By Chrissy Brown | C.A.A.B. Publishing
Never feed the troll!
We all know that line but what if the troll is disguised as a sweet and helpful person?
You reply, you offer to help, you engage, you find yourself in the middle of a war you didn’t start, didn’t want, and have no idea how to end.
As an author you have to put yourself out there. You need to be in the public eye and that usually leads to people noticing you, which can lead to a troll infestation.
But it is not just the trolls that are a worry on social media. There are creepers too. No not the sort from the popular, kids, block game but people who watch, who send messages to your contacts and then attack you on social media. Why? Who knows? Because they are bored? Because they are nasty? Because they crave attention? Because the pixie that lives inside their ear told them too?
Some of these people may have mental health issues and that is not something to laugh at, it should invoke sympathy but that is difficult when you are getting death threats or being called horrible things by someone you do not know.
Then there are jerks. Those that message you with a perfectly reasonable question or comment and you answer them, but then they have you in their sights. You have communicated, and the messages will then not stop, they will get nastier and more personal. The jerk will continue to bother you until you block them. Some are clever and will come back with another account, they can be relentless.
Lastly, scammers. We have all heard the warnings, but these guys are slick, and they know their business. Some may offer promotion, publication or a helping hand. They all want your money. They may say they admire your work, they may try to chat you up and act as though they want a real relationship. They may try breaking you down, getting you into a vulnerable state and then … wham! Money please! Or they may try to be friends and then play on your sympathies and kindness. Some authors have even found themselves in the firing line, when scammers steal their photos and their names and use these to scam others. Be vigilant. Never give people online money and be aware of the latest scams.
It is easy to say DO NOT ENGAGE, but often very tough to do. But it can be the only way. That is why celebrities do not give out their phone number or email address to fans and why most have someone else monitoring their social media. The world is full of keyboard warriors, trolls, creepers, jerks, scammers and just plain horrible people.
So, what can you do?
Ignore them? Block them? Sure.
Just remember that a troll will die if it is starved of the attention it seeks.
Do not answer private messages from people you do not know, and we mean that you have met in person and actually know them, not just have a connection online.
Do not get drawn into a debate or argument about something. State the facts and then log off. The troll can rant and rave, but others will soon step in and support you, if you stick to the facts. You do not need to deal with the troll.
Tell someone, if the messages get really nasty then report the user and let your family know what has happened, this can be vital as many trolls/creepers/jerks/scammers will then move on to those in your friends list.
Check your privacy setting. Do not give out more information than you need to.
Be careful.
Would you strike up a conversation with a stranger in the street, one that was keeping their face hidden (as a profile picture means nothing) or one that wouldn’t give you their real name? If you can, get someone else to run your social media, as a writer you need a thick skin but sometimes it can all get too much.
Have someone else look at the messages, even if you are only a tiny bit suspicious, your gut will be trying to tell you this is not right, listen to it.
Do research into people and the companies they say they work for. Is the company real? Do they have someone with this person’s name working for them? Can you contact that person via the webpage? Reverse image search anything that is sent to you. You can also do this with profile pictures. Get to know all you can without relying on the information provided and see where the trail leads you. This can be fun if you manage to unmask the troll or call out the scammer.
Never give anyone your phone number or home address.
Think before you type. Do you really need to answer that message, comment, or tweet?
Can you just delete it and move on?
Call out a bully, if you see them trolling a fellow author. It may make you a target, but if we stand together the troll will get blocked and ignored and will not be able to cause the bad feelings it wanted.
Use a pen name, this can stop a majority of the issues as the troll or scammer cannot find the real you.
Be cautious, think before you add a picture or a comment, does it give too much of you away?
BUT do not be afraid. Stand up for yourself. Do not let the bad element win. You will find so many people willing to speak up and support you. That is the side of social media you must concentrate on.
Be encouraged that the light will always defeat the darkness. You can slay the troll.
Featured Book from C.A.A.B.
Ava by Lydia Baker
First, they came for the city and we allowed it, they put up the Barrier and we stayed quiet, silenced by the fear of what was beyond. Our elderly were next and still we didn’t cry out; then they came for the women, removed their fertility and stole our future, so I hid. I became Alec and I turned my back on my true self, Ava.
Ava can’t live as Alec any longer, the lie is killing her, destroying all that she is. The world beyond MTech’s Barrier calls to her and she can’t ignore it. She has to know what, if anything, survived the terrible day that tore her family apart fourteen years ago. But what if the Outside is far more dangerous than anything Ava has ever faced on the Inside?
C.A.A.B Publishing
CAAB Publishing Ltd is a traditional, small, indie company helping unknown authors have a voice and inspiring new writers to take that first step into the world of publishing.
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Article originally Published in the August / September 2022 Issue: Indie Debuts.