Self Promotion

[dr_mabeuse]

When did this board become a site for shameless self-promotion?

There have always people posting "Great Story!" reviews under aliases, but now the idea of self-promotion seems to be creeping into the boards and meeting no resistance whatsoever.

Or is this just the wave of the future, where everything is just an ad for itself? Where nothing has any content?

---dr.M.

 

[TheEarl]

I promote myself on the boards, but I wouldn't say that it is the be all and end all of me here. And I've definitely not resorted to anythign as tacky as reviewing myself under another name. I prefer just reminding people that I'm here.

The Earl

 

[NoJo]

I agree. In fact I made exactly this point myself, in http://www.literotica.com/stories/showstory.php?id=59306

Seriously,
This is the author's hangout. I don't see a problem with it. In fact quite a few "real" authors I've met in social situations do exactly the same thing. But maybe more subtly, bacuse they're British.

 

[wildsweetone]

When did this board become a site for shameless self-promotion?

There have always people posting "Great Story!" reviews under aliases, but now the idea of self-promotion seems to be creeping into the boards and meeting no resistance whatsoever.

Or is this just the wave of the future, where everything is just an ad for itself? Where nothing has any content?

---dr.M.

just a little question dr.M.

are you saying your Cabinet is empty?

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

While I am sure if asked you would say "I ment this in general..." Yada yada, I can't help but feel that this is in reponse to my vanity page. I figured that someone would say something.

However, this is the Author's Hangout, my post is about writing (although it is admittedly about MY writing, it's not like I led anyone to beleive differently by the title), and gosh darn it, I'm proud that I've posted here and people have said nice things. I've written all my life, and this is the frist time I've published anything anywhere other than my own MSN sites.

It utterly blows me away that my stories have been viewed like 20,000 times.

So, while I am regretful that you are offended, I don't want your issue with self-promotion become my issue. I just want to be happy with what I've been writing has been recieved well and that I get helpful comments from people who are also intrested in writing.

I'm learning a lot, stretching myself as a writer, and feel that I am improving.

 

[KillerMuffin]

Authors have two forums, this one and the Story Feedback board. Go to the Story Feedback board and brag. Let's be people here and marketing consultants in siglines and in the story feedback forum.

There is actually a rule against posting the contents of PMs or email on these forums. Forum guidelines, bottom of the page, check it out.

I'm feeling snotty tonight, don't mind me.

 

[Chicklet]

the only thing i think i did that was sort of shameless was my "finally the recognition i deserve" thing and it was about how i was emailing laurel cause i thought "good" voting fraud was happening in my favor.

personally i don't mind self-promotion on this board.

Chicklet

 

[Chicklet]

I'm feeling snotty tonight, don't mind me.

everyone has the right to be a snot once in a while = )

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Dear Muffin Lady

You've been sincerely helpful to me a dozen times and snotty once...I think the odds are still in favor of you being wonderfully kick ass.

 

[sweetnpetite]

I think self-promotion is great. And as for posting reviews under a psudonym, the great Mark Twain did it! Its not THE most ethical thing, but its not really awful either. I started a thread about another author, and a thread about my own (under my own name) since we're allowed to anounce our own work, I find posting under a psudanym kinda pointless, but to each there own.


BTW, I posted my story revisions for THE STRANGER. Do revisions take as long to go up as the originals?

 

[Chicklet]

BTW, I posted my story revisions for THE STRANGER. Do revisions take as long to go up as the originals?

yeah, they go through the line and then get changed in turn.

 

[English Lady]

I can totally see where the good doctor is coming from. I have been visiting the authors hangout since about last august and I myself have noticed a shift. When I first looked in here virtually all the threads were about general issues about writing or literotica but now it does seem more and more a place of self promotion.


Now before someone throws it out at me I did start a thread that could have been seen as self promotion, within it i mentioned my most technically well written story was getting notihng more than mediocre ratings. Alot of people gave feedback on story through it which honestly I didn't expect(possibly a bit niave of me but hey,we were all innocent and niave once you know*L*

If you have the balls to self promote,well hell good for you. I just hope that we don't loose out on some of the more general author intrest type threads because of it.

 

[Dirt Man]

Self agrandizement vs Getting the word out...

The truth is, every real author promotes their own work. Go to any book signing by an author and you'll see that it is so. Is self promoting a sef interest, yes. Is it self agrandizement? Not neccessarily so. Getting the word out about your work is just part of being an author. After all, if you didn't like it, then why would anyone else? Not promoting your own work is a good way to have it die in a silent void. For centuries, and even still in some circles poets are chastised for promoting their own poetry because it is considered an art form. But that's just either bullshit, or jealousy, and I personally don't care which, though I do feel it is unfair to poets. Some of whom never publish just for that fact.

Now because I believe in promoting one's own work as an author, doesn't mean I would promote my work here as this is a forum for authors to discuss things relating mostly to building a story, and too, each author posts where their stories can be found every time they post anyway.

Of all the proffessions in the world the author's is the loneliest. Even here amongst other authors our work critiqued, and over critiqued, then misinterpreted, or just not read at all due to each personal taste of the other authors. So I say if you've got it, flaunt it, but just remember that here in this forum flaunting can be hazordous to your self esteem. LOL

As Always
I Am the
Dirt Man

 

[jfinn]

Good thread dr. M.

I guess I wouldn't do much self promotion here myself, but that's just personal preference and basically being lazy. It doesn't bother me a bit when others do it though.

