My apologies to those who visited the blog today expecting to find a guest blog post and book give-away. I did have a guest scheduled, but unfortunately had to cancel when I didn’t receive the necessary materials in time for me to fit photo resizing, blog formatting and uploading into my own busy writing schedule. This is the first time I’ve had to cancel a guest blogger in a year of hosting, so that’s good—but it’s the second time I’ve run into problems receiving the necessary materials, and, both times, there’s been a middle man. A publicity person or assistant. I find this perplexing. Isn’t having an assistant or someone to handle your publicity supposed to make things easier on an author?
Maybe it’s just coincidence, but now I’m reluctant to agree to host another author if the arrangements are made through an assistant/publicity person (unless it’s a super big name like Jennifer Crusie, Susan Elizabeth Phillips or Nora Roberts—then, yeah, walk all over me, I’ll love it!). I prefer to deal with my guest authors directly. When I agree to host an author, I send a specific listing of the items required and that I’ll need them five days before the blogging date. Sometimes I book my guests several months in advance, so I expect that they’ll need reminding. Two weeks before the scheduled date, I always send out a reminder, again detailing exactly what I need and by what day.
Dealing directly with authors, I always receive those materials on time and the authors always come by to respond to comments on their designated blogging day without me sending two or three emails to the contact person only to find out that the author is out of state and didn’t realize they were supposed to drop by the blog at all. A conversation ensues. A book is won. The author hopefully will garner more sales and readers. And everyone is happy.
I don’t like chasing after guest authors, or, as the case has been in the two times I’ve encountered it, chasing after my contact for that author. Hey, I’m busy, too. The guests I book contact me, not the other way around.
I’ve run into the middleman confusion as a guest blogging author, too. Earlier this year, one of my writing names had an opportunity to blog with a group of other writers on a popular site. We all jumped at the chance. And then didn’t hear anything about the blog days again. Not from the middleman and not from the blog host. None of us were aware that it was our responsibility to contact the blog host. No one had told us. We were embarrassed, but our blogs were rightfully cancelled. In this case, they were rescheduled. Then we realized that the middleman’s sole function was to gather together the group of authors. Thereafter, we were on our own. So we ran with it. We came up with a theme, coordinated with the blog host, made sure we had our materials to her in ample time for the rescheduled blog days, and we all had a great time visiting each other’s blog posts, meeting the various readers, and chatting with them.
I understand that there times an author has to cancel. What looks like a great promo opportunity four months down the line might seem like a ton of work you don’t really need when you’re suddenly staring a book deadline or family obligation or life-curve in the face. Believe me, I get it. All I ask is that the middleman keeps me in the loop.
I’ve only had to reschedule a guest once, but I’ve yet to deal with a middleman (middleperson?) I’ve had publicists send me cold emails about how perfect their client would be for my blog (yeah, right, since my guest rules include NO BSP), but I’ve yet to have one come back and schedule. Maybe it’s because I’ve told them that I have to hear from the author directly in order to reserve a date. (But yeah, if any of the Big Names wanted a slot, I’d bend that rule in a heartbeat).
Lack of communication is a major pet peeve, whether it’s from the dryer repair guy, the contractor, or a guest. Because we do have to schedule our own lives. Seems it’s just common courtesy. Which is yet another concept that’s changing over time. But that’s a whole different rant.
I try to remember to contact the guest blogger. So far I haven’t been let down, but it’s been close a couple times.
I haven’t asked the guests if they want to give away books. I always feel funny about it. If they offer, I’m happy. If they don’t, I’m happy, too.
We’ve had a couple of guest bloggers who don’t reply to comments. They don’t get asked back again except the last one who did that, as she had a health problem.
When I post to pubbed author loops about my guest blogging spots, I always make it clear there’s a book give-away required. Then, when someone contacts me, there’s no surprise. Because I’m giving 2 days of promo, I feel it works. No one’s ever complained!
It drives me nuts when guests don’t come to respond to comments. But what really drives me nuts is when the author doesn’t get all the information through her middleman. When I send the information to the middleman, I expect the author will get it. I’m not disappointed in the *authors* in these cases, you understand. 🙂
Yikes. The few times I’ve interviewed on my blog, I’ve talked straight to the author. This middle-person business sounds awful–Though I’d put up with it too to interview LaNora or Linda Howard or Sandra Brown.
Hope you get your interview eventually!
LOL, Linda.
Hi, Terry. Your comment went to pending for some reason, and I just saw it. Sorry about that!
I think I’ll go with your idea to say I need to deal with the author directly from now on (with that same caveat about the super big names). It’s just so much easier.
And, yes, the courtesy factor really gets to me. I haven’t heard boo from the middleman since she said she was sending the reminder email to the author. Not even a response to my “Sorry, but I have to cancel” email.
I hope everything’s okay on their end. Myself, I would not feel right not replying to a cancellation email. Like you say, simple courtesy.