We were pretty dismayed and spurred into action when we learned last week that there was an impending gas shortage. Let’s face it – nobody with any conscience drives a 6-miles-to-the-gallon, gas guzzling RV across the country for leisure when other people need that gas to get to their jobs.
In response to last week’s article, When Authors Spam, I received the following inquiry this week:
By your definition, press release distribution services would always be sending spam? I agree it is a big problem but in the field of PR it is common to send form releases to a variety of markets whether they are addressed individually or sent to a group by a service. How else could someone contact book/product reviewers or columnists for a national campaign? One by one would take forever and I don’t think most individuals could even find half of the contacts the distribution services have.
I would like to respond to your recent article titled Authors Who Spam.
I work for the editorial department of a local business newspaper where I receive and distribute all general e-mails to our publication. I also write a column for a national publication on playwriting for which I sometimes review books. While inappropriate spam is annoying and our e-mail server works to block it, we do not mind mass e-mailed press releases about books or events or news stories pertinent to our geographic area. We expect it, actually.
Imagine you have written a book, say, about wine, or business, or how to get your cat through college. It really makes no difference what you have written, someone can use it. But there are limits.
I have a question about copyright law and have been unable to find out the answer. Twice now professors have photocopied an entire book I wrote, to use as a class textbook. Each made 30 to 40 copies, which they gave to their students. Because copyright law mentions “educational institutions”, I’m not sure if this is considered “fair use” or not…
Kelly James-Enger coined a phrase in which I recognize myself: “an extrovert in an introvert’s job.” Sure, I love the concentrated effort of writing, but I equally enjoy social situations. I especially like asking a lot of questions without people thinking I’m nosey or rude. In fact, interviewing is how I first got my name in a national magazine.
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