Mal ,'Out Of Gas'
This thread is for fanfic recs, links, and discussion, but not for actual posting of fanfic.
Okay, so I get an LJ message.
And it's from someone I've never heard of, who is offering to provide proof-reading services on the novel I posted two weeks ago.
After I accept their corrections, then they'll be happy to tell me nice things about my story.
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Sheesh, I was just trying to help.
I'm trying to figure out why I'm so annoyed by the message.
... you know what it reminds me of? A project I worked on several years ago, where we got hundreds & hundreds of comments from the public on this controversial project. And several of them were from a woman who hated the project, but then said she would be happy to be paid to fix the report for us.
Oh, and it's a guy. For some reason that cheeses me off even more.
I'm trying to figure out why I'm so annoyed by the message.
Really? Cause it's not a mystery to me.
Well, let me clarify: I'm trying not to come over all Raargh I am The Author How Dare You Criticize Me. I don't want to be one of those people who cannot take criticism.
It's not a terribly rude message. But (a) I'd never heard from him before; (b) I had two betas on the novel, both of whom I've known for over a decade; (c) he says he's qualified to do this because he's proofread published novels in the past.
But really, the big issue is that whatever he says, I'm not going back to re-edit a 120K-word novel that's posted in ten different parts on two separate archives.
I think it's the witholding of commentary until you agree to let him tweak things to his liking that strikes me as douchey.
I think it's the witholding of commentary until you agree to let him tweak things to his liking that strikes me as douchey.
Yeah, that sort of fb I can live without.
Okay, I tried not to be as affronted as I felt, and told him that posterity would have to live with the typos.
Man, I'm in a foul mood these days.
Foul mood or not, he was way out of line. He wouldn't suggest that to the author of a book already on shelves, would he? Why is this different?
Also, the idea that he'll gladly tell you how he feels about the story after you let him come in and clean it up? BARF.