No one is entitled to anything; fair or otherwise. You get what you get; and if Melinda wants to badmouth or otherwise act uncouth, then she shouldn’t be rewarded because that right there? That isn’t fair to anyone else. That’s saying “yeah, you can totally be a jerk and I’ll let this randomizer pick whoever and if you are that whoever, then you win.” How is that the morally right and safe route to go? That decision isn’t automatically the morally superior or the “bigger” man route simply because there’s a semblance of fair.

Parts of the internet is a cesspool for a reason; and that reason is generally because people don’t censure others or themselves. Sometimes public shamings get it right and sometimes not, but the internet rarely allows for it.

But I suppose Julie should define why she’s giving away free books. If it’s to expose people to new things and otherwise advertise another author in hopes that that author will get more viewership, then Julie can do that just as well by not letting Melinda win. If she’s doing this to reward her fans and to connect with them, then she again she doesn’t have to let Melinda win.

I think that a blog owner–author, reader, cook, or dog breeder–has every right to disqualify entrants to any giveaway s/he’s holding, and no need whatsoever to explain, neither whether she does so, nor why.

With that out of the way…yes, I believe that in the situation as explained, Melinda’s behaviour is quite tacky, what with the preaching about her dislike of Julie Q’s work and yet entering Julie Q’s giveaways for other authors’s work.

To then try & win a contest & have that author pay for the book, s&h, etc…truly tacky, greedy, & vile. I say shut them out.

But hey, that’s just me.

That’s true. Clearly my line is in a different place than an author who’ll go postal over a B review. I guess to me there would be a deliberate stalking-ness to the negativity before I would think it crossed the line.

If the contest-holding author did feel the reader had crossed the line and DQ’d her from the contest, she should never, ever admit it in public, though.

bah that first comment went to shannon

oops

“But I really hated DARK KNIGHT’S REVENGE by Julie Q”

that is going to do what… like really? as a reader that wouldn’t make me not buy julie q and would make me think something was up between the two of them and that she hadn’t left highschool

If that sort of crap is honestly bothering her, tell her to block the chicks IP. The fact that the reader was cheating on the blog contests and she is focusing on this rather than just using that to get rid of her still makes me think this is just an excuse to talk about the mean reader.

In fact I have had an author get pissy over a B review she has done. Authors hardly ever shock me anymore, no offense ;).

And I am not one to say readers can do no wrong. I don’t think ok, you ‘work’ for me, or I can do or say whatev I want without thought. Do I say whatev I want – pretty much. But not in a readers can do whatever they want and authors just have to shut up and take it sort of way. I figure if I fuck up and get called on it – ok – I have to listen and decide if I fucked up. I don’t get a free pass just because I am a ‘reader’.

Saying that “crossed the line to Julie-hater” is what makes me pause because that is sooooooo subjective. Can I see that happening? YES because there are some fucking crazy ass people out there with too much time on their hands.

Default if reader crosses line don’t let them win is full of fail because many authors will take advantage of that but really really really the ones that will – already are and aren’t saying jack about it.

The whole, remember what you say, comes back to us dum, dee, dum thing is just jackassy. If you don’t want to give shit away don’t have contests. Of course I can’t remember the last time I entered one so I am sure there are many people who wouldn’t agree with that and many readers that are more than happy to shut up smile to win for free shit. ::shrug::

For example:

Blog owner Suzie posts about how she is meeting Julie Q for drinks at RWA, along with some sightseeing she wants to do while she’s there. Melinda stops by to say, “Cool, I’ve never been to RWA. But I really hated DARK KNIGHT’S REVENGE by Julie Q! I can’t believe that thing sold, damn.” And meanders off into tangent. Melinda visits a number of blogs where people are talking about Julie Q that day, and it’s pretty clear she’s got a Google alert or something.

For example, ShannonC really didn’t like Becoming Miss Becky and wrote a pretty thorough review for TGTBTU detailing why. And I’m sure if BMB were being talked about on Twitter or AAR or whereever, she’d say she didn’t like it and why. And, while I’m sorry she didn’t like it, that’s the way the cookie crumbles. She’s more than welcome to visit my blog or enter my contests and if random.org pulled her number, I’d happily send her the book I was giving away, whether it’s mine or a friend’s.

Maybe I read more into it, but I took Ann’s hypothetical situation to mean that to Melinda, it’s less about discussing a book she didn’t like with other readers and more about some kind of vendetta in which she’s going out of her way to spread her hatred for the book, maybe even in places it’s not relevant.

I didn’t take it as though Melinda had simply shared a negative review or comment about the book, but that she’d crossed the line to Julie-hater.

And the argument that she should go ahead and google all the people who win something of hers is preposterous. this is a known instance of annoyance, not a universal mandate. It would really chafe my hide to make out that address and go down to the post office and all the time I’d be gritting my teeth about the winner’s past behavior. DQ, I say, and have a nice day.