How Not To Be A Professional

I've mentioned my friend Tricia Owens on my blog before - she's an editor for The Wild Rose Press. Specifically, she's an editor for their erotica line, called Scarlet. I was stunned to learn that she'd received an incredibly nasty, profanity-laced email from an aspiring author who'd been turned down, both for the quality of her writing and for submitting a story that was totally inappropriate for Scarlet (i.e., it was NOT erotica).

Trish, being the lovely, talented lady she is, took the time to offer some well-meaning advice to said aspiring writer (which is far more than many editors would do when they're rejecting something), and received a scathing personal attack in return.

Let's face it: nobody likes criticism, constructive or not, but if you're a writer who can't handle rejection or criticism, then you're in the WRONG BUSINESS. No reputable literary agent or publishing house is going to want to work with you. Period. There are far too many other authors out there to put up with primadonnas.

So the question arose as to whether Trish should simply ignore this person's nastiness, or use it as an opportunity to educate other aspiring writers on how to behave in a professional manner. Today's blog over on Writers At Play is the result.

Stop by and check it out. Leave a comment. And the next time you hear the word "No", think about how you should behave instead of flying off the handle.