What We Deserve

So, then, you've joined the NWU, or some other union, right? I mean, it's a good attitude to have, but toothless if it stops at a mere position paper.

(I'm already in the Communication Workers of America, fwiw.)

The problem with "deserving" any of this is that there's ravening hordes of wannabees who figure all they got to do is declare "I AM A WRITER" & this qualifies them to go toe-to-toe with established, producing professionals. Case in point: SFWA, where (IMNSHO alert!) I keep encountering lackwits who barely made the join-up requirements, have written nothing since, & apparently don't even read the genres, yet declaim loudly about the status of hopefuls & pros alike.

Afinerosesheis said:

What do we deserve as published authors?

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Right there is your first erroneous assumption.

caw

Afinerosesheis said:

Forgive me, but I don't know half of what you just said.

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It's in English, & doesn't use many big words.

Afinerosesheis said:

Does this make me feel as if I am someone special? Absolutely not.

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You just went off on a tirade, a call-to-action, about the rights of anyone who wants to even pretend to be a writer (conveniently avoiding mention of parallel responsibilities). Are you screwing around, or just doing what the little voices tell you?

Afinerosesheis said:

I was just giving writers something to think about.

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The polite term for that is "pot-stirring."

Afinerosesheis said:

Thanks for stopping by.

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Thank you for being the structural equivalent of a speed-bump.

Anthony Ravenscroft said:

Thank you for being the structural equivalent of a speed-bump.

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Ouch...

Anthony Ravenscroft said:

(IMNSHO alert!)

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I understood everything but that ^^

No one ever deserves my respect, they have to earn it.

Afinerosesheis said:

We deserve to be respected AT ALL TIMES by our fellow authors.

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Elodie-Caroline said:

No one ever deserves my respect, they have to earn it.

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I believe that all people start out deserving of respect, but that they can lose it by misdeeds.

Admiration, now, that's a different story.

Each to their own. I treat all people as equal, no more, no less... until they do something for me not to treat them as such. People have to earn my respect and admiration, it is not a given right.

poetinahat said:

I believe that all people start out deserving of respect, but that they can lose it by misdeeds.

Admiration, now, that's a different story.

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I suspect we're operating from different definitions of respect. ETA: To me, respect in this context means essentially treating people as equals, and recognising that they are entitled to basic considerations, such as personal dignity.

In that regard, to me, respect and admiration are not the same thing, but I'm not fussed about the terminology.

How about health care, either through a Writer's Union or somehow through the publisher as an employer?

Rose, is there something that has led to this declaration? From where does it spring? Have you recently encountered a situation that has you chaffing or where you feel that you were disrespected?

I deserve to have my work judged on its merits not mine.

That's as far as I'm willing to go. I spent some years working in a call center, and while I was there I usually found the words "I deserve" were followed by an explanation of why this person shouldn't pay for services they had received.

Deserve

I don't think any of us deserve a damned thing, other than the right to try.

Jamesaritchie said:

I don't think any of us deserve a damned thing, other than the right to try.

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I'd have to agree with this statement, myself.

Elodie-Caroline said:

No one ever deserves my respect, they have to earn it.

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Everyone deserves my respect. It is my disrespect they must earn.

I deserve respect and a chance. Everything else, I have to work for it.

Infinite Entitlement Complex: "I am, therefore I deserve."

Bartholomew, I like that. I figure it this way -- my personal sense of self worth requires that I treat everyone with a basic level of respect. The level may change based upon experiences. i.e., you are Mr. or Miss/Mrs./Ms. "Smith" until such time as you indicate otherwise. (Yes, this forum is an exception, as we don't use full names.)

I don't know that "we" deserve most of what Rose listed. What was it that ragged piece of paper said? We have the right to the pursuit of happiness. Doesn't say we get to actually be happy.

We have the right to have ideas, and to express them. But, "our rights end at our nose."
Those to whom we express them have the right to express their own points of view. (Son of a gun. It's a forum!)

And as Mr. Ravenscroft pointed out. You can't expect to "deserve" something without shouldering on the responsibilities that come with it. Or, for that matter, proving your qualification.

Without that, it's just a wish list. And I deserve a pony.

(Please note, that was meant as flippancy, not actually disrespect. There are only so many words that I'm allowed to string together with serious intent. It's a union thing.)

Good Lord.
I don't know what to say.

I don't deserve anything as it relates to writing.
Discipline + skill + talent = the opportunity to try to earn something from writing. And what it is I earn is in direct proportion to the amount of the first three things mentioned along with Luck and researching the best places to earn.

Guys I don't think this is one of those times for a blunt wake up call or anything. Afinerose has just had to deal with PA and I think is just stating what she feels she deserves as an author as opposed to what they have provided for her. Yes of course we can go into the debate about whether authors "deserve" anything, that whole we are now living in a time when everyone thinks they have a right to everything. But I really think she was just standing up and basically saying she deserves an editor, to be paid etc, as opposed to the PA mantra of "you should be happy you're published in the first place". I really don't think she meant she didn't have to put in the hard work.

Call off the hounds guys, come on.

PA deserves to be kicked, burned, tortured, and hanged like a dry piece of dead skin for everyone to spit on.

Howz that?

Guys, if you read it properly, you'd see it comes from the POV of someone who's work has already been accepted.

Before the acceptance, all we really deserve is a chance to query.

I agree that we deserve to have decent publishers to submit to. And once we've been given a contract, we deserve to be treated as professionals and to have our books treated as something that is to be sold to the general populace.

Yeah, it's not about what we deserve as a writer, it's about what we deserve from a publisher, which is different.