Shouldn't Authors Be Allowed to Defend Themselves When Their Personal Lives Are Attacked?

Authors are celebrities. Just like musicians, athletes and actors, authors are known because of their work. In every form of entertainment, you have your uber famous and lesser known celebrities. I can't name 5 athletes off the top of my head and I had to Google Justin Beiber to figure out what his claim to fame is. Sports aren't my thing. Neither is music. I can identify any well known, established actor, but ask me to name one indy starlet and all you'll receive is a blank look in response.

Obviously, my entertainment of choice is books and the authors who create them are my rock stars. As far as I'm concerned, authors are far more awesome than other types of celebrities.

As the concept of social media explodes all around the internet, celebrities are clamoring to partake. Twitter is the new fan mail. In 140 characters or less, you can profess your undying love to your idol. The famous are now accessible, or at least appear to be. Is Ashton Kutcher going to tweet you back? Probably not, but your favorite author might.

Authors will respond to a comment you leave on their blog. They might even come comment on your blog too. Email an author and you almost always get a response. Most of the time it's really the author who your corresponding with instead of their assistant or fan club president. I've even received emails from authors just to say that their glad I enjoy their books. I enjoyed From Dusk 'Til Dawn too, but neither Quentin Tarantino nor George Clooney has gotten in touch with me.

We have a local bi-annual horror convention that I've always wanted to go to. When I last checked the website, it informed me that the actors will have a signing area when I can get an autograph for $20. Seriously? You write your name and charge me money for it? I can go to an author signing, buy a book or bring one from home and the author will sign it. For the price of the book, I get the book. The signature is free.

My point is that authors are out there, interacting with fans daily. They go above and beyond what other types of celebrities do to involve us in their lives. That is what makes authors so awesome. Unfortunately, putting yourself out there, especially on the internet, comes with a price.

We, as consumers, judge celebrities. We judge their professional work and their personal lives. You may deny it, but it's human nature. Who didn't have an opinion on the Tiger Woods scandal? Or Michael Jackson's whole life? Whether for or against them, we all thought something. Most of us even voiced these opinions. I see nothing wrong with that. As celebrities, their lives are under a certain amount of scrutiny. The difference is, we only see what the media portrays in these cases. The celebrities aren't responding to our opinions.

I can write a whole post about how I think Billy Ray Cyrus is a horrible father and he'll never even hear about it. If I write a post saying something similar about an author, they'll probably know. Since authors are out on the internet interacting with fans, they often come across mean comments on their personal lives. And, although it's rare, they occasionally respond. They are then judged on their response to the criticism. If they take it well, they're considered dignified. If they lash out at the person bashing them, they are "Behaving Badly."

My question is why is this considered bad behavior? I'm not talking about reviews here. I'm talking posts focusing on an author's personal life. Yes, they shared this information with the world. Yes, you are allowed to have and voice an opinion about what they said. But if you are scathingly hurtful, why doesn't the author have a right to defend themselves and their choices? If you are purposefully mean, why can't the author respond in kind?

If someone walked up to me in the supermarket and told me all the things they think suck about me, I can't say I would be able to smile and walk away. In fact, I'm sure I couldn't. I would need to inform the person why I think they suck as well. You don't have to buy their books. You don't have to read their blogs. You don't have to follow them on Twitter. And you definitely don't need to bash them on the internet. But if you do, I think they're completely justified in attacking you right back.

I think many of us tend to forget that authors are people too. Even more so than actors, musicians and athletes, they are people just like us. They are sitting behind a computer screen in their pajamas, drinking coffee and wishing their kids would take a nap so they can get some work done. They go out of their way, taking time they don't really have available, to connect with readers. The internet has allowed authors to find fans they they wouldn't have been known to otherwise. It has allowed fans insights into their favorite authors works and lives. It's a win/win for everyone involved, as long as everyone can play nicely.

If you read a blog post saying you sucked at your job, how would you feel? What if it said someone should take your kids away? That you and your husband are disgusting? Could you ignore it? Would you be hurt or angry enough to respond? Do you believe that authors should be held to a higher standard than the rest of us?