Once a year or so there's a piece by someone who got a book deal, tanked, and now blames...everyone in their immediate vicinity. It's always clear that they went in with wild expectations, absolutely no understanding of the industry, and a hearty sense of entitlement. (1)

Every single time, I think, "Ah, an asshole." Because the industry is a crapshoot, and authors as a general whole are very keen to help newbs. This is a hell of a field, one that can be difficult even for seasoned pros. SO MANY people gave me a hand up when I was starting out (2)

It's only kind/fair/wise to extend that hand to others. The folks you pass on the way up are the same folks you'll pass on the way down, for one thing; and for another, we're all in this mess together. The overwhelming majority of writers I know are quick to help when asked (3)

But sometimes the asker is a douchebag. Maybe they're an obvious ladder-climber, or an egomaniac, or a blowhard. Maybe they argue that their knowledge is better than yours, even though you're the pro they've asked for help. (4)

Only the saintliest among us will work to enlighten them. So when I see those Woe Is Me, Publishing Is Bullshit articles...yeah. That's somebody with zero writer friends. There's a Reason nobody clued them in. Here, a personal example:(5)

Maybe 7-8 years ago, a passing acquaintance from another creative field emailed out of the blue re: a book deal he was discussing with a publisher. They hadn't gotten to talking money or rights yet, and he asked me what to expect, (6)

front-loading the fact that he was an established [redacted] with a considerable degree of trendy [at that moment] visibility. Friendos, this man's overestimation of his personal worth in the publishing field was vast and almost funny, but I was gentle with him. (7)

We had friends in common, and I (frankly) didn't care for the guy, but hey! I try to be helpful! And he asked me "as a professional." So I spent an hour or more composing a response, talking about what kind of deals he might get, what kind of agent he might need, etc. (8)

Then I told him to follow up with more details if he had any more questions, as I only only the broad strokes of his situation to go from. Readers, he did not follow up with further details or questions. (9)

He followed up with a mocking, exclamation-filled email calling me an idiot for working in such a paltry industry that paid so little. Why, he could get six figures for doing [XYZ] in his own field! (Untrue, but he didn't know I had friends in his field. Cough cough.) (10)

Yes, he literally called me stupid for trying to help him, and made fun of me for working in such a ridiculous field. That he wanted to break in to. Ha ha. At any rate, it closed with a mighty flounce and I never heard from him again. (11)

He did not get that book deal. I don't know if he's still working in [redacted field] but I haven't heard anything about him in years. And of course, he's not the only person who's ever responded this way to an honest effort to provide helpful information. (12)

But I say all that to say this: Your writer friends are not your competition. They are your network, your sanity checks, your cheerleaders, and your shoulders to cry on. We don't get coworkers like normal folks do. We get this loose team of pals who have our backs. (13)

Sometimes we don't see each other for months or years at a time, but we're only a text message/email/zoom away, and that shit is priceless in an industry that can be tough as hell on the ol' self esteem. ::raises a glass to my writer friends:: (the end)

I know I said "the end" but folks are asking: This was in response to a now-deleted tweet by an author who shall remain unnamed, suggesting that all writers are in competition with one another and we shouldn't delude ourselves. In short, and in *actual* conclusion... I dissent.