying to advise authors? My advice to authors is do and say what you feel inspired to do and say, but people like Brenna Clarke Gray and Amanda Nelson (both of Book Riot) advise authors to keep their mouth shut or else be visited by their friends where a carpet bomb frenzy and "character assassination" shall begin on your author ass. Yes, they warn you that if you say anything to the reviewer, you will be subjected to a bully attack. 

And even if Dylan Saccoccio was rude and mouthing off to a reviewer, it still did not warrant others to go in and start carpet bombing his book(s) and assassinate his character, or go after him in any way, shape, or form. The issue was between him and the reviewer, and perhaps the Goodreads staff. It was of no business to anybody else yet others took it upon themselves to make it their business and attack Dylan further. That is bullying. Let me say that again. 

THAT IS BULLYING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Moonlight Reader doesn't get it.

  

No, you are wrong, Moonlight Reader. You are way off. Bullying is when you and your friends play "behavior police" with others. (Mainly authors.) It's when you stick your nose into other people's business and conflicts when you really shouldn't. It's when you review a book you never read. It's when you rate a book you never read. It's when you carpet bomb books you never read. It's when you use the "book review" space to call an author a rapist or something. It's when one of your friends comes to you asking you to help gang up on an author who dared responded to a review and YOU and others go to that author and start throwing around the insults. That's when it's bullying. 

Karlyn is way off base too. 

It is not the Anne Rice effect. She has nothing to do with it. You people were bullying long before she came onto the scene. She is just like you, a bully in her own right. Only she (and Paro) goes into your spaces and bullies you. I am against that, but what you GR bullies do is go from author to author judging their behavior, getting involved with spats that you needn't be involved with. That - and everything I mentioned earlier, is what makes you a bully. Plain and simple. 

(And let's clear the air right now, there are two types of bullies now. 1) The GR bullies and 2) The STGRB bullies.) 

If you think you have the right to judge others then you best damn well know that others have the right to judge you in return. If you can't take it because you're too thin skinned then maybe you shouldn't be in the bullying business. Just saying. 

Anyhow, "deleted", there is your answer. Bullying is not when you say in a book review, "I don't like this book" ... Bullying is when you say in a book review, "I don't like this author. He or she sucks. Their behavior is less than desirable." - That is bullying.

Are you getting this? Do you understand? Probably not, but at least I tried.

I know you bullies continue to attempt to deflect YOUR behavior from the equation, but rest assured, I will not. I will continue to remind everyone what being a bully really is. Even if you're too stupid to get it, there are plenty of others who get it just fine.