Mostly when I’m angry, I tell myself I’m over reacting.
Sometimes, that is true. At others, I go into a shut-down mode to have an internal dialogue. That’s not because I’m so sane, oh no! That’s just me focusing on my image as I’d like to see it in my flashback bubble where I don’t want to recall myself as a raging purple minion. And usually, the issue is resolved before I can really get involved. And people end up thinking I’m cool minded.
Yeah, I’m that lucky.
So naturally, when an issue causes me to react (over react) the same way that it did the first time, every time I come across it, even I’m compelled to step back and say, “Wait a cotton pickin’ minute! I think there is something there to be wary of.”
Such was the thoughtful moment when a group claiming to promote new writers, with a page on Facebook, and who shall remain nameless because I’m such a noble person or else what I truly feel like doing to them is – (deep breaths, over-reacting!) – Okay, let’s start over.
According to this particular group’s overview and mission statements, it is:
Sometimes, that is true. At others, I go into a shut-down mode to have an internal dialogue. That’s not because I’m so sane, oh no! That’s just me focusing on my image as I’d like to see it in my flashback bubble where I don’t want to recall myself as a raging purple minion. And usually, the issue is resolved before I can really get involved. And people end up thinking I’m cool minded.
Yeah, I’m that lucky.
So naturally, when an issue causes me to react (over react) the same way that it did the first time, every time I come across it, even I’m compelled to step back and say, “Wait a cotton pickin’ minute! I think there is something there to be wary of.”
Such was the thoughtful moment when a group claiming to promote new writers, with a page on Facebook, and who shall remain nameless because I’m such a noble person or else what I truly feel like doing to them is – (deep breaths, over-reacting!) – Okay, let’s start over.
According to this particular group’s overview and mission statements, it is:
- a unique platform for South Asian writers.
- an organization committed to furthering literary awareness and growth in South Asia.
- a writer’s haven for aspiring writers of South Asian descent.
New writer. South Asian descent.
Shami and I fit the description. Naturally, I contacted them. I told them about Aoife & Demon; told them we’d be glad if they reviewed it or promoted it on their page, showed us some love.
If you’re a new writer, you’ll understand the courage it takes to put your work out there for someone else to peer into. It also takes patience as you wait for a single reply – and you wait on pins and needles. This particular exchange took only about a day, fortunately. They told me they didn’t promote novels. If I had a short story or a poem, then they’d be interested.
Of course, I didn’t pester them with any of our links after that.
But I liked what the group had to say and so continued to follow their various posts until I stumbled upon a post by the group itself celebrating launch of a new writer’s sci-fi novel.
I wasn’t amused.
I wasn’t jealous of the new writer or the spotlight he was getting. I didn’t want to overshadow the new guy’s success nor steal his thunder (as if I could); neither did I want to be a sourpuss, dumping all over the post like a loser.
But I felt lied to. Whoever it was from the group’s admin who told me, We don’t deal in novels. We simply don’t have the capacity for it, unfortunately, wasn’t exactly honest.
I had to say something!
I commented and tagged Shami in the post. She left her comments, too. Then, a friend, who had actually bought and read our book and liked it, posted a link to it under the same post.
Shami and I fit the description. Naturally, I contacted them. I told them about Aoife & Demon; told them we’d be glad if they reviewed it or promoted it on their page, showed us some love.
If you’re a new writer, you’ll understand the courage it takes to put your work out there for someone else to peer into. It also takes patience as you wait for a single reply – and you wait on pins and needles. This particular exchange took only about a day, fortunately. They told me they didn’t promote novels. If I had a short story or a poem, then they’d be interested.
Of course, I didn’t pester them with any of our links after that.
But I liked what the group had to say and so continued to follow their various posts until I stumbled upon a post by the group itself celebrating launch of a new writer’s sci-fi novel.
I wasn’t amused.
I wasn’t jealous of the new writer or the spotlight he was getting. I didn’t want to overshadow the new guy’s success nor steal his thunder (as if I could); neither did I want to be a sourpuss, dumping all over the post like a loser.
But I felt lied to. Whoever it was from the group’s admin who told me, We don’t deal in novels. We simply don’t have the capacity for it, unfortunately, wasn’t exactly honest.
I had to say something!
I commented and tagged Shami in the post. She left her comments, too. Then, a friend, who had actually bought and read our book and liked it, posted a link to it under the same post.
It wasn’t until the Group commented on the post that I was truly sure of whatever we had done under the post was good.
We didn’t take it positively?! I think my friends and I were very civil.
I didn’t call them out and thrash them for their “we don’t deal in novels” stance. As a writer’s group, a haven for aspiring writers, I expected them to embrace us and acknowledge us with that other writer even if we were being silly. I think they handled it all not so well.
But for what it’s worth, the link to our book got noticed and was liked multiple times. And no, not all were our friends and it felt great ;)
I'm thinkin'... I should over react this way more often...
I didn’t call them out and thrash them for their “we don’t deal in novels” stance. As a writer’s group, a haven for aspiring writers, I expected them to embrace us and acknowledge us with that other writer even if we were being silly. I think they handled it all not so well.
But for what it’s worth, the link to our book got noticed and was liked multiple times. And no, not all were our friends and it felt great ;)
I'm thinkin'... I should over react this way more often...
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