HELP!! I AM DROWNING IN CLASSMATES!! !! !

Post Reply New Topic

as some of you know, i rescently became an 'author', for christmas, i wrote a book titled 'through my eyes: a life with autism'. ( you can get it for $7 at http://www.lulu.com/content/563801 ) my parents got it published (self published) and gave me 9 copies for christmas, i kept one, and gave the rest away, i did not give one to my parents because they had bought 10 copies and kept one for themselves. a few of the copies a gave to people at my middle school, ( the library, my friend, my health teacher and the principal ) i am not a very popular kid at my school, i get picked on alot, and i don't have many friends, this does not bother me, i don't need any more than two or three. a few people at my school new about my manuscript, that had seen it before, i told these people, got some congrats, the end. but once word got out that i had a book published, it became crazy!! ! whenever the teacher is not talking, and another kid has access to me, they begin to interigate me!

"do you have a book published?" yes
" can i have a copy?" no, buy it yourself! how can i make any profits if i give them away!
"well, you gave one to charlie!" (charlie is my best friend) well, he doesn't pick on me every day
" then can we be friends?" that may take a while
"do you have myspace?" no! i don't want any 40 y/o pervs molesting me!! !!

i literaly just went from class geek/nerd/freak/ret*d or what ever they call me to "hey! look an author! maybe if we suck up to him, he will give us a portion of his profits or something!" yeah, of course there are a few kid who do not think that way, but, this is crazy, the 2nd biggest bullies (his name is A.J Gramlich, we were kind of friends in 2nd grade, now he hates my guts, his dad is the teacher at the karate school i go to) gave me a hi-five! (the number 1 bully thinks i am gay, so he stays outside of the 2 yard bubble that used to apply to everyone, little to his knowledge, he is actually according to a 7th grade poll i did with most of the kids at lunch last week, he is the most gay acting kid in our school) i can't get 2 seconds of peace, people will recognize my shoes if i hide in a bathroom stall, i noticed this when i went to the restroom during final hour, NOT trying to hide! it's kind of neat, being popular, but, my book would do good to make a point to these classmates of mine! I DONT DO WELL WHEN I AM BEING MOBBED!! !! ! CROWDS SCREW ME UP!! I GET NERVOUS BREAKDOWNS!! !! I AM DROWNING IN MY CLASSMATES BECAUSE THEY WANT A SHARE OF THE TOTAL $2.48 OF PROFIT I HAVE EARNED OR SOMETHING!! !! !! i would prefer my status to stay the same, these kids are driving me crazy!! !! !! help!! !! ! sorry abot that, it was getting scary for me, needed to talk about it, and my parents don't really understand the point that i was making to them...

EDIT: i should mention, that that was a colaberation of questions i got, but i gave different responses, what i said was what i thought...

dude that's awesome! You should definitely take advantage of the extra friends, even if they just want to be friends cause of the book.

First of all, not all 40year olds, etc... are "pervs"(I'm 43. 8-(), and vice/versa. Maybe you should be a LITTLE more judicious in what you say, to avoid annoying people.

I know it gives you little solice, but it will probably calm down. HEY, they should know that, until you get an ISBN and get it published by a big house, there is little chance of you getting filthy rich, etc... If they have to ask if it is published, you probably aren't rich yet. On the OTHER hand, they may been looking for your book on Amazon. When you get an ISBN, it may INSTANTLY appear in the main amazon results, and THEN you may FONDLY remember this relative calmness!

I mean a KID?(Sorry, you are still considered a kid) His OWN book? About PRODIGIOUS talents? About a "disease" that is misunderstood and how he lives with it? Starting from NOTHING? As a Christmas present? His parents never even read the book? Sorry, but the media LOVES this type of stuff!

Still, it IS interesting! If I were going to beat you up, and your book has the same tone throughout, I would probably leave you alone. My thoughts may mean little, as I have never been a bully, but it seems to me that they would look like idiots trying to hurt you. Who knows? They MIGHT someday come to you for a job!

Steve

both of my parents are in there early 40's, what i meant was "a 4o y/o that is a perv"



actually, they have read it, my mom edited it (spell check, things like that)


the social worker at my school says that all the time!


they are asking to confirm the rumor, i am not rich, i have so far made a whopping sale count of 2 books, so the ones looking for profits, are out of luck


wouldn't that be rude?

I wondered about the reading because of the editing, etc... but I thought you said they hadn't.

As for the friends? HECK NO! You have a chance to show your REAL colors! Up to now, they have been looking at you like a wierdo probably. You have a chance for them to finally see you as nice and smart. I don't know how much that will really help, but you ARE in a better place than you WERE.

Steve

squier, thankfully most kids have short memories-- actually, come to think of it, most ADULTS have short memories, hehe. In all probability this will all die down. Hopefully sooner than later.

And also hopefully, when it does calm back down, they'll at least look at you in an improved light of admiration.

Best thing is just answer their questions like you've been doing, keep the answers short and to the point, and then just continue on about your business.

NO way! It'd be rude to not to be their friends. I mean, they've finally been able to see you for who you are... It would be a waste to dismiss them as friends just because they didn't notice you until now.

First of all, congrats! And wow, what an awesome christmas gift.

Second, you should definitely at least give some of the kids a chance, you never know what you may find...

And, third... I kind of understand the kind of discomfort of having everyone paying attention to you (and like, the good kind...) at once all of a sudden. When I was in high school my social status was pretty similar to the description you give, until I formed a band with a few of the other misfit kids. We released a few demos and a CD, played a few live shows locally and eventually split up, but (at one pf the biggest shows we did) there were about 300 - 350 people all singing and cheering and dancing and looking at me all at once.

To say the least, it made me extremely anxious and I never got comfortable with it.

Just make sure to take some time alone, away from the crowds, every day. It helps if you have a quiet, soothing space to relax in and escape to needed...

Um they just want to be his frined just ebcause he got a book publish so they aren't his true friends. before the book, they were just his enemies, now they want him. It's not worth it. They don't want to be his friend for who he is, it's for what he has. That's not right. If I were in a movie and all of a sudden I got crowds after me and wanting to be my friend, it won't be because of who I am it be because of what I am. I wouldn't want that and Squier doesn't want it either.

Ah, the price of fame.

Different if you were in a movie and strangers wanted to be your friend. You could easily dismiss them. Classmates (and potential bullies) are another matter - they are like co-workers and it can be in your best interest to take advantage of the situation. I don't think anyone is saying be naive and overtly trusting of these people. However, it IS possible that friendships - even just causal ones could develop and that may offer you a niche which is better protection than being just a plain outsider. I imagine NT's do this stuff all the time - lots of them jockey for positions around those they think will benefit them. So if they are coming to him he doesn't have to embrace them, however he doesn't have to drive them away either.

I bought one and read it and loved it! Are you getting an ISBN number? Because I want to buy another for my library. Congrats on a *great* book.

Squier, for all the kids who approach you about your book, what if you printed out bookmarks, with the purchasing details on the back? And give 2 to anybody who's interested - then it would be easier for them to remember the name of the book and where to buy.

Don't allow them to buy shares from you, as that would ruin your commission profit.

I honestly think that is great! I am sure it will die down soon and then the "real friends" will stick around