Right at the top of the Crimespace main page, it says this site is for "discussion only," not blatant self-promotion. Yet what's so bad about BSP? After all, isn't that one of the main reasons we're here? Yes, we have to be subtle about it, but isn't that a hold-over from good manners that were instilled in most of us as kids? Especially in the case of women like me, who are AARP eligible?

This topic is the focus of my post at my WordPress blog today. I hope you'll stop by and leave a comment. And I'll start this discussion in the Schmooze Lounge here, lest I anger anyone who believes modesty is still the best policy.

Julie Lomoe
Julie Lomoe's Musings Mysterioso

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Okay, point taken. I'll readily admit to ignoring BSP myself. That is not to say that I don't meet interesting writers on the web and I may well be influenced to buy a book here or there. But usually it's something other than the "please buy my book" post that catches my attention.

On this site, any number of people post only to promote. As far as I'm concerned, that's a strike against them. One doesn't like to be used.
That's it exactly--we don't want to be used.

Recently a guy on Linked In sent me a "friend" notice, which he followed with a note saying basically, "I want to be your friend and know about you. The best way to know about me is to buy my book." He went on to describe his self-published memoir. (If the memoir is as error-ridden as his note, it's pretty bad.) I replied that I'd consider a request for friendship more sincere if it didn't come with a commercial, and he sent another note saying he was proud of his book and described it again. With more typos.

People read the advice, "Use social networking to promote your books." So they try, but don't actually network. Or even be social. They just promote.
Funny. Actually, I don't seem to get those things. Good.
I appreciate the desperation of new authors, but I have to admit, nothing turns me off a writer faster than a bunch of unsolicited BSP. If I didn't know them before, I certainly don;t want to know them after they've been spamming me.

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