Letter sent by Story Siren, Kristi Diehm, to an 11 year old

Letter sent by Story Siren, Kristi Diehm, to an 11 year old blogger:

Hi {Redacted},

I'm writing this email as a courtesy to you. It may not seem like it initially as it's not exactly a happy type of email, but there are certain things that you need to be aware of. Once upon a time someone took the initiative to let me know that they thought I was overstepping my boundaries and although I may not have agreed with them or liked what they had to say, I still took the time to address the issue and I'm hoping you'll be as responsible and take that approach as well.

Please take the time to read this email in its entirety even though you may not want to.

I've received numerous emails, and have been on the receiving end of many comments, that are all pertaining to you and your behavior. I have to admit, I haven't been oblivious to it myself, but I never felt it was my place to say anything, until now. I know that {redacted} has emailed you concerning this as well, and I wish that you had taken her advice to heart. It’s not only the bloggers that have came to me, but there have been authors and even publishers as well.

I know that you are a young person and that you often use that as your excuse, but it's not. Age is not a factor in your behavior. Sure it's a factor in your maturity, but you are never too young to have manners. It's rude to constantly ask for ARCs, it is EXTREMELY rude to ask for a finished copy, when you can buy one or borrow it from your library. It's especially demeaning to your fellow bloggers that have been actively reviewing for a lot longer than you. If you think that it makes you look “cool” to receive so many books, you couldn't be more wrong. It makes you look greedy. There has also been an increased complaint that you receive so many books, yet you hardly review any. It's becoming apparent to many people that perhaps you are only blogging to receive free books. And I don't even need to say what your fellow bloggers think about that.

When you do post a review, it doesn't seem as though you've put any thought into it. Starting a review with “This book was SO CUTE” every time is a little excessive, even if the book is cute, it's okay to have some variety. I'm not saying that you have to be a writer, and that every review needs to be a work of art, because honestly I struggle with my reviews as well, but at least I try. And that's all we're asking for, a little effort, because what you do not only reflects on you, but it also reflects on us as a community.

At the wishes of your fellow bloggers you will no longer be invited to participate in author chats that are hosted by certain bloggers. You're insistence to ask, beg, and plead for books and contact information, even when asked not to, is unacceptable. I've also noticed this happening a lot on Twitter as well, and you're not the only offender there, which is very upsetting. Again, your not only reflecting poorly on yourself but your fellow bloggers as well.

I'm also going to ask that you refrain from participating in “In My Mailbox” I know I can't stop you from posting something on your blog, but please do not participate via my site. The YA community is very tight knit, which I'm sure you are aware of. We are a very welcoming and supportive group. But we don't need controversy in our group. Your blog is your own, but we need a certain degree of maturity and professionalism, you are representing authors and publishers too.
There had also been rumors going around that your mother is pushing you into this, and hoping that your publishing contacts will become useful to her in the future, since she is pursing a career in writing YA fiction. I sincerely hope that is not true, and am deeply saddened if that is the case.

Please do not think that I'm trying to degrade you, because that is not the intent of this email. It actually upsets me that it has me to this, but I can't sit back and watch it happen any longer. Your actions are hurtful and more insulting than you could possibly fathom. There has already been a group of bloggers that have actively stopped following you on twitter and blogger, and have removed you from their blog rolls, myself included. Please do us all a favor and change your behavior.

Sincerely,
Kristi


The Story Siren
http://thestorysiren.com