Do authors have a "duty to warn"?

A couple of weeks ago the very first novel I ever wrote, Funerals for Horses, got a scathing 1–star review on Amazon from a person who said “someone should have warned” her that there was sex in the book. Well, I did, actually, in my new introduction. I didn’t respond, of course, because I don’t think authors should ever respond to reviews. But I did begin to discuss it a bit on Facebook in the context of a recent post regarding authors leaving reviewers alone.

Interestingly, I heard from another woman, a Facebook friend, who also strongly believes in book “warnings.” She feels that if a book contains sex it should say so in the promotional description, because otherwise she will already have spent her money by the time she finds out, and it will be too late.

Actually, the book is for sale exclusively on Amazon, and the reader can use the “look inside” feature before buying. Plus Amazon ebooks can be returned for a full refund in the first few days.

That said, I’m looking further into whether something should be said in the book description of Funerals for Horses. But I have a feeling the problem will not be so easily solved. While I totally support people’s right to read only what they care to read, I’m not sure the author can solve the problem with warnings.

Here's where I stand on "warning" readers. Or, at least, where I think I stand. I’m hoping to hear from readers and get more information that will help me decide.

How do I know where the reader’s line will fall regarding sex? I have a couple of books in which characters have sex, but it's described in very non-specific, emotional-observations-only terms. Do they need a warning? What about the adult edition of Pay It Forward? Reuben and Arlene have sex, but we leave them at the bedroom door. But they wake up in the same bed. Does that need a warning?

I'm really shocked by how many people won't read a book with "swearing" in it. Do I need to warn about that? What about damn and hell? Does that count? If I soften the s-word by saying "crap," will that offend? Some people it will, other people it won’t.

I’ve actually had readers write to me to learn in advance if the name of God is taken in vain in one of my books. I did a search for one person, and found that it was used in sentences like, “I hope to God it’s okay,” but not in the context of swearing. I returned that information, saying I hoped it helped. The reader in question said it did, but without telling me where it fell on his line. But it wouldn’t have changed much if he had, because someone else’s line will be different.

I myself don't like to read books with upsettingly detailed violence. But how can the people who market the book know how much violence I will find upsetting?

Then there are people who will not read a book in which an animal is mistreated, or even one in which a pet dies a natural death.

Several people complained about When I Found You, feeling that they should have known in advance that the book includes boxing and hunting, because those are activities they don’t like.

I’m really not saying any of this sarcastically, or as if my view is the only one. I just don’t know how an author can  address in advance what a reader might find unacceptable. I may still decide to warn about the sex issue in Funerals for Horses, if only because it’s so different from my newer books, and I can understand why some readers would have come to expect something different from me. But I wonder if the only real solution to the problem at hand is for the reader to read the free sample, then buy the book, then stop reading and return the book if they feel they’ve made a mistake.

I’ve been in the book business for a long time, and this feels like a new problem to me. I never heard a word about a responsibility to warn readers about sex and language until a year or two ago. I’d be interested in hearing what my readers think on the subject. Because if I should be doing better to help readers have a good experience with my work, I want to know.

The Ethical Author Code

Historical novelist Jane Steen recently wrote a very good opinion piece on ethics in self-publishing for the ALLi (Alliance of Independent Authors) website. I'll link to it HERE.  

I'm sure very few readers are strangers to the fact that "authors behaving badly" incidents have been a sore subject for the last several years. Authors have stalked reviewers and then proudly written articles about it, hit them over the head with wine bottles, bought false reviews or written sock puppet reviews, and mercilessly spammed potential book buyers by email or in social media. And that's a short list of what's going wrong.

Several years ago I wrote An Open Letter to Authors on this blog, offering my opinion on what to say in response to a bad review. (Hint: NOTHING!) Unfortunately, we are still swimming in the same issues today.

A few important things to remember:

• This is a tiny segment of authors causing problems. Most authors are polite and ethical. As with all "news," you just don't hear as much about the good news.
• This is not exclusively an indie author problem. However, in the past, publishers have tended to rein authors in. And in decades past, mountains of criticism and rejection have faced authors long before their books ever saw the light of day. We learned to deal with it before hitting the public eye. Now, I'm afraid, some are learning to hear criticism in public. 
• Like most bad trends, fighting against it yields poorer results than committing to its solution.

