The Write Agenda vs. Writer Beware
Some of you have seen this particular mess by now. For anyone unfamiliar with Writer Beware, they are “the public face of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America’s Committee on Writing Scams.” This group has provided invaluable information on how to avoid the scammers and the bottom-feeders for as long as I’ve been writing. Ann Crispin, Victoria Strauss, and Richard White volunteer countless hours in order to track, document, and share information on writing scams and pitfalls. Their blog should be required reading for pretty much anyone hoping to make a career in this business.
The Write Agenda is “a group of individuals, writers, want-to-be authors and inquisitive wordsmiths that have become ‘literally’ numb from reading the numerous author help related blog posts.” This group provides invaluable information on that time Victoria Strauss used the f-word on her Facebook page. This site should be required reading for pretty much anyone hoping to be a bottom-feeding douchebag.
I wasn’t sure how I wanted to approach this post. I could point to Writer Beware’s rather thorough and well-documented pawnage of TWA, or their screenshots page where they build a strong case as to who’s behind the TWA site. I could bemoan the fact that I’ve apparently been slacking on my watchdog duties, as I’ve failed to make TWA’s Boycott List. I could stare incredulously at the fact that TWA wants to hold a book burning…
But the more I read, the more fascinated I became. I only have an undergraduate degree in psychology, but I’m intrigued by the unhealthy levels of obsession, vindictiveness, and self-importance displayed by the anonymous minds at TWA. It’s like watching an angry, poo-flinging monkey who believes he’s Rambo.
TWA is also behind the BadReads site (they share the same Contact page/form), where they “proactively engage in boycott campaigns,” and triumphantly share such damning evidence as the fact that one of Ann Crispin’s books once had an Amazon ranking of 100,351!
Take that, Ann “A.C.” Crispin, Oppressor of Douchebags! Revenge is a dish best served cold. It is very cold in bizarre blog posts that few people actually read…
Eventually, as I clicked through page after page of TWA’s attacks, my anger gave way to disbelieving giggles, and then the giggles faded into pity. I found myself staring in amazement at the sheer volume of posts, imagining the countless hours these individuals have spent going after Strauss, Crispin, and other industry watchdogs. (And they seem to be adding to their enemies lists almost daily.)
It’s sad. Devoting so much of one’s life to such obsessive, rabid hate … I don’t want to make fun of them anymore. But as they seem to be pouring even more time and energy into their efforts, I do think it’s important for authors, readers, and others involved with the publishing industry to be aware of them.
In the meantime, my thanks to the volunteers at Writer Beware and elsewhere, who have helped me and countless other authors over the years.
Writer Beware: Blog & Facebook
Ann Crispin: Twitter & Facebook
Victoria Strauss: Twitter & Facebook
Richard White: Twitter
Mainer
October 5, 2011 @ 11:07 am
Never heard of that site, and I hope I don’t step in it again.
I mean, their boycott list is everyone who’s done the most for the writing community for the past ten years.
It’s either heavy-duty karma, or an unfortunate grudge taken too far.
Jim C. Hines
October 5, 2011 @ 11:18 am
According to some of the evidence Writer Beware has gathered and shared, it sounds like this is probably a group of one or more scammers who have been outed by W.B. in the past and are trying to fight back.
cleve
October 5, 2011 @ 11:40 am
Hi JIm,
I’ve been a fan of your writing and advice for years now. The posts you’ve put up in the World of Fantasy yahoo group have been funny and insightful and pure gold. I have a lot of respect for you and what you do. Thanks, for this and everything else. One day, I’m going to buy you a coffee. “Bottom-feeding douchebag.” That’s gold man. Pure gold.
C
Shea
October 5, 2011 @ 11:53 am
Their boycott list is a great starter pack for my winter reading. Anyone who stands up to TWA’s dreck is A-Okay in my book.
David H. Burton
October 5, 2011 @ 12:16 pm
“According to some of the evidence Writer Beware has gathered and shared, it sounds like this is probably a group of one or more scammers who have been outed by W.B. in the past and are trying to fight back.”….hit the nail on the head. Couldn’t agree more.
