'Cyber-stalker is killing me'

[Daniel Hatadi]

In my three years of internet activity as a writing kinda guy, I've only ever made it so big that one person told me they read my blog. So stalking is something that hasn't worried me thus far. However, with my devilishly shaped head and permanently-affixed sunglasses, I wouldn't be surprised if I built up a coven of teenage groupies that followed me around from hotel to hotel, grabbing hold of the bumper bar on my limo, bloodied knees jangling behind on the road and ... okay, so I should be safe.

But sometimes I visualise or possibly just fantasise what it would be like to have the kind of fame that could attract the kind of fan that might make life miserable. I've known one person who was stalked for well over a year, afraid to mention it to anyone. She eventually brought the police into it, but due to interstate laws, nothing was ever done about the problem. Which is horrible, because it affected her life and her outlook in many disastrous ways. It's not happening now, but she still has to live with it, if only in her head.

So when I read about Patricia Cornwell's stalking problem, I thought it was worth bringing up over here (why does vomit always have to be involved?), just to see what others think about cyber stalking and if anyone has any experiences to share.

"I don't meet my fans any more - that's been a great source of sadness and loss," said Cornwell, who was accompanied by three security guards posted inside and outside the courtroom. "It's dehumanising my career."

[Karen Dionne]

You don't have to be famous to draw the attention of a cyber-stalker. I know of instances where a lesser literary agent at a well-known agency, a mid-list author, and two aspiring authors were victims. If you have a web presence, a cyberstalker can set their sights on you for no apparent reason, and once that happens, there's very little that can be done to stop them, especially if the identity of the stalker is unknown.

Cyberstalking all about power. The cyberstalker makes threats, and because they're 'only' words, it's difficult to get law enforcement to take them seriously. Good on Cornwell for trying to change that.

[Daniel Hatadi]

Good on Cornwell for trying to change that.

I totally agree.

[Olen Steinhauer]

That is rather terrifying, and it's something I've tried to keep a lid on since entering the publishing biz. I don't post my email address, and I keep anything more than my home city a secret. Is that paranoia? Yes, particularly seeing as I'm not well known enough to encourage stalkers. (Though, as Karen points out, fame isn't a prerequisite.) But there's a common misconception that because fiction writers write for the public, they're always happy to engage with the public. So why not drop by your favorite author's house and take him out for a beer? In fact, many, perhaps most, writers start writing because of their tendency toward solitude, and are naturally unsocial (if not anti-social), and have enough trouble keeping up their friends without having to add extra people to the mix. Particularly with such a demanding job as this.

Don't get me wrong, I love my fans--both of them!--and during the obligatory public moments of my work, I love talking to them and listening to what they have to say. I've gotten lots of great messages via the Nomad blog, which is one way I can remotely connect with fans without my privacy being threatened. But strangers are, until they've been proven otherwise, strangers, and I think most authors move into that public arena with real hesitation. You don't know who's going to shove a manuscript in your hands, then accuse you of plagarism, or who will insist that, because you write what you write, you two should be best friends, or more. It's human nature that people don't like their misconceptions being proven wrong, and sometimes they react poorly.

[Charles Kelly]

I've never experienced anything like stalking, but I was a victim of identity theft a couple of years ago. It was minor: someone forged a couple of checks with my name, address and phone number on them and cashed them. But the experience was creepy, and for a short while it was unsettling to know my life had been invaded by someone I couldn't identify. I can see how stalking would be terrible, especially, as Olen says, because it disturbs the solitude you choose as a writer and that you really need to continue your work.

[David Terrenoire]

...I love my fans--both of them!...

So who's the other guy? Maybe I should stop by his house for a beer.

(I guess I should cancel my trip to Budapest now.)

[Daniel Hatadi]

Two fans? So that's me and David, then. I thought it was closer to three. I hear Ingrid likes your stuff too.

[Olen Steinhauer]

I meant "both" in the allegorical sense, guys! Okay, maybe I didn't. But with only 2 fans I can make it to a couple beers, so don't either of you cancel the Budapest tickets.

[Sandra Ruttan]

Stalking can happen to anyone - even fans who post on forums can find themselves being harassed. I'm aware of that happening and have had a few unsettling experiences...

