Looking Back on Author Dramas in 2023
What Can We Learn From These Incidents?
In 2023, I witnessed some astoundingly bizarre examples of indie author behavior. These are the incidents that lived in my brain rent-free all year long.
I watched all of these incidents unfold on social media. Most people were horrified by what the authors did. Yet some defended the authors against all enemies — even when the behavior was egregious.
The actions by these authors reflected badly on indie publishing. They also made it harder for other indie authors to get reviews.
The Hero Is a Member of the KKK?!
This fall, readers found out about a dark romance where the hero was a member of the KKK. Yes, that KKK. He used to kill people for the KKK — but he had reformed. (I’m sure that will be convincing.) Oh, and the heroine was Mexican and the daughter of a cartel boss. It’s like a club sandwich made up of “What were you thinking?” and “What the fuck?” served on white bread.
Concerned readers discovered the book and revealed their concerns on social media. While many fans were also horrified, too many fans attacked them for … having an opinion, I guess. (This Rolling Stone article digs into the harassment and also into what makes dark romance. I subscribed to read it — and I don’t…
