Don't Do This!

Publicists, please, don't do this! (Authors don't hire publicists who do this!)
Don't write to bloggers without knowing our names.
Don't send us blanket emails.
Don't treat us like fools.
Don't market to us.
Don't try to hype us.

Use your brains. There are books I'd love to blog about. Clearly. I do it all the time. But it takes time and effort to figure out which ones.

Blogs are not the great unwashed solution to the publicity problem.

We get letters like this all the time and all they do is piss us off. We delete them or we do what I'm doing, make fun of them.

I am the first person to advise authors that blogs are a great marketing tool.

But.

Handpick the blog.
Get to know the host.
Fit your book to the blog.
Write a personal letter.
I know it takes time. Anything valuable does.

I got a letter from this communications company the other day - it was impersonal, had clearly been written by someone who never read my blog in depth and I deleted it. Today I got this follow up, the second in the series. It's even worse. Note the salutation, the last line - the presumption of idea fit? I feel horrible for the author who hired this firm. Or if its a front from the author then I feel terrible she didn't get better advice.

I've inserted Xs instead of the authors name, book title etc.

First and foremost the book is not all a fit for this blog. I checked.
Second, what kind of press release? Who will it go to? How will it work? Why should I believe it will get picked up? Nothing in the letter makes me think for one second, that I will get press. Not to mention, if the press release is like the blog letter, I know it won't get press.

Greetings,

I had emailed you previously about X' new book, "XXX" . I know that you are very busy, but the book is the ideal fit for you and your audience and, we would very much value your participation in X's Book Blog Tour.

Again, the tour will occur during the month of August. Each day, one blog will write about the book. We will supply you with press materials and images and each blogger will get to ask Ms. X three questions. What's in it for you?

-Exclusive content that your visitors will find of interest.
-We will create and distribute a press release mentioning all blogs that are participating.
-Mention in an email campaign to the author's fan base.
-We will giveaway a book to each blogger (and send it by early June) so you'll get a wonderful book to read over the summer. 

We feel that your blog would be the ideal fit. Please let me know by Friday, May 19 if you will be participating. Also, if you have a specific day in August that you would like to secure or if you're flexible.

XX communications company

Comments

[Susan Taylor Brown]

Argh! First canned queries to agents and publishers and now canned requests to bloggers? I hate things like that because it makes it that much harder for people who do follow the "rules of engagement". Sigh.

[Danny Adams]

Every time they say "ideal fit" in the e-mail message, take a drink!

[susan]

Oh no, publicity spam. Luckily I'm not in the realm of preferred reviewers!

[Jason]

On that note, let me post the opening sentence from an unsolicited query an author just sent me:

Dear Mr. Pinter:
Please pass us a book deal. And while you're up, that box of chocolates would be nice too.

Do people really think this stuff works?

[laurenjharwood]

It doesn't work? Damn. *gets up to get her own chocolates*

[Bryan Catherman]

I hope X, the author, didn't pay that publicist too much for the blog blitz. Those who do not read blogs don't understand the different nature of the blogger. This much is clear, and this letter suggests that the person who penned it doesn't read blogs.

[David J. Montgomery]

I get solicitations that are almost this useless just about every day. Take a guess how many of those books I review.

[Amra Pajalic]

I was reading http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/ and on the 9 May he blogged about a published author being encouraged to open a My Space account. The comments are worth reading.

This seems to be part of a new trend where the internet and any new hot thing is being used to promote books with the philosophy of throwing shit on a wall and seeing what sticks. As a reader I know that one perceptive review by someone who's opinion I respect is worth more than 100 generic mentions by people who's integrity I question.

People who promote others without any thought about it and on the premise that getting their name out there is all good are on a losing streak. Once their review doesn't check out by a reader they will never trust another blurb or review by that person again.

Thanks for highlighting this issue.

[Kevin Smokler]

Which is worse:

That this is a young naive publicist who is obviously receiving no training from her employer?

or

That this is a seasoned publicist who should know better and doesn't?