#I’m not going to review bomb Lightlark or anything else that is counterproductive

[queer-ragnelle]

WithCindy made two videos about how terrible Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage is. I haven’t read it myself. But I agree based on the excerpts, the inclusion of which is one reason I really appreciate Cindy’s videos specifically. I won’t rag on a book I haven’t read.

However, I heard movie rights were sold. So I went to Goodreads to examine the general consensus. Baby Teeth was a 2018 nominee in both the Goodreads Choice Awards and for a Bram Stoker Award. But…many of early 4/5 star ratings appear to have been bought. Like the reviewers admit they got an Advanced Reader Copy (arc) from the publisher.

I could believe these to be genuine reviews if they were truly reviews. But most of them are just a regurgitation of the synopsis in different words, clicking the star rating, and throwing it onto their arc shelf.

This reopens a stubborn wound that won’t heal. Books like this and Lightlark by Alex Aster discourage me. As an artist, a writer, a creative, it’s so hard to avoid feeling hopeless. Like art is dead. It feels like everything is just manufactured for consumption, worsened when a person’s nepotism and influence artificially inflates their success. And of course this defines success as notoriety and monetary gain. Ideally people should be able to create for the joy of it. And if that thing resonates with others, then by their own merit and talent, they should earn awards and appropriate compensation for it. False promises shouldn’t be rewarded with grotesque displays of wealth.

I don’t want to see beautifully crafted stories flop because that person lacks a TikTok influence or a publisher with the means to foist free arcs onto people in exchange for “honest” reviews. But I literally don’t know what to do. The only way I can think of to combat this is utilizing libraries. Purchase zines and novels from authors directly. Stick to shopping locally, ordering titles that aren’t immediately available through that avenue, and waiting instead of defaulting to Amazon. But what else can be done? I’m genuinely asking.

#I just got home from the local bookstore I got Jenette Mccurdy’s new book #I put in an order for The Third Eye by Mahtab Narsimhan bc I listened to her on writing excuses gotta wait for it to come in #some others too like Adam Savage’s Every Tool’s A Hammer #but like what can I do besides create the kinds of things I want to see #buy locally when applicable or as directly as possible from an indie or self pubbed author #I have a bunch of indie Arthurian stuff in the tbr pile obvious Hunger Pangs by Joy Demorra was great #I’m not going to review bomb Lightlark or anything else that is counterproductive #don’t give these people a reason to spin sympathy for themselves #is there something more I can do? to uplift other authors & local businesses??? #I’d be happy to do more if I knew which direction to go #anyway I’m putting my phone away & going to read or write or something