Come across an insulting story?
My first advice is — stop reading it and ignore it. If it stinks that badly, or is that offensive, editors won’t buy it anyway. Move on to another story. But if you do feel you’ll just explode if you don’t tell the author what you think about their piece of pusillanimous cow-pie drivel… Make sure you do it tactfully. Remember that Critters has a Diplomacy Standard. I’ve definitely found over the years that if you want someone to hear you when you have something to say that they don’t want to hear — ranting and raving won’t do it. Telling them in soft, logical terms what your opinions are is far more likely to get your opinion heard. Your goal in Critters is to communicate, not tell someone off. If you can’t be tactful — don’t say anything. Critters is not the place for venting. Remember, it’s your opinion, no matter how “factual” you think something is. You can tell an author anything you want about how you didn’t care for their piece — so long as you do it cordially. Suggest, do
