"They were actually commenting on the choices I’d made in my life."
December 27, 2014 12:34 PM Subscribe
Citizen-reviewers sling mud willy-nilly, behind a cloak of anonymity; Amazon's pay structure is forcing formerly flush authors to scramble for day jobs. Writing for a living is more perilous than ever. But one writer found the courage to quit her day job after a single bad Amazon review.
Amazon’s disruption of the traditional publishing model has been well-documented. The authors have weighed in, citing censorship and anti-trust concerns. The New York Times reports today that self-published authors are seeing their incomes plummet by as much as 75%.
What’s less discussed is the disruption of the reviewer model, allowing “citizen-reviewers” to wrest the awesome power to bestow 1- or 2-star reviews from the hands of established newspaper and magazine critics. Some writers, like Kathleen Hale, have taken umbrage at their reviews at the hands of any Tom, Dick, and Harry; Margo Howard resents that any old schmoe can pass judgment on her writing.
But one writer found online reviewing a way to reclaim her identity as a writer—even if she's reviewing a lousy mattress purchase on Amazon. How A Bad Amazon Review Totally Changed My Career.
(previously on Kathleen Hale)
Amazon’s disruption of the traditional publishing model has been well-documented. The authors have weighed in, citing censorship and anti-trust concerns. The New York Times reports today that self-published authors are seeing their incomes plummet by as much as 75%.
What’s less discussed is the disruption of the reviewer model, allowing “citizen-reviewers” to wrest the awesome power to bestow 1- or 2-star reviews from the hands of established newspaper and magazine critics. Some writers, like Kathleen Hale, have taken umbrage at their reviews at the hands of any Tom, Dick, and Harry; Margo Howard resents that any old schmoe can pass judgment on her writing.
But one writer found online reviewing a way to reclaim her identity as a writer—even if she's reviewing a lousy mattress purchase on Amazon. How A Bad Amazon Review Totally Changed My Career.
(previously on Kathleen Hale)
This post was deleted for the following reason: Not really what the article was saying -- mathowie
Yeah, she didn't quit her day job. And the same blog post is linked twice. But it's amusing.
posted by Peach at 12:54 PM on December 27, 2014
posted by Peach at 12:54 PM on December 27, 2014
Sorry, I was revising the "description" from the "extended description" and trying not to repeat myself. I will ask mods to change it to "endure her day job."
posted by pipti at 12:56 PM on December 27, 2014
posted by pipti at 12:56 PM on December 27, 2014
she didn't quit her day job. And the same blog post is linked twice. But it's amusing.
🌟🌟🌟
posted by octobersurprise at 1:06 PM on December 27, 2014
🌟🌟🌟
posted by octobersurprise at 1:06 PM on December 27, 2014
« Older Turn away. Our creative lives are limited. | Synthetix.FM Ultimix 2014 Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
Huh? Are we looking at the same article, with the penultimate paragraph that begins "I wish I could say that the response to my mattress review so bolstered my sense of self as a writer that I quit my job to write full-time again."?
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 12:44 PM on December 27, 2014 [1 favorite]