08-17-2010, 09:08 PM | #46 | |
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08-17-2010, 09:13 PM | #47 |
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08-17-2010, 09:16 PM | #48 |
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08-17-2010, 09:22 PM | #49 | |
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I think there are quite a lot of folk who, like you, use that subforum like browsing a bookstore. Which, to my mind, is great for all involved. And, as mentioned, there are features meant to assist in customising MR to personal preference so that you can see what you want to see. Cheers, Marc |
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08-17-2010, 09:31 PM | #50 |
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I suppose writers could all be like Emily Dickinson and write their books and then shove them in a drawer forever. More likely, though, you do want people to read your work, and that means you have to promote.
There was a bit on the original Bob Newhart Show where Bob, a psychiatrist, was treating a shy door-to-door salesman who would go up to people's doors and, too shy to knock, would just wait for them to come out. Writing a book and not letting people know it's out there is like being that shy salesman. You gotta knock on those doors. Non-fiction writers have it easier. They can talk about the subject of their book and not seem to be pushing their book every time they open their mouth. They can do interviews about the subject, give lectures, the whole works. Fiction writers have a problem: Talking about their book always involves talking about the process, what gave them the idea, what inspired certain characters, etc. I couldn't go on the radio and say, "Well, Oprah, the problem a lot of people face when their loved ones come back from the dead is...." MobileRead makes it easy to ignore certain book promotions or to ignore all of them if you want. I enter the Author Promo forum kind of expecting a guys-in-plaid-suits-and-white-belts atmosphere. |
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08-17-2010, 09:32 PM | #51 | ||
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I'm also not crazy about those little gems of promotion by someone who obviously joined just to post them and gives no sign of realizing there is any discussion to join here. Quote:
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08-17-2010, 10:01 PM | #52 |
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You probably have every female author now wondering, "Gee, is it me she's talking about?" I know it can't be me because I don't promote enough and my lackluster sales prove it.
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08-17-2010, 10:18 PM | #53 |
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the problem is that, like every inexperienced business, authors don't "get" how to get the word out. the truth is that having their books in their sigs, perhaps with links or deals, and taking part on the board would bring them a lot more positive attention, but most people don't understand selling, marketing or branding, and by spamming or hit and run posting, newcomers tend to do themselves more harm than good.
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08-17-2010, 10:32 PM | #54 | |
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08-17-2010, 11:34 PM | #55 |
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I personally *love* the self-promoters. I love that board, I'm glad we have it. It has introduced me to many books I probably wouldn't have looked twice at. I actually pretty much dig through smashwords based on the blurbs authors self-promote on MR.
That being said, I don't like to see the same post bumped repeatedly by the author, and I miss the other posts that have been made (because they went down the list to the next page). For me, anyway, the self-promotion capability on MR has really opened me up to new authors and adventures, and I'm much appreciative of that. |
08-18-2010, 06:10 AM | #56 |
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Uhmmm... One female author has deleted a lot of her posts today... She might think it's her being talked about..
Last edited by lene1949; 08-18-2010 at 06:13 AM. |
08-18-2010, 06:32 AM | #57 | |
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08-18-2010, 07:09 AM | #58 |
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Ditto---as I said, I don't mind in principle that authors self-promote and I do enjoy hearing about new books. My only issue was the ones who do it really badly because it just makes them and their book come off so poorly.
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08-18-2010, 08:11 AM | #59 | |
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What if every new thread in Author Self-Promotions also allowed the author to include a single thumbnail cover image for their book, to be put into random rotation in a forum header strip (showcasing perhaps half a dozen titles at a time), so that if someone saw an interesting cover, they could click on that cover and be taken to the relevant link? A few caveats would have to be enforced:
- M. |
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08-18-2010, 08:33 AM | #60 | |
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