First I want to just say that this issue wasn't even on my radar for the longest time and I guess that's just because I had never been very involved until recently. Now however it is clear to me that it's just slightly ridiculous and I, like many others, am a little tired of the meanness and worse the just plain hatred that is in this fandom. It's gotten to a point where many of my friends are considering leaving or have left it entirely. We are loosing not only good people but amazing authors because of this sort of thing. What is this sort of thing, you ask? This sort of thing is sending hateful reviews or mean e-mails to authors, aimed at hurting rather than helping. Authors are not immune to handing out this hatred though. For example some have been publicly bashing reviewers and readers. (I've been on the receiving end of this one...and I can tell you personally that it's not fun)
Maybe it's my innocence or my optimist nature, but I can see some very easy ways to rectify this situation.
1. Maturity
I can tell you that many authors are delicate fickle flowers. I know it seems strange to some people but it takes a lot of guts to put something out there for other people to read. I second guess myself every single time I post something. Also, as an author I can say that you become very attached to your plot and your characters and when someone says something negative, constructive or otherwise, authors sometimes they react like you were attacking their children. Try to read, review and respond maturely. Readers try not to attack the author, think of them as a cornered snake if you have to, if they feel that either them or their story is being threatened they will strike. Chose your words carefully when you press that little review button. And follow Thumper's advice. "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it all." That being said, authors try not to take every single negative thing someone says as a personal attack. You must be mature enough to set your personal feelings aside and look at the review objectively. It is not the intention of most readers to insult you or your story. Many times what they are offering, while it can still be criticism, is meant to be constructive or is just a matter of opinion. If it differers with your opinion, well it differs there's nothing you can do about that. Attacking them only really succeeds in alienating them.
2. Understanding
Really they kind of go hand in hand, maturity and understanding. But one without the other won't solve the issue. Readers, here is the big thing you have to understand. We all have real lives and really more often than not they call us away from our fandom life. Some authors need to take a break for long periods of time for one reason or another and you have to understand and accept that fact. That's just how it is. Plain and simple. Sometimes it sucks, but that's life. Authors, you have to understand that not all the fandom realize what is going on in your life also you have to realize that unless you post strictly M rated stories your audience is widely varied and their response to your story will differ based on how old they are and how exposed they've been to the rest of the fandom.
The most glaring example of lack of understanding and maturity I can think of right now is the negativity surrounding an author that's in the hospital right now with a very serious condition. Readers and Reviewers, you have to realize what you say will be read by others, IT WILL BE SEEN. Reviews aren't very private things so take that into consideration before you post something. Authors, and their good friends, There is something else you need to understand. Everyone might not be as informed as you. Before you react consider that maybe they just haven't been told the situation.
Now before you all hang and quarter me let me just say that I'm not excusing the behavior in any way. What I am saying is if you react to hatred with more hatred what are you accomplishing? After all and eye for an eye will just leave the world blind right?
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