The Dehumanization of Artists
I hope a lot of authors enter their fuck around and find out era
“Shut up and write.”
“Be grateful people read your words/listen to your music/look at your art.”
Over the years, I have seen many writers leave the internet, some due to reader bullying, some due to author bullying, some due to burnout, etc.
I have also noticed a shift in the dynamic between authors and readers. There is a certain etiquette to being an author online; some of it is hard to navigate, while others are easy for me to understand.
I don't look at my reviews much on Goodreads. I don't get my feelings hurt by bad reviews. I'm not sure why that is, but I understand that a variety of people can look at one book and take away different things from it due to their life experiences. I write a lot of self-insert characters, and even one is based directly on my past. Seeing a reader say they hate the characters based on me doesn't bother me. Perhaps this is due to the knowledge that I know I’m not for everyone in everyday life, either.
One thing I don't and never will do is comment on negative reviews. Goodreads is a reader space. I believe this so much that I don’t post what I read there anymore and use Storygraph instead, where I have no friends and intend to keep it that way. It's just a logging device for me, and the social aspect of my reading life is talking to my friends at a book club in person and telling my friends and co-workers about the books I'm reading.
Websites for purchasing books and leaving a review are also reader spaces.
What is not a reader space is any social media site. Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and TikTok are the breakrooms of our wild world. Everything you say is heard by anyone listening in the room. When you post your thoughts online, you open yourself up to the opinions of others.
I have seen a shift online in which many readers think it's okay to say wild personal things about authors—about their looks, social lives, etc.—and it is supposed to be acceptable and met with no backlash.
What do I think about that? Well…
Recently, romance author Karina Halle's book Smut was the subject of a viral tweet disparaging the romance community and romance books. When the author posted about this on her Instagram, another reader, upset that Karina was defending herself, commented that KH wrote a pedo book.
A claim like that is severe and can ruin someone's reputation. You can read the reasons for this false claim here.
Some would say it's laughable to put writers up there with celebrities. Still, there seems to be a certain similarity in how we treat artists who sell their work. In the same way we tear down actors and singers, expecting them to take abuse because it comes with the territory; the same goes for how we treat writers. Many believe writers should shut up and write and never defend their reputations and mental well-being. Because somehow, writing and publishing books means you aren't human anymore; you're a product.
But without our humanity, where would the art come from?
This is all part of a bigger issue, tied up in one of the biggest grievances I have with our society today: smartphones and social media. The access we are given to artists is unlike anything we have ever seen.
When I dreamed of being a writer in my teenage years, I never could have imagined what our world would look like today. I devoured books as a preteen in the 90s, but the writer was someone I did not have direct access to beyond the bio in the back of the book. Now, we have full access to the wielder of the pen. We can log onto a social media site and devour every bit of information authors and artists alike give us. It can be exciting to share with our readers! Until that parasocial relationship turns toxic. It happened to me, and now I guard my personal life fiercely.
There is a power imbalance, something author Victoria Aveyard discusses here.
We have long punched down on those we claim to love. And that is not love at all.
I am proud of Karina Halle for standing up for her reputation. I hope more writers realize they don’t have to take harassment or tolerate defamation because it is the price of sharing their art.
I’m proud of Chappell Roan for saying, “I turned off comments because I’m not looking for anyone’s response. This isn’t a group conversation.” I had heard of her before seeing her statement regarding stan culture, but she gained a new fan/listener in me when she made a firm stance on her boundaries.
“Shut up and write.”
“Shut up and sing.”
“Shut up and PERFORM!”
I hope more artists start saying no. I hope more artists start standing up for themselves. Because what would this world be without the art we create?
It’s not one I want to live in.
The Rogue Pen is a free publication. If you enjoyed this piece, please like, comment, and share. It would mean a lot to me. If you'd like to support my work, you can Buy Me A Coffee. Also, you have the option to purchase my books directly from me. Use code SUBSTACK for a 20% discount on everything in my shop. Thank you for your kindness and support!
While I'm not anywhere NEAR these levels of fame that Lauren and Chappell experienced, I did have an experience where I was at a book con for my second time signing, and while I was walking out of the dining room with my mom and sister, someone stopped me to talk to me about my book. It was interesting. Also being the one people ask to take pics with now is an interesting feeling. I watched other authors signing around me, and their lines never seemed to stop. As a newbie, I had a slowwww trickle of readers/potentials approach, but I was exhausted for the high level author sitting beside me as I watched readers fangirl over her. I kept thinking about how relieved my line wasn't doing what hers was, then I had a mini freak out where I thought, "damn...what if one day this does become me? What will I do? How would I handle it?" It's a scary thought. I want readers to connect with what I'm writing, but the idea of losing privacy/anonymity is definitely scary and daunting.