New post at Mere Comments.
“Looking for the Kingdom in Oslo”
New post at Mere Comments.
Category Archives: Blogs, Socials
Publishers, Bring On the Compensation
If you read other lit-blogs–and really, why should you (don’t answer that)–then you likely know that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced guidelines which will more-or-less require lit-bloggers to state that the book being reviewed was sent to them as a gift from a loving publisher. Because reviews amount to endorsements, the FTC argues, and those galleys, unedited proofs, and ARCs sent to the blogger, sometimes without blogger consent, amounts to payment. Paid endorsements–dare I sully your eyes with the filthy word advertising–that’s what the FTC is cracking down on.
Frank Wilson has harsh words for this, and links to great information on what the FTC is trying to do. In another post, he links to Jen Miller’s fun comments on full disclosure. To summarize, the FTC just wants bloggers to say what they got from a publisher in exchange for the no-doubt glowing review on their prestigious blogs, because, you know, all blog reviews are glowing and most blogs are prestigious. Newspapers don’t have to say anything in their reviews, just bloggers and nefarious social networkers.
What about disclosing what we want to receive from publishers? I will gladly receive full compensation for considering reviews on all manner of books. I am willing to be supplied with enough shiny new books or cash equivalents to open a Brandywine Books Store somewhere on the Interwebs. At least, the FTC says I can, so lets do it and make the world a better place. In return, I will make a variety of stock reviews and blurbs available to the publishers, like these:
- This book has impacted my life since the first day it hit my doorstep.
- I can’t tell you what reading this novel has done for me. Just looking at it makes me say WOW!
- Honestly, I couldn’t put this one down. I ate with it, showered with it, drove around town with it. Truly a sensation!
- I swear this is the best book I’ve read today. Buy two copies and share it with a friend.
There’s a lot more where those came from, so call me, publishers. Write me into your marketing plans. You know a personal, heart-felt endorsement from me will sell more of any book than could be sold without one. Cat fur! It’s a win-win for everyone.
The Notebook Links
J. Mark Bertrand, who has detective novels coming out next year, has redesigned his blog home page. I love it. Wouldn’t work for us, of course. No photos of Sissel (among other things).
My theatrical career–the early years
Phil and I didn’t collude to leave this blog high and dry next week. We each planned our vacations independently, without consultation, resulting in the Great Abandonment we now face. I apologize on our behalf. Phil has promised to try to put something up from time to time, and I’ll try to do the same, if I can get the WiFi to work in Minot.
Still, the ugly fact is that Brandywine Books will be, for one week, like one of those antique shops with a sign in the window that says “OPEN BY CHANCE OR BY APPOINTMENT.”
Or like one of those cards they used to flash on the TV screen—“WE ARE EXPERIENCING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. PLEASE STAND BY.”
A memory flashed into my mind today, and with it a long-ago memorization assignment. The only words of Indonesian I know, and I only know them phonetically (and probably wrong):
“Kame orung deso ini. Senung sekali, maslamat, datankan, Bapak. Samogamoga tuhan, manyulamatkan, Bapak.”
It must have been about 1960. I was in 5th grade, I think, and my elementary school had organized a Christmas pageant (yes, children—public schools used to have Christmas pageants) with the theme, “Christmas around the World.” I was given a role in a scene depicting Christmas in Indonesia. It involved a shadow puppet play about the Nativity of Christ (yes, children, they did talk about the Nativity in public schools back then), narrated by an itinerant wise man. I was to play the village chief, and I had to memorize the speech printed above, which (as best I can recall) was a greeting to the wise man, saying how happy the village was to welcome someone of his eminence and holiness.
We were doing Christmas in Indonesia because we had a teacher who had formerly lived there. He was a Dutchman who’d prudently fled the islands when independence happened, and if he was representative of the colonial Dutch, I can’t fault the Indonesians much for kicking them out. Some people described him as a disciplinarian, but the students knew better. You can tell when somebody likes the punishment for its own sake, and this guy liked it.
But I’ve carried that phonetic speech around in my head ever since. I suspect I could have found better use for the space.
Two from Veith
Two interesting bits from Dr. Gene Edward Veith of Cranach today.
He links to an article by art historian Birgit Schwarz in Spiegel Online. She makes the interesting (and very intriguing, it seems to me) point that Hitler saw himself as an artistic genius. And we all know what modern western culture thinks about artistic geniuses, right? They aren’t subject to ordinary moral rules. They have a duty to themselves to express their genius in shocking and transgressive ways. I can’t see this analysis getting much traction in the media, but I think there’s a lot in it.
Dr. Veith is also kind enough to praise my work in this post, on bad bestselling writers (obviously I don’t qualify for that description, on at least one count).
What Good is Book Blogging?
The symposium on book blogging has concluded, and I have all of the links in my original post. Please share your thoughts in that post.
Voting for Blogs
Not the same as blogging for votes. The Book Blogger Appreciation Week is taking votes for almost all categories, but you can’t vote for us. We didn’t make the cut. Naturally, that means we should seek out these awards over the coming year and nominate this blog for all of them.
On the other hand, you could give us advice on improving out standing in the world. On the other hand, you could create your own award to give to us.
On the other hand, though, you could go about your happy lives.
Guest Post on Loren’s Blog
Loren Eaton is out on his blog for a several days and has foolishly chosen to post something I wrote for him. It will be the beginning of the end of his credibility in the blogscape, I’m sure. I write about the truth in fiction, relating it, naturally, to zombies. If you wish to see the train wreck in action, go to I Saw Lightning Fall (which is a cool blog name, don’t you think).
Post at Mere Comments
I’ve made my first post over at Touchstone Magazine’s Mere Comments. Check it out if you like, but it’s pretty much a re-hash of my previous post here about the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the homosexuality issue, and the authority of Scripture.
More on Book Blogging
Ron Hogan offers comments on his purpose for blogging and asks whether our blogs will come to anything in a few years (link defunct). What do you think? Why do you read a book blog, and what do you find most interesting or helpful on them?
Still more on book blogging: I updated the symposium list below with a post released today.