For the past week, I’ve been dead sick over what a community did to shut down someone who wasn’t out to hurt anyone, and tried to make something good come from this struggling times in our country.
As many knew, I was looking for a way out of my 9-5 job and come up with the idea of an indie online bookstore (which I hoped to become a physical store) that could sell Sapphic paperback books and ship them directly to the consumer. I found the resources, used the legal channels to build a business by registering it, and sourced the means to have access to over 10,000 books for Sapphic readers.
I invested all of my extra money to make this special. And now it is nothing.
Over a week ago, a prominent author in the Sapphic community posted a blog post and shared it into various Facebook groups, which got shared into others. This post criticized the business model of online booksellers, and how they are not real bookstores. They were just someone behind a computer taking money away from indie authors. Within this post, they stated information as facts — yet, the facts and figures they wrote as accurate, were in fact not. But that does not matter… because once something is written to the masses, it becomes fact. No matter how wrong it is.
While said author told me the post was not directed toward me, per se, the timing of the post was impeccable. Especially when I started promoting my new business in the same groups as she shared the post. I took this very personal as an attack on me.
But who do you believe? The best selling author who has mentored so many new writers (including me) in the genre or the online bookseller who is trying to make a buck?
LITERALLY, A BUCK!!!
Because I was promoting my new business to the same market, the readers of this inaccurate post took it to heart and began their witch hunt. Within a day, I was verbally abused, cursed at, accused to stealing property, trying to exploit authors, and more. I had over 100 emails from my website accusing me of these things.
Now I don’t believe this is what the author intended to happen. But it did. And when you have so much backlash and hatred coming at you on the website, email, and social media messaging… I took that as a sign that I was unwelcome and unwanted.
Therefore the bookstore closed. Not even a month old, and I was ran out of town like I was a vagrant. This is what the Sapphic community did to me. Now, I am not saying everyone who reads or writes Sapphic fiction is a horrible person or even mean-spirited… but it surely left a bad taste in my mouth.
Now I am left with an empty bank account and a broken heart. I could have fought it but the damage was done. Better to not stay where you are not wanted.
This whole ordeal has given me perspective. It has shown me which book community does support me, my work, and my ideas. And it’s because of this, I am holding my head high, taking a deep breath, and moving forward.
It’s just very sad that there is so much anger in this world.
(DEEP BREATH) Oh Well… Cyan will be back with more stories to tell.
I’m so sorry that this happened to you! I don’t understand what this world is coming to and where all the hate and criticism is coming from. I wish you luck with everything and I hope your dream does happen because it would be such a shame that books aren’t put into hands of fans and readers everywhere! Sending love, hugs and positive vibes your way!
I’m so sorry this happened! It’s awful. I don’t know why so many people choose to be so negative and hateful towards others, even on the internet. Stay strong and keep going.
Sorry this happened to you. Every idea has to start somewhere and it really sucks that you were discouraged from yours in its infancy. I prefer to do my shopping in person, but in a world with so many options, sometimes the mail is the only option. Just yesterday I was at Half Price Books and they had two big bins full of packages waiting to be mailed out. I don’t think that makes them any less of a real bookstore. You have to adapt with the times and being able to be online gives you a bigger reach and more chance of success. I wish you success in whatever you decide to do, but I hope you don’t let the hate win.
Where is all the vitriol coming from? I thought that the Sapphic Community was more reasonable.