Author Throws Tantrum, Curses out Reviewer

[Anarel]

http://booksandpals.blogspot.com/201...?commentPage=1

Big Al reviewed the Jacqueline Howett's "The Greek Seaman" and despite numerous errors in a number of different ways, he gave it a mild review.

Then Howett herself began leaving comments on the review, telling Al and everyone else who dared to speak up that her writing was amazing, and demanding that the review be taken down. There are even excerpts from the book posted in one of the comments to show the quality of the book, if it couldn't have been guessed at from the quality of the author's posts.....

People say there's no such thing as bad publicity, but I don't think that's true- if people are eager to see the book that caused the commotion, they can download a sample, so no money spent, nothing gained.

[queentess]

Originally Posted by Anarel

People say there's no such thing as bad publicity, but I don't think that's true- if people are eager to see the book that caused the commotion, they can download a sample, so no many spent, nothing gained.

Yes and no -- at least now I know her name.

The prime example of this is Anne Rice, though there have been a handful of other authors who make this same mistake. It's always funny to watch

[abookreader]

Oh - that was amusing. Total meltdown.

I think she needs to write the next masterpiece under a Pen Name because she's pretty much ruined that one.

[netseeker]

Wow. Just wow.

Anyway, even that "total meltdown" will result in a little more publicity for her book imho.

[Anarel]

Originally Posted by netseeker

Wow. Just wow.

Anyway, even that "total meltdown" will result in a little more publicity for her book imho.

Publicity yes, but sales? Again, there is the sample if one wants to judge, and the bad writing is clear from the book description on the Amazon page, in addition to the first pages of the book itself.

The reviews on the book at Amazon are tanking, also.

What a waste of money if someone actually buys it. I've read the sample and it is just bad writing all around, so bad that one can't even rage about the inadequacy of it- it's just beyond any help, and certainly not "So bad it's good" or anything like that.

[rhadin]

What I found interesting in the author's comments were the poor grammar and misspellings. For example:

Simply remove this review as it is in error with you not downloading the fresh copy i insisted.

and

You never ever returned to me an e-mail

and

Besides if you want to throw crap at authors you should first ask their permission if they want it stuck up on the internet via e-mail. That debate is high among authors.

and

I want this review removed or its just considered abuse

There are more, but if her comments are any example of her writing style, and considering the examples the reviewer gave of problem sentences, namely,

"She carried her stocky build carefully back down the stairs."

"Don and Katy watched hypnotically Gino place more coffees out at another table with supreme balance."

I would be hardpressed to say her writing is even good, let alone fine.

[queentess]

1. Do we even know this is the author? Or just a puppet?
2. The author disappears after a few horrible (and grammatically incorrect) comments, so either she wised up a little and shut up, or the puppet got bored. But people are still tearing her apart.

[Anarel]

Originally Posted by queentess

1. Do we even know this is the author? Or just a puppet?
2. The author disappears after a few horrible (and grammatically incorrect) comments, so either she wised up a little and shut up, or the puppet got bored. But people are still tearing her apart.

Well comments on the thread have closed, but I don't think it's a matter of people being cruel- there was a link to the blog from the Amazon forums, and several people got directed to the blog from Twitter and other places, so everyone was still reading about it as it developed and had to have their say.

I was just posting this because I thought it was.... interesting, to say the least, and a terrible instance in which an indie author does a whole lot of wrong. It's not the first time something like this has happened, with an indie or a traditionally published author, either.

There was this book- I forget the title- and a reviewer mentioned that there was a lot of inaccurate information about the setting, I believe it was Turkey- and as a person who grew up there, the reviewer was was a bit offended about the representation of the people and the culture there. And then the AUTHOR, pretending to be the editor, went after the reviewer with an axe.

None of this is helping the image of indie authors, who are already struggling under the presumption that if they weren't able to to get a book deal, they're not good enough to read.

[HappyMartin]

I think the poor woman needs help. This type of reaction is just not healthy.

[wvcherrybomb]

Thanks for posting. I got my entertainment for the day.

I had to when the so-called author demanded that that Al remove his review from his own blog!

And popping in every so often to tell everyone to "F*** off" - priceless.

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by Anarel

There was this book- I forget the title- and a reviewer mentioned that there was a lot of inaccurate information about the setting, I believe it was Turkey- and as a person who grew up there, the reviewer was was a bit offended about the representation of the people and the culture there. And then the AUTHOR, pretending to be the editor, went after the reviewer with an axe.

That was Christopher Pike (no relation to the starship captain).

I got to watch that one unfold live as not only the sockpuppets, but also the fanboy army were summoned (or at least were attempted to be summoned), and I have to say I found it much more entertaining than the one book of his I'd read years ago which my cousin had on her bookshelf.

[Anarel]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

That was Christopher Pike (no relation to the starship captain).

I got to watch that one unfold live as not only the sockpuppets, but also the fanboy army were summoned (or at least were attempted to be summoned), and I have to say I found it much more entertaining than the one book of his I'd read years ago which my cousin had on her bookshelf.

Oh, thank you, I couldn't remember the title or the author for the life of me, but I had enjoyed it so much I'd wanted to revisit it when this Wacky Jacky thing happened.

There were other incidents that were a terrible pleasure to read- Anne Rice's blow up, Robin Hobb's derision for fanfiction, Diana Gabaldon's argument on a forum.... but this Pike and Howett experience is really something else!

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by HappyMartin

I think the poor woman needs help. This type of reaction is just not healthy.

Depression survivors tend to react that way to criticism. I can sort of understand it, especially if she has fixed some of the spelling mistakes like she claims (though they really should have been fixed before uploading it). But anyone who thinks there is absolutely nothing wrong with their writing is deluding themself. Especially if it's their first book.

[Tomsk]

Originally Posted by rhadin

What I found interesting in the author's comments were the poor grammar and misspellings. For example:

There are more, but if her comments are any example of her writing style, and considering the examples the reviewer gave of problem sentences, namely,

I would be hardpressed to say her writing is even good, let alone fine.

I have to agree with you. I wouldn't consider my typed English to be literary, but I always make an effort to check my posts before submitting them.

I think this image sums up her attitude...

[WilliamVitka]

Well that was a highly entertaining train wreck.