If you're going to run a book club, do it properly.
Don't waffle when it comes to your book choices. Pick books and stick to your guns.
I recently saw one where the person running the book club picked a book and several people began bashing the author of the book. Calling the author names and saying she was a horrible author and asking if she paid off the club owner to get picked.
The book club owner handled the entire situation badly in my opinion. She didn't chastise the trolls making the comments. Instead, she tried to laugh off the comments. Then she removed the author's book and apologized for picking it in the first place.
She claimed she needs to "protect" her club members. What about the author who was unfairly bashed and called names for doing nothing but having her book featured? Doesn't she deserve protection as well? Why did the owner not ask the people making remarks to stop? You don't laugh something like that off. She also said they were entitled to their opinion of the book. Uh, they said nothing about the featured book. They bashed the author. Period.
The girl also said she would not feature any more of the author's book in the future to avoid any more problems. Which sounds as if she's blaming the author for what happened and not the people making the rude comments. She's also excluding the author from participating in her club. Which is against Wattpad rules. You can't exclude people from things, it isn't aloud. No private groups.
No one is going to like everyone. It just isn't in human nature. We should all understand that. But there are lines you simply don't cross. And name calling and defamation is one of them. If you accuse someone of something there must be proof. If there isn't, then it's defamation of their character. You folks who are trolling and calling people names and accusing people of shit might want to learn that now, because at some point, you know someone might sue your ass for it. Just an FYI.
Back to the book stuff, I review books (when I have the time!) and if I like a book I stick to it no matter what anyone else says about it.
If you can't be civil about it then you don't belong here and I'll report your ass. There's no place for harassment and bullying anywhere. Just because you're sitting your butt behind a computer screen where no one can see you, doesn't give you the right to call people names and act like a complete ass. You don't know the person. Would you appreciate it if someone did the same to you?
No. You wouldn't.
However, bullies don't give a shit about another's feelings. The only way they can feel better about their measly little lives is by tearing down others. And if that is the only way you can feel anything at all, well then, I can only feel pity for you.
In anything, stick to your guns. If you truly believe in something stand by it. Don't waffle and step down. If you love it, fight for it. Unless there's facts that can prove the stance is wrong there's no reason for you to not fight for what you believe in.
Really how it should have been, the book club owner should have told the people bashing the author to stop it and if they didn't, report the comments. (I don't think you can delete comments off your books any longer) If the users don't stop, then you report them. You can also use the mute button and block them from commenting further. That should stop the problems.
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Instead the book club owner made things worse by first laughing about the horrible comments and then apologizing for picking the book. And she just keeps apologizing. All I can do is shake my head.
