Dear writers, 

We have somehow made it back here once again, where we all gather to find out what shenanigans the industry has been up to this month, and what we can do to make it all make sense. And let me reassure you, this month has been full of nonsensical activity and chaos, but sometimes you can find calm in the eye of the storm. At least that’s what I’ve heard, anyway.

First up, reason 125 why some people just shouldn’t be allowed access to the internet.  

Authors hit by bad reviews on Goodreads before review copies are even circulated

This headline tells no lies but apparently Goodreads reviews do, because you cannot possibly give an opinion and a star rating on a book you haven’t read a single word of before, can you? 

Well, actually yes, you can. Anyone can. That’s the unfortunate problem with online public forums these days. It’s not that everyone’s opinion is valid, but rather that everyone’s opinion is valued when it comes to rankings and visibility and who said what about which book.  

When I read that people were tanking books before they’ve even had the chance to glimpse the pages online, let alone peel them back with actual fingers, I honestly laughed because what else is there to do? It’s ridiculous but also, isn’t it sort of unsurprising? The online world is a fickle mistress and as a writer, you know better than anyone to always have a back up plan/hard copy.

First some obvious advice: don’t read reviews. Unless someone you know and love sends it to you directly because that means it’s probably a good one and will only add to your ever improving mental health and wellbeing. 

Second, definitely don’t read reviews on Goodreads. Those are for other readers. They’re not for you. What’s for you is replying to that one reader online who’s excited about the excerpts of your book you’ve been sharing. Or the glowing quotes you’ve gotten in preparation for your book’s release date. Or quite frankly, that family member or friend who keeps texting you about the early manuscript you sent to them that they can’t stop thinking about.

Keep your eyes on the prize, which is actually getting the book published. If you’re unfortunate enough to fall prey to one of these false-review trolls, remember that it’s not for you, it’s for them. And also, get everyone who has read the book and loves it to leave a review. Just because. 

There’s a collective of us demanding the same thing – investment in our books, in helping us sustain long-term careers, and in the belief that a good story is a good story, no matter who is telling it 

Speaking of doing good to counteract the bad, the Society of Authors’ latest toolkit is an in-depth look at how to gently but expertly demand what you deserve as an author.

Society of Authors creates toolkit to "empower" authors

I have been trying over the past year of writing this column to equip you with a hardiness with which to approach this industry, and now the Society of Authors has thankfully laid out a detailed plan on how to build up that armour. No, publishing isn’t a battle, of course not. Not a physical one anyway. But it can take its mental toll on all of us authors alike, especially when you feel like you’ve been banging your head against a brick wall for months, sometimes years, trying to simply get what’s owed to you as an author, whether that’s time, communication or money.

In my opinion, this toolkit is a literal guide for teaching people how to treat you. Read it, get equipped and get ready to ask for what you deserve. 

And let’s talk about what happens when you do. 

State of play: can stalled momentum in Black publishing be undone? What does it look like when the industry actually invests in you? 

In this interview, Black industry professionals talk about what it’s like to demand the bare minimum, be told no, and demand what you deserve anyway. Because like most structural issues that affect one group, they will inevitably affect many other disempowered groups too. 

So in a lot of ways, there’s a collective of us demanding the same thing – investment in our books, in helping us sustain long-term careers, and in the belief that a good story is a good story, no matter who is telling it. 

But it is not uncommon to feel worn down by this stuff, to want to abandon that WIP on a daily basis and wish you didn’t have so many stories spilling out of you. But I bet if you’re an aspiring author, a published author, even a seasoned one, you can’t stop writing, even if you’re never putting words down anywhere and it’s all happening in that beautiful mind of yours. The writing keeps going, regardless. So lean on your fellow writers, because the struggle is real – it’s not in your head and you don’t have to face it alone. If you take nothing else from this article but this, remember that for better or worse, collective action towards a common goal works. 

And who can write that into being better than you, dear author?