Teganjaz Books Presents... Author, Tracy L. Darity

When I made the decision a year ago to pull down my manuscript, dust it off, and self-publish, I had no idea I would b expected to give-up a portion of my identity. For as long as I can remember, I have loved to read. I buy books, read them, and then discuss them with other readers. The same is true regarding almost anything that places someone?s creativity on display. I believe the reason most people share their talents with the world, is to not only entertain the masses but receive accolades for their efforts. But how does one aspire to greatness if there is no objectivity in the reviews they receive? How do they improve on their craft if all feedback contains the pluses and never the minuses? What I have come to learn is that once I added author to my résumé I relinquished my right to have an opinion, to express my likes or dislikes, to critique, or respond to criticism. It seems, as an author, I am only expected to say how great something or someone is, and avoid conversations where authors are being ridiculed. Or risk being labeled a hater, negative, dream-killer, jealous, or having a bad attitude.

I am by no means a hater, however, I do have a habit of critiquing things, especially when I have spent my hard earned money on it, and invested my time (which I consider to be valuable) to support whatever the venture may be. Therefore, in my mind, I have just as much right to say I either enjoyed it or didn?t enjoy it, and why. Does that make me negative, a dream-killer, or even jealous? No it does it, as with anything in life, it?s not what you do (say) but how you do (say) it. I applaud anyone who has a dream and is passionate enough about it to invest their time to pursue it. Just because I don?t like one particular project does not mean I won?t support their next, or that I don?t respect their work. And let?s face it, some things just aren?t our cup of tea.

I?ve also learned that not only am I not supposed to express an opinion I am to stay silent as others degrade and belittle authors in general. I never knew people had such a negative view of authors. Recently, while surfing the internet, I came across a site called DearAuthor.com. They had a blog titled ?10 author promotional don?ts.? This caught my eye because as a newbie I wanted to know what to avoid. I don?t really remember the list but the reader comments, and there were a lot of them, really caught me off guard. Some things I did agree with, like authors shouldn?t take reviews personally, and authors should not interject their book into conversations not related to their book, or authors shouldn?t join sites for the sole purpose of promoting their work. But by the time I got 5 or 6 reads into the posts, it turned into an ?everything I hate about authors,? free for all.

On another occasion, I was listening to an on-line radio show. The topic was on the importance of editing. Now I admit I missed the first half-hour of the show which may have attributed to the atmosphere, but about 5 minutes after tuning in, an author called in to express his displeasure with one of the members of the panel. His book had been edited by one of the show guest and once it was released he learned it was full of errors. I do not believe he chose the ideal forum to express his views, but perhaps he had tried other avenues with no results. What was even more unfortunate was the turn the show took. For the remaining 45 minutes, I listened to an unprofessional, one-sided dialog berating authors and our misguided perception of our work. I logged off that evening feeling the same way I had after reading the aforementioned blog, asking myself, why in the world did I pursue this dream.

Having witnessed so much negativity towards authors, especially those who have self-published, I wonder why it is that we are the ones being told to be quiet and just write, get thicker skin or find another hobby, while others pummel us with negativity and treat us as if we aren?t human, as if they loathe our very existence. I will probably never know the answer but I do not plan on allowing it to stifle my growth because when I receive the accolades of those who have read my book, I am reminded that it is the appreciation of my work, from the reader I am seeking and not the acceptance of someone who has absolutely no control over my success or failure. I have a lot to say, and most will be in the form of a book, but on the occasion that it?s not, remember, I?m human and have the right to think, feel, and say, what I choose, as long as it is constructive and not meant to belittle. It doesn?t make me a hater, a dream-killer, or jealous, it just means, like you, I have an opinion, and exercise the option to express it.

Much Love,

Tracy

Tracy L. Darity is the author of ?He Loves Me He Loves Me Not!?