Dude, we've never even met

[pbray]

I'm glad that you're excited about your book, but honestly, sending spam emails to published authors asking them to nominate your book for every professional award out there isn't the best way to make a good first impression. Not even if you've helpfully included a list of all the awards you think it deserves.

Since it's not available in bookstores, offering to send me a review copy so I could read the book and then make up my own mind wouldn't be a bad idea. I'd likely decline due to time constraints, but at least then there would be a legitimate reason for you to have gotten in touch. But simply mass mailing everyone asking them to vote for you, sight unseen? Not your best idea.

Comments

[jjschwabach.livejournal.com]

I got no such spam. You are special. Or my spam-filter is better.
(I'm guessing the guy targeted SFWA folks, because how else would he find writers?)

[pbray.livejournal.com]

Likely a better spam filter, since this was a "DEAR SFWA MEMBER" mailing.

[jjschwabach.livejournal.com]

Must be, then. Frontier's spam filter is actually excellent. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of pieces that have gotten by it in the four years I've been using them.

[sylvia-rachel.livejournal.com]

Wow. And people think being a published writer is all glamorous and stuff.

Turns out you just get more and weirder spam...

[pbray.livejournal.com]

The check cashing schemes and internet drugstores are par for the course, as are the offers from people who will tell me how I can get my books sold in stores (for a fee.) But the spam from other "pro's" who should know better annoys me.

[jennifer-dunne.livejournal.com]

I don't know whether to be gleeful that my spam filter is better than yours, or sad that I am unloved.

Maybe he targeted people with SFWA accounts, not SFWA members, since if his book isn't even available in stores, it's probably not enough to get him into SFWA and access to the members' directory. (Although, since spamming would be against the terms of use of said directory, that seems like a real waste of $75-$100...)

[jjschwabach.livejournal.com]

Oh, good point. I never got my sff.net webpage or anything.
Should do that... (wanders off in daze.)

[pbray.livejournal.com]

He is a member of SFWA, likely with short story credits. But you may be right that he's harvesting sff.net email addresses.

[jjschwabach.livejournal.com]

Seems a likely culprit.

[fireun.livejournal.com]

next they will call and let me know when they will be by for a signing...

[pbray.livejournal.com]

But of course!