And in my case, having a public email address is part of the package. I understand the risks involved for everyone, but if I can't contact authors via email I can't set up interviews with them, etc.

Ultimately, though, having lived through a security issue in our family that involved several years of taking precautions, I think you have to decide if you're going to let someone dictate to you your life or if you're going to find ways to empower yourself. If you can afford bodyguards, go out with bodyguards. Certainly the rich and successful can counter it. I mean, actors deal with these issues and maintain public appearances in venues where it's even harder to do crowd control than bookstores.

How much public interaction to have is a personal choice for the author. There are risks both ways. While it's wonderful to get to meet up with authors you like and talk to them, I would never assume some level of entitlement. When I went to Edinburgh in 2005 it never even crossed my mind to try to contact Ian Rankin, and bizarrely enough, when I was making plans to meet up with him in 2006 he gave me heck. Geez, even now, if I was going back to Edinburgh I wouldn't assume I'd get to meet up with Ian or Al or anyone.

The problem is the sense of entitlement everyone has anymore...

[Christa Faust]

I was just reading a very interesting article on blogging for musicians (and other public figures like us) and how it has become such a key part of an artist's promotion and success. How old school fans used to look at famous musicians/artists/writers as these kind of removed and godlike beings but now modern internet-savvy fans expect a much greater sense of daily intimacy with their idols. They want to read about what you had for breakfast and then bring it up at your signing as proof of their dedication. Of course this online intimacy is a double edged sword because it also encourages stalkers and gives them access and information about you.

I have had several stalker-type situations, all of which resolved without legal action. I hate that kind of shit, but I will not allow it to make me a hermit or prevent me from blogging. I'm just a little more careful about what I post on my blog. I don't post any personal details about my lovers or family. I don't post my address or the street I live on. I make a conscious effort to use my blog to connect with my fans without getting overly personal. I keep it light and entertaining but not too specific. But I won't stop blogging just because some geek gets his or her nose out of joint and decides to attack me online. I won't stop making an email address available for fans to contact me because someone with nothing better to do is wasting their time sending me hate mail. That's what the delete button is for.

I've always said that the internet is Karaoke for writers. Anyone can get up on "stage" and be an expert without any credentials whatsover. Plus the anonymity and sense of remove allows people a feeling of safety. How many of these cyberweenies would have the balls to say the things they post to someone's face?

Cyberstalking can be very unsettling and scary and anyone with an online presence is vulnerable. But I agree with Sandra that you can't let the cyberweenies dictate your life. On the other hand, I also think it's good that Cornwall is making an effort to take legal action. People need to be held responsible for their actions.

[Sandra Ruttan]

"I've always said that the internet is Karaoke for writers. Anyone can get up on "stage" and be an expert without any credentials whatsover."

That is one of my major pet peeves. There are even 'industry' blogs (not just talking crime fiction here) that toss out one-sided opinion without all the facts sometimes and use the platform (and in some cases anonymity) to say all kinds of stuff that is pure opinion and unsubstantiated.

But worse than anything are the people who start dispensing advice like they know it all and when you try to check them out they have no publishing credits, no agent, no experience with the industry at all. And yet people flock to them. I read blogs with an open mind, that it may not have all the facts. That's a throwback to journalism, I guess, and partly because I'm a skeptic by nature.

I agree it's good about Cornwall taking legal action too. Of course, the laws also need to get with the times.

[I. J. Parker]

I have a little experience with stalkers, having been stalked for 10 years before I became an author, and having heard the story of another author who was stalked by a fan who met her at a signing. So far my fans have been charming, courteous, and shy. It must be remembered though, that any internet presence -- and in our case, that of having titles listed on amazon where people are invited to make comments -- can attract anonymous attacks and attackers. With the news that one's home can be found if a stranger has the telephone number and google access, the whole thing becomes even scarier.

[Daniel Hatadi]

I'm personally not too closed or anonymous on the net, because I think if some wants to find you, they can. Just takes a little investigation. I do make sure not to use my home address on the internet in any public way, though.

If you have a website, it's worth looking up whois.net to see what information of yours is attached. It's easy to have your billing address show up without meaning to.