I’d like to make this post short and sweet. Yesterday I posted about a literary agency that announced they were going to offer new services on their blog. They did it nicely and honestly; they did it with good intentions. And they were hit with more than a few negative comments.

But this post isn’t about literary agencies doing different things. It’s about jumping to conclusions in a general sense.

As a blogger and author, I have seen and experienced this passion to jump to conclusions so many times I can almost predict when I read a blog post whether or not it’s going to cause a cyber-storm. Sometimes I cringe thinking about how surprised the blogger is going to be when they start slamming him/her. People will read a blog post or an announcement about something different in publishing and they will jump to conclusions and start blasting the project before they even know any details about it.

I’ve seen this happen with publishers (mainly new publishers); I’ve seen this happen with authors. And nine times out of ten the problems arise when people who make the announcements don’t communicate clearly.

Unfortunately for them, nine times out of ten they are making their announcements with good intentions and they aren’t trying to hurt anyone. It’s usually something new, and people seem to have a hard time handling change…especially if it’s not communicated well.

But before you jump to any conclusions the next time you read about a new publisher hitting the market or something new a literary agent or author is doing, sit back and think first. Get more information and learn the details from different sources. Some publishing blogs promote negativity so they can garner a larger readership, and they do this so well you’d never know they were doing it (there are a few crafty legal types who apply courtroom logic to each blog post and know how to manipulate and start firestorms). Don’t let them manipulate you this way. When you post something negative on the web it’s there for a long time. Keep it positive until you know the facts.