Gatekeeping in Writing Communities

Not every harsh opinion is valuable, just as not every valuable opinion has to be harsh. -Annam M. Gordon

Writing communities can be strange places sometimes where gatekeeping is alive and well in many of them. Most writing forums seem to have its share of drama, cliques, and people who appoint themselves the authority on what counts as “real” writing. Reviews and comments can quickly turn into status signaling, where “real writers do it this way.”

Don’t get me wrong. Personally, I love reviews, feedback etc, about my pieces. More is the better. That’s how I learn and improve my writings and myself. And if you keep it civil with me I’m all for it. But don’t attack no one just because you have more years of experience and different road.

Also self published and newer authors often get extra scrutiny just because a few certain type of writer seems to enjoy playing the cranky expert handing out tough love. They start with the writing, then shift to rankings, sales numbers, pricing, distribution, and whether you even deserve to call yourself an author. The second you push back instead of thanking them for their wisdom, they double down.

It’s hard to make something that personal when the person doesn’t actually know you. Sometimes people bring their frustrations into a conversation long before you arrive especially when they see a low effort self-publishing flooding the market, then whoever happens to be in front of them becomes the example.

Anyone who spends enough time in writing communities eventually runs into this sooner or later. Because sadly there’s still a stigma around self-publishing.

For some people, if a book doesn’t sell well right away or look professionally polished from day one, it isn’t considered “real.”

Writers who spent years trying to break into traditional publishing can be especially critical of people who took a different path. Some of them seem to believe self-publishing is evidence of lesser value, and not all, but a lot of writers, especially in older writing communities, still carry that thinking.

And you know what, sometimes you’re just in the wrong place at the wrong time with something that pokes a bear.

Yeah... I know, those critics can sting badly, because it’s your writing, and part of your soul gets judged in a rude way, but don't spend too much energy on it.

If the criticism is about the writing, take what helps and leave the rest.

Because once the conversation turns into rankings, sales numbers, and whether you’re a legitimate author, it’s usually not about the book anymore.

But if those comments turn into a personal attack against you, luckily we have a block and mute button. Don’t be afraid to use it.

PS

One thing I know for sure is that readers and writers look at books very differently. Most readers don’t care who published a book. They don’t care about rankings, algorithms, or where an author falls in some unofficial hierarchy. They pick up a book because the story interests them. They either connect with it or they don’t.

A lot of the debates about legitimacy seem to happen inside writing communities themselves. I’ve seen writers walk away from them because they got tired of feeling like they had to prove they belonged there. That’s unfortunate because these communities can be incredibly valuable when people focus on helping each other grow. Some of the best and yes, also painful feedback I’ve ever received came from other writers.

So the biggest problem isn’t feedback or criticism. It’s when those things turn into superiority. That is the turning point.