Our Bosses READ Our Blogs

If you have ever wondered if publishers and editors read author blogs, stop. They most definitely do.

I'm not surprised. I read theirs. I read lots of blogs. Nowadays, blogs give you a lot of insight into what people think, into insider things.

Unless you want to get fired or blackballed, don't put down people on your blog (or Facebook or other social media) unless you don't care if they see it. (And yes, once I posted something a long time ago about something that's a scam and I still don't care that someone read it. They weren't my employer, publisher, friend, or anyone whom I care to associate with again.)

I spent several hours this week reading a train wreck on a blog about one of my publishers. Unfortuantely, it's not the first time I witnessed something this sad. The publisher, authors, and even readers attacked one another unmercifully. A lot of conjecture went on. A lot of hatred and cat-fighting bloodied the pages. In case you're wondering, this happened a long time ago and I just heard about it, so you won't find anything recent if you look.

I have to shake my head.

I'm not a publisher or an editor. I am a manager at my day job, however, and I manage a staff of 13. Sometimes, that's a pretty tough job. I can't imagine managing hundreds of authors, and trying to keep all happy. It's impossible to keep 13 people happy all the time.

Someone (usually at least two or three someones) feel they are ignored, downtrodden, overlooked, even abused. This is despite how far I bend over backward for each and every one of them. There's always a few that have to be on top and receive constant praise even when they aren't doing well. When they don't receive the praise, or worse, receive constructive criticism or reprimand, they become very unhappy.

My staff doesn't know all the behind the scenes things that go on with the company, with our department, and with each other. Often they don't see their own weaknesses. Too often they complain about a coworker when they're just as guilty, maybe more guilty, of an infraction. They think their shit doesn't stink.

I'm not perfect, either. Because I'm not perfect, I try to give my people slack. I try to give my boss and his bosses slack. And I extend this same courtesy to my publishers and editors.

I don't know everything that's going on behind the scenes in my day job anymore than I do with my publishers. Unless someone attacks me personally, undisputably, I'm going to stay out of firestorms. And I hope others will, too.

And if someone should wrong me? I'll speak privately to that person. At most, I might mention something quietly to my good friends, but never attack someone in a public forum.

Also, if someone had a problem years ago, please let it drop. Give them, give the company the benefit of the doubt that positive change has taken place. People change. Companies change. They grow. They learn from their mistakes.

During this season of love, of peace on Earth, goodwill to men, practice it. Slow down and enjoy what we have, and stop worrying about trivia we don't have.

The last paragraph is a note to myself as much as to anybody else.

I hope all of my friends and associates are enjoying a very Merry Christmas season or whichever other holiday you observe.

Much love and peace.