I do agree however, that it should probably be done in the Story Feedback section. The Author's Hangout seems more for other, less specific, writer commentary and questions.

Jayne

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Considering how hard and rare it is to get compliments or recognition, I say it's great if someone will be a good example and throw praise at him/herself. Maybe then other people will follow and say "yeah, you're right, you really ARE very good".

As long as it's done with a tongue in the cheek, I'm all for it.

Svenskaflicka
The Greatest Erotica-writer in Sweden

 

[Wicked-N-Erotic]

I see nothing wrong with it. If I didn't promote myself who would? I'd remain just another of the hundreds of thousands of writers here at Lit. With self promotion I'd bet there are at least 10 people here who would know who I am and who have read at least one of my stories.

Wicked

 

[SexyChele]

I know if I seach back far enough, I could probably say that I either initiated a thread or answered a thread on this forum that might be perceived as self-promotion. However, I do feel this is a place were I can kick off my shoes, curl up with a cup of coffee and just find out what other writers think and feel. If I want feedback on a story, I will post it to the Story Feedback forum. I have links to my stories in my sig line that follow me everywhere, so I guess that could be seen as self-promoting. Yet, a lot of people have the sig lines turned off. Besides, I've found since I've started incorporating links to my stories there, I get more people interested in reading what I've written, and I don't have to purposely "toot my own horn", so to speak.

 

[KillerMuffin]

The problem with self-promotion here isn't that people do it. It's that self-promotion takes over.

If people get the notion that they can come here and post their "New story! Feeback please!" threads here and actually receive feedback, how much of a board are we going to have?

No matter what form self-promotion takes in a thread, it ends up degenerating into "what do you think of my stories" and "what I think of your stories" commentary.

That's the only reason why I don't like self-promoting threads here. I don't want to wade through a crap-ton of spam to find threads to hang out in. Self-promote, I have nothing against it. I also have no interest in it, either. I don't read those threads because they're incredibly boring. I really don't care. Sorry, I know you feel really strongly about your own work, but I could really give two figs.

I have more requests for feedback in my email box and my PM box than I can shake a stick at. "You write so well, I saw your thread and I know you quit, but could you please look at my story?" I'm not planning on doing it here. I will discuss writing and maybe give crits on exercises we do here, but I'm not doing stories. If I do stories, it's in the SDC or the occasional brain fart in the feedback forum.

I don't follow story links in sigs (I have them turned off anyway) and I don't click the www to other's stories and I don't click links to stories. I don't have the time to do it. I have my own writing to do. I have a job. I have homework and college classes. I have editing to do. I have workshops to create. I have a family to take care. I come to these boards because I have another window open where I'm doing work and when I get frustrated, the break here is absolutely wonderful. I can talk to people and divert my attention enough to de-frustrate and accomplish my job.

I spend so much frigging time working on this computer as it is, I have no intention of creating yet more work for myself by paying attention to spam.

And as horrible as it is to say, self-promotion is spam. Unsolicited advertisments on a computer screen. It's not within Lit's definition of spam (unless you start fifty threads in five minutes), but it's still spamming.

While it's all fine and well if one or two people did it, imagine what the Author's Hangout would be if you merged it with the Story Feedback Forum. Is that what you want this forum to be? If so, then go ahead and self-promote. You're not just promoting yourself here, you're teaching others to do the same.

Right now it's not a problem. However, spam trends upwards and I don't want to have to deal with it here. I don't know how anyone else feels about it, but that's my opinion and my opinion on it only.

 

[wildsweetone]

i have to admit, i've noticed in the last month or so there have been less threads in the AHangout that have interested me.

the majority of the time i refuse to enter into the threads where an author is requesting specific personal details. my private life is that, private.

i figured the self promotion ideas would be short lived or given the short sharp shift so never really bothered with them apart from offering some feedback (usually off the board) if an author has mentioned they've not had much... and given it if i've had the time.

i've tried bringing things back to author type threads, sometimes it has been helpful, others, not.

 

[Pookie]

My advice is ... don't become the person who seems to be always trying to sell something to your friends whenever you see them. Those people eventually start getting avoided by their friends.


Pookie

 

[wildsweetone]

actually anyone i have given feedback to previously, knows that i don't mind being reminded or asked to give feedback again. i generally manage it on a whoever asks first basis and if something urgent is needed, then i'll slip it in where possible.

i'm a forgetful person, the occasional nudge doesn't worry me. nor do i mind seeing the SDC reminders in here. makes me reassess where i'm at and go on over to take a look.

self promotion is only advanced if there is encouragement.

 

[English Lady]

Pookie..i think thats good advice

 

[NorthwestRain]

Jesus Christ.

 

[Whispersecret]

A few thoughts:

I don't see asking for feedback as self-promotion.

There is a line between shameless and respectable. Some of the things Tiger Jen does/did were shameless, but many people think of her as gutsy. It's all a matter of opinion.

Personally, I would never nominate myself for an award. But I do put links in my sig line.

Just because someone else did something, like Mark Twain, isn't justification for doing something inethical.

Book signings are de rigeur in the publishing world, and therefore, in my mind, acceptable. Besides, comparing this venue to the Real World is like comparing apples and oranges. The Real World is dealing with MONEY. Here, it's all about ego.

 

[NorthwestRain]

And some of those egos are well and truly over-inflated!