Monday News: Wikipedia v. feminism, Cara McKenna on author earnings, funny FSOG video, and romance flowchart

JanetPublishing Newsauthors / earnings / feminism / Fifty Shades / Gamergate / genre / Misogyny / publishing / Romance / Wikipedia11 Comments

Wikipedia Purged a Group of Feminist Editors Because of Gamergate – This story was originally published in a media outlet I refuse to link to in the DA news anymore, but Gawker and several other sites have the basic facts (which, of course, are disputed in comments, especially at Pando Daily and The Mary Sue). Still, if you can decode this Wikipedia page on the decision, Mark Bernstein’s allegation that the male-dominated Wikipedia is, indeed, co-signing the pro-Gamergate editors, or, at the very least, the male editors who, for whatever reason, don’t yet understand how frighteningly misogynistic and dangerous that movement is.

If the phrase “Wikipedia’s highest court” surprises you, you’re probably not alone. Theoretically, the free encyclopedia is a purely democratic operation—anyone can edit Wikipedia, after all—but there is a byzantine and largely unseen hierarchy that governs disputes among editors, culminating in a Supreme Court-style panel called the Arbitration Committee. The committee’s latest decision: to punish a group of five editors who fought to maintain a Gamergate page that presented the “controversy” largely as an assault on women—that is, who fought to present Gamergate as it actually is. –Gawker

The Last Taboo: What One Writer Earns – Another post in which an author actually talks honestly about what kind of money she’s making. I don’t know how much authors talk about money with each other, and how honest they are about what they actually make, but I think this trend of talking about what people can legitimately expect to earn in traditional and self-publishing — beyond the outliers who are making superstar money — can only help authors as they try to navigate the different types of publishing with a realistic understanding of what each type of publishing entails in terms of labor and responsibility, and will likely yield in terms of income.

I’m comfortable writing about this because in all honesty, I don’t care what anyone thinks of what I make. Money to me is strictly about security and freedom, not prestige or worthiness or even success. I want enough money, but not much more than that. Having much more money doesn’t seem to bring people much more peace of mind. Some might think the amount I now make is great, while some others will probably try to draw me aside in the lobby at RT this spring and murmur conspiratorially, “You know, you could be making so much more by self-pubbing. Let me share with you my secrets.” My intention here isn’t to brag, as in a post-E.L. James world, I’m certainly not blowing the tits off this industry.

“Woman Writes for Several Years, Eventually Makes a Living Wage” is not a headline that’s going to inspire thousands to quit their day jobs. –Wonkomance

50 Shades Won’t Include The Infamous Tampon Scene, So Here, Have This Fan Re-Creation – I’m not going to endorse most of the commentary The Mary Sue has here on Fifty Shades (other than the fact that it does a horrible, unrealistic, and warped job of representing BDSM), but I do think the video is kind of hilarious. And I’m so tired of the ridiculous societal taboos we still have around women and their periods. –The Mary Sue

The “Is my book a romance?” flowchart – A short, straight to the point flowchart that answers the question posed above. I’m not sure what the fact that people need a flowchart for this says about who’s trying to write Romance and why, or about the genre itself. –Cora Buhlert

Janet

isn't sure if she's an average Romance reader, or even an average reader, but a reader she is, enjoying everything from literary fiction to philosophy to history to poetry. Historical Romance was her first love within the genre, but she's fickle and easily seduced by the promise of a good read. She approaches every book with the same hope: that she will be filled from the inside out with something awesome that she didnʼt know, didnʼt think about, or didnʼt feel until that moment. And she's always looking for the next mind-blowing read, so feel free to share any suggestions!

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