I am in love with blogsites.

These nifty online venues are a combination of a blog and Web site. Typically, they are created in the Typepad or WordPress platforms, which allow you to create pages with your blog.

Why do I love them? Because I only have to go one place to find all the information I need about a person, product, company, book, or whatever I happen to be searching for.

Blogsites have (obviously) a blog, but they also include static pages that you usually find on Web sites, like the About and Contact pages. 

As a consumer, this is incredibly convenient. I don’t have to search for – and visit – several sites to find what I need. I can get it all in one place. 

As a blogger and freelancer who frequently posts to the Web (and who is addicted to creating new blogs), I love blogsites for a few other reasons:

One program to update. I don’t have to spend time updating several programs to make changes. Everything is in one program. I also don’t have to spend a lot of time tracking down a Web designer to make costly static page changes. I can save cash by doing it myself. (This seems to be easier in Typepad – especially when dealing with photos and audio clips.)

One hosting fee. This is a biggie for my cheap Irish/German soul. For WordPress, I have one host that is extremely reliable. I keep all of my blogs with this one host for a reasonable monthly fee of $15. I don’t have to pay a design company for hosting a product they created, which can run into some serious cost if you don’t read your contract closely.

SEO. The more you post, the higher your search engine rankings on Bing, Google and the like. I find with some Web sites, it is tougher to fight for top rank positioning. However, blogs are updated frequently, which means they go higher in rank sometimes than a Web site for the same company. I have seen company blogs in the top five search results, while the static Web site appeared on the second page. If you combine your static pages with your blog, you don’t have to spend time fighting for Web site rank; it is all tied up with your blog. (Of course, blogging frequently is a necessity.)

For authors on limited budgets, these are the perfect way to offer readers, reviewers and publishers all the information they need – and not bust the marketing budget. They are incredibly easy to set up and maintain in both Typepad and WordPress. (While I have fallen hard for WordPress, I still believe Typepad is a much more user-friendly system for busy professionals.)

Does this mean you should not have a devoted Web site and separate blog? Not at all. However, I think as communication streamlines online, these types of sites will become the norm.

Not exactly sure what I mean? Check out author M.B. Weston’s site, which is hosted at Typepad. She also uses that platform for her media blog – which I found incredibly helpful when I hosted her last year at Pop Syndicate.

Recently, I’ve received an influx of invites on Facebook from people who enjoy showing off their body parts.

Typically, I just ignore them until they go away. While I’m not a prude, I’m also not interested in networking with folks who cannot have some sense of decorum in a network I use for both personal and professional reasons. 

Last week, though, I received an invite from a woman who thought her breasts were her greatest asset. They spilled out of a teenie tank for all the world to see – including me, someone who does NOT know her.

I’d finally had enough. Who were these these people sending me friend requests? Was there something in my profile sending them my way? How could I make it stop? Were they following me from MySpace, which I dumped for this very reason?

I decided to check out this person’s profile. Can you guess?

She was an author searching for an agent.

I was blown away. This sort of drunken-looking pose was supposed to make her a literary catch? I could not help but ask myself, What was she thinking?!?

For some, photos like this might be fun to take at parties and share later – privately – with friends, but to make it public for the viewing pleasure of millions is, in many instances, career suicide. Even if your profile is private, the profile photo is still available on most networks.

If you are serious about your craft,  think about your image with everything you post – especially photos.

If photos speak a thousand words, what do your public photos say about YOU?

The results are in from the 2009 Market My Novel Author Marketing Survey!

Of course, these would have been to you much sooner than the end of January, but I’d wanted to create some nice graphs. That was this post’s near demise. After struggling to get the program to work for I don’t know how long, I chucked the idea and decided to provide these in text.

Here are the highlights:

It was a tie for the top marketing challenge of 2009: Nearly 38 percent of authors authors found it difficult to find the money for promotions and balancing family with writing and marketing.





While nearly 70 percent of authors created marketing plans, 63 percent of respondents said they thought their marketing efforts were only somewhat effective.





Nearly 90 percent y of authors listed Facebook as their top network. Seventy-five percent also used Twitter and half of respondents used GoodReads.





Sixty percent did not hire a PR firm or virtual book tour company for promotions. Nearly half said their publishers did not provide financial assistance for marketing. Only seven percent received financial help from their publishers, which 20 percent had a publisher that actively marketed their books.





