Rant rant rant~

this is in regards so something i reviewed recently but i refuse to name cause i learned from the amount of people who read that 'review' in such a short time that even though you don't expect your stuff to get seen and you don't share it... sometimes they will find you anyways.

So! obviously i'm in on the 'story' of how a certain something got made, i purchased the thing myself cause
a) i was curious
b) i wanted to see what something done by 9ish people would look like and if it could have a cohesive voice (and it does.... kinda... some voices were louder then others...)
c) i knew, above all else that it was probably going to be really funny... .and it was.

SO... i knew the second part of it was supposed to be a rabid fake fanbase who would praise it like the next holy artifact so that anyone who wasn't in on the joke would see it and go "what the hell is wrong with these people."

so as i watched the positive reviews fly in i noticed two things.

1. People going "you know it's a joke right"
um... of course they do... did you actually read their review... almost all the positive reviews are as over the top and outlandish as the thing in question, have more faith in humanity.... you're ruining everyone's fun

2. People calling it swindling a fanbase.

and thats the point of this rant.

In my opinion in order to swindle someone you need to promise one thing and deliver something completely below standards and/or not at all what was promised.

at the start of this project they promised something with a rediculous concept to see how far it could go.
in they end they delivered that fully finished completed project with it's crazy premise.

it's not just one sentance written over and over.
there is a plot
there is character.
there was editing (which is more then i can say for some other things it shares a genre with)

if this same group or just one person published this without all the talk of social experiment i don't think anyone would bat an eye.
because in the end... it's a real thing... to swindle would have meant that they didn't try at all and i actually think there was a lot of effort put into it.... not to mention that everyone who worked on it was paid. this wasn't a group of people using their fan bases kindness as a way to make a quick buck... they paid all of them knowing they may never see a dime from this venture.

so then there is the argument about "they created a fake person"
um... pen-names and Pseudonyms have existed since literature/art was invented. even to this day some authors go under different names depending on what genre they are writing for cause if i see a romance novel by brent weeks i'm probably not going to pick it up knowing that he does darker fantasy stuff.
actually... a romance novel by brent weeks sounds pretty damn funny.....
anyways beyond the point.
the point is that using a fake name does not make the person a fake or a fraud.... it's more like a company name then anything else.

then theres this argument which i understand but disagree with.
"you getting money from people who don't know it's all a scam"
maybe?
i dunno cause i don't really read that genre on a regular basis but if i saw the description i would probably go "um.... no"
i honestly think that 90% of the people who purchased it are like me and in on the joke. as for the 10% who aren't.... they were probably given the link by someone like me OR were just generally curious on how such a thing could exist and will probably get a laugh out of it

"then they are just screwing over their fanbase! it should be for free!"
Bullshit.
no one forced anyone to buy it.
and again they put work into creating something i think asking for people to pay to experience it is fine.
there are other books that are unabashed parodies and no one gives a shit as they fork over their money and i've read a little one of those books... that was a piece of crap... I could write better stuff then that and i don't consider myself a writer at all.
also saying "they shouldn't charge for a book cause they have a loyal fanbase" is like saying your favorite actor shouldn't write a autobiography cause they're going to get a guaranteed amount of money back from their fans.
it's like saying a famous author shouldn't write anymore cause they are just going to sell this new book to the fans of the old one. it's just a "cash grab"
no it isn't
get your head out of your ass.

is it unfair of someone not in on the joke who is really hoping to read that particular type of story to buy this book?
no
because the book delivers exactly what it promises
it does it with wit and parody but it still gives you EXACTLY what it tells you.
and it's only 5 dollars...  most books retail at 10-30+
hell i would argue that the book that this book is parodying is the scam cause it had no editors, no effort and was rushed so fast out the door in order to earn all that money... but again, no one forced them to buy that crappy book...

in the end if you think the book is swindling people then don't buy it and tell your friends not to either.
but to accuse the writers that they are trying to steal money from others despite delivering a finished product that i'm sure took many hours... yeah screw you.... you write a book then put it up for free then... put your money where your mouth is.
also almost every free book i've read on kinde has been a rip off and after the last one i read never again...

so yeah the end of my rant is really just stop being an entitled piece of shit, turn off adblocker when watching things on youtube *coughorreadingthingsonblogspotcough* so those people who create the content can actually continue to bring you more... and stop demanding that you be entertained for free... thats not how the world works. If you can't take the 30 seconds to be advertized to then you don't deserve to watch the content... if you can't pay the 5 bucks you don't deserve to read the book.

ALSO.... i just rememebered a very important thing.

Go read the princess bride.

ok.... did you do it?
yeah.... you notice 'how' it's written... how it's an abridged version of a story that he (the abridger) was told as a child and looked hard to read it for his kid only to realize theres a chapter entirely dedicated to which hat buttercup should wear... and how it would be better with the boring bits cut out?
yeah... and the author name... the original author that is... not the one abridging it...

yeah....
it's a really good book right? funny as hell, his little added quips to the abridged version really add a personal touch don't they?
yeah....
...
..
.
yeah it's all a load of lies and a complete work of satire that subverts all the trops fantasy is known for while being so brilliant and iconic that no one gives a damn.
even though it's never stated that it's pure satire and is played completely straight for people like me to find out shortly after reading that everythings was a joke... up to and including buttercups baby.
so for you who are still calling it a scam just shut the fuck up and either learn to laugh or don't buy the book.