A few years ago, well, okay, RomCon 2010, there was a panel that was rather controversial. It was… I think about reviewing books? Something like that. But all the talk became all “books are babies.” Apparently it was an author/reviewer panel. I don’t know who the reviewers on the panel were. I do know there were people from SBTB, DA, TGTBTU, and JR at the conferences, and none of them were on that panel. I’m not commenting on the panel, just bringing up an observation someone made to me. I didn’t go to it.
I believe it was actually a (the?) reviewer who said people shouldn’t leave “negative” reviews because books are the author’s babies. I’m gagging a little as I write it. I realize it’s a lot of work to write a book. In fact, at this point in my life I doubt I could write a book, even if I wanted to. (Which I don’t.) While I don’t have any kids… I’m going to say the two – writing a book and giving birth – are not comparable. Authors who have done both, please feel free to jump in here.
I have, however, read a lot of books, reviewed them, beta’d them, and so on. And worked with a lot of kids. Generally not babies, but inner city, at-risk kids, from K-12. (Usually I work with K-5 in whatever setting.) I definitely don’t treat books the same as the “babies.”
Recently, I’ve been seeing a lot of “Happy Book Birthday!” tweets on Tuesday, which is generally when new books are released. This… totally skeeves me out. The whole book = baby, being born thing… *shudders* it kinda turns my stomach.
What are your thoughts? Am I being too sensitive here? I’m really curious as to what your opinion is if you’re a reader. And if you’re an author. If you’re both, mind letting me know under both hats?
I really wish I had an image to share with you. I even googled various phrases searching for such an image, and nothing. (And people, doesn’t the fact that there are no pictures in google images for any of those phrases telling? Stop! Please! So yeah. Now you know how I feel. I didn’t want to share my opinion in the fears it’d color yours, but I can’t help it. I’m also more than fine with you disagreeing with me.)
I know Tessa Dare did an experiment of sorts when that panel happened, and she diapered one of her books and observed. (Heh.) But I’m not going to try to find her twitpic or whatever client she used from ~16 months ago.
Speaking of “social experiments.” I’ve got a favor to ask of you, please. Do you have a Macy’s nearby? Do you ever go to it, or would it be possible for you to go? I want to you go check and see if they’ve got/are carrying the Giambattista Valli collection. Regardless of if they do or not, please let me know your general whereabouts? I’m curious. Here, the one we went to, there was nothing, and the clerks even looked at me beyond blankly.