tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5263131327639736886.post1137395317943039..comments2024-03-28T06:40:56.199-04:00Comments on Team Tynga's Reviews: Soapboxing: Readers' rightsTyngahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01464564461040990907noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5263131327639736886.post-56053595058842625042013-05-16T19:29:36.855-04:002013-05-16T19:29:36.855-04:00I should also add, you're right about adding a...I should also add, you're right about adding a spoiler warning. I haven't looked for the post because I don't want to be spoiled, and I often avoid reviews of books I'm anticipating for fear of spoilers. It's unkind to post something rife with spoilers, especially a major one like who Sookie ends up with at the end of the series, and not make it clear for readers.jennhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05771998478123175497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5263131327639736886.post-45823473980945894772013-05-16T19:28:12.651-04:002013-05-16T19:28:12.651-04:00Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Steph, and glad ...Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Steph, and glad you like the feature. You've mentioned some stuff I hadn't thought of. I hope it wasn't all done for publicity's sake!jennhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05771998478123175497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5263131327639736886.post-8337578121345045112013-05-16T19:26:17.159-04:002013-05-16T19:26:17.159-04:00Thanks for commenting, ahz1! I agree, it's a s...Thanks for commenting, ahz1! I agree, it's a shame people can't be civil. jennhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05771998478123175497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5263131327639736886.post-31763790801057465302013-05-16T19:25:40.704-04:002013-05-16T19:25:40.704-04:00I haven't actually bought the book yet since t...I haven't actually bought the book yet since the series has been waning for me, but I'm very sad to hear that you got spoiled. :(jennhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05771998478123175497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5263131327639736886.post-14164756929772623492013-05-16T09:01:27.938-04:002013-05-16T09:01:27.938-04:00As readers we have the right to read or not read a...As readers we have the right to read or not read a book. We also can say that we believe a writer has erred in his or her decisions with a series. There is however a WIDE divider between being a critic and just being a jerk. <br /><br />I think when something becomes a franchise: written, published & marketed w/ the goal of getting us to invest emotionally it changes the equation a bit. Once a writer or the other parties involved get us invested in the series maybe we have a role similar to investors in anything else. That being said, we are human and where emotion is involved some form of stupid behavior is sure to follow. <br /><br />Discussed this w/ a friend about our right to discuss the behavior of public figures, then Tiger Wood, whose very lives become a conduit for their financial gain, she said when someone makes $ through their image, the audience which has emotionally invested in the cultivated persona, admired them & bought their products has a right to see how they are behaving & add or withdraw approval, sometimes vocally. <br /><br />Book series that become franchises via multiple outlets, make money from the emotional investment of people. When you do that you have to expect people to behave emotionally. To expect otherwise is like posing for Playboy and then complaining about being sexually objectified. <br /><br />You can't substitute salt for sugar in a cake & not expect people who buy it won't spit it out & say, "that was awful cake, did you make a mistake or are you just a terrible baker?" You can even expect people to say "don't buy that cake - it is awful." Some may even say, "Not only was it awful, but the baker is stupid in trying to pass it off as cake." That is over simplifying, but not all analogy is perfect. <br /><br />I heard, btw, DEA released early in Germany. People post spoilers every day & quote paragraphs. We have the right to free speech as long as it is not slanderous, libelous, in direct violation of immediate public safety. If you attribute a quote & don't represent it as your own, in the course of a review it is generally accepted practice. Having a right doesn't mean we have to exercise it. in fact doing so often shows people we are nasty. <br />That blogger could have given a spoiler warning. It's possible their personal blogging mission is one of flaming- the only solution is for people stop paying attention to them. Being nasty is stupid, poor decision making, bad karma. And, I'll bet that that stupid blogger w/ her poor decision making & bad karma sold a lotta books. <br /><br />Is it possible that had no one on the book side said anything it would have just gone away? Honestly, I don't know anyone who read the post but I know a lot who read the book tho' - incl. me. I have a review up of said book today.<br /><br />How much of the thing was hyped? After all neither of us sought out the post but here we are talking about it. We sympathize w/Charlaine; a lovely person who is used to this. We think the blogger is a big doo-doo head. We just sold five more books because controversy = interest = sales.