Are Fellow Authors
Colleagues or Competition?
by A.E. Albert
"Competition has been shown to be useful up to a certain point and no further, but cooperation, which is the thing we must strive for today, begins where competition leaves off."
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
We've all been reading this business about false
reviews on Amazon and their harsh response.
When I read an article about someone using a false name to boost their reviews and then inturn bash others authors, it really got me thinking. Are our fellow authors competition?
Read: RJ Ellory, Author, Caught Writing Fake Amazon Reviews For Books
Workplace Warfare?
Of course, this seems to be true in many industries. Technological empires are constantly trying to outdo the other. We all know about corporate espionage.
Yes, there are millions of indie authors in the self-publishing pool. However, does the failure of one help another?
Competition or Collaboration?
I think authors are in an industry that doesn't include competition. As a reader, when I discover a new genre I love, I find that I don't limit myself to the author who introduced me.
In fact, they have opened the gates to other authors. Look what Stephanie Meyer's did for paranormal romance.
Readers are readers for life and we are always on the look out for that new author. So it seems to me this guy didn't just sabotage hard working writers, he sabotaged himself.
A Unified Front
I wrote a book. Then I went on the web to promote myself. A funny thing happened. I saw all these people just like me, fighting to be seen and heard. I knew how this felt.
That's when I knew I to do something to help. These writers aren't my competition. They are my inspiration when I think I can't go on. I view them as pioneers in a tough, yet emerging industry.
They are my mentors.
Do you feel fellow authors are competition? Let me know.
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