How to avoid getting mobbed for your beliefs.

Brochfael · Jun 3, 2012

I've noticed that when authors make their views on any given issue public knowledge, they often ruffle a few feathers and sometimes find groups of people with opposing viewpoints trying to take action that would harm their careers.

On one hand you have Orson Scott Card; people have called for boycotts of everything he's been involved in, from Shadow Complex to Ultimate Iron Man. While on the other side of the spectrum you have Philip Pullman, The Golden Compass movie underperformed in the US cinema due to an organized boycott by the Catholic League.

It seems to me that if you attract the wrong kind of readers before you make your views known, or come to the attention of opposing groups it could cause some severe problems.

Some people would say that there is no such thing as bad publicity but I'm not sure if I agree. It seems that if you step on the toes of people who passionately disagree with you they will try to hit you where it hurts; your career.

This thread is for brainstorming ways writers can avoid these kind of problems, or minimize the damage when they do.

Ken · Jun 3, 2012

... am among those who despise Card, based on what I've read about him here, and would never buy a book of his or anything associated with him.

At the same time, a small part of me finds it regrettable that speech is stymied even in the case that someone says something idiotic. Maybe it would be for the best if people were allowed to say whatever they wanted without any severe consequences following even if what they had to say offended many, including myself.

Freedom of speech is important.

Then again, it's annoying to have to hear people voicing hate and ignorance. Can that really be qualified as speech? It's more like gibberish.

MaryMumsy · Jun 3, 2012

No matter what your opinion on an issue, someone is going to be offended. If you want to avoid controversy, keep your mouth shut on controversial issues. I prefer not to know the opinions of my favorite authors. Let the work speak for itself, and don't talk about things that may hit someone's hot button.

MM

kaitie · Jun 3, 2012

I'm with MaryMumsy. I occasionally venture into controversy here, but I also don't plan to associate my user name with my books. For the most part, I would just avoid controversial topics.

I have to admit, there are a couple of authors who tend to be very political/ranty on their blogs, and it's turned me off their books. But it's not just that I disagree most of the time. I can disagree but still appreciate someone who has a well-considered argument that is thoughtful, respectful, and calm. It seems, though, that most of the time when I come across something like this, the author is mocking the opposing side, making rude remarks, and trying to come up with snarky one-liners. Even if I agree, that sort of behavior just turns me off so much that I can't enjoy their books anymore.

Maybe we should just file this under the universal "don't be a douchebag" clause.

Tirjasdyn · Jun 3, 2012

Brochfael said:
R]

On one hand you have Orson Scott Card; people have called for boycotts of everything he's been involved in, from Shadow Complex to Ultimate Iron Man. While on the other side of the spectrum you have Philip Pullman, The Golden Compass movie underperformed in the US cinema due to an organized boycott by the

Really, I thought Golden Compass Failed because they switched around the story and cut off the ending because of violence therefore making the movie a bit unintelligible.

You are always going to piss off someone.

buz · Jun 3, 2012

I've noticed that when ~~authors~~ pretty much any persons even marginally in the sphere of public attention make their views on any given issue public knowledge, they often ruffle a few feathers and sometimes find groups of people with opposing viewpoints trying to take action that would harm their careers.

Anyone who says anything can offend anyone.

The more public attention you garner, the more people you will likely offend. Not that I think authors particularly garner a lot of public attention, but probably more than, you know, apple pickers.

On one hand you have Orson Scott Card; people have called for boycotts of everything he's been involved in, from Shadow Complex to Ultimate Iron Man. While on the other side of the spectrum you have Philip Pullman, The Golden Compass movie underperformed in the US cinema due to an organized boycott by the Catholic League.

These people purposely put their goals and controversial views out there for the sake of garnering attention to them. If you don't want to say anything about your views, then don't.

Also, both those authors have done pretty well in general. It's not like their causing offense has ruined them.

It seems to me that if you attract the wrong kind of readers before you make your views known, or come to the attention of opposing groups it could cause some severe problems.

I don't quite understand this sentence. But what I said before stands: If you say anything about anything, and some people are listening, some of them may potentially get offended. Especially if your purpose is to propagate your beliefs. Especially you say something about particular groups. Especially if you are outspoken and passionate about your beliefs and you care more about them than the bits of money you might lose from pissing people off.

Some people would say that there is no such thing as bad publicity but I'm not sure if I agree. It seems that if you step on the toes of people who passionately disagree with you they will try to hit you where it hurts; your career.

I think there is such a thing as bad publicity. Like if you're an author and you act like a jackass and punch a kid out of a wheelchair and then beat him further with his own wheelchair, and the media was taping it, that would probably be bad publicity.

