Where I Spend My Money And Differences of Opinion

There has been alot of unrest in the M/M Romance community over the last week or so. Accusations have been made, disagreements have been had, and one publisher has been boycotted by more than a few readers.

I read alot of books published by Dreamspinner Press. I have been reading books published by them since they started. Have I noticed in the last few months a distinct lack of good content editing? Yes, I have, and I noted that in my reviews for both of Mr. Klune's books.

The most disturbing thing about this situation, for me, is the fact that the people who have expressed their displeasure with Mr. Klune's books, as well as other books from Dreamspinner Press, have been labeled as a pitchfork carrying mob ready to burn authors and Dreamspinner at the stake.

On average I spend about $6.99 for a book at Dreamspinner. That's a good amount of money and I work hard for my money. So, do I get upset when the writing in the book that I just paid for is repetitive, verbose, and desperately in need of a content editor? Yes, I do, and I have every right to express my opinion. It annoys me to no end when I'm called a "hater" or when it's implied that I dislike a book simply because I want to crucify the author in some way.

The fact that so many people in the M/M Romance community seem to be disrespecting readers who don't agree with them is discouraging. Almost all people who read M/M Romance want the genre to gain more respect in the romance community. I'm one of those people but the way to gain that respect is not to bully, name call, or demean readers who do not agree with you.

Also, loving every book you read simply because it is a M/M book is not the way to get the word out there about this genre. It does more harm than good. If you genuinely like a book then, by all means, say so. In my opinion though, the rating of a book should be based on how much you enjoyed the book not how great the author is as a person, whether your friends with the author, or the fact that the book is in the M/M genre.

On the subject of readers boycotting Dreamspinner Press, I have not done so but I can understand why some people have chosen to. If someone is consistently finding that the product being put out by a publisher is below par then they have every right to cease forking their money over. It has nothing to do with "punishing" authors. People don't have thousands of dollars to spend on books. Many people have book budgets and they see buying books from a publisher they've had a bad experience with as a waste of money. They have the right to spend their money however they wish.

I don't know when the M/M Romance community became a place where everyone has to love everything but I really hope the atmosphere changes soon.
I have met some wonderful people through my love of the genre but some of the attitudes lately have dimmed my enthusiasm just a bit. It's sad.