So I'm speaking out on this positive new trend of the Ethical Author Code. The code is available on the Alli website. I think my readers already know that I bend over backwards not to violate any points of this code. For example, for years I've been encouraged to keep an email list of readers, but I have always refused. I feel that emailing you to tell you I have a new book out is spamming you. So, though you give me your email address for the purpose of giveaways, I don't save those addresses or use them for any other purpose. I put news on my website, on this blog, and on my social media pages, so you know where to find it. If you want it. That's the key.

I publicly commit to all points of The Ethical Author Code, and encourage other authors to do the same.

But I want to know what happened!

Sometimes when I write fiction, I leave certain details open-ended. Yes, there is always more to know about the arc of characters’ lives, but in my opinion some of it belongs in the story and some doesn’t.

            Unfortunately, this seems to drive a percentage of readers crazy.

            People write to me asking how things turned out for a character or characters. Sebastian and Maria (from Chasing Windmills), for example. Will they be together again? People have said in their reader reviews that they’re taking away one star because I didn’t tell them if Nat and Carol get back together at the end of When I Found You. People request sequels with surprising frequency, which is a lovely compliment—but it’s another example of curiosity regarding what happens after the last page (although I know it some cases it’s a desire to spend more time with the characters, which I love to hear).

            Then there’s Pay It Forward.

            Right now I’m in the process of reading over 100 emails from middle school students who are studying Pay It Forward in school. Which is a lot of fun. But they want to know all this stuff beyond the last page. What happens with Trevor? Did this or that character really Pay It Forward?

            I find myself having more and more to say about fiction as it relates to any open questions in the work. I think there’s a flaw in how we’re looking at the whole issue. And I think reading becomes more meaningful when we clear up the misunderstanding. So I’m going to air my thoughts about that in this post.

            When I worked with my editor at Simon & Schuster to create the Young Readers’ Edition of Pay It Forward, I had a big decision to make regarding the ending. I decided not to go against my original intention, exactly, but rather to end the book before Trevor’s fate is known and let young readers decide for themselves. I knew I’d get questions about it, so I included the following in my introduction/author’s note for the Young Readers’ Edition:

            “This is the same book, just a bit shorter, and much more appropriate for the young reader. The characters and the story are the same.

            One thing is slightly changed, however. I’ve done something a little different with the ending. Left it more open. And I know I’ll get a lot of questions about it. Children, and probably adults as well, will email me to ask what happened after the last page.

            But fiction isn’t like that. I don’t have a secret key to any parts of the story that aren’t on the page. After I stop writing, it’s up to you. That’s the magic of a story. It’s a combination of your imagination and mine. Whatever happens in your mind is just as real as what happens in the mind of the author.

            So don’t write to me and ask me how it ended. Write to me and tell me how it ended for you.

            We’ll pool our resources and come up with a memorable story. And maybe … just maybe … a kinder world.”

            So here are a couple of answers for those who want to know what happened to/with [fill in the blank]:

            1. Nothing happened. It’s fiction. Those people don’t exist. I do want to say, though, that I’m pleased and flattered that you feel like they did. That’s a great compliment. But they can’t do anything beyond the words on the page, because they’re not real.

            2. Reading is a different kind of experience from, say, watching a movie. It’s a fictional world where you bring your imagination to the page with mine, and we create something together. Don’t give my imagination too much credit and your own too little. Do Carol and Nat get back together? Do Sebastian and Maria come back around to each other? They do if you say they do. There’s no reason to ask me, as if I own all their details. That’s the beauty of reading. You own them, too.

            Please feel free to share your thoughts on how any of these characters or story lines evolved in your imagination after the last page, because your assessment is every bit as valid as mine.

