The one thing I hate about my website...

Margaret · Post by **Margaret** » Sat June 4th, 2011, 11:22 pm

... is the authors who ask me to list their self-published novels, and then get all hot and bothered when I put the "self-published" notation on the listing. How is a novel not self-published if the author starts her own publishing company for the purpose of publishing her novel???? Grrrr. I really hate spending the time to put a listing onto the website and then have an irate author email me back and forth with an argument about why the novel doesn't count as self-published, and then have to remove the listing. It's a total waste of time, and I have much, much better things to do with my time.

Rant finished.

Thank you.

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Sat June 4th, 2011, 11:35 pm

Rant away. Can you just ignore the emails?

Margaret · Post by **Margaret** » Sun June 5th, 2011, 12:00 am

You mean the emails asking me to list their novels, or the emails asking me to leave off the "self-publishing" notation?

I really don't mind listing self-published novels - in fact, every now and then, a real gem turns up that I feel pleased to discover. Plus, sometimes self-published novels that don't necessarily meet desirable storytelling or literary standards are still worth reading because they cover a particular historical period or event that has been ignored by other novelists, and there are readers out there who appreciate them. But I'm starting to get a bad attitude, because now whenever a self-published author contacts me to ask that his/her novel be listed, I feel like the odds are about 50-50 that I will get an outraged follow-up email and have to remove the listing. I guess I wouldn't have to remove the listing, if I didn't mind getting additional follow-up emails telling me what a terrible thing I have done by damning their novel as self-published. Why do people self-publish if they think it carries such a horrible stigma? Hmph.

I'm mulling over a new hoop I may make authors jump through if they are going to ask me to list their own books.

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Sun June 5th, 2011, 12:03 am

They really do shoot themselves in the foot at times and give them all a black eye

Perhaps give them a disclaimer when they request it, reminding them that it is not a paid website, etc. etc.? Then ignore the emails when they complain?

Margaret · Post by **Margaret** » Sun June 5th, 2011, 3:24 am

I have now set up a separate contact form for authors to let me know about their novels. They have to check off whether their novel is published by a major publisher/small press which screens for quality or if their novel is self-published (whether by the author's own imprint, a self-publishing service or a POD press which doesn't screen for quality). If the latter, they have to say they agree to a listing identifying their novel as self-published.

The new form probably makes me sound like a grouch who despises people who self-publish their novels, but if it works, I will actually feel a lot less grouchy and a lot more favorably disposed to the self-publishers who use it to contact me!

Michy · Post by **Michy** » Sun June 5th, 2011, 4:28 am

[quote=""Margaret""]Why do people self-publish if they think it carries such a horrible stigma? [/quote] Excellent point. HA!

[quote=""Misfit""]

Perhaps give them a disclaimer when they request it, reminding them that it is not a paid website, etc. etc.? [/quote] Perhaps you could incorporate language something along the lines of, because the website is a free service, you reserve the right to decline listing any book and/or to remove any book for any reason. And you also reserve the right choose and apply whatever categories or designations to a book you feel will be most helpful and informative to users of your website. And the authors have to click something to acknowledge that they have read and accepted those terms.

My wording is not at all polished, but hopefully you get the gist of what I mean.

Margaret · Post by **Margaret** » Sun June 5th, 2011, 7:48 am

hopefully you get the gist of what I mean

Totally!

You'd think people could figure some of this out for themselves, as it seems kind of obvious. It's informative, though, that the self-published novels I have found to be most polished and fun to read have also, by and large, been written by authors whose approaches to me have been the most gracious - deferential, even. In fact, it sometimes seems as though the very most deferential authors have been the ones whose novels I am most in awe of, where I feel I should be the deferential party! I'm really quite lucky to have people sending me so many free books in the mail.

fljustice · Post by **fljustice** » Sun June 5th, 2011, 3:56 pm

[quote=""Margaret""]It's informative, though, that the self-published novels I have found to be most polished and fun to read have also, by and large, been written by authors whose approaches to me have been the most gracious - deferential, even. In fact, it sometimes seems as though the very most deferential authors have been the ones whose novels I am most in awe of, where I feel I should be the deferential party![/quote]

Professionalism shows. A professional writer, whether self or traditionally published; will have a well-edited book, stunning cover, and cordial manners when dealing with reviewers and other members of the public. Demanding hissy fits are the mark of amateurs and their books will probably reflect that.

LoveHistory · Post by **LoveHistory** » Sun June 5th, 2011, 5:56 pm

The reason I self-published is basically that nobody told me I couldn't.

I wouldn't object to being listed that way though. I'd be happy for the free publicity.

lauragill · Post by **lauragill** » Fri August 19th, 2011, 2:05 am

I sent you a link to my novel, and don't mind at all a self-published label. Also, if you would like a review .pdf, I would be happy to provide one.