Nothing scares these people more than a minority going off the reservation and speaking out against the inherent bigotry the SJWs have. They work so hard to hide it by relentlessly talking about how they’re “protecting” us and “helping marginalized” authors. When the truth is, their bigotry runs so deep that they almost always are patronizing us as if we are unable to handle ourselves.
It’s a big reason I’ve come under immense fire out the gate, and why it continues to escalate, even though I’m minding my own business and just producing at an incredible rate, and wildly succeeding in selling those products. Maybe that’s what’s got them running so scared.
My first run-in with Tor was when one of their bigger authors, John Scalzi, decided to lambast me during the Dragon Awards last year. My first novel was nominated, Scazli wanted to play gatekeeper, and so he blasted a number of tweets and even a blog directed at me to try to let his audience know how “bad” I am. He’s continued to do so for the last year, even lambasting the quality of my books. Why are my space opera books a threat to him? Probably because people like them on average far better than The Collapsing Empire. The Stars Entwined holds a 4.5 star rating while his book holds a 4.1 on Amazon.
Next came editor Moshe Feder, who edits all of Brandon Sanderson’s books. Brandon has always been super kind to me, and I’ve been a super fan as a result. I had a signed and numbered hardcover of every one of his books. I’m one of those guys who literally funds Moshe’s career. Oddly, Moshe lambasted me on Facebook (I had never talked to him or talked about him before in my life) saying about me: “Obviously isn’t smart enough to be a good writer.” Why on earth would an editor at a big firm like Tor lambast an author like that who’s just coming onto the scene? It makes no sense. If Tor gave two craps about their readers (as I was one) they would have at least issued an apology.
It’s continued. Since I hit #1 Amazon Bestseller last week with my novella Knight Training, the establishment at Tor has lost their collective minds. One of their low selling authors, Nick Mamatas has been lambasting me constantly, assuring his followers I’m not “really a bestseller.”
Of course, I have the screen shot with the handy orange tag Amazon gave my book last week to just paste to the thread. But they don’t stop there. Mamatas then decided to tell his followers Steampunk was a genre with only 15 books in it in order to diminish my accomplishment. My fellow bestsellers in the genre, Cherie Priest, Cassandra Clare, Gale Carriger, and Philip Reeve were not available for comment on this.
But the publisher of Tor took notice after that. This week I launched Flying Sparks, my beautiful superhero comic of a hero and villain in love, and the mantra of Jon Del Arroz “isn’t really a bestseller” continued. The publisher’s wife and employee of the company Teresa Neilsen Hayden launched an attack on me because I spoke positively of fellow author Vox Day, who has recently taken a generous amount of time actually criticizing some of my work in a constructive way and guiding me to help me become a better author, something no one from Tor has ever come close to doing in their childish namecalling and gaslighting attacks. She said this: “he’s not a bestselling author by any definition of the term that’s used by readers and booksellers.”
I showed her the screen shot but she keeps at it. She’s still slinging mud this morning just spewing hate at a minority author from her position of privilege. The question I have is why is my success such a threat to them? How does my accomplishing something diminish them? If I’m such a nobody like they keep saying, why are they spending so much time on me? What kind of company allows their employees to attack other people in the industry like this?
If you want to scare the heck out of establishment publishers like Tor, or Marvel, make sure to back my Flying Sparks. It both has me from science fiction publishing and artist Jon Malin — a blacklisted former marvel artist who they’re claiming doesn’t matter in the comic industry. Maybe it’s the Jons that scare them? Check it out here.
I also think they are trying to goad you to snap and get you tossed off of Twitter.
It’s definitely part of their strategy.
Poor Teresa. Her actions that you’ve described don’t seem normal to me. Aggressively attacking people on social media and making unsubstantiated claims regarding people she dislikes, no less. Sad.
Perhaps she should see a mental health professional. She seems stressed and upset. Clearly not normal behavior from the average person in a civilized society. I’m not sure she has a place in American society, based on what we’ve seen. Maybe with therapy, things would change. I don’t know.
Tsk tsk.
Take a gander at her blog. This is the person who thinks “disemvoweling” a contrary comment is a amusing form of censorship.
The description I’d have used is “hormonal bitch”.
Dude! That’s literally …the lamentations of their women. I applaud you sir, for your achieving a level of Conan few ever have.
Bravo!
🙂 Thanks!
Tor haven’t been relevant for years. Their sales are not exactly stellar. I suspect it’s because you openly support president Trump, and that to them is the cardinal sin. Plus, you actually are selling books and gaining fans. They see that as upsetting their little echo chamber. Btw — she looks like she’s been marinating in a tub of lard since she was a kid. What a horrible person.
Jon, just keep doing what you’re doing. It’s working.
Jon, why is tradpub such a cesspool of bigotry, patronizing sentiments and mediocrity?
Seriously, if they were so open, etc wouldn’t they enthusiastically embrace you and be excited by the books you write? But I guess not because you really don’t care about politics to make it the basis of your stories.
You just want to write fun, entertaining stories and that’s BLASPHEMY!!!! APOSTASY!!!! HERESY!!!!
Really I wish Theresa would.just.chill.out.
xavier
Pretty sure it isn’t because of your heritage. Probably has far more to do with your success. Scazlie is an arrogant ass, and has gone after other authors in the past. His constant flinging of dung at anyone he feels threatened by has always been followed up with the same people who for one reason or another think Scazlie can do no wrong.
That asshat has nothing but contempt for the indi-author crowd, or for anyone who he thinks might find better success than him. Don’t take it personal, we all know he is a scum bag. You just keep doing what your doing and remember not to act like captain asshat as you find more success.
Hello,
I haven’t read anything by Jon before, but I’ve already placed an order to change that. Looking forward to digging into these works!
Here’s to the hope that these bullying tactics from Tor and Twitter backfire. Spread the word to your friends and encourage them to order and to read some Arroz.
Left to the putrid braintrust of Tor and other various self-styled grandees of science-fiction today, the genre will suffer. Liberate it.
“My first novel was nominated, Scazli wanted to play gatekeeper, and so he blasted a number of tweets and even a blog directed at me to try to let his audience know how “bad” I am. He’s continued to do so for the last year, even lambasting the quality of my books. Why are my space opera books a threat to him? Probably because people like them on average far better than The Collapsing Empire. The Stars Entwined holds a 4.5 star rating while his book holds a 4.1 on Amazon.” Please show the receipts or stfu.
http://www.jimchines.com/2018/01/jon-del-arroz/
“I showed her the screen shot but she keeps at it. She’s still slinging mud this morning just spewing hate at a minority author from her position of privilege. The question I have is why is my success such a threat to them? How does my accomplishing something diminish them?” Uhhhh I think you are projecting. You rant at her and she responds… Show us evidence that you didn’t start this.
“Of course, I have the screen shot with the handy orange tag Amazon gave my book last week to just paste to the thread. But they don’t stop there. Mamatas then decided to tell his followers Steampunk was a genre with only 15 books in it in order to diminish my accomplishment. My fellow bestsellers in the genre, Cherie Priest, Cassandra Clare, Gale Carriger, and Philip Reeve were not available for comment on this.” Its gone…or was it there to begin with?
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #342,857 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
#155 in Teen & Young Adult Steampunk eBooks
#396 in Teen & Young Adult Steampunk
#634 in Steampunk Fiction
Youre not even in the top 200 in any category….sounds like this isn’t anything to be proud off.