Book tour expenses were the top expenses, followed closely by time spent on marketing.





Half of authors said some marketing efforts were worth it, but others were not. Only a quarter of respondents said their efforts were worth it.

So, what do we take away from this? Authors are working hard, on tight budgets and making some headway, but not what they’d like to make.

What are your thoughts on the final results?

For many, 2010 should be about streamlining.

When it comes to online marketing, less is more – and much better for your sanity. Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Eliminate unnecessary social networks. Choose only those with broad appeal to readers in your genre. Remember, writing networks have fellow writers who don’t necessarily buy your books, even if they do provide solid feedback or encouragement.
• Streamline blogging. Instead of logging in to several different accounts, you can easily manage blogs via one-stop sites like Ping.fm. It allows posts to microblogs like Twitter and FriendFeed, as well as posts WordPress, Blogger and Typepad. Also, many blog platforms – including Ning.com – give you an e-mail address where you can send posts. Also, consider using a third-party client like Tweetdeck, Seesmic or Twhite to update multiple social networks with just one click.
• Update your Web site. Every author needs a Web site. Every author Web site needs a media center that includes a short and long biography, author photographs, book cover photos, book lists and more. If you want to be interviewed, you must have some information to give bloggers and traditional media. If you don’t have a Web site, get one – even if it is on a free service like http://www.Moonfruit.com. If you already have a site, review all the information there to be sure it is current. Sending reporters and bloggers one link with all the information they need will save you a lot of time – and they will love you for it.
• Use editorial calendars. Blogging is a necessity for many authors. Set up an editorial calendar to make it easier to know what to post when. Know the number of posts you can create each week. Be sure to remember that each post must not only be written, but edited, formatted and illustrated with photos whenever possible. Calendars also help you stay organized if you invite guest bloggers to your site. Also, try to stay ahead of the game by posting a week or two in advance. You can use a paper calendar to a program like Google calendar, which will also allow you to share your updates via social networks.
• Be adaptable. If you aren’t seeing results, then adjust your marketing plan. Drop items that aren’t working and build up venues that are. Add new social networks or traditional marketing tactics that are promising when you can.
• Work smart, not hard. Don’t try to do everything at once. Sit down and map out your current family and writing obligations, then work marketing in around them. When your book is in print, then you will need to put marketing before writing to promote it. Promotional times vary by author and genre. It could be anywhere from four weeks to three months.

What ways do you plan to streamline in 2010?

Some authors just don't get it when it comes to reader relations. When you are chatting it up with your fans, you are your own publicist – and can be your own worst enemy if you don't handle interaction well.

I have seen some authors fall into the Bad Behavior category on numerous occasions. They:

• Apologize for not blogging regularly. 
• • See "Bad Author" by Jane Green – and DO NOT DO THAT!
    
• Sell reader information to a third party.
• Sign readers up for your newsletter – without asking.
• Fail to follow through with a contest – or post the winner.
• Forget readers exist at multiple author book signings.
• Pitch so hard they forget to talk to readers about life.
• Refuse to autograph books because readers didn't buy it at the signing or because it is an older title.
• Pay zero attention to what readers say about their books and instead focus on autographing for the next person in line.
• Never respond to any Wall posts, e-mails, blog comments or Tweets from readers.
• Use profanity in social network public posts.
• Post inappropriate photographs to Web sites and social networks.

I want to pull two of these out for further explanation.

Forget readers exist at multiple author book signings.

At a major conference for readers, some women went to find their favorite romance author. They found her – with her nose buried in a book. There was little activity at her table – and with good reason. Instead of bothering her (since she was obviously too preoccupied to participate) they went around to other tables and discovered  new readers who fit their tastes.

When you are at a signing, you had better put on your best public relations face and get to networking. Readers love to meet their favorite authors. They have grand ideas about what a great person you are. If you hide behind a book, or treat them with disrespect, their fan status immediately evaporates.

Not good at personal interaction but totally rock behind the online veil? No problem! Ask friends or family members who ARE great at interacting with people to join you. They can help pump up the crowd while you autograph. This also helps you relax, since the entire burden isn't on one person.

HOT TIP: It is easy to get into a rhythm if you have a busy signing. You need to move the customers in and out, yes, but don't forget to chat a bit with them along with way. Also be on the lookout for disabled folks who are unable to get through the crush of people to your table – and be sure to step away from the table to personally chat with them.

