• Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Tahlia Newland

Editor, Author & Artist

  • Editing Services
  • Me & My Creative Life
    • My Books
      • Metaphysical Fiction
    • My Poetry
    • My Masks
    • My Hats
    • Permaculture, Forest & Garden
    • Performing Arts
  • Blog
  • Contact

Author bullying: has it happened to you?

May 6, 2015 by Tahlia Newland

troll-web

Some authors have been bullied online. Whether by readers, reviewers, other authors or all of them, cruel words hurt. These days, most social networks have steps you can take to try to stop bullying, but at what point do personal attacks become bullying? At what point do you report the person’s activities to the administrators and stick the bullying label on it?

One nasty review with a personal attack or derogatory words is unpleasant, but it isn’t bullying until that same person or their friends or cohorts make another attack. And even if they spread their dislike onto other social media networks, it isn’t bullying unless it happens repeatedly over a period of time. By definition bullying means that the attacks are sustained. Sustained is a vague word, though. At what point could you say something is sustained? After one day, two, three? Or would it require a week? The answer to that depends on the sensitivity of the person being attacked, the nature of the attacks, and on how extreme and widespread the attacks are.

I have been abused via email by authors upset over negative reviews given by the Awesome Indies. As the review co-ordinator, I got the vitriol. I also got negative reviews on one of my free short stories that mentioned AI reviewers in a negative light. The comments were an attack on the AI, not related to the book. My reviews on others’ books also received negative comments about the AI. Amazon removed all these comments without me even asking because they were clearly an attempt to discredit me and the AI. But I didn’t consider it bullying because they were isolated attacks. I reacted by not releasing the name of a book’s reviewer and by getting someone else to liaise with authors over their reviews. (There is a C.J, but that isn’t his real name.)

I’ve also heard about people bad mouthing the AI on forums, but I never go there to see what’s going on. I rely on our supporters to balance out the opinions of those with sour grapes. So, though I have had some bad press, so to speak, and some personal attacks, it hasn’t been bad enough for me to consider it bullying, or maybe I just haven’t seen it. Mind you, I’m pretty good at blocking those who can’t share their ideas in a polite and respectful way. I don’t engage in any way, I don’t approve abusive blog comments, and on other sites, I report anything abusive immediately.  Have I nipped potential bullies in the bud? I don’t know.

But regardless of my own experience, abuse of anyone in any form disturbs me, and though I can’t do anything to stop bullies, I can help those being bullied to handle the situation in a way that will cause them least upset, and even make them stronger. That was the intention behind my YA novel You Can’t Shatter Me. And now I’ve written what could be considered the adult version of it, Prunella Smith: Worlds Within Worlds.

The central character is an author and a reviewer. The bully is an author who abuses her because of a review she wrote, but his abuse also takes the form of a review of her book, so we see the issue from both points of view—author and reviewer. His review seems innocuous enough; only in the light of his other activities can it be seen as part of a systematic bullying campaign.  The book raises many questions on this and related topics, but it also shows, as one early reader said, “A fascinating insight into the mind of someone using meditative techniques to deal with stress.”

Prunella Smith: Worlds Within Worlds is once again available now at all ebook outlets and you can buy it here directly as well.

Have you been bullied online? At what point did you decide it was bullying?

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Other stuff Tagged With: author bullying, issues

« What are Words Really?
A brave departure from the norm. Review of the Darkest of Suns Will Rise by Brian Sfinas. »

Search

Recent Posts

  • Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin
  • Book Genres – What you Need to Know.
  • How to See Edits in Word Documents
  • Finding an Editor You Can Trust
  • Review of ‘The Guild Codex Spellbound Series’ by Annette Marie

View Posts by Category

Writing a novel? Feeling overwhelmed? Get new insight and inspiration with my FREE Novel Revision Checklist. 

DOWNLOAD  NOW

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Free Book Download  
Get Lethal Inheritance free when you sign up to my new release email list.  I won’t share your details and you can unsubscribe at any time.

My Latest Books

  • Fallout: Recovering from Abuse in Tibetan Buddhism
  • The Elements of Active Prose: Writing Tips to Make Your Prose Shine
  • The Locksmith's Secret
    Rated 5.00 out of 5

Alliance of Independent Authors

Alliance of Independent Authors

Click HERE to see all my books.

Books
Reviews, Writing, Cats & Contemplation
Editing

Click HERE to subscribe to my newsletter and get my fantasy novel Lethal Inheritance FREE. 

How to Meditate – the crucial points

See more

Hi I’m Tahlia Newland

I can help you express yourself and share your story with the world.

 

Do you want to write a really good story and have it professionally polished and published?

As an editor, I help you be the best writer you can possibly be. I strengthen your voice, support your vision and can assist you all the way to publication.

On my blog you’ll find book reviews, writer’s tips, contemplative articles on meditation and working with your mind, and occaisonally pictures of my Burmese cats.

If you’re interested mostly in my contemplative articles then  Sign up to the Living in Peace & Clarity Newsletter to get those articles delivered by email. And check out the resources on my Living in Peace and Clarity Page.

I do a lot of community work involving blogging and general support for Buddhist students processing revelations of abuse in their spiritual communities.  Please consider supporting me to continue this work.

Occiasonally, when inspired and not too busy with community work, I make masks.

All my books are

Visit my Mask & Steampunk Accessories Shop

2015-03-19 15.46.12
Blue Burmese
Like cats in stories? Check out my books. And click the photo to read the cat colomn.

Click Here for More Articles in This Series

Book reviews – sci fi, fantasy, literary fiction, Buddhist fiction and related non-fiction

Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin

Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin

The High Priestess: Persephone’s Return is the third book in Val Tobin’s Tales from the Unmasqued World Series, and in it she deepens and expands the stories from the previous two book. The book has two central story arcs based around characters we’ve met before. One arc follows Kelsey (a human) who is with Josh […]

More Posts from this Category

My gorgeous Burmese cats

Renovated Website & Cute Cat Series

Renovated Website & Cute Cat Series

Yesterday I did a photoshoot for my renovated website. Take a look around, particulary at the home page (Click on my name at the top to go there). It’s designed for editing clients with my books secondary because I need to focus on the part of this publishing business that actually earns me more than […]

More Posts from this Category

Seven of my novels have an Awesome Indies Seal of Excellence

Four of my books earned BRAG Medallions

I abide by the ethical author code

I'm an Ethical Author
Alliance of Independent Authors

Copyright

All material on this website is under copyright to Tahlia Newland and cannot be shared without written permission.

  • Editing Services
  • About Me
  • My Books
  • My Masks
  • Blog
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 · Amoré Theme by Oh, Hello Designs on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

FREE Novel Revision Checklist

Written a book? Need some help reviewing and revising it? Download my Novel Revision Checklist for step by step guidance.  

DOWNLOAD NOW

no thanks

{"cookieName":"wBounce","isAggressive":false,"isSitewide":true,"hesitation":"120","openAnimation":false,"exitAnimation":false,"timer":"","sensitivity":"","cookieExpire":"7","cookieDomain":"","autoFire":"","isAnalyticsEnabled":false}

Please note: I am closed for holidays from Christmas day until Jan 30th 2023. Dismiss

 

Loading Comments...