Okay, time for more of my opinions on author dos & don’ts. 

 Going to talk about privacy this time.  One of the more recent blog dramas involved a post that had a lot to do with private family matters.  Not going into any more detail on that directly, because it got enough attention and it’s time to let sleeping dogs lie.

But this was just one of the many things I’ve seen online that personally, I wouldn’t have ever mentioned.  In the writing business, whether you’re a writer, an editor, a publisher or whatever…we spend a lot of time online.  We get to know people.  But sometimes, I think you can let out a little too much about yourself.

Me, I rarely share much personal info online.  Believe it or not, this even involves pictures of me.  Pictures are a personal thing for me, and I don’t care, at all, to see my picture online. There are actually a few more in depth reasons for not liking to have pictures of me online, but I’m not going to get into them. The few times I’ve had no choice with the pictures, I grin and bear it. Or I make a weird face at the camera, yeah. I admit it. 

I don’t talk about my sex life, I don’t talk about when I’ve had falling outs with the DH and I don’t rant and rave when somebody has stabbed me in the back.  All of these happen and while, yeah, I could get some sympathy/attention if I spouted off about them, exactly what does that accomplish?  Nothing.

It has no place there.  Writing is a profession-acting professional should be a part of it. 

A lot of readers will freely admit they do have their own idea of how an author looks, or what they might be like. They form these opinions while reading a book, reading interviews, chatting with you online.  What they see online can help shape their opinion of you.  That opinion can and does influence their buying choices.  It can and does influence whether or not they will mention your name and book to friends. 

We all know how much word of mouth can help sales.  Something we may not look at as much is how much it can hurt sales. 

Now in general, I don’t think it hurts an author per se if he/she does the ‘suffering artist’ bit. There are going to be people who are oh so grateful that the author continues to muddle thru her trials and tribulations to bring you her wondrous books. 

Then there will be people like me, who scoff and roll their eyes and move on to somebody a little less… diva. I think a lot of it is drama and attention seeking.  Sorry.  That’s just how I see it.  I’m not real into sharing my personal agonies for all to see and when I read about somebody else’s ‘sufferings’, I tend to snort and then move on to somebody that isn’t going to make me roll my eyes. 

Many writers do have physical ailments that make getting thru the day a chore.  Between a lower back problem, serious carpal tunnel and tension headaches, I know about health issues.  However, I don’t care to talk about them.  I also don’t care to read about them.

I’ve read in various places, blogs, message boards, yahoo groups, etc, how an author suffers for her work.  I read the suffering to mean they sweat blood and tears to get the story out on paper.  Uh….nope.  That isn’t going to do a thing for me.  If I want angst, I’ll read it in my books.  I don’t want to know about the author’s angst.

Nor do I want to know about the author’s affairs, the author’s issues with kids, the author’s legal issues, the author’s trip to the grocery store…etc etc etc.

Does this mean I think everybody out there thinks like me?  Of course not.  But I know I’m not alone in my beliefs that some things are better left unsaid.  There was a bruhaha months back about an author talking about an affair she was having with a married man. It leff a bad taste in my mouth and I skim enough blogs and message boards and groups to know I wasn’t the only one wanting to go gargle with Listerine.

I can’t reiterate this enough.  Writing is a profession.  Yes, it is one where you can develop friendships.  A couple of my best friends are readers that I’ve gotten close to over the past few years.  But not every person out there is going to be my best friend.  And some things are better left for discussion between close friends and not the anonymity of the net.

When you’re talking about something online, take a minute and think.  If you were in a professional setting, ie: a doctor’s office, school function, professional office, retail…whatever, and the subject you’re talking about isn’t one that you’d discuss in front of a patient, client, customer…there’s a good chance it doesn’t belong in a public forum. 

It’s possible to be open, friendly and accessible while still being professional.  If you make a habit of crossing that line from open and friendly into ‘TMI’ (too much info), you’re doing something to your professional image.  Make certain it’s not doing a negative something. That image is very important to your career and if you mess it up, you may not ever get it back.