About to go shopping for some new sundresses but something has gotten me thinking lately. Pardon the length, this just annoys me.
People need to support each other. I'm lucky in that most of my lovelies are incredibly supportive, but I've also known some who aren't. There are some authors who get bizarrely competitive and backstabby with other authors and it seriously baffles me.
I'm blessed to be with a publisher who has managed to unite a massive group of amazing authors who are genuinely supportive of each other. We celebrate even the tiniest victories and milestones, like ranking for the first time in a category. It doesn't matter if that person is ranked #100,000 in all of the Kindle store. They ranked in the top 100 for their category and that's a big achievement. We have some phenomenally successful authors and some just starting out and you know what? If you didn't know their books, you wouldn't be able to tell which was which because EVERYONE is respectful and helpful.
I've always wanted to help others with writing. I used to be able to do more with spreading the word by interviewing and reviewing (I'm going to try reviewing more soon though), but it grew overwhelming so I stepped back from that. Even so, I met many amazing authors and some of them have gone on to be wildly successful. I'm truly happy for those authors. They worked hard for it and they deserve their success.
I see it with both fans and authors, but I don't get it when I see authors go after other authors. The last time I checked, NO author is prolific enough to provide their readers with enough material to sustain them. There's room for everyone. Just because I read MC books from one author doesn't mean I'll refuse to read books from another author. This is not a business where you can have "exclusive" readers. Just because someone hits the NY Times and USA Today lists doesn't mean my sales are going to suffer. Last time I checked, if you love an author, you love an author. You'll get their books right alongside other authors you love, regardless of their success.
Trying to undermine other authors, being jealous of more successful authors, will do nothing but tarnish your reputation, hurt others, and make yourself miserable. Be happy for others, be respectful of others, and if someone outsells you, try to learn from them.
Ok, I'll jump off of my soapbox. Love you all and thanks to anyone who actually read this whole thing :)
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