As a book reviewer for Pop Syndicate – and the virtual book tour host at Book Addict – I am approached by authors every day to review titles.

Earlier this year, I was approached hard and fast by an author desperate to have her true crime book reviewed at our site. She found me from a post at another author's blog. She e-mailed several times and I told her to send along a copy, and I would get to it after I reviewed a few other books.

This author expedited shipping (even though I told her it would be at least a few weeks before I could get to it) and e-mailed a few times to be sure I received it.

I was nearly ready to review it when I received another e-mail from her. She asked if I had reviewed it yet, and I said no, it was next in line. At this point, I was getting a little frustrated. It had only been a few weeks, and this was not a new release; it had been out for nearly eight months. There was no rush for us, and her persistence was becoming annoying.

Then, the author e-mailed back a response that not only angered me, but will forever keep her from being reviewed again at our site. Here is what she said:

I sat back in my chair, reeling from the audacity of this self-published author. She pursued me hard to get her book into our review system, then believed she would tell us not to post a bad review and we would do it?

Out. Rageous!

You can do everything you can to get your book in the hands of reviewers, but never, ever expect to dictate the final outcome of the review. Reviewers who are worth their salt never guarantee a good book review. Unlike the paid writers who expound the virtues of really crappy cinema on movie posters and DVD covers, most book critics take the time to read, compare to other works in the genre and write an honest review.

Needless to say, I did not review this book. I handed it off to someone else because the author's attitude angered me so badly. I politely decline to review anything else from the author, or pass it along to other reviewers.

Now, some might ask how this applies to marketing plans for authors. Quite simply, this author created a PR nightmare for herself. Her dogged pursuit was overkill, and her final statement so outrageous I refuse to review her again. Our site nets thousands of page hits per day. I guarantee there are not a lot of other review sites willing to take on self-published authors for reviews or virtual tours. This is one major virtual pit-stop no longer available to this author.

Do you really want to burn bridges because of your attitude? Think, before you send that next email. It is OK to follow up with reviewers to be certain they received your book, and ask about virtual tour dates, but that is IT. Daily e-mails and arrogance do not endear you to reviewers.

One of my biggest frustrations as a Virtual Book Tour hostess for Pop Syndicate's Book Addict is never knowing exactly how information will be sent.

Authors send documents in multiple e-mails, sometimes just hours before their tour. Some send part of their tour documents; some send none at all. All but a handful use such generic titles for their items, I have to open multiple downloads on my desktop to figure out which one belongs to whom.

Want to save your host some headaches? Follow these tips when sending your Virtual Book Tour items:

• Use your name in the title of every document, photo, book trailer or other item sent. Do not use a generic phrase, like Q&A or the blog's title. (Do you have any idea how many documents I receive titled "Pop Syndicate Questions?")
• Use a checklist to be sure you have all items needed for your tour. Different blogs have different requirements. Get them up front – not hours before your tour. It is easiest to create new folders for each site where you tour.
• Send all items in one e-mail. Resize photographs so you do not have to send them one at a time.
• When you send the documents, ask your host if they need anything else – and be available in case you – or your host – forgot something.
• Get your items to your host at least one week before your tour. Tours are tedious to plan and post. The more time hosts can work with your items, the better.
• If you have to cancel or postpone your tour, tell your host IMMEDIATELY. When possible, give them plenty of notice to find others for that slot. Better yet, find someone who can fill in and see if that is OK with the host. A good host will make exceptions for family emergencies and natural disasters – and they will appreciate your honesty.

These simple steps will have your host valuable time.

Q: Hi!  I couldn't find the answer to my question on my Internet
search, but found your site.  I see award pictures in the column of
people's blogs, and sometimes read a reference to  them, that makes me
think most of them were made up by other bloggers, and then passed
around by each other.

Well, now, someone who is a new follower of mine, has told me in a
comment on my  blog that she has three awards for me to pick up at her
blog.  The name of her blog has a word that is offensive to me in it,
and I'm wondering if I accept her awards, that will create links to
her blog.  I think she may sell art she creates, too.  I don't want to
be a part of the word in her blog title, plus, she uses it in her posts.

I'm not sure what I think about awards from other bloggers in general.
 If it had been from a fellow gardener, or someone I knew better, I may
feel differently.  If it was from an organization of some kind, I would
love it!  Oh, and by the way, someone "tagged" me recently, and I
politely turned it down, as it reminds me of a chain letter.  I knew
she would be OK with it, as I had known her through a garden forum
before I started blogging.  I  have noticed some people have a little
spot on their sidebar that lets others know they don't participate in
these things.  Maybe I should do that.

So, to get to  my main question, is it rude to turn down awards, once
they have been offered?  Is there such a thing as award etiquette?

Sue

http://acornergarden.blogspot.com/

A: Sue -

I took a glance at the blog – which will remain unnamed here. It is busy, with spelling and grammatical errors, and no sense of real "flow." This appears to be more of a personal blog showcasing an artist's work, with some helpful hints for general viewers, but doesn't really relate to your nature-themed blog, A Corner Garden. You are also a Christian blogger, and that means you have to be extra careful who you link to.

Sometimes, bloggers who want to improve their site hits (or sell products) will create spam comments – including fake contests – to drive traffic to their site. These comments always include a direct link to their site. There are two major reasons for this:

• Each time that link is posted, Google picks it up and it improves their page rankings. They don't necessarily care if you like the content or not. They want their links out there.
• If they are selling products, they are hoping that a few of the right people click and buy. It is the same concept as those "englargement" e-mails everyone receives. Spammers would not continue to send those e-mails if someone wasn't clicking a link.

Legit awards are awarded at Blogger Choice, Blog Catalog, Writer's Digest 101 Top Web sites and Predators and Editors, or individual organizations like Romance Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Science Fiction Fantasy Writers, etc. Do not feel obligated to participate in every blogging contest – or accept awards if the groups offer service that are disagreeable to you. For example, a Christian author would not want to accept an award from an erotic fiction group.

In a shameless plug, you can vote for www.AskAngelaWilson.com for a 2009 Bloggers Choice Best Business Blog award.(You can also vote for the site in other categories listed on that page.)

Good luck!

~ Angela

Christmas is near, and many people are scrambling to find inexpensive gifts for friends and family.

The holidays are a great time to market yourself. For years, I have used gift baskets to display goods made by myself, and/or other local crafters or from locally-owned shops. These are excellent, easy-to-sell and easy to market.

Check out my latest column, Holiday Promotions that Net Fans – and Sales – for ideas on how to sell during the Christmas season.