Rebuttals to Strauss's Hate Article

After that outrageous article full of lies, who could ever trust Strauss again? She has proven she cannot be trusted to be objective. She'll stick up for her chums no matter how dirty they are, and Absolute Write is a stranger to soap and water. Rebuttals from the administrators of the blogs that were defamed by Strauss follow:

Rebuttal from WAR

http://writeabsolutereviews.blogspot.ca/2014/09/the-consequence-and-sad-truth-of-hate.html


Rebuttal from Absolute Wrong  

http://accrispin.blogspot.ca/2014/08/haters-gonna-hate-smear-campaign.html?showComment=1410892355692#c2634856846256442671
http://absolutewrong.blogspot.ca/2014/09/backlinks-and-backtalk.html


Rebuttal from Blogination

http://cturkel.wordpress.com/2014/08/30/responding-to-writer-beware/


Rebuttal from The Write Agenda 

http://thewriteagenda.wordpress.com/2014/09/01/the-post-that-victoria-strauss-will-regret-posting-can-you-say-faux-pas/

 Rebuttal from Absolute Blight
 

Victoria Strauss

Strauss has launched a smear campaign against us, full of unfounded accusations, innuendo and lies. She owes us an apology.
Strauss States:

"Right now, though, the most concentrated attack comes from a group of anti-AW blogs:Absolute Blight, Absolute Banning, Forums Review, and Write Absolute Reviews.(the "s" at the end of "Boards" is cosmetic; the only board discussed is AW). If they seem similar--not just in format, but in the circular way they all reference each other--that's no coincidence: there's substantial evidence that they've been set up by the same individual, a long-time forum troll who has made trouble not just at AW, using dozens of sockpuppet accounts, but at the now-moribund WritersNet (a WN member set up this special forum to memorialize her antics)."  

We've never denied having other sites.In fact, we've advertised them on Forums Review and on this site. So it's always been right out there for the world to see.

Everyone else knew about it but Strauss. Here's an example.
  
That's odd considering she's set herself up as the omnipotent poobah of the publishing world. We suspect that she did know, but when did Strauss and her buddies at AW, ever let a little thing like the truth get in the way of their agenda? She raked around hoping to dig dirt on us but found none. So she went with the lie about our sites.

Either way, Strauss owes us an apology for suggesting that we've been hiding this information. We don't, however, own Write Absolute Reviews, and Strauss owes the WAR administrator an apology for that lie. We resent Strauss's assertion that we have 'admitted' to having other sites. How can you admit to something that you never denied in the first place? This is, of course, Strauss's way of trying to wipe all that egg off her face.

Strauss's wild accusation about the sites being set up by one 'long-time forum troll,' is outrageous in the extreme. She has absolutely no idea who runs this site and the others, and we challenge her to provide the 'substantial evidence' that she speaks of, and which she based this lie upon.

Strauss has written a scurrilous article that defends AW and its bullying culture -- of which she is a part -- and brands those it abuses as trolls and sockpuppets. She is also flying dangerously close to the wind with her personal attacks and wild assumptions. For instance, she states that someone who sent her a link to this forum on Facebook, is a 'troll,' named Vicky, who has a phoney Facebook account. Hmmm...how does Strauss know that? Oops sorry, that's all part of the elusive 'substantial evidence,' she speaks of. We have to trust her on this.

Strauss claims that Vicky has used multiple identities, in various writing forums, and set up multiple blogs, including this one!

How Strauss knows all this we're not, of course, privy to. Suffice to say it's all part of this top secret 'substantial evidence' that she refers to. However, even if it were all true, how is it significant regarding the bullying culture at Absolute Write, and that's the issue here. It appears to be a diversionary tactic employed by Strauss, aimed at deflecting attention away from where it truly belongs. In short, we don't give a fig how many user names forum members have used. What we do care about is the vicious and sadistic bullying of authors at Absolute Write! So let's stay on topic here, Victoria.

But Strauss goes even further in her bully campaign against Vicky. She furnishes a link to a hate site, set up to specifically attack Vicky, by a male stalker troll who is obviously obsessed with her. This, as you see, is getting dangerous. Our advice to Strauss is 'Get a grip.' You come across as a totally paranoid wingnut and cyberstalker, hurling unfounded accusations around like Frisbees.

We're also aghast that she would endorse and promote a hate site that's sole purpose is to attack a forum member, and which incites others to do likewise. It's irresponsible and unforgivable of Strauss to put someone's life at risk in this way. We've contacted Proboards and asked that the hate site be removed.

To say Strauss is behaving in an unprofessional manner is an understatement. She's resorting to name-calling and referring to our administrator and staff as 'trolls.'  This is quite wildly amusing since Strauss is notorious as the biggest troll of the lot! And she's vigorously defending a hornet's nest of trolls at her favourite forum, AW.

Every single post on this site has links leading back to the source. We never throw out wild accusations and make assumptions the way Strauss does. Not ever. We back up our information with documented proof, always. In other words, we don't keep our 'substantial evidence' a secret.

