I thought Facebook was a friendly social medium where authors and readers could get together and discuss books and learn more about each other. What a wake up call when I discovered it was a seething mire of authors who feign love and affection for fellow authors and a good many who knifed their so-called friends in the back through private messaging.
I hated being piggy-in-the-middle and some of the open hostility in comments made me stop and think (I don't like you, nor you, you bitchy mouthpiece, and I don't want to help you in your writing career). There were a good many unpleasant readers I met on the Georgette Heyer group as well. One or two were haughty controlling freaks who dominated threads and nasty little cliques who high-jacked threads. I got so that I hated that group, and really liked the Jane Austen Bath Society group where much nicer people were chatting.
There were good points about Facebook and I did meet some lovely authors though few in number I would want to meet for a chat over a cup of coffee except the Austen group. While I'm a fan of historical romance in general I do like Regency novels and I thought by joining up with several Regency themed groups, I would be in good company. I was wrong because that is where I met some unpleasant self-seeking authors who keep ramming their novels in your face. The constant begging for reviews of books really annoyed me, and I kept thinking can they be more rude and unprofessional in the way they conduct themselves on social media. Yes is the answer when authors rapidly friend you and straight way ask you have you read my books. Beggars with begging bowls accosting people leapt to mind and while I am most happy to review a book if asked nicely I didn't much like the attitude of authors who sent me details of where to get their books at my expense and then tell me precisely where they wanted the reviews posted. It never crossed their self-centred minds that I might not like the book, or that I might think it badly written or so bloody awful I wouldn't get past the blurb let alone a free excerpt or Amazon sample.
I belong to a review blog and it's always open for submissions as you dear reader can see for yourself. The link is on the side of the page. When I pointed that out to authors I could almost here the sigh of despair because they wanted the money as much as they wanted a review. Well tough. I only pay for books I myself want to read though will review books for the review blog.
Charlotte.
