The following comment was left on this blog post, mirrored from here:

Dear Mr. Shumate,

It has come to my attention that you posted a picture of the cover of my book, however you have never contacted me to ask for legal permission. Clearly you understand that this work is copyrighted and requires permission for you to use. Whatever your opinion of my work, you do not have permission to use this image, so I’m asking you respectfully to take the picture down from here and your Tumblr account (http://lousybookcovers.tumblr.com/post/36367094042/gracie-the-ghost-eater-stop-staring-at-me-like). Please respond within 48 hours or I will be forced to commence legal action.

My response:

Oh, for heaven’s sake. Your book cover is FOR DISPLAY. I am exhibiting it, with an affiliate link back to Amazon, FOR REVIEW PURPOSES. Would you demand that I take it down if I LIKED it? No? Then what galls you is my OPINION, which is covered under the Fair Use Doctrine.

Here’s what I’m gonna do, then:

– I’ll replace the copied image with one served directly from Amazon’s servers. You won’t have any legal claim against me (not that you would actually have, because you haven’t the foggiest notion of what copyright law means), because the image will come directly from a vendor which you have authorized to display it.

– I’ll just post all of this where people can see it. While I’m doing that, you go and google “the Streisand effect.”

I’m really tired of the thin-skinned coming here and bleating, “Waaah! Someone’s being MEAN to me by not thinking I’m wunnerful! There oughtta be a law!”

Just to be clear, here’s the image DISPLAYED DIRECTLY FROM AMAZON.COM.

There are many ways to deal with criticism. TRYING TO SHUT THE MOUTH OF THE CRITIC AIN’T ONE OF THEM.

Thanks to popular demand (or a request or two), Lousy Book Covers now cross-posts to a Facebook page. Like it, love it, stalk it, offer to bear its children, whatever floats your boat.