If JK Rowling cares about writing, she should write.

Beware, this is a rant…

So this happened last week. I suggest you give it a read. Unless you’re in a really good mood right now and don’t want it spoiled.

I read the article last week when it was published. There are so many things wrong with it that I almost don’t know where to begin. Almost.

1)      It’s shameful to read Harry Potter if you’re an adult?!?!

a.       I can’t even.

b.      Okay, maybe I can. Here’s another adult who thinks kids books (MG) and YA books are “below” them just because the books are written for kids. The common denominator between the people who say this: they haven’t read it! Ms. Shepherd admits to not having read Harry Potter. Others have written about how adults shouldn’t read Twilight or romance but if they haven’t read it themselves, how can they even judge? 

2)      It implies writing for kids is inferior.

a.       Writing, reading. Potato, potato. (This works better when spoken.) See above.

3)      If you’re taking aim at JKR, why not take aim at Patterson or Connelly or Roberts or the dozen or so other authors who dominate bestsellers with every release?

a.      I know JKR is a kahuna, but seriously, Patterson releases a new book every month and it’s always on the bestsellers. If that’s not domination, I don’t know what is.

b.      Ms. Shepherd singles out an author who wrote for kids before writing for adults. She didn’t mention all the adult authors who dominate the bestsellers (see above) who now write for kids too. (Patterson, Coben, Grisham and more have books in the MG and/or YA sections.) It’s like allowing people from Village A to move to Village B but if anyone from Village B wants to move to Village A? Their welcome looks like this:

Source: Warner Brothers

4)      Maybe if Ms. Shepherd had read Harry Potter, she would feel differently.

a.       If you haven’t experienced the magic, then sure, judge it all you want. (Hint: SARCASM.)

5)      Also, what if this was just a fancy *cough* lowly *cough* way for Ms. Shepherd to get more sales for her books? Did we just see a twerking episode of the publishing industry?

People reading books is good for the publishing industry as a whole. (I mean, duh.) And JKR gets people to read, no matter if it’s Harry Potter or Cuckoo’s Calling. She makes it more likely for people to visit a bookstore and buy books. (As do Patterson, Connelly, Grisham and all those mentioned above.) This is good for publishing, for authors and for literacy.

I’m a 26 year old adult. I have a Harry Potter poster above my bookcases. Those bookcases are full of YA. I own children’s books and adult books too. I’ve even read some of them.

I know YA is for me, but I’m not about to degrade or judge someone who reads MG or mystery or true crime or biographies or adult fiction or romance. So I’d appreciate it if people who prefer other genres didn’t do that to MG and YA readers.

Yes, I love YA. But most importantly, I LOVE BOOKS.

And no one I MEAN NO ONE tells JK Rowling to stop writing.

(See what I did there?)

/rant