The Black Circle Readers discussion
The Wrong Impression
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You author types are going to ruin friends for all of us!
You're not my friend, you're my nemesis!
I've never gotten any author spam. How bad of a problem is it?
I've seen a bit. One guy mostly. Not too bad. I'm sure it will get worse.
Dickie, buy my book!!! Buy it now!!!
I just got a friend request from Bonnie Glover, author.
Me too. And I friended her because we have some books in common.
Hell, at least she's a real author. Ballantine Books. Nice.
Hell, at least she's a real author. Ballantine Books. Nice.

Okay, I lied. I sent a friend invite today. But, in my defense, the guy's taste was so similar to mine I could not resist temptation.
If he doesn't friend me, nothing lost, right?
If he doesn't friend me, nothing lost, right?
Yes, but I already knew how to do that. What I wanted was for goodreads to find all the people with similar tastes to mine. Not for me to search them out.
So you're saying that you're lazy!? :)
Spamming is beginning to backfire on the spamming writers, I notice. There are acceptable places to spam, but I don't think goodreads is one of them. However, I'm keeping my author's profile, so there! :p
Hey, thanks for that, Donald.
There are actually places online that encourage spamming, like book store forums, and I think some of those bad habits carry over to other places where they simply are not acceptable. I haven't been writing long but I've done my share of spamming (at the places I mentioned above), but now I think I've learned my lesson and I find it's just better to keep a low profile and let a book speak for itself. Unless of course if you're amongst a group of friends who don't mind a bit of good publishing news from you. :)
If you want to place an ad for your book, buy some space where it's expected to be seen. At a place like goodreads, sure, set up an author's profile, but that should be the end of it. Talk about other people's books, enjoy the site, and hey, if someone likes your goodreads entries well enough, maybe they'll check out your profile and pick up a book. But that's up to them.
There are actually places online that encourage spamming, like book store forums, and I think some of those bad habits carry over to other places where they simply are not acceptable. I haven't been writing long but I've done my share of spamming (at the places I mentioned above), but now I think I've learned my lesson and I find it's just better to keep a low profile and let a book speak for itself. Unless of course if you're amongst a group of friends who don't mind a bit of good publishing news from you. :)
If you want to place an ad for your book, buy some space where it's expected to be seen. At a place like goodreads, sure, set up an author's profile, but that should be the end of it. Talk about other people's books, enjoy the site, and hey, if someone likes your goodreads entries well enough, maybe they'll check out your profile and pick up a book. But that's up to them.

Of course, considering some of the boards we've frequented, look at what I'm comparing you to. heh
But seriously . . . I've never seen you "cross that line" even once, bud.
Very nice of you, James. As usual, you are a gentleman.
Oh, I've crossed it a few times I think. Glad you weren't there for it. It made me feel dirty, and not in a good, sexy way either. :)
Oh, I've crossed it a few times I think. Glad you weren't there for it. It made me feel dirty, and not in a good, sexy way either. :)
The way I've been friending people is if a lot of their interests match mine, I'll ask them to befriend me, but I guess there are a lot of people on here who won't believe that. And I can see why. Some of the authors are obviously here to spam.
Anyway, I'm not asking anyone to be my friend anymore. I have enough friends anyway and I don't want to give the wrong impression. Someone can ask me for friendship, and if they have similar tastes, I'll befriend at that time I guess.
Just venting. Carry on.