[BadBilly]

Originally Posted by Felicity Grope

Strewth! I assumed we are all writers together and that we all share some level of common decency towards each other. Not everybody is blessed with a natural ability to write or write well. However, we can at least be supportive and poor writers can be shown how to improve.

I belong to a writers' group. When people bring their work there, I offer positive comments about things they did well. I offer helpful comments about what to improve. Some of the stuff is dreadful, but I do the same, regardless.

However, once you say "It's ready!" and start wanting people to give you money for it, I don't have to be supportive. If someone tries to sell crap, don't be surprised that people call it crap.

...people should never be discouraged from trying to create anything...

Oh, yes they should. There are far too many lousy books/movies/songs/plays/paintings/poems in the world. Try reading Fifty Shades of Grey. That should never have seen the light of day.

And that's all I've been meaning to say. Of course there are people who cannot write but you don't set out to hurt them. All I've ever tried to suggest is that people treat each other with a level of dignity.

Taking someone's money for a piece of work that isn't good certainly isn't treating them with dignity. Since one has to pay up front, they're taking a risk and shouldn't be sold dross. Honest reviews are an important tool for readers. I don't mean hatchet jobs, not something malicious, but a scathing review of something that is terribly bad is very helpful. One can usually tell by the writing of the review if it is intelligent criticism or not.

I’m new here so perhaps I misjudged the tone. I tried to offer some constructive advice to fellow writers but some of the replies make it feel like a dog pit in here and I can do without the snarling.

Rather passive-aggressive. You make the assertion, in a forum for people who are passionate readers, that people shouldn't say that lousy books are lousy and your comment (your comment, not you) is criticized and you want to play the victim? Everyone in this forum has bought a bad book or two or a dozen. Readers are the victims of lousy writers.