Never respond to any Wall posts, e-mails, blog comments or Tweets from readers.

No one expects you to respond to everything online. That would be impossible. But you MUST show some sort of interaction with fans and other authors via Tweets, ReTweets, comment responses, Wall posts and more. Please do NOT put the same comment on everyone fan's wall – that is lazy. Do not junk up their Inboxes with group requests, or button/badge/photo requests. It makes you look like a spammer.

I've seen some amazing faux pas from authors in recent weeks. Some are annoying, but harmless; others are a marketing and branding catastrophe just waiting to happen. This week, I will share with you some etiquette tips to help you navigate the sometimes tricky waters of bad book reviews, approaching media and making friends with strangers online. If you have an etiquette question you want answered, submit it.

Some authors just cannot take a bad review.

I cringe at some of the comments authors leave for reviewers and readers on sites like Amazon or Pop Syndicate for people who don't give them a five-star review.

These authors are rude, obnoxious and insulted that anyone dare say they just weren't that into them. It seems they expect everyone who reads their work to get down and praise the Lord for such wonderful prose – and stroke their "tender" egos like Mommy would.

As a book reviewer, I've experienced the bad when it comes to snarky authors wanting rave reviews for what I consider subpar work.

One author pitched me HARD to review her book – several times. It was self-published nonfiction about a murder near the author's hometown. I like true crime, so I thought I'd give it a try – even though I typically do not accept self-pubbed submissions.

A few weeks later, the author contacted me to find out if I'd gotten the book. The hard sell was still there, which made me a bit uncomfortable. I'd already said I would review it. Then, the author sent me another e-mail, stating flatly that if I didn't like the book, "I'd better not see a bad review of it online."

I was absolutely furious. This author wanted so badly to be reviewed before, but did not want to accept any negative consquences of a review. I had not started the book, but I knew after these multiple e-mail exchanges that no way would I be objective. I sent the book on to another reviewer.

On Amazon, I've seen several authors post horrid responses to readers who didn't like their work. Several of these authors had five-star reviews, but could only focus on the one or two people who didn't like them. One author was incensed that one of the readers didn't finish the book (the reader said they just couldn't trudge through it any longer).

Someone doesn't like your work, who cares? There could be a variety of reasons for it. The reader/reviewer could be:

• tired of the genre.
• tired of your recurring characters.
• having a bad day.
• too overwhelmed to care what you write.
• just not that into your book.

Not everyone is going to like you. Don't worry about it.

Build relationships with the readers and reviewers who DO like your work.

Allow your fans to stick up for you. That has more weight than you jumping into the fray intent on defending your publishing honor. Also remember that fans and reviewers may like some of your books, but not all of them. I certainly don't have any one author who produces work that are keepers all the time. Even my FAVs let me down a time or two. It happens. Don't ax a book reviewer from your ARC list for one bad review. Wait and see if there is a trend before you start chopping.

HOT TIP: There may be times when you need to stick up for yourself. If someone leaves comments that are untrue and damage your character or brand, go to the Web site to find out if you can have those comments removed. Before you pursue, ask other writers what they think of the comments first, or consult your publicist.

Book Marketing Maven Dana Lynn Smith was kind enough to host me at her blog today. The topic? What fiction authors can learn from nonfiction authors about marketing. Check out the post:

"What Novelists Can Learn About Marketing from Nonfiction Authors"

Dana is the author of The Savvy Book Marketer's Guide to Successful Social Marketing. She recently dropped by Market My Novel to chat about how you can use photos to market your work.

Market My Novel was created after I started answering author questions submitted to Morgan Mandel's blog.

One of the founding principles of Market My Novel is to answer author questions, and give authors the knowledge they need to create dynamic marketing strategies.

Beginning in July, I will host 45-minute marketing sessions specifically for groups of five to seven authors. During these sessions, authors can ask anything about marketing, promotional strategies and public relations. These interactive sessions can be done via phone, Twitter, video chat or instant message, depending on technology.

If your critique group would like to sign up for a session, contact Angela Wilson at authorangelawilson AT gmail DOT come or @AngelaWilson via Twitter.