This thread is for brainstorming ways writers can avoid these kind of problems, or minimize the damage when they do.

Never say anything. Keep it light at all times, puppies and glitter and baking and the splendor of the sunset. If asked a more heavy question directly, deflect with a nonsensical statement or burst into song.

I'm pretty sure nobody's going to beat your opinions out of you. You have to say them for people to take offense at them. And you can decide if you care enough about them to potentially risk losing a section of audience for them or not.

That said, people will still probably take offense at things you thought were totally innocuous. In which case, you should probably ignore it, because they'll most likely be in the minority.

thothguard51 · Jun 3, 2012

Like anything else in life, an author needs to choose their battles, carefully.

SomethingOrOther · Jun 3, 2012

I'm not very interested in sharing my beliefs. I don't even think there's anything special or privileged about them, and I think that beliefs, in general, are just tools we use to maneuver our way through our lives, and that apart from the stupid ones (e.g., racist, sexist, bigoted, etc. ones), plenty of beliefs that diametrically oppose mine are valid, and that part of being a reasonable person, who has empathy for others, is being able to understand these opposing beliefs.

So I agree with MaryMumsy. But my silence about controversial issues wouldn't be a product of fear; it would be a product of honestly not giving much of a five-dollar fuck whether everyone's beliefs aligned with mine or not.

Al Stevens · Jun 3, 2012

I wonder whether I could enjoy any of Bill O'Reilly's or Glenn Beck's historical works.

It was years before I could watch Jane Fonda act.

Sometimes you have to separate the art from the politics.

SomethingOrOther · Jun 3, 2012

Glenn Beck has submitted novel manuscripts, but they have all been auto-binned because their ink is always smudged to the point of unreadability by tears.

jjdebenedictis · Jun 3, 2012

If you never offend anyone, you're also unlikely to ever touch anyone. Art is considered powerful only when it provokes emotion, and that means art needs some honesty, some rawness, and some teeth to do its job.

I think you stand to lose more by playing it safe than you do by letting it all hang out.

Lady Gaga is a perfect example of how being utterly outrageous and even offensive can pay off. She's a polarizing figure; people either adore her work or detest it.

But the people who adore it are the kind of fans who will buy everything she puts out and drive word of mouth sales by telling all their friends how awesome they think she is.

If people only liked or disliked Lady Gaga (rather than loving or hating her), she wouldn't have sold as many CDs as she has.

In other words, if you're pissing people off, you're probably galvanizing others, and the ones who respond powerfully and positively to your work are a more valuable type of fan.

Also, I really think there are few things that cripple creativity as fast as worrying what other people are going to think of you. You create art to express yourself. If you try to tailor what comes out of your brain in order to please the hypothetical people who might be offended by it, then eventually that begs the question of why you're bothering to try create art at all. Art has to be a product of you, not your social anxieties.

How can you try to minimize the harm you will do to your own career by having opinions?
- Try not to be a jerk.
- When you've been a jerk, admit it, apologize, and take your public whipping with as much dignity as possible.
- Be open to the idea that you might be wrong; listen to others.
- Understand it's okay for people to be different from one another.
- Understand your audience may have no interest in what you think, and respect their boundaries.

leahzero · Jun 3, 2012

Card spreads homophobia, intolerance, and misinformation.

Pullman expresses criticism of organized religion.

There’s a world of difference.

Mr Flibble · Jun 3, 2012

I'm not entirely sure what you are asking here

If you have views, express them.

If no, don;t

For every persom who hated say the Compass, I can name a few who loved it because of what it expressed. Costt Card is, tricky -I never cared for is writing so it's easy to say I won't read any more if he's a douche. He still gets alot of sales

Because a fair few readers don't know anything about the 'controversy'. They just pick up a book in a book hop.

You know, you can spout a fair bit, and your average readre may (or may not) know. If it is important to you - say it. Cos whatever you say, people will hate you for it even if you say 'I like people, they are fun'

People hate bacon too and I can''t grasp that...bit if I can hate X food, they can hate Y. So people will hate. Learn to live with it.

Susan Coffin · Jun 3, 2012

Controversy is a part of life. If you put your views out there, you open yourself to disagreement. Pick you battles.

Marzipan · Jun 3, 2012

I have to admit, there are a couple of authors who tend to be very political/ranty on their blogs, and it's turned me off their books.

This is what kinda killed it for me with Pullman.

