2017 Resolution: Treat Writers Better
So 2016 had been a pretty crummy year with so many BTS writers deactivating and leaving their blogs due to the toxicity of this site. Just off the top of my head, these blogs include:
babyitsbts
parkjiminsfineass
sugasmut
pjimminie
taelcyon
suga-of-daegu
cuzimsickwithhope
btswriter
And that’s just what I can think of right now. Some of these writers are back now with different blogs, but the fact that they felt discouraged enough to delete their blogs with all their hard work and their thousands of followers should tell you something. There have probably been many more who deactivated last year, and even more who will probably deactivate this year unless we do something about it. Tumblr is infamous for being a negative, toxic space for writers. So let’s go over the sources of negativity and try to fix them in 2017.
Requests– Some writers take requests and some do not. But none of us are obligated to write you anything. Do you even understand how long it takes us to write a request? At best, it’s hours. But to think of a good idea, that shit can take days. Weeks. Even months. And yet, you have the audacity to get angry when a writer rejects a request, or send in requests even when the writer has explicitly stated that their request box is closed. The worst is when you copy and paste the same request and spam it to multiple different writers in the hopes that someone will take it. What are we? Factories meant to mass manufacture fics for you? That would make sense if we were getting paid. But we’re not. We’re spending hundreds of hours of hard work for free. Think about that.
Updates/Sequels– Okay, so we’ve spent so much time grueling over our fics without getting paid, and what do we expect in return? Nothing. That’s right. Nothing. A bit of feedback is always nice, but we don’t want anything from you. A good writer isn’t doing it for the notes or whatever bullshit. We do it because we like it and we want our readers to be happy. So how do you have the balls to possibly ask for more? It’s common human courtesy to thank someone for a present without demanding more. I’ve used this analogy often, but imagine that you’ve just cooked dinner for someone. After the person has finished the meal, instead of thanking you, they immediately demand dessert. How would that make you feel? Appreciate what you have first before you even think about asking for seconds.
Content– These are our personal blogs. Not for commercial use, not for profit. We can do whatever we want with our blogs. It’s as simple as that. So what if a writer wants to write about a less popular member? So what if they want to write for a different fandom? It’s not your blog, not your decision. Be grateful the writer is providing free content in the first place instead of trying to bend them to your satisfaction.
Stalking/Harassment– So I’ve had my fair share of stalkers– people trying to figure out my identity, people stalking my location, people googling me, etc etc. And harassment as well– I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve been called a bitch or a slut or have had people telling me to delete or best of all, to kill myself 😂. And I know that bullying isn’t unique to fic blogs, but it can be particularly vicious with us. So many people have told me to shut the fuck up and just write. And at first, I felt embarrassed about talking about my personal life or doing anything besides providing content for my followers. But then I realized that I do not owe my followers anything. No writers do. These are our blogs. And we can do whatever we want with them. Anyone who disagrees with this or disapproves of what we do with our lives is just a bully. What kind of dull, miserable life do you lead that makes you want to call a random stranger on the internet a bitch or a slut? If hurting someone else makes you feel better, then you should rethink your life. Learn to love yourself instead of projecting your hatred and insecurities on others.
There is so much more that I can’t think of right now, but I just had to get this much off my chest to start with. And sorry if I sound really upset, but that’s because I am upset. Our fandom has lost too many great writers and lovely human beings due to blatant disrespect and a lack of common courtesy from readers who act like pure consumers. I know these readers are in the minority, but they are unfortunately a vocal minority. One hateful message calling us names or demanding a sequel/update can cancel out ten kind, respectful messages. So please, please try to be more conscious of writers’ feelings, and acknowledge that we are working human beings with lives outside of our blogs.
I don’t expect things to change overnight. That would be ridiculous. But I do hope that in 2017, readers take a second to think before they make their demands or send their hatemail. And maybe we won’t lose as many talented writers this year. Thank you.
P.S. Thanks to @seokvie for providing me with ideas and helping me write this! You are the best ❤️