There is a new site where authors can share their book trailers with readers. YourBookTube has had some forums buzzing lately with questions about how it works, what it can do for authors and why authors should join. Today Valerie Connelly with Nightengale Media LLC Company, gives Market My Novel readers the scoop on the site, which is a service of Nightengale Press.

First, tell us about Nightengale Press.

NIGHTENGALE PRESS CREDO: ABOVE ALL Put The Author's Needs First.

Through ease of production, nearly instant availability of worldwide publishing services today, authors receive publishing information, marketing training, one-on-one product development of their books, industry connectivity, online visibility, co-operative marketing opportunities, bookstore trade distribution, profit from their work, and a helping hand from the start.

Nightengale Press works directly with authors, editors and illustrators world-wide to produce books in all genre for the trade, including children's books. We advise authors how to protect their work and develop a marketing plan. Our 100% ROI royalty structure helps authors to recoup all publishing expenses and then enjoy a 50% – 70% royalty on all book sales, whether sold upon request in bricks and mortar bookstores nationwide or online. Nightengale Press is part of Nightengale Media LLC where authors can also obtain author-centric, stand-alone websites and book videos from www.WEB4W.com for the best rates in the industry. We are completely dedicated to helping authors market their books to their niche markets as well as showcase their book videos on www.YourBookTube.com.

Go to www.nightengalepress.com for complete information on Publishing Guidelines, Royalties, Contracts and more.

Why start YourBookTube as part of Nightengale?

Over the years that I have been a publisher, I have come across many ways to market books, some effective, many not so effective. But, I truly believe the YourBookTube concept will become one of the most effective marketing tool available to authors and publishers. Often, authors ask me how to market their books. I provide many proven options to authors in my book CALLING ALL AUTHORS — How to Publish with Your Eyes Wide Open. But, in the last year, it has become clear that the book industry is missing the single, most powerful means to marketing books available today: Social networking and viral marketing.

YourBookTube is a brand new web site offering no-cost uploads of book videos in a genre categorized format that creates an easily accessed library of book videos. Common questions from authors about book videos reveal confusion about the effectiveness of the medium.

What does this service offer that sites like Meta Cafe and YouTube do not?

Once the video is produced, there have been typically just a few places to put it: on the author’s Web site, on YouTube and other video sharing sites like Meta Cafe. Some have advised authors that putting their videos on their social networking pages (Facebook and Twitter) is a good thing. Well, here is what’s wrong with these approaches. YouTube and Meta Cafe type sites don’t even have a category for books. The book videos are lost in the ocean of content. And on the social networking sites, it’s all about connecting with people you already know. They likely already know about your book too! That makes posting it there pointless.

In contrast, YourBookTube.com is only about book videos and categorizes the videos by book genres. YourBookTube also provides easy shopping on the Your Book Tube Shop, (powered by Amazon) right on the site. Readers come there to see the videos and can buy the books without clicking off the site. But, also the videos can be linked to the author or publisher’s site as well, so the reader can go there to buy the book if they wish.

Of course, authors should post their book videos on their own websites, and make little discs they can send out or hand out wherever they wish to do so. But, the goal of YourBookTube is to provide a vast library of book videos that will sell the book directly to the readers who come there.

Books never get old. They are perpetually new to people who haven’t read them. Book videos are a tool to sell the book, nothing more, and properly produced and posted, they can do the job quite effectively.

Is YourBookTube open to all authors, or just authors who publish through you?

Of course YourBookTube is open to all authors and publishers. I realize there are many authors and publishers who are still reluctant to really use the internet to their own benefit for book marketing. They will be missing a means to reaching their broadest market and at the same time, they will be losing sales every day by staying away from the power of the internet. YourBookTube makes it easy to tap into this power, and at no cost whatsoever.

    * All authors who have book videos are welcome to post their videos on YourBookTube. Be sure to include the book's title, ISBN, a short description (25-50 words) and a link where you want viewers to buy your book, if not on our Amazon powered shop.
    * All Book Publishers and Printers, Book Reviewers, Book Publicists, Book Editors, and Book Newsletters are welcome to encourage their authors and clients to post their book videos on YourBookTube.
    * All professional participants who upload 10 book videos will be able to post their services to a FREE listing in the Industry Professionals section of the site, gaining increased exposure resulting in more traffic to their sites and sales for their books.
    * Industry professionals with 50 or more videos will earn a FREE, 1-year banner ad in the rotator on our homepage and mention as a Charter Member in our media campaign.

