Support and Respect

I know first-hand how difficult the whole publishing/marketing process can be. Once you step out into the free fall world of marketing, you quickly realize that it’s most definitely a long term project. Some of it feels rather mundane, doing the same thing every day, without seeing the results. A lot of effort is put into blog tours, live guest appearances, organizing and strategizing as well as writing our next book. Time is short, and taking a break isn’t really an option, because we can be so quickly forgotten.

Supporting fellow authors is something I believe in.  Most of the authors I have come across willingly do so as well, creating quite a community. Because I know how much work goes into creating a book, I appreciate the support I receive from my fellow authors. However, this mutual support can sometimes put one’s moral convictions on the line.

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Personally, I neither read nor write horror, thrillers, or explicit romance, so never mind erotica. Over the past year, I have had the pleasure of meeting countless authors, some with whom I have become close to. Did their style of writing affect my choice? No, because I interact with the person, and I have made some amazing friends. So what’s the problem?

To be honest, and it’s not just because I write YA, I am not comfortable with their choice of genre. I am willing to support them by LIKEing their fb pages and joining their blogs, tweeting their good news and even posting on my ‘good news’ tab, but I become uncomfortable when it comes to promoting their work, having them on for a guest post or interview on my blog.

I was mortified the other day when a friend asked about me having LIKEd a particular author page…because I had been going down a list, clicking LIKE and never noticed that John Doe’s page was actually John Doe’s erotica page. Now I was torn, I didn’t want to UNLIKE his page, but I was not comfortable having it listed. Fortunately, it wasn’t my book page that had liked it, so my target audience is not subject to this. What did I do? I removed access to my LIKEs and preferences. So it’s a win/win situation. At least I hope so.

As an author, I can use all the support I can get and I definitely want to give it back. But I want to do it in a way that won’t make me uncomfortable, and won’t go against my personal values.  

There have been a few authors on my blog whose books I will never read. That does not mean I do not want to help give them a boost, or a little visibility from my corner of the world. Maybe I need to step out of my comfort zone, just a little, but I need to do it in a way that is respectful of my audience, and my personal values.

I will continue to support my fellow authors, join groups, tweet and share their news and events, but I do so with a little more attention, and a lot more intention. I want to see us all succeed, and I want to enjoy the celebration when it happens. Hope you will be there to join in as well.