Are writers more prone to drama than non-writers?  Some days it certainly seems like it.  Perhaps because we spend so much time creating dramatic situations, we end up believing drama is normal.  Unfortunately, drama is bad for business, especially when you’re an independent publisher, and your reputation is directly linked to your good name.

Not a week goes by when I don’t see an indie bursting with outrage online at one perceived issue or another.  It could be anything, such as [insert retailer name] is screwing me out of my royalties, or refuses to make my book live on their site, or refuses the ad copy I submitted.  The list is endless.  Dig a little deeper, and it becomes clear that often the writer either hasn’t read or doesn’t understand the retailer’s terms and conditions. Or the publishing business in general.  But until a kind and more experienced soul clears up the matter, turmoil and doubt hover over the masses of ill-informed independent writers while outrage feeds on itself.  By the way, based on what I’ve seen in the last while, you’re more at risk of being screwed out of your royalties by a small press than a big online book retailer. 

And what of the indies who vented their outrage only to discover they were wrong?  Those of us who are working hard to support the notion independents can be just as professional as the big five will consider them foolish at best and idiots at worst. Those outbursts almost certainly harmed their reputation — perhaps not among readers, depending on the forum they used to vent — but among fellow independent publishers.  And since we indies believe in helping each other succeed, one too many public outbursts will result in experienced and successful publishers steering clear. If you’re like me and pay attention, you’ll already have noticed well-known indie names vanishing from popular author forums.

That means you should make sure you understand the situation, the terms and conditions, the retailer’s requirements, etc., before complaining on the internet.  If you can’t make heads or tails of what’s going on, dispassionately explain the situation and help will come.  Indulge in needless drama and it won’t.

What about more contentious issues?  Sure, we all have our opinions on various subjects, and we see things happening around us and around the world that make us angry, sad, combative, or argumentative.  And that’s fine.  Human nature 101, right?  But the business environment is no place for internet outbursts of political or social rage.  Your reputation as an independent publisher depends on your brand.  Loudly and publicly denounce those whose political views are opposed to yours, or worse, demonize them, and that brand gets tarnished.  It may or may not cost you readers.  A few authors do very well out of being openly controversial, but they’re in a tiny minority.  Most of us don’t have a thick enough skin to wade into controversial issues, nor do we have a brand so strong we can afford to offend or alienate readers. 

If you wish to proclaim your views on such issues, be prepared for pushback, perhaps even damage to your brand.  I keep my views to myself, though my readers might get hints through my writing.  I don’t wade into online discussions on politics or contentious social issues, no matter how private the forum.  But that’s self-censorship, you might say, proudly wearing your politics on your sleeve.  No, that’s life.  Words and gestures have consequences.  If you’re prepared to accept them, more power to you. 

However, alienating a segment of your readership or your professional peers, those who can pass along their hard-won experience and help you succeed, is no way to run a business.  Publicly badmouthing your employer comes with consequences, right?  Why should the independent publishing world be different?  Keep your views or your outrage on contentious issues off the internet, and your brand won’t suffer.  If you must weigh in, be professional, dispassionate, and show respect for those of differing opinions.  In other words, behave like a civilized adult.  Don’t self-destruct in public.  Otherwise, I’ll be watching your train wreck as it happens in real time with a bowl of popcorn in my lap, and I don’t need those useless carbs.

Then there’s the mob outrage which can destroy not only careers but also lives.  We’ve all seen it in recent times.  Supposedly an author says or writes something that might be deemed outré or offensive, whether it’s by a tiny minority or a larger segment.  The howls of outrage ring out on social media and the pile-on begins, whether the accusations against that poor author are true or not.  You may know it as ‘cancel culture.’  Considering how ill-informed the mob generally is, those accusations are likely to be exaggerated or outright lies.  Don’t join the mob.  Look at the evidence, form your conclusions and if you’re not affected by the matter, go on your merry way without saying a word.  If you’re affected by it, then there are professional and dispassionate ways to go about finding a resolution.  Mobbing isn’t one of them, and neither is cancel culture. 

Mobs have driven authors out of business, destroyed organizations, and worse.  Don’t join that sort of drama because it will tarnish not your just your brand but independent publishing in general.  I will cut off all contact with anyone who indulges in mob action against a fellow author and publisher or attempts to stir up outrage on the internet.  I recommend you do the same.  Those of us striving for professionalism need to stay above the ugliness, not add to it.  There’s already more than enough out there thanks to thoughtless individuals ruled by raw emotions and a deep sense of entitlement rather than rational thought.

Bottom line, there’s no place for drama or outrage in business, no matter how you feel.  I know it’s hard to keep passions in check, especially since we writers have a well-developed artistic side.  Even I end up occasionally reminding myself that a professional public face, especially on social media, is vital for the good of my publishing company and my brand.  If I want to wallow in a bit of drama, I make sure the characters in my latest work in progress are the ones involved, not my name or that of my business.