                                                                        

Strauss states: "More unpleasant pastimes include attempting to doxx AW's owner, her parents, and AW admins, and to interfere with their livelihoods (Absolute Blight is the worst offender in this regard)."
That, of course, is utter bunk. There's a lawsuit pending and a physical address for Mel/Mac and Lisa Spangenburg is required for that. It was Mel/Mac herself who tweeted information about her parent's location, and made it available for all on the Internet to see. As for the 'interfere with
livlihoods'* nonsense, Mel/Mac did that to herself when she stopped paying writers, and they complained to Writers Weekly. Read all about it: http://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?t=8199%22

*Strauss misspelled the word. It should be 'livelihoods.' 

Strauss is continually attacking other writers, publishers and agents, calling them 'trolls' and 'sockpuppets.' She needs to look in a mirror and remember she's in a glass house. She hangs out with and vigorously defends some of the most infamous trolls and sockpuppets on the Internet at Absolute Write. Like the stablehand who owns the forum, and swears like one too, and has never published anything. Birds of a feather flock together.

According to Strauss, who is in no way an unbiased source, all the sites which are protesting the bully tactics at AW have been created by just one person! It should be noted here that Strauss is one of the 'inner circle' at AW, and used to be a moderator. She has posted there 6,537 times.
These are some of the people Strauss suspected might be active in the ever growing dissent against AW.
"Other assorted names, websites, trolls, and sockpuppets that we believe are associated with The Write Agenda:
Turnaround Media (an obscure PR and digital publishing firm, which apparently maintains TWA--see #6 on the Screenshots page for the connections)
Jared Goldstein, Turnaround Media's VP of Marketing (we don't know whether this is a real name or not, but he has a Facebook page)
Jonna Silverman, another Turnaround Media staffer (again, we don't know if this is a real name or even a real person, but she's on Twitter)
Miriam Silverstein ("Miriam" has a Facebook page, but "her" profile uses a stock photo)
Lizzy Greenberg (the name TWA uses for posting press releases, uploading content to Smashwords, etc. "Lizzy" has a Goodreads profile--note the presence of books published by Turnaround Media) Don't these colorful names sound oddly similar?
Nick Caruso (a Strategic Book Publishing sockpuppet. See #6 on the Screenshots page for an appearance by "Nick")
Michael Sigvagni (signatory to TWA's fake Cease and Desist letter; according to Google, there's not a single real person in the world by this name) A mirror blog, also called The Write Agenda Another mirror blog called Writer Be Aware"
http://www.donotlink.com/http://accrispin.blogspot.ca/2011/10/agenda-of-write-agenda.html
Yet now Strauss states that only one person is behind the whole resistance movement. Hmmm... Oh wait, I've got it. So the 7 names listed above are actually just one person too. Right!

It's also been pointed out that Strauss's books don't sell well, and as a result she's a failed and bitter author. Hence, the amount of time she spends attacking other writers and publishers. We checked out one of her books. It's titled 'Wordstone' and the cover is a jumbled mess. Simply awful. In fact, it's so bad it's comical. Whoever 'designed' it needs a lesson in how to add layers. Yet the AW crowd are merciless in their condemnation of 'self-pubbed' book covers. Only the big New York houses get top marks from them. Ironic isn't it? And it's too bad Strauss didn't follow her own advice:
 

"Look for samples of their work (book covers they’ve designed, books they’ve edited, etc.; a reputable provider should be glad to share this information). Ask for references. Plug their names into search engines to see if you can find recommendations or complaints. Check Preditors and Editors and Absolute Write."

http://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/pod/

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,470,133 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
As you can see it couldn't be ranked much lower, for it's truly at the bottom of the heap. This book received only a couple of reviews, here is one of them:
"5 of 10 people found the following review helpful

Sloppy and unprofessional!

By A Customer on June 22, 2003

Format: Mass Market Paperback

I am so disappointed in this book! The plot is weak and the characters I found to be a bit boring. Overall I thought this book was sloppy and unprofessional not what I expected by this self-proclaimed bestselling author! WORLDSTONE is a waste of time and good money, in this man's opinion."

http://www.amazon.com/Worldstone-Victoria-Strauss/dp/0027883809/ref=la_B000APFNCK_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409626997&sr=1-11

Here is another poor seller: It's ranked at #3,965,645
http://www.amazon.com/Burning-Land-Victoria-Strauss/dp/0380978911/ref=la_B000APFNCK_sp-atf_image_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409348812&sr=1-6

In fact, none of her books are selling well. Check them out.
http://www.amazon.com/Victoria-Strauss/e/B000APFNCK/ref=la_B000APFNCK_st?qid=1409347068&rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_82%3AB000APFNCK&sort=popularity-rank

There's more information about 'literary midget' Victoria Strauss and her unpopular books here:
http://thewriteagenda.wordpress.com/2014/07/21/victoria-strauss-blames-the-write-agenda-for-her-1-star-reviews/

Rebuttals to her shoddy article are pouring in.
http://writeabsolutereviews.blogspot.ca/
http://cturkel.wordpress.com/2014/08/30/responding-to-writer-beware/ 
http://thewriteagenda.wordpress.com/2014/09/01/the-post-that-victoria-strauss-will-regret-posting-can-you-say-faux-pas/

Strauss hoped to destroy us with her lies, but it's backfired on her. We've been getting a record number of visitors in the last few days, and a ton of supportive messages. Thanks to everyone for their good wishes.

http://absoluteblight.blogspot.ca/