Speak Loudly for RAINN

Those of you who have followed this blog for ages know that I was one of many authors (and others) to Speak Loudly for the book Speak (by Laurie Halse Anderson) when it faced a censorship challenge. I tweeted and Facebooked about it, and wrote an opinion piece about the initiative for AOL News.

Starting today, in honor of Speak, the publisher Macmillan is partnering with RAINN (the Rape and Incest National Network) in a Matching Donation Campaign to raise funds for the RAINN organization and awareness during Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April 2013.

RAINN is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization and Laurie, a longtime supporter, is committed to furthering their goal of giving every victim of sexual violence a voice. The campaign launches April 2 (coinciding with the National Sexual Assault and Awareness Day of Action) and will run through the month of April. Macmillan will match up to $10,000 in donations and will also be facilitating several incentives programs, including a ‘How Speak Spoke to Me’ creative contest, signed book giveaways, a manuscript review (by Laurie) and a chance for the school that raises the most money to win a visit from Laurie.

I hope you'll support this important initiative, and help give a voice to those who need it most. You can learn more about the #Speak4RAINN Campaign HERE.

More About How to be a Writer...

Most of you know that I collaborated with friend and publishing industry blogger Anne R. Allen on a nonfiction book for writers, How to be a Writer in the E-Age...and Keep Your E-Sanity. I'm dedicating today's blog post to our book because it just passed a lovely milestone. Its first updated ebook is now live.

When we set out to write a book about our rapidly-changing industry, we knew it presented a challenge. On the one hand, writers desperately need a map to navigate these changes. On the other hand, our information was fated to date quickly. Enter our publisher, Mark Williams International, who offered the ebook with free updates every six months. 

Our book is evolving.

This, of course, is something that can only be accomplished in the digital age, and a great example of the value of ebooks. But I'm also aware that How to be a Writer has fallen victim to a misperception. The market has been flooded with books about how to make lots of money self publishing ebooks. And because Anne and I are obviously writing about authors in this new digital era, I'm afraid many people think that's what our book is about. But How to be a Writer in the E-Age is about all aspects of being a writer. It compares and defines many publishing models without taking sides in the debate. And when we suggest our goal is to help you keep your sanity, we mean it.  

Anne and I write about topics that extend all the way from getting your first draft on paper to keeping your head on straight after that major shot of success. In between we offer advice on rejection, unsupportive friends and loved ones, the care and feeding of your critique group, social networking and the creation of an online author's platform, and.... Whew. There are a lot of topics. Have to stop to catch my breath. We compare and contrast the different publishing models and offer helpful suggestions for writing the pitch, query letter and synopsis. We even offer new perspectives on depression and writer's block. And of course Anne goes into great depth on her specialty, how to blog.

And that is by no means an inclusive list. I'm just skating over the surface of the table of contents to give you an idea of our scope.

Here's an example of one of my short pieces on making sense of criticism. I chose this piece because I know many of you reading this blog are not writers. But everybody has to deal with criticism. So I thought everybody could potentially relate. 

MAKING SENSE OF CRITICISM

My first short story acceptance praised the way I “depicted the characters with brief brush strokes." The same story had just been rejected by another magazine because of the “hollowness” of the characters.

One story was accepted with such enthusiasm that the editor thanked me for sending it to his magazine, citing such work as his reason for being an editor. He went on to nominate it for Best American Short Stories, the O. Henry award and the Pushcart Prize. The last editor to have read the same story rejected it, saying it did not hold the reader’s interest and was told, not shown.

When my novel Pay It Forward came out, Time Magazine called my dialogue tinny and my characters stunted. The Chicago Tribune called my dialogue believable and my characters well-drawn.

It starts the day you join a critique group, it intensifies when you get an agent. Every time your agent sends out the work, the rejections get more confusing. One editor says it’s too this, the other says it’s too that. In the face of such conflicting opinions, what do you keep and what do you throw away?

I like to say that you must never, ever, under any circumstances, change your work just because someone tells you to…unless, of course, they’re right.

