Jan 43 min read

Compassionate Authoring

Don't be like Cait Corrain. Authors are a community like no other.

You've probably heard the tribulations of author Cait Corrain. If not, crisscross applesauce on the story rug for a harrowing tale.

Corrain reached a goal many authors toil to achieve -- book release by a big publishing house. In this case, it was Del Ray, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Can't get much bigger than that.

If this happened to me and my cyberpunk musical romance in iambic pentameter, I’d bounce off the walls. One would think the same of Corrain. Like other authors, lauding other Del Ray authors and asking her friends to support the release would be first on her list. Instead, Corrain took it upon herself to upvote her upcoming book (not named because she doesn't deserve the credit) on Goodreads and leave one-star reviews for other debut novels from Del Ray.

Then she took a stupid step further by leaving caustic reviews about other authors that, according to her, were "kind of mean to downright abusive." Corrain said the actions were a result of alcoholism, substance abuse, and new depression medications. According to her, she had a complete psychological breakdown, created a half-dozen accounts on Goodreads, and proceeded with a scorched earth campaign.

The Expected Results

The publishing community didn't take this lightly. Once Corrain was revealed as the culprit, Del Ray immediately dropped her first book and its sequel. Additionally, her agent broke ties with the author, leaving Corrain at ground zero in her publishing career.

As a member of the neurodivergent community, I feel some form of empathy for her situation. After all, she does deal with depression. Then again, in this case, Corrain deserved everything she got.

The Close-Knit Author Community

There are few communities out there more close-knit than that of writers. We support each other at the start, during, and at the end of the publishing process. When a book comes out, we ensure others know about it to increase sales and recognition. When sales slump or are nonexistent, we provide positive feedback to prop them back up.

Yes, we have our differences. I point you to the famous Dick Cavett Show debate between authors Norman Mailer and Gore Vidal. You don't remember it, even though you were born in the late 20th century? Well, look up the video. It's an amazing, alcohol-filled (on Mailer's part) debate between two monster authors of the time.

That said, I don't think Mailer would have review-bombed Vidal on Goodreads if he had the chance. Although a physical and verbal pugilist, something stopped him from going that far. He probably wanted people to read Vidal's books to show them how bad they were. In a way, Mailer supported Vidal in a warped fashion.

Corrain was simply mean to benefit herself. You don't do that if you're part of a community. No doubt authors want their books to be successful. We also want others to gain fame to create a world of ravenous readers.

If you blow it, like Corrain, you don't blame it on your medical conditions and hope your publisher/agent/readers forgive you. You find anyone who'll listen, step up to the highest podium, and exclaim, "Yeah, I f'd up. I apologize to every author I screwed. I've blown my credentials in the author community and don’t deserve recognition for a long time."

Corrain needs to address her mental health and get help for her alcohol and substance abuse. She needs to become whole again and then address her wrongdoings as she goes through the recovery process.

That's the one thing I support. Maybe then she can get back to writing.