By skyforbes 
How BookTok Backlash Reveals a Larger Problem for Artists
Since author Audra Winter blew up on TikTok earlier this year with some compelling story concepts and worldbuilding for her debut novel, she has been in the spotlight on BookTok. Her confidence sold a lot of people on her story, including me.
As soon as I saw her talking about The Age of Scorpius, I was enthralled. I often wish I had more self-confidence, so creatives who find that balance between confident and cocky draw me in like a siren. Without much convincing, I pre-ordered the book. I’m a secret astrology lover (I got my Big 3 tattooed on my arm as a “joke”), and the art her team had already shared for the characters and world was gorgeous. A novel I get to read with images in mind already? Sick. Sign me up.
Something happened, though, after the release of the book. People did. not. like it. And they made that loud and clear.
After finishing Golden Son by Pierce Brown in an absolute rage, I needed to break with something softer, so I picked up TAoS. The juxtaposition between those two books was…not something I would have chosen for myself. But did I hate it? No. I took a beat to remember that this was the first novel of a 22-year-old author, and that I took a risk in purchasing it without reading a sample (none was available at the time).
I can see it on my nightstand from where I sit now, bookmarked to chapter 14.
And then…I went online. And I was inundated with videos. Surely not in the same way Audra was after release, but it felt like the subject of every third video on my FYP.
People called her a scammer, a grifter, a terrible writer. They found her real name, her Facebook, even a post about her service dog. To say I was confused would be an understatement. It was Benson Boone all over again.
Coming from someone who participates in a weekly writing critique, this pile-on did not feel like a critique. It felt like harassment.
Harassment of a 22-year-old AuDHD author pursuing her dream in the imperfect, beautiful way only humans can.
Was Age of Scorpius perfect, or even ready for publishing? No. Is Audra perfect, or at all media-trained? Also no. But if every artist waited until their work was perfect before sharing it, how many books, paintings, or songs would exist at all?
We never would have gotten to the good part. Red Rising wouldn’t exist. Mistborn wouldn’t exist. The Green Mile wouldn’t exist.
This entire situation feels like a symptom of a larger issue with internet culture — it punishes creativity instead of nurturing it.
The Criticisms
As a quick recap for those not familiar with the situation, the most common criticisms of Audra and her book are:
- Poor editing, bad grammar, and typos
- Immature writing style
- Flat characters and emotions
- Weak worldbuilding, info-dumping, low stakes
- Overhyped marketing with an execution gap
- Lack of accountability, bad response to criticism
That last one is probably the thing I’ve heard most often. This is where many readers felt her confidence crossed into hubris, and hubris doesn’t sit well with viewers.
Hot take: to that last point, I ask — who cares? If you don’t like how a person responds, walk away. Give your time, energy, and money to something that resonates with you more. This isn’t a defense of her responses, but unsolicited advice that spans across all aspects of life: if you don’t like something, leave it behind.
I agree with some of these criticisms to varying extents, but honestly, what I think of her book doesn’t matter — and it isn’t the point.
The Bigger Issue
The point is one that creators on every platform — TikTok, YouTube, Instagram — have talked about before. Creators often quit doing the thing they loved because of pressure from the very people who originally bolstered them up.
When did we stop meeting people where they are? When did we stop valuing a creator’s passion over their ability to deliver content like we’re pigs in a trough?
As viewers, we have a responsibility to understand the pressure creators receive from us and how it affects their work and their personal lives. We indulge in the parasocial aspects of watching creators and forget that they are humans with hopes and dreams off-screen.
We often forget the difference between constructive criticism and content farming. This happens in music, movies, books, all across social media. It tears down the creatives who are pursuing their passions, and it also discourages creatives who are watching from the sidelines.
The message I get from this echoes the one already banging around inside my skull:
You will fail, so why even try?
Audra is right on at least one count — there’s a difference between bullying and criticism, and that difference often depends on who is giving it and how it’s delivered.
If a stranger told me my face was ugly, I’d be upset. At best, I’d give them a dirty look; at worst, I’d shoot back with some half-baked insult. If instead my best friend pulled me aside and said, “I found a new way to sculpt eyebrows and I think it would suit your face so well,” that interaction would feel completely different. This is a person who cares about me, sees the best in me, and wants me to succeed.
Not a perfect metaphor, but you get my point.
I’d bet most people chiming in on Audra’s book have never taken a writing class or participated in a professional critique. They’re entitled to an opinion, sure, but largely unqualified to force their criticisms on her and then demand she receive them gracefully.
A Rite of Passage
I do hope Audra is able to dust herself off from this nightmare. If she can, I think she’ll be many readers’ favorite author someday.
Let’s not forget:
- Pierce Brown wrote six books before Red Rising was published.
- Brandon Sanderson wrote six books before Elantris, and Mistborn was his 14th novel.
- Stephen King wrote five books before Carrie.
It’s a rite of passage for authors to write bad books before they get to their good ones. That’s how you learn to write, how you find your voice, and how you develop habits that carry you through a career.
Audra is doing what many authors have done quietly, behind the scenes for years — she’s just doing it in public. I have grace for that, and I hope other creatives do too.
So finally, I have a request. I will promise to do it if you do: let’s consciously consume content to celebrate creativity and build creators up, not break them apart.