A few days ago, I came across an article that talked about a pair of fairly successful actresses who have not only attacked President Trump and his supporters, but have gone so far as to say that they don’t want Trump supporters as fans or supporters of work period.
I hate these people. It’s a descriptor I generally try to avoid using, as hate is (or at least should be) one of the strongest if not THE strongest ways to express one’s utter disdain for people, and usually I can disagree, even strongly, with others without feeling genuine hate. But this is one of those cases where I think it applies. It is not simply these two actresses, I will add; I’ve heard and seen similar statements from others in entertainment fields, including book publishing and comics.
Why does this make me hate these people? Because they have no sense of gratitude. Let’s put this in perspective. As many of you know, if you’re been following me on here or elsewhere online, I am a new author, and trying to build up a readership/fanbase. It’s not easy, for me more than some as self-promotion is not at all my strong suit, and I am extremely grateful for everyone who buys and read my book, as well as for those who have lent me support and advice as I try to make my way in this. I know that some of those people share my political views, but there are others whose views I know nothing about, and might very well be the opposite of mine. I don’t care, and I don’t appreciate those people any less. I am not writing for a narrow audience; I write my books hoping that everyone will enjoy them. I am well aware that this will never be the case, for numerous reasons, and that there will unfortunately be those who refuse to buy my books because of my political views, but I cannot help that. On the other hand, it is unconscionable and self-defeating for me to do or say anything that will intentionally push people away.
These hateful and ungrateful creators, similarly, had to start their career from the ground up, as I am, and the growth of said careers was, in large part, thanks to fans that liked their work, paid for it, and exposed others to it. And now they spit in the faces, and say they don’t want the “wrong” kind of people as fans. They have demonstrated that they do not deserve their fans, and, personally, I’ll give them what they want. I’m not telling anyone else to do anything, but personally, I will do my best to never support people who act this way (it is, admittedly, more complex regarding actors as opposed to authors, for example, as a TV show or move cannot solely be considered the work of one person, so I will take things on a case-by-case basis.) I don’t expect this to have any significant impact on them, but as a moral stance, being a creator myself, I will not do anything that even indirectly encourages those that behave this way. And, if the recent Emmy Awards ceremony and Jennifer Lawrence’s newest film are to be used as an example (though the precise cause of their failures cannot conclusively be determined, at least not yet), it is possible to get this message across.
Fans should be appreciated, not pushed away and demeaned. It convey not simply contempt and a lack of gratitude, but also poor business sense. I pledge to never do this, for all of the aforementioned reasons, and I am certain that all my fellow #PulpRevolution and #SuperviersiveSF authors would agree with me on this. We just want to write good stories that you enjoy, without trying to police anyone’s thoughts. G-d willing, people will find that those who appreciate their fans (and who write quality fiction) are worth supporting.
My debut novel, A Greater Duty, can be found here, and if you sign up for my mailing list, you will receive a free novelette immediately, plus more free short fiction going forward, along with my sincerest gratitude.
Writing, Ascendant 