I just want to join some others and say thank you for creating this thread @Clover-Ross.
I started my first post here like this:
But after reading all these replies, I’m glad that this question was brought up. I’ve seen many very valid points here, and it’s great to see how many popular authors decided to join this conversation to share their thoughts and experiences. From out of nowhere now I’m starting to have some hope that this tension within the community might be eased a little, so thank you
This is 100% accurate. Many of my closest friends were those who I met when I first started writing and before I was “discovered”. There is an element of comradery there and trying to support your friends.
Yep, understanding that is key! It makes the times you do get a reply from a big author that much more special honestly.
I’m just a normal person (not yet an author (working on a story with fewer parenthetical clauses) but I do very limited screencaps) and even I get weird DMs I can’t (or don’t care to) respond to because I have a life, so I can’t even imagine having anywhere from 10 to 10,000 more of those messages haha. Especially ones asking the same questions over and over!
I can agree with this. I don’t expect authors to stop their lives for this. It’s not like they get paid any real money. I do have issue with authors that have nasty attitudes and are jerks. If you are annoyed by repetitive questions or offensive comments, ignore them. I have read just really simple questions that were met with really ugly attitudes. I won’t waste my hard earned money on reading your story, no matter how good it is, if you are a jerk.
I think this is such an important point. It’s easy for us to assume that this is just clique-y behavior (and for some people, it may very well be), but sometimes it’s just a group of friends supporting each other, especially for contests. Personally, I want to be able reciprocate the support my friends have given me over the years, and I have been so behind in everybody’s stories. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t an interest in supporting underrated stories (anybody who’s been around me long enough knows that’s always been a priority anyway), but sometimes it can end up feeling like a chore or obligation.
This is also another great point that people often don’t think about, and I don’t think the pressure of feeling like you have to answer everybody right away really helps (I know it doesn’t help my anxiety one bit).
I’ve seen so many great points, and I appreciate people taking the time to share their perspectives and also those who are listening and taking these perspectives into consideration. I hope this is a conversation we can continue having here and so that the tension/resentment/misunderstandings can subside a little.
Also, sometimes big authors really do more than their fair share of promoting smaller authors and still don’t get acknowledged for it.
Like, during most contests, I know for a fact that @thebutterfly_episode reads and promotes a lot of entries by small authors and big authors alike. During the last contest she did shout outs for stories she wasn’t able to read herself to help them get to 100 reads.
She also
Promotes and supports new artists in the community
Replies to a lot of fans’ DMs
Helps strangers with their directing questions, even though it’s rude to DM someone you don’t know asking for a favor
She does everything I see people in the community wishing big authors would do, and yet I’ve still seen people talking smack about her stories.
Obviously the hostility there is not because she doesn’t support small authors. So where is it actually coming from?
When somebody like that, who goes out of her way to be accessible and help, gets targeted, we’re going to have to talk about the ugly e word
But aside from that, she’s a good example of what happens when people have unrealistic expectations. No matter how many people she helps or tries to promote, she’s not going to be able to reach everybody and see every DM; if people truly understood the amount of time it takes to do all of that, they would be more understanding instead of feeling slighted because she didn’t get to them And that goes for a lot of authors who do make an effort.
I don’t like throwing that word around either, but when an author is kind, accessible, and everything people say they want and is still being accused of being selfish or whatever, I’d have to ask if maybe there’s some resentment there that needs to be addressed.
I’m fairly new, so I may not be the best person to speak out on this, but I will anyway because I’ve had a lot of wine tonight however, I have seen a lot of hate toward romance authors and a lot of lamenting “the days when episode wasn’t about just romance” Even from the guru of tutorials and Episode himself, Joseph Evans, so I think not only is there “popular author hate” but “popular romance author hate” because romance gets discounted as a genre.
I’ve seen tons of post like “all romance is the same story” in a variety of ways and it really bothers me as a romance read/aspiring writer. So in this particular case, I think it’s a combination of the general “why didn’t this popular author read my 3 chapters at 22 minutes a chapter story to review and give me personalized constructive criticism” that is being discussed on this thread, combined with the “well I could have written just a romance but I wrote something super unique like fantasy/sci-fi” because in my, albeit limited, experience popular authors Especially thebutterflyepisode, don’t wanna tag because honestly, not sure this post is worth her time haha have always responded to kind, non-request IG messages (if they happen to be free because, lived).
Which, the romance hate could be its own topic, but generally I hope this thread helps small authors and readers think before they send that next rude message…
If not, maybe this image will help them realize...
@/thebutterfly_episode has written some of my favorite stories ever on the episode app, but even if i am a fan, people are allowed to discuss stories even if it’s not favorable and I don’t think it necessarily equates to talking smack, but then again I don’t know what particular instance you’re talking about. But yeah talking about stories is different from talking about the author.
I completely agree, because not everyone will like a story even if it’s written well, and some people may find fault in justifiable areas that should be addressed (this is no longer regarding Butters, but for example, the glamorisation of abuse or rape)… but there does tend to be a trend towards dismissing and/or hating on popular stories, rather than having an intellectual discussion about them.
Actually, keeping this on topic, there also seems to be this expectation that popular authors should accept any and all criticism, even when it borders on slander without any constructive elements.
I’m curious where this expectation of ‘must share smaller authors stories’ came from? I personally don’t expect this and if someone tells me I have to share more ‘smaller’ authors stories on my page I’m probably going to leave them on read.
There is quite a bit of envy in the episode community, and I do sometimes read a story and think “how does this not have more reads, the author deserves better.”
But I think it’s important for people who are envious to step back for a second and look at the bigger picture. Think about how long it took for the author to become popular. This author is out here with almost 100 chapters released, and you’re complaining because nobody has seen your 4? Go promote your story, and work for it.
Being a popular author is something you have to earn.
That’s a good question actually. I think it’s always been seen as a kind gesture because some big authors used to go out of their way to support smaller authors’ stories. That’s how I was “discovered” and I was always eager to pass the favor forward as long as I had the time to do so. But at some point it went from being seen as a kind gesture to an expectation, and I’m not quite sure how. Making it an expectation makes it a lot less genuine.
I agree with you - I personally even do not get how somebody can thing that other people (no matter if sucessful or not) are somehow obligated to do somethin for you.
I mean - what have you done for them, that you think you have some right to requiere something and right to feel offended you did not get it?
Abave all you mentioned - even if they would have the time for it thay simply do not have to! witht any reason or explanation. Nobody has to be forced to explain himself why he is not doing something which he is not obligated to do.
It is actually big arogance of the small authors if they do think the famouse writers have to take them under their wings.
Asking politely is OK, but demandin is not at all OK.
And that goes for a lot of authors who do make an effort.
