So this came up this morning, and I want you all to understand.
I wrote a poetry book. After several long months of dedication, hard work, and tremendous effort, it was published by the incredible support and assistance of a wonderful publisher.
Every cent of this book that I earn will be going toward my college tuition. I have two other siblings going to college right now too- we are triplets. That means my family is sending three kids to college at once.
That means we are under enormous financial strain.
That means I self-promote my book not only because I am extremely proud of my hard work and my publisher’s hard work, but because I genuinely need the money.
Not for fame nor success nor my own personal financial gain.
For my family’s financial gain, and so my friends and family can enjoy my words.
That is why I self-promote. If you haven’t noticed, I try to tag every post about my book with “survival songs.” If you wish to do so, you can blacklist that tag, etc, etc if you don’t want to see any info about my book. It’s just not necessary to tell me you’re going to do that.
That is totally fine with me. You can hate my book, too. That is also completely acceptable.
What is not acceptable is to voice your disgust in an incredibly disrespectful way, not only to me but to the publisher, the printer, the distributor, the cover designer, everyone that worked to make it happen. What is not acceptable is to send me hate about how I self-promote my book too much.
That is a huge disrespect to the art of writing in general and to my own hard work and the hard work of so many others as well.
You wouldn’t put down J.K. Rowling for self-promoting her HP books, would you? Then don’t do the same to another writer.
If you want to unfollow me because I promote my book, rightfully so I might add, as would you if you had written a book, then feel free to do so.
However, I don’t need to receive a hateful message informing me that you did so and that you’re disgusted with me and my work.
Thank you.
You should extend the same respect to any other writer as well.
