Marketing via blogs
I got an interesting email today: a small publisher emailed me wanting me to promote a Unitarian Universalist author of theirs. I declined, as I’ve never been keen on this writer’s works and his ego is obviously strong enough to do without my promotion. That said, I have a similar job at Day Job and understand the impulse. Accordingly, I seriously doubt I was the only one asked.
But it begs another question — what can (or ought) we as bloggers be called on to promote? How much promotion is fair to ask of bloggers? Read that from whatever population brought you here, and comment.
23 August 2005 at 8:21 pm
I knew that I removed the email address from my “About Me” for a reason…and I was thinking of putting it back. It is a good question, my first response was I promote nothing. But I do review books that I like. . .
23 August 2005 at 11:56 pm
I got the exact same e-mail. Now I don’t feel special anymore :)
24 August 2005 at 7:34 am
I got the same email. My reaction is that there’s a difference between “promotion” and “mention” (realizing there’s a big gray area there - many would say mention is promotion).
I haven’t had a chance to look at it yet, but what I’ll probably do is mention it unless the author appears to be a total wacko. If he has a message worth considering, it’s probably worth my mentioning it.
24 August 2005 at 9:57 am
I got the same message, my response was basically that I would be interested in having some content that was contributed by another author, but that I was not interested in posting an advertisement. If he is interested in writing an actual guest article I would be willing to post it.
24 August 2005 at 10:12 am
I too got the email. They have learned of our secret cabal!
24 August 2005 at 12:04 pm
I was contacted as well. In my case I found a mild connection between the op-ed in question and my view that small group ministry can be an incubator for radical ideas. On top of that, given the demand for small group session plans (prepared plans) just about anyone can write a session and rest assured that a good number of congregations will deliver to their small groups to discuss over the coming year. If you want to shape the conversation of the UU movement write sessions plans. How simple is that.