An object lesson for writers over here at BigAl's Books and Pals. The moral of the story: if you're going to strenuously object to a review of your self-published book that points out its numerous errors, you might want to master grammar, spelling, and English idiom first. Recommended if you enjoy shadenfreude and delicious commentroversy. Be forewarned: it gets unfunny sometime shortly after the author under review drops her second f-bomb.
Via Dread Central: Brad Pitt's battle to turn the brilliant World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War into a film might be successful after all. I admit I'm torn. The book was so jaw-droppingly amazing and so uniquely constructed that it is likely to lose its essence as a film. Go read it and tell me what you think.
Newsflash: Googling "Where did Rebecca Black come from?" produces this Crushable article that details the diabolical machinations of Ark Music Factory, "a company that lets people pay a lot of money so that their kids can sing a song and make a music video." Well, that explains that, doesn't it? Ark seems kind of like the Disney machine but without the raw talent or interest in investing in their stars in exchange for stealing their childhoods and turning them into human train wrecks. I found this interesting as a writer because it seems that although there has been much buzz of late about why new authors should think like indie bands, lookie lookie, here is a part of the "music" industry that is taking its business model from vanity publishing.
Personally, I hope they do a lot more. Rebecca Black's "Friday" was insidiously earwormish and so very meme-worthy.
If you haven't experienced it, here's the original:
Sorry about that. But you'll thank me now that you can fully enjoy the spoof by Bad Lip-Reading:
6 comments:
I gotta tell you, I was bewildered by the author's response to the review. She definitely didn't help her case. After a while, I almost felt sorry for her.
However, it's in our interest as writers to grow a thick skin and find the good, rather than let the not-so-complimentary bits in reviews have us lose control and go ballistic.
Oh man, that is painful. I feel for her I really do.
Also check out Jackson Pearce on the whole "Friday" fiasco and vanity presses. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3OpwoamaqA&feature=channel_video_title
It was painful to read the responses, that's for sure. I never enjoy watching another person self-destruct.
Water off a duck's back, I say. You gotta grow a tough skin to survive in this business.
@J.L.: I agree with you on all counts. I didn't think the review was all that bad.
@Deborah: I feel bad that she chose to go public with her anger over the review. And yeah, we've all had those not-so-nice feelings when things don't go our way. At the same time, yikes.
@Eileen: Thanks. The Jackson Pearce video is spot on.
E.C.: Tough skins are necessary, indeed. I sometimes wonder if mine is tough enough.
I love how empathetic everyone is about this, but at the same time, I'm wondering if I'm the only one who reads the author's responses and sees a raging egomaniac at work? People like that can be destructive. It's not necessarily a bad thing if they receive the occasional public smackdown.
sad,
bless her.
Cheers.
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