Are all book trailers welcome, or do you have limitations on genres like erotica?

We have selected the broadest genre categories possible without crossing the line of good taste. We do not accept pornographic materials, nor do we accept videos about books primarily intended to show violence and spread hate. There is a fine line between erotica and pornography, and if we feel the visuals are gratuitous either in sexual content or violence, we remove them. The Policies are clearly detailed and are provided for the protection of the site and the members on the site.

Can authors make money through YourBookTube?

Yes, they can, since the Amazon-powered book store is right there on the site, and they can also link to their own websites or their publisher's website. The goal is to sell more books. We have made it easy for the viewer to go directly to the store, or to use the link to the author's own website or the publisher's website store to buy the book. That's the whole point.

We will soon be offering low cost advertising for books as well, consisting of  book cover displays that link to the author's preferred store. The point is to drive sales to the authors' books in every way possible.

What are the benefits to posting videos at YourBookTube?

Simplicity of selection and purchase is the most important benefit to posting videos on YourBookTube. This is a categorized library of book videos only. Books are the only item viewers can buy, and they don't have to wade through millions of other videos to find a selection for the kind of books they  like to read. Vieweres can access the genre of book they're looking for simply by selecting the category listing. They can then view the videos, choose the book and buy it all on YourBookTube.

Also, we make it easy for authors to provide their videos to the site:

All uploads are FREE with most common video formats accepted.
• YourBookTube.com is a fully optimized site with unlimited bandwidth.
• YourBookTube.com provides fully categorized content for all common book genres. New categories will be added as necessary.
• Full video description included.
• Article marketing with integrated banner ads puts your business logo and website links on all the article pages related to every video you upload.
• Reciprocal links from the video listing on YourBookTube.com to author, producer and publisher websites are included at no cost.
• Your Book Tube Shop is integrated into the site and powered by Amazon to make purchase of the book itself simple for the viewer.

In looking around YourBookTube, I noticed some videos had a YouTube tag on them. Can authors post the code from YouTube into their YourBookTube account?

Yes, they certainly can. We want to make it easy for authors to participate on YourBookTube.

You have a section at YourBookTube for reviewers. How is this section used?

We have a section titled INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS. This is where we include information and links to book industry businesses serving authors and who have provided support for YourBookTube by providing 10 or more video uploads, significant publicity about YourBookTube, and reciprocal links on their sites. The goal is to have many businesses listed to provide authors more opportunity and choice. Reviewers is just one of the section, and it will contain listings of book reviewers where authors can get services for book reviews.

What is your ultimate goal for YourBookTube?

There are several components to the ultimate goal, and when they work together, the result is book sales:

   1. We believe that YourBookTube.com will soon be the definitive, most easily accessed, non-competitive, centralized online library of book videos.
   2. YourBookTube.com makes it easy for readers to make literary choices by watching book video promos from lots of different publishers on one completely categorized, comprehensive, fully optimized web site.
   3. YourBookTube.com makes it easy for readers to purchase the book either from the publisher's or author's linked bookstore or to go to Your Book Tube Shop, a fully integrated, Amazon-powered book shop.
   4. YourBookTube.com provides a non-competitive, beneficial tool to every contributor with FREE advertising, article marketing and reciprocal links.
      The goal is to amplify the impact and effectiveness of the book video concept in order to realize increased book sales online for authors and publishers.

What else would you like to add?

Here are some tips for making an effective book video:

