Monday, September 7, 2009

How to Ensure That I Won't Promote Your Site, Book, Business, Etc.

I frequently receive e-mails from writers who'd like me to promote their books, services, courses, Web sites, etc. on my own blog or in my newsletter. One of these requests arrived today. Here are just a couple of reasons why I'm not likely to follow through on the writer's suggestion that her information merits a mention:

1) The subjects she covers in her books/courses (all of which cost good money--tell me about a giveaway or a scholarship and I'm much more interested) are only tangentially related to the material my readers expect me to cover.

2) The links she provided in her initial e-mail to me did not take me directly to the materials she thought I should promote for her. She referred me instead to bigger, not particularly well-organized Web sites where I could not locate two of the three items she had highlighted.

3) When I responded to her e-mail noting that I do not promote materials I have not yet seen myself (this would be her hint to offer me review copies), and telling her about my difficulty locating items on the Web, she wrote back--no salutation--telling me that there shouldn't be any problem with the links, because they work for her. So I had to compose another message re-explaining that the links worked, but did not take me directly to the materials she wanted me to know about.

I think it's pretty safe to say that I won't be promoting this author or her work anytime soon.

--Prunella Peeve

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