Self promotion -- What's too much?

[Mickie]

What kinds of self-promotion get on your nerves? What kind are you more likely to respond to in a positive fashion?

These are issues that have come up recently. I'm looking for honest opinions on what works and what just pisses you off.

Thanks!

Mickie

 

[Marxist]

Mick:

I hate the idea of tooting my own horn but the best kind of self-promotion is something like your ROUNDTABLE thread asking for a round of criticism. Another good one is DCL's thread where you can post a sample.

I don't mind people asking for separate opinions in a thread but do they really want to be critiqued or are they just trying to pump up their own work? Most likely the latter. I tend to put those on mute.

MARXIST

 

[KillerMuffin]

When people start dozens of threads about how wonderful they are, it kinda irritates me, particularly when they can't say anything wonderful about others, just themselves. However, I am okay with them doing so, I'm not against shameless self-promotion. I just find it irritating.

What I consider overboard is when someone uses a thread on a different topic to promote themselves. That's just crass and bad manners. Very disrepectful to people participating in the thread and shows that the self-promoter has no consideration for others.

 

[MissTaken]

self promotion

I am offering my opinions and observations as a reader, not an author.

I started a thread a few weeks ago that encouraged authors to put quick links in their signature lines. Why? If I find someone interesting and appealing on the BB, I want to read their work. The quick links are helpful, but was only suggested for the convenience of readers, such as myself, who do not use the Index very often.

I do tend to ignore posters who are repeatedly self promoting or who "plug" their work in another thread. Yes. Bad manners.

I seldom enter the threads inviting feedback as I don't enjoy reading as an editor or critic. I enjoy reading erotica for entertainment. I also question how many inviting feedback truly want feedback.

Oh! And I do vote and would encourage anyone reading the lit stories to do so.

I may be alone in this matter, but wanted to offer my 2 cents. That and a buck might get you a cup of coffee!

Keep on writing.

 

[KillerMuffin]

I solved that problem, Miss T, I put my lit member page as my homepage. Hit WWW and you get to me. I think several authors have done so.

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

I did that, but I know most people don't think to click the www, so I just went an added a link in my sig line. I've had enough people ask me for enough consecutive years where to find my stories, so I feel justified in doing it. It saves time.

 

[Mickie]

So it seems the consensus here is that it's all right to ask for feedback on your story in specific threads on the feedback board, even to request votes, etc. Those are the threads that are more advertizing than anything else, anyway.

Repeated threads announcing where you are in the votes is going too far. And definitely keep to the subject of any thread that is started on another subject.

Tag lines in your sig that link to your own story page are considered an asset for the readers who want to read what a certain poster has written.

Are there any other ways that a writer can promote their work without the 'saleman at the door' irritation factor?

Thanks for the input! Somehow I'll put this into the article I'm doing on self-promotion. It's taking me a while to get it organized, but I'm hoping this will help out all those newbies (and even some regulars) get the word out about their stories with a modicum of self-control.

Mickie

 

[Gilly Bean]

I don't mind people saying they posted a new story. I don't mind people putting a story link in thier signitures. I don't like when people spam all the boards with it, and keep telling everyone to vote for them. That gets on my nerves. Keep it simple, thank people who give you good feedback, both on boards, and privatly, and be nice to all authors. Don't attack someone unnessicarily, because they will do the same back, and it gets really old to watch to presumably grown people bicker over whose use of the word pussy was better.

Keep it simple, pretty much.

 

[Marxist]

I use the word QUIM, thankyouverymuch. It is the champagne of pussy synonyms.

If anyone wants to recognize someone other than themselves try HERE .

 

[Guest]

quim

I don't know if it is that much better than pussy or even cunt. It dependson the country the reader is from. It's very mild for the USA.

I know way too many people who don't know what it means!! Which doesn't say much for me, since I hang out with them.

It is an old word. Only dating back to the early 1700s, it is possible tha it is older. It was one of the first four-letter words to be quiely edited out of the first edition OED (1902). But, was in added back in in the 1982 OED supplement.

Like "pussy" quim can be used to decribe a woman as a whole or women collectively.

I want to know two things:

As writers we push readers, even in erotica to learn something. Making curious reader "look up" an uncommon adjective is one thing, but can we do it with a needed noun?

Why do I read this word most often in erotic literature published in Europe?

I'm all for it. Wonder what would happen if we ran a poll asking people if the know the meaning off-hand.

 

[Rrrosyn]

quim

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