internet lessons 101

For as much as I publicly blogged and tweeted about the recent brouhaha (word of the week) regarding reviewing and writing, there was even more that went on in private. Lots of emails, Skype conversations, and internal mind-spinny-ness. Giving up reviewing and book blogging was not a decision I made lightly.

But I learned things. Things that maybe I'd known before but that had mostly stayed in the background, never made themselves an upfront part of my online life. Maybe someone out there can learn from what I learned the hard way. And while this advice is primarily aimed at aspiring authors a lot of it is applicable to all of us.

1. Your tweets are not private. Unless you have your account locked, everyone can see what you're saying. And when you're having a conversation with someone through @replies, or in a chat like #querychat, you sometimes forget that because it seems more private. And maybe in some ways it is. But I was surprised, after last week's #querychat, how many people came out of the woodwork to let me know that they'd been watching the chat the night before. I am very conscious of what I say online and how I act, but it was still a good reminder that those conversations that seem private online? They're not. You think they are, but others are eavesdropping in even though you don't see them.
2. Google is a thing. I used to think that my persona and online life pre-publication could be separated from my life post-publication, but I've learned that it really can't. That snarky post or bad review you put on your blog is still there and agents and editors can easily find it, as well as anyone else who cares to. Be aware of what you say. Personally, I wish I'd realized how much reviews had the potential to affect my publication goals and publishing career later on. But notice I said potential: just because it can happen doesn't mean it will and honestly I don't think anyone should make the decision to stop reviewing or blogging out of fear that it could bite them later on. I just think it's a good idea to know what can happen.
3. Emotions run high. My emotions this past week have been all over the place and I know other people's have as well. You know what's not a good idea when your emotions are running wild? Saying things. Commenting on someone's blog post, tweeting without thinking, saying something in the heat of the moment that you now have to deal with. It's too easy to be angry or confused and let yourself act without thinking.
4. People are really nice. I know this sounds odd to say after everything else I've said, and definitely not everyone is nice all the time, but I've been honestly surprised at the amount of writing and blogging friends who've been there for me this past week. They've shared their opinions, let me talk it out, and just let me know that they'd support whichever decision I made for the blog, reviewing, and myself. I'm incredibly thankful for this. To anyone I emailed, anyone who emailed me, anyone I talked to on Skype, who commented on my blog posts, who tweeted me, and followed me over to this blog: THANK YOU.