I guess the best way to stay out of the disfavor of the public is to be sensitive toward the beliefs of others, while still sticking with your own.

frimble3 · Jun 3, 2012

Maybe if writers just wrote their books and didn't translate big book sales into "Wow, people just love me and care about every thought I think and thing I say!"

In general, I'd say the simplest way to avoid trouble is the old-fashioned way: don't inflict your views of politics and religion on strangers.
Can't find anything else to blog about? Anything? Then shrug, accept that some people won't like you, and may not buy your books and carry on.

Myself, I don't care if my butter comes from contented cows. I only care about the creative output, not the creator.

gothicangel · Jun 4, 2012

Getting 'mobbed' isn't a bad thing. Look at DVC had the Catholic Church looked the other way, most of us probably wouldn't have heard of Dan Brown. Instead they made a huge song and dance about it, and it became an international bestseller.

Personally, if I were to become a super-star-millionaire-author, then yes I would use my fame to speak out about causes I believe in. I remember a quote from a film: 'we do no-one no favours by staying small. But if we allow ourselves to shine bright, we allow others to shine too.'

And I love Philip Pullman.

crunchyblanket · Jun 4, 2012

Freedom of speech comes with freedom of reaction. You're free to say you think homosexuality is disgusting and unnatural, and I'm free to say you're a bigoted asshole and refuse to buy anything you've ever written. That's how this thing works.

I'm outspoken in my beliefs and politics, and I accept that there will be people out there who disagree with me, and who will be put off my books because of it. Is it a gamble I'm willing to take? It's going to have to be, because if I have to repress all of my rantings I will probably combust.

It's all down to whether or not your beliefs are important enough to you to risk your popularity. It's a decision only the individual can make.

Gilroy Cullen · Jun 4, 2012

I like to think of things this way --

Freedom of Speech is linked to Freedom of Restraint.

Or to paraphrase Jurassic Park (the movie):

Don't be so concerned that you can that you don't stop to think if you SHOULD!

gothicangel · Jun 4, 2012

I think I've got this quote right:

All it takes for evil to succeed, is for good to be silent.

Brochfael · Jun 4, 2012

What surprises me is that almost no one has come out in support of OSC. As I understand it America has its first Mormon Presidential candidate, North Carolina banned Gay Marriage by popular vote and Liberty University ranks number 7 for enrollment.

You'd think there'd be no shortage people trying to promote and defend him, yet the whole internet seems to unanimously loathe him.

If I were him I'd be looking for a new demographic. Maybe if he published through a house like Baen he wouldn't have so many problems.

Which brings me back to my origional OP; If you find your readership cannot tolerate your views on any given issue get a new readership. If your faith is too important to keep out of your work; find a Christian publisher, don't keep trying to sell Signs to a group of people who think Issac Asimov or George RR Martin are the best writers ever. OSC keeps making the mistake of promoting himself to people who find his views "reprehensible".

Contraiaise: reconsider putting atheist tracks in your childrens book, there are people who will do anything to keep that kind of thing out of kids litreture. SFF should be a lot more welcoming.

shadowwalker · Jun 4, 2012

I think there's a difference here (or maybe I misread the OP) between what your work says and what you say. I would never hold back on my work based on the possibility of causing offense; however, the 'choose your battles" definitely comes into play with my personal opinions and views. Were I to become semi-famous, I doubt very much that I would use that as a platform for my rhetoric, simply because I know the difference between popularity of one's work and popularity of oneself. However, if I were asked a specific question, I'd give a totally honest answer and let the chips fall where they may. I wouldn't let my career turn me into a hypocrite or PC paranoid.

Phaeal · Jun 4, 2012

Contraiaise: reconsider putting atheist tracks in your childrens book, there are people who will do anything to keep that kind of thing out of kids litreture. SFF should be a lot more welcoming.

I think China Mieville has atheist tracks in his latest (YA) novel about a whole world full of railways. Well, with that many tracks, gotta be some that are atheist.

Brochfael · Jun 4, 2012

Phaeal said:
I think China Mieville has atheist tracks in his latest (YA) novel about a whole world full of railways. Well, with that many tracks, gotta be some that are atheist.

I'm talking more about little kiddie's books that parents read to them at bed time. Conservative Christian Parents get, understandably, very upset when they find themselves having to read over passages where characters pontificate about the evils of organized religion for several pages. *cough*Paolini*cough*.

WriteMinded · Jun 4, 2012

I'll worry about all that when the talk show host asks me my views on something controversial. Also, I don't really care what OSC, or any other author, thinks about anything. If I like a writer's work, I buy their books. I don't care about their politics or their prejudices.

How to avoid getting mobbed for your beliefs.

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