<br /><br />Does anyone know if books advertised as the last in the series have lower sales in general? Because then hyping it would make sense. <br /><br />I am long-winded. What it boils down to people have the right to free speech but having the right to exercise it doesn't mean we're required to. When humans get emotionally invested they may behave stupidly. If you are making money on that emotional investment you must expect that. You may even make more money from it. The stupid person is able to hide behind the internet & accumulate bad karma. <br /><br />Love this feature! Not saying the blogger was right I am just sayin'<br />Steph from fangswandsandfairydust.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00265501682911526600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5263131327639736886.post-64722577041653094892013-05-16T07:38:27.396-04:002013-05-16T07:38:27.396-04:00I really like this feature. I think that authors s...I really like this feature. I think that authors should write whatever they want, however, if they make a change in their series they can expect some unhappy readers. It's just too bad that people can not be civil in their comments. I'm not really invested in the Sookie Stackhouse series. I loved the earlier books and lost interest in the later ones. So for me, the spoiler just sealed the deal. I don't need to read the last book now. I can think of other series that got people very angry - I've seen the horrible comments. <br />ahz1https://www.blogger.com/profile/11505896406100655284noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5263131327639736886.post-79731651923735758132013-05-15T19:22:09.474-04:002013-05-15T19:22:09.474-04:00I unfortunately found a review on youtube and I sh...I unfortunately found a review on youtube and I shouldn't have never watched because I don't want to buy the book now and this was long before the release date as well. IT did spoil it for me. That being said there is no reason what's so ever to be as nasty as I heard some of the comments have been. True I am not happy who Sookie ended up with but I am not going to hate on Charlaine Harris for writing it the way she did. These are her characters, her story and had every right to end it the way she wanted. <br /><br />I may change my mind and read it later on but I did love all these characters and regardless how she ended it . I will miss them it is sad it is now over.BLHmistresshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17760348905228169738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5263131327639736886.post-14474594672350503022013-05-15T18:41:22.670-04:002013-05-15T18:41:22.670-04:00Nicely put, Helen, and thanks for your comments! T...Nicely put, Helen, and thanks for your comments! There's definitely an interesting push-pull going on that never used to be here years ago. I don't remember my parents ever interacting with their favourite (or least favourite) authors, or having these types of opportunities myself when I was younger. jennhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05771998478123175497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5263131327639736886.post-9682679101842135642013-05-15T18:39:57.692-04:002013-05-15T18:39:57.692-04:00You've made a good point. If the readership ha...You've made a good point. If the readership hates something, it might be worth thinking about it but I don't like it when readers are aggressive with authors. If an author wants to change directions and they listen to reader thoughts, that's their prerogative, just like it's their prerogative not to listen to the buzz.jennhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05771998478123175497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5263131327639736886.post-32126406876188405002013-05-15T11:27:19.839-04:002013-05-15T11:27:19.839-04:00Interesting topic! Really makes you wonder who an ...Interesting topic! Really makes you wonder who an author should be writing for... I've read so many interviews with authors giving advice to others saying 'write for you - write what you like, not what you think other people want to read', etc. And yet it seems like once you've actually 'made' it in the writing world and are published, the public gets a sense of entitlement and expects you to change your whole philosophy and begin writing for them and based on what they want and what they expect. <br /><br />I hate to see authors getting attacked on a personal level by readers. It shows that sometimes it's far too easy to forget just how deep and personal writing is for most authors. If Harris is ready to say goodbye to Sookie - that's her right. The series started fizzling for me around book 6 or 7 - but I know that just because I wasn't personally invested past that point doesn't mean that I have any right to make attacks on the author or her characters. At the end of the day, Harris knows Sookie better than any of us, and we gotta respect that.Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07628262650851918119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5263131327639736886.post-45327141777573239362013-05-15T10:48:36.806-04:002013-05-15T10:48:36.806-04:00Very interesting topic. I have never read the book...Very interesting topic. I have never read the books you mentioned so I won't speak on that - however, I do agree with 95% of what you stated.<br /><br />The only caveat - and this is MY opinion only. If, as authors, you write a book or go in a direction that a good majority of your readers don't like (even if you have an arc for the series already detailed) then it might be time to rethink your changes.<br /><br />While readers cannot (and should not) believe they are entitled to 'make' the author change direction, they certainly have a say (and I don't mean in a bossy or rude way).<br /><br />Then, its up to the author. However, if you haven't got any readers - then you are not going to sell any books - just sayin'.<br /><br />As always two sides to a situation.Tinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16011928186368977329noreply@blogger.com