It never fails to astonish me how quickly authors who feel that they’ve been slighted, wade in with their size 7’s in an effort to bitchslap a reader who dares to say what they feel.

In the post below, Shelby Morgen wrote this: (And no Shelby/Margaret, no permission needed because you posted it on my blog)

I’m Margaret Riley, AKA Shelby Morgen, owner and publisher of Changeling Press. I’ll admit to being more than a little ticked off at the cover art rant.

Of course Coffee Man looks like a cartoon. Did you pay ANY attention to the genre? It’s under Comic Book Heroes. It’s SUPPOSED to look like a cartoon. As for Kiss, it’s supposed to look like a fairy tail storybook. Because it is.

Of course the cover art is computer generated. The only other options available to small presses are stock photography — care to see your cover on 6 other books? NO thank you. And since we’re primarily Sci-Fi/Fantasy and Paranormal, all you’d get is head shots that have no relevance to the books whatsoever. Individual hand done art work at $2000 to $3000 a cover is simply not an option in our market. You don’t see it in New York any more, either. Most of what’s coming out of New York is either stock photography or CGI. Without CGI we’d still have sets for movies with space ships made out of Frisbees hung on a string.

Changeling is a community of authors and writers working together to produce a product. It’s never OK to insult people, and when you insult their work, they take it personally. When you insult our product, I take it personally.

I read this, this morning, scratched my head for a while, and then I suddenly realised that my throwaway post from yesterday had caused all this hullaboo. All of a sudden, a rant that I’d read on a blog yesterday, naming no names, made more sense. Without the blogger saying so, it was a reaction to the post below. Sigh.

Anyway, Shelby Morgen went on to add:

“Please note that all Changeling cover art is property of Changeling Press and copyright and may not be used or reprinted without my permission.”

So for the first time in my blogging history, I’ve had to remove some books covers from my site. I could ask for permission, but I guess you know that’s not gonna happen.

The post below was actually a public service blog, and the main intention was to let people know that Changeling Press hadn’t actually closed down. I guess that bit got totally bypassed. It happens.

The snarking on the covers was just that, snarking. I think the covers below are sucky, regardless of whose sensitive little soul I destroy. It always amuses me when writers get all in my face about what really amounts to just one person’s opinion.

Seven Wolves wrote:

“Everytime I see someone write something so inane as “I could do better with my eyes closed” I just have to say this: DO IT AND SHOW US.

I’m waiting.”

Methinks you’ll be waiting a while because I don’t have to prove anything to you or anybody else in blogland my lovely.

The most sensible comment that was expressed, came from Sahara Kelly:

“So in defense of Changeling, I would urge everybody to remember that variety is truly the key to cover art and that although all of them may not be to your taste, others might well find them appealing.”

Exactly. So why did a few of the Changeling Press authors decide to gather on my blog to give me what for? Since when did that tactic ever work in blogland? More to the point, since when did that ever wash with me?

I’m sorry, but if you’re not interested in what I’ve got to say, or if my opinion pisses you off to that extent, I suggest you visit other blogs, (there are many to choose from). I’m not in the habit of curbing my thoughts just because it may bother some people. If any of you have visited my blog more than once, then this is something that you should be aware of already.

Seriously guys, some of you really need to grow thicker skins, yes, we all know that some authors are extremely sensitive when it comes to their work, but if you put it out there, you’re automatically inviting people’s opinions. yes, I could have easily said something PC like “the covers below aren’t to my taste”, but that’s not really me, and if you were a regular visitor to this blog, you’d know that already.

By all means tell me that you disagree with me, it wouldn’t be the first time, and I’m sure it wont be the last. Telling me off for having the nerve to say something negative about your work on my blog, is something else all together.

Especially when I know that the cover snarking thing would have passed by peacefully had my blog not been bombarded by Changeling authors lining up to give me a peace of their mind. Suck it up, and move on, if not, go and read this. She puts her point across far more eloquently than I could right now.

Hunting in packs is just not a good look for Changeling. Especially, when the original post was meant to assist, rather than hinder.