   1. If the book video doesn’t capture the viewer’s interest in the first five to ten seconds, the viewer clicks it off. Five to ten SECONDS! That’s all the time you get to keep the viewer watching.
   2. Whatever the length, and one minute is ideal—two minutes the outside length, the real key is to make sure these qualities are in the book video: good content revealed through pictures, music, text, and/or voiceover.
   3. Content reveals the focus of the book, not by telling the whole story, not by trying to explain the plot, but by visually raising the viewer’s interest and curiosity.
   4. Pictures, whether motion video or stills, illustrate the main point of the commercial to get the message across. These show the genre, the setting, the intent of the book. For example, if it is a romance, the inclusion of sensuality (not graphic sex or pornographic content) in the images gets that across. If the book is a mystery-thriller, the pictures must convey the intensity of the suspense in the book.
   5. Music sets the mood. Selection of music is perhaps the most important part of this process. Music needs to work as a subliminal background for everything that the viewer is watching. To use a popular song with a singer, while raising the question of copyright infringement, creates a conflict of message. Does the song become more important than the book? Usually, yes, and because the producer is inclined to use all of a three-minute or longer song, this drives the book video into territory where few viewers will go.
   6. Text reinforces content suggested by the pictures and music. If using text to talk to the viewer, then keep it very concise. No long sentences. Use phrases to evoke your message. Make the words enhance the pictures and music, not conflict with them. Keep it simple.
   7. Voiceover talks directly to the viewer. If using voiceover, make sure the actor is a professional and that the voice conveys the mood as well as the music does. These must be in tune, so to speak. But keep the script sparse and enticing. Do not read passages of the book. That is for a completely different purpose. Not in a one minute book video. Writing the script for the text or voiceover is an exercise in brevity. Choosing exactly the right words to convey exactly the message in one minute or less requires a willingness to cut away unnecessary language to reveal the barest yet most essential information.
   8. At the end of the video, make sure that the book’s cover and the Web site for the author are both prominently featured all the way to the close of the video. Producers often put their own information at the end, to sell their services. They should do so without pushing the book aside.

Copyright 2009 Angela Wilson
Partial reprint acceptable with link to full interview

* Market My Novel nor Angela Wilson endorse Nightengale or the YourBookTube site. This interview is strictly for informational purposes only.

The post, "One Author Speaks Out About the Bad Side of Online Promotions," generated a lot of virtual discussion. As a result of comments, I'm going to tackle a few additional topics that came out of it. These topics will begin with "Online Marketing," and be numbered. You can find these topics by clicking the "Online Marketing" category.

Today's topic: Be Reasonable.

Many of those who commented were pretty tough on the anonymous author, who posted very candid replies to detailed questions about an online marketing strategy that ultimately failed.

The author's online strategy equaled a full-time job, which wore the author out to the point that he/she does not want to check e-mail now. The author lost out on family time, and the family – well, they were pushed to the brink of sanity because the author was stressed and unable to help out in the usual family ways.

The author believed this strategy would put him/her into the blogostratosphere and, ultimately, lead to big sales.

That did not happen.

There are lessons to be learned from this experience, and I think we should all take them to heart – and profusely thank this author for being so candid and taking hits from those of us who read the interview with 20/20 hindsight.

Reasonable Expectations

I think the author had the right idea, but I think the expectations
were too high for a newly-published author. As a social media
consultant, I caution my clients until I lose oxygen that starting a
blog isn't going to immediately lead to new sales, donations,
referrals, etc. For newly-started blogs, it takes a year to start
getting truly noticed by peers, newbies and the competition. (There are
a few exceptions, of course.)

It does not matter if you are new to the blogosphere or not. If you are newly published, you are starting from scratch. Instead of just connecting with work colleagues, friends and family online, or others with similar hobbies, you need to connect with readers and reviewers. Your online strategy must be more targeted, focused. 

When starting out, worry more about branding and developing a solid fan base online, not so much sales. Also, understand that while you may not make a big splash in the beginning, online posts have longevity that print and broadcast interviews do not. They are on the Web forever. That means someone could find out about you in two years, forward your book links to all their friends and produce big sales numbers. At Pop Syndicate, where I host authors on virtual book tours, I've had readers find author interviews over a year later – and it prompted them to buy the book.

Cheryl C. Malandrinos, a virtual book tour consultant with Pump Up Your Book Promotion, had some great things to say about reasonable virtual book tour expectations in her interview with Market My Novel.

Reasonable Work Hours

Do NOT kill yourself when doing virtual tours. Figure out what a reasonable schedule is for you – and stick to it. You may have some days that are busier than others, but that will happen. Search for a balance that you can make work for you.

Do as much work in advance as you can. Have five to ten guest blog posts ready – perhaps use three topics and write about them different ways – and have a thorough Q&A available if sites want to pick it up.

For some authors, you may only want to do guest blog posts, instead of Q&As, which take a lot more time. If so, be up front with sites about it. Tell them you'd like to appear and would they pick up a guest blog on whatever topic you write on. Be sure the topic fits the blog.

It is easy to judge this author for what they did wrong, but we should also applaud them for sharing their experiences in a public forum to help other authors avoid mistakes.