The writers in the group usually laugh. Because, of course, knowing who is right was the problem to begin with. I can’t sum up this thorny situation in a handful of words and make it all come clear. But I can offer a few ideas for consideration:

1.) There is no “right” and “wrong” concerning art or creativity. Everyone’s opinion is just that. An opinion. I despise the work of Ernest Hemingway. If I had been a contemporary, I might well have told Papa not to quit his day job. Would he have been wise to accept my opinion as fact?   

2.) Lichtenberg said, “A book is a mirror; if an ass peers into it, don’t expect an apostle to peer out.” This is not cited to characterize those who disagree with you, only to make the point that people bring their own experiences and perceptions to your work. You can’t stop them. No two people will have the same experience with what you write.      

3.) Our egos tend to dictate that all the advice given us regarding our work is wrong. This is what I like to call the “You just don’t get it” syndrome. Sometimes that same advice sounds a lot saner and more workable a few days later. In a critique situation, it helps to write down everything that’s said and sleep on it for awhile.

4.) Try saying nothing when faced with advice. When you begin to argue you stop listening. Even if the person really is saying stupid things, arguing will only make him or her say more stupid things. Right or wrong, just listen.

5.) Your reader is important. If your reader doesn’t get it, you’re not done. Then again there will always be someone who doesn’t get it. If it’s one in ten, you can’t please everybody. If it’s nine in ten, it’s time to listen.

6.) Important as your readers are, their names do not go on the finished product. It is your own sensibility that you ultimately have to please. No matter how strongly someone disagrees with the direction of your work, it must remain your work, or you’ve lost everything worth having. 

One of the biggest breakthroughs I ever had was when I learned to stop saying, “Is it good or is it bad?” and switched to, “What is the market for this? Who would like this kind of work?”

Dealing with the opinions of others is, in my estimation, the hardest part of being a writer. I don’t know that anything I’ve said makes it all that much easier. But there’s a question you can ask yourself at times such as these, and the answer will tell you everything you need to know. The catch is that you have to ask it on a deep level and answer honestly.

The question is, “Do I agree?”

When you can answer that question honestly, a great deal of initial confusion will fall away. When you base changes—or the refusal to make changes—on that answer, you will be honoring your reader, your work and yourself. 

______

If you're a writer, check out our ever-evolving ebook HERE. If you're a paper book person, you can find the paperback HERE. It was also just updated. But after you buy it, of course it won't continue to evolve. And if you don't know my co-author, Anne R. Allen, you should. She's a wonderful author and Anne R. Allen's Blog...with Ruth Harris is an invaluable tool for writers. And you might want to check out this lovely interview with Anne and myself by Joanna Celeste for You Read It Here First. 

If you have writer friends who are still trying to figure out which publishing path is best for them, please spread the word that How to be a Writer covers it all, without undue slant.

I hope it makes a noticeable addition to your continued sanity in this crazy business.

Update on 2013-02-06 01:27 by Catherine

I have the answer now about claiming your updated ebook. If you subscribed to updates, yours should already have been emailed to you. If you signed up, and you haven't received it, please go to the Contact Me page and let me know. If you're not sure what I mean by subscribing, you definitely need to subscribe. 

At the very end of the ebook, you'll see a page that says this:

"This book will be updated every six months to ensure it always carries the latest up-to-date information about the ever-changing publishing scene.  The updated ebook version can be sent to you free of charge. Just add your email address to our mailing list.  Your information will not be sold or otherwise passed on to third parties, and will only be used to send you news and updates relating to the authors.  Click here"

Click there. And join the mailing list. And here's a bit of good news. Though we can't create a paperback that evolves every six months, if you purchased the paperback, the publisher will send you updated e-files on request.

This note from the publisher: "We had an issue with the subscription service when the ebook first went live, which our formatter subsequently sorted, but possibly those reporting no response were those with the early downloads - in which case, they'll still have the same problem. So far as I know the Zon doesn't automatically update purchased files for customers when new versions are uploaded. If anyone tries again and has no response within 48 hours then safe to presume I've not received anything from them."

So, if you haven't received your update, try again to join the mailing list. If you still haven't received your update in 48 hours, go to my Contact Me page, send me an email. I have the files now, and will send you one right away. Thanks!