[daringnovelist]

For every person who's told you to your face that they're "blacklisting" you, hundreds are quietly doing the same.

While I do believe that for every customer complaint there are lots more silent customers who are equally dissatisfied, I don't believe this is so for the "blacklisters." They are a special breed, and they seek out things to blacklist as a kind of ritual in establishing their status in their own social group.

You see them in political arenas all the time, but even more so in "fan" areas, and they are everywhere on the web. A small group trying to make themselves seem important by claiming to be larger and specifically claiming to be able to do harm. Sometimes it's just one person with several identities -- sometimes a small organized group. They get together to spam people they feel deserve it, or to rate things down or up.

They're basically vandals who can't actually throw a rock through your window, so they have to make it sound like they can burn down your house just to make themselves feel in control. I think it's a mental illness, myself.

Don't worry about it unless you suspect actual stalking.

Camille

 

[daringnovelist]

In this case, Camille, I think the blacklisters are simply people who won't buy his books. Of that sort, there are many.

There may be people who won't buy his books -- there are people who won't buy mine or yours too. When people SAY they are blacklisting you or organizing, that's not in any way an indication of normal customer reactions. People who do that are creeps who like to make themselves feel important.

You may be making a subtle comment that Mike pisses people off. I've noticed, and I've been annoyed myself, but that's irrelevant to the fact that making threats has anything to do with how normal people react.

Camille