on chutzpah

[lagilman]

I got a mass-mailed e-letter tonight, that says, pretty much in toto:


"My new novel (title deleted to not promote the guilty) is now hitting bookstores, and I hope you'll help me spread the word by turning my books face-out on the shelves, asking your local library to order it, and mentioning it wherever you talk about books. I appreciate your support, and hope you're having a great summer."


1. This person is not a friend, a close acquaintance, or a former author or client of mine.
2. Facing books is something you expect of family and best-beloveds, not strangers/casual acquaintances. Especially strangers/acquaintances who have books of their own those shelves that also need facing.
3. Spamming someone to ask them to read your book is bad enough. Asking them to promote it (without sending them a copy, even) is... beyond tacky.



Lesson learned? 'k, then.

Comments

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

That might make me put the person's book spine out if I ever see them... :-)

[jimhines.livejournal.com]

Or spine in?

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

Even better! :-)

[vincam.livejournal.com]

No, that's unusual enough to make people curious about the book and reach for it. Just let it blend in with the other spines.

[leela-cat.livejournal.com]

I understand that authors are being pressured to self-promote more, but ... wow. My mind simply boggles at the idea of writing to strangers that way.

[eeknight.livejournal.com]

Same in my box. He's a pretty nice guy, by the cut of his website jib; don't know what possessed him to spam.

[jaylake.livejournal.com]

:: quickly attempts to recall self-promoting email to suricattus ::

[matociquala.livejournal.com]

*feels left out*

Go read M'ris's lj. She says, today, "Too bad for her the monkeys are in charge, not the puppies."

It made me smile.

(mrissa)

Guess I'm not that important ;)

[shadowhelm.livejournal.com]

I feel so left out. And here I thought everyone faced-out my books. Sigh. Weep. Sniffle, sniffle.

The nerve.

[newroticgirl.livejournal.com]

hahahaha oh dear. that *IS* ballsy. hey, I've got an imaginary book out, would you promote that while you're calling your library and book stores about this person? ;)


/tangent on!
recently someone wrote me at the radio station, asking me to review their (gawdawful) romance novel. dummy me to say I would give it a look, huh? I was feeling generous. now I need to find something (anything) nice to say. how about, "wow, you sure wrote a LOT of pages." heehee. then again, I guess a bad review is the risk you take when you ask a stranger at a radio station for to look at your (crummy) book, huh?
/tangent off!

[writersweekend.livejournal.com]

I think I got the same email, only my memory is so awful...well, I may or may not have actually met the person. What I'm wondering is how they're getting everyone's email address?

PS I do face out books by people I have met or people I have stalked/friended on LJ, even if we have not yet met. I can't say it will make or break a writing career, but it gives me great pleasure to do it.

PPS When the above-mentioned authors write in a genre which is not normally stocked by the University Bookstore, I talk them into ordering some *because they should, dammit*...hence, they now sell paranormal romances. Just sayin'...