I've created a new blog called The Anonymous Publishing Vent Club. Here's the low down:
You're a writer. Or an editor. Or an agent. Or a publicist. Or a bookseller. Or someone who works in the publishing industry in some capacity.
And you're angry about something. You've been wronged, lied to, gotten a bad deal, had to put up with some unbelievable bullshit, dealt with a real brain donor, or have experienced something unfair or ridiculous.
You need to vent. But you can't complain about it, because you don't want to get fired, or have your contract cancelled, or you believe it could come back to haunt you, or you think that your peers will hate you, or you're worried that it will hurt your career.
This blog is for you.
Here you can vent, rant, and rage against injustice, and do it anonymously. There's no way to find out who you are, no way for your diatribe to come back and bite you in the butt.
Curious? Interested? Can't wait to try it?
Here are the rules:
1. Vent Club is anonymous, even from JA Konrath, its creator. NO REAL PEOPLE/PLACES/COMPANIES SHALL BE NAMED! Use Publisher X, Author X, Bookstore X, etc. when telling your story. Keep the specifics (dates, places, details) vague. Vent Club is not about pointing fingers and/or punishing those who have wronged you. Vent Club is about anonymous venting.
2. If you want to post on Vent Club, create a free, anonymous email account at http://www.hotmail.com. Then send an email to JA Konrath at haknort@comcast.net through that account with "I WANT TO POST ON VENT CLUB" in the heading.
DO NOT tell JA who you are, or anything specific about you, even if you know Joe and like Joe. KEEP IT ANONYMOUS! But in your email you must mention what type of publishing person you are (agent editor, writer, bookseller, publicist, etc) along a few sentences about what you want to use Vent Club for.
If you are accepted, JA will send you the username and password to post your words on Vent Club.
3. NO changing passwords, changing other people's posts, or deleting comments. The password will be changed by JA after every post, and he alone has the right to delete inappropriate content. Respect Vent Club, for it respects you.
4. NO swearing, trolling, or flaming. We work in the publishing industry. We're more creative than that.
5. If you post on Vent Club, keep your mouth shut. NEVER tell anyone you posted here, and never take credit for a post. If asked, deny your involvement. Vent Club isn't about marketing yourself, or gaining fame or notoriety.
6. Comments on posts are encouraged. These can be signed using your real name. But there will be NO speculation or guessing who the posts belong to, or who they are talking about. If you try to match names with events, YOU WILL BE BANNED FROM VENT CLUB.
Vent Club is located at http://ventclub.blogspot.com. Bookmark it. Add it to your RSS feed. Link to it. And spread the word. I have a feeling this could get interesting...