Jim C. Hines
October 5, 2011 @ 2:10 pm
Thank you!
Jim C. Hines
October 5, 2011 @ 2:12 pm
As far as I can tell, more than 2/3 of the total number of page hits to that site have come in the past few days, from folks like Writer Beware and Scalzi and Boing-Boing, all of whom are pointing out how ridiculous they are.
Which makes me suspect their boycott lists are probably generating significantly more sales than they prevented 🙂
Stephen A. Watkins
October 5, 2011 @ 2:26 pm
This was, quite possibly, better than Scalzi’s post on the subject. I hadn’t thought about the strange and sad psychology that might motivate something like this.
Mainer
October 5, 2011 @ 2:27 pm
As far as I can tell, more than 2/3 of the total number of page hits to that site have come in the past few days, from folks like Writer Beware and Scalzi and Boing-Boing, all of whom are pointing out how ridiculous they are.
Exactly. And yet they spin it so well: New High for The Write Agenda 20,718 Visitors Today!
One only has to look at their newsletter, “Join 13 other followers,” for just how many are interested in what they say.
And most of those are probably the Boycott List keeping an eye on TWA’s BS.
Jim C. Hines
October 5, 2011 @ 2:31 pm
Now let’s be fair. At least some of those 13 followers are almost certainly the folks running TWA, subscribing to their own feed…
Jim C. Hines
October 5, 2011 @ 2:32 pm
It’s … depressing, really.
Emily Hensel
October 5, 2011 @ 8:14 pm
Writers’ Agenda’s real name is “Scammers With Grudges,”…or maybe “Drudges With Grudges?”
Good Lord,..reading their “writers to avoid list” is like reading a listing of some of the most talented writers in the USA!! Sheesh!1 It would be an honor to make their avoidance list!! Crispin and Elrod? Wowsers!! It’s like being included in a who’s who list!! They seem to be trying to tell people to avoid some of the most talented people in America!!
Goes off shaking her head!! I KNOW what I like to read and I won’t look at a list made out by a group of jackasses!!
Just one fan’s opinion!!
………………….Stanelle
Maxine MagicFox
October 5, 2011 @ 11:40 pm
Internet can haz trollz.
I won’t ruin my life by bothering to click the link to check the site. I’d also rather not increase their visitor hit count and actually support them in some vague way.
Thank you for the warning, Jim.
Shea
October 6, 2011 @ 1:43 am
Ha! One would think if they put 1/10 of their time into writing as they do in keeping up that pointless website, they might be marginally successful writers by now.
Brett Worrell
October 6, 2011 @ 11:23 am
It’s fun going to the different authors on the avoid list and reading their take on such a list. I can hear all the librarians receiving the “Banned” list… Mine was laughing her head off.
I gladly offer a salute to all writers who’ve made the list, as well as those who’ve done the work to help lowly newbies like me.
Ann Elise Monte
October 8, 2011 @ 11:43 pm
I shouldn’t be surprised something like this has cropped up. I’m far too small-time to end up on their list. Perhaps that will be my new goal…
KatG
October 9, 2011 @ 3:58 pm
I have no pity for them because they are scammers and this Write Agenda thing is just another scam to try to extract more money from people who don’t know what’s going on but who are trying to write. With luck the scammers who put the site together will end up in jail for their other activities and their antics will become an old joke.
Stanelle
October 11, 2011 @ 9:10 am
With some of the most talented writers in the business on their banned list,..I’ve seen other writers of lesser quality ASK how to get on the banned list so that they can have something in common with the already listed people!!
I had heard of the “Soup Nazis,”..now I guess the new and upcoming thing is the “Writer Nazis,”…the Write Agenda!! I mean didn’t the Write Agenda speak of burning books? Didn’t the Nazis burn books and kill people with disAbilities?
Heck,..I’m Deaf!! Let them,..the Write Agenda,.. add me to the list of banned writers and burn my books on Deafness and deaf blindness and other disAbilities!! Wouldn’t doing that,..coming after me,..make them guilty of a hate crime?
Hoe PC can they be?