Watch what you say and watch what you do.

Watch what you say and watch what you do.

Tolerance  - Toleration and tolerance are terms used in social, cultural and religious contexts to describe attitudes and practices that prohibit discrimination against those practices or group memberships that may be disapproved of by those in the majority.

So I’ll go a bit further and say that speaking, writing or acting in a way that will offend others are not acceptable. AND, that as a person in the public eye, and now that you’ve written a book, a story, a poem and placed your work here in these magazines you are, that you should hold yourself to a higher purpose and level.

I can’t tell you how many times I have written emails in response to authors and their actions, behavior or manner of speech. Those same emails are deleted and a new one is written. The process? Is just to get the anger off my chest and out of the way. I will also admit that I’m not perfect, yet do my best to not say things that will offend others and place me and my company in a bad light.

Having said that – I recently read a post on one of the BRP writer's Facebook page. And who would have thought that Facebook would be such a place of misunderstanding or a place of false courage and strength for the writer? Back to the point. This author decided to place a post, yes on his personal page, that the world is growing more and more homosexual and that we should all hate this as well as all homosexuals.

Now I’m not here to tell you what to think, to debate the role of homosexuals in the world or if you should comply with the writer's thought and become a homosexual. What I am here to tell you is that you’re living in 2019. That you are working with a publishing house that is open and accepting to ALL individuals, regardless of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or whether or not they pick their nose.

So, to write something like that literally goes against all that we here at BRP believe in.

My response – was to remind this writer that they are seen by more people than just those that are within their 10 miles radius. That social media isn’t always the place to offer such statements as this will offend your possible audience. And sorry, but yes, you’re now a business and businesses typically don’t act this way.

His response – This is my Facebook page I can post what I want.

Agreed – but when you start to lose followers – you start to lose sales – this may be one of the reasons why.

His response – This is my Facebook page I can post what I want. And I think that in a year I want to cancel my contract and have someone else publish my next book.

My response – cool – but why wait. If you are unhappy with BRP because we are cautioning you against offending others – cool – we can cancel your contract now. There is no need to continue and have you have another year of being unhappy.

Yep – you guessed. He changed his tune. Unfortunately for him, I did not.

Somewhere along that way people, this guy, got it in his head that we are here to serve him. Let me correct that – we are a team, therefore, we don’t serve you or him – we work with you. If you see it differently, then this not the place for you.

Every time I speak to a new author I tell them that we are working together to make them and their book a success. That we as a team will come up with marketing ideas together that will hopefully move their book forward.

Keyword – TEAM

May I say that again – TEAM!

Breaking Rules Publishing doesn’t take orders from their authors – we work with them. Breaking Rules Publishing doesn’t give orders to our authors – we work with them. So when you have someone who sees you as someone beneath them it is best to cut the ties and let them go.

And now it gets better.

After giving him what he wanted he thought it best to reach out to some of our other authors and do his best to trash me and the company.

If I have to explain why this behavior is childish and unprofessional – then we have an even greater problem.

The point of this rant – just be kind to people.  Just be understanding with people and their views and for crying out loud – realize that you’re a business now – and I’m sorry to say – you’re going to have to act like one.