Hucksterism has gotten way out of hand in America. It’s downright sickening. Take Herman Cain. Please. This is a guy who ran for President to promote a book!
Or take Donald Trump. Please. His campaign was a promotion for his pathetic TV series. Nobody except Lawrence O’Donnell seems to realize that Donald Trump is broke. The last thing he wanted was to be President – it doesn’t pay enough.
Picture Abe Lincoln in a log cabin hawking Shamwows. Or George Washington on the banks of the Potomac demonstrating a Popeil Pocket Fisherman.
Of course, self-promotion has a long history in America. We’re a nation of salesmen. Yesterday’s P.T. Barnum is today’s spammer. Has everyone become a carnival barker in this country?
The Internet has only made things worse. Between Facebook, Twitter and the millions of blogs, ezines and websites, it seems like everybody is selling something.
“Share” me, “Like” me, “Tweet” me. “Nauseate” me.
What really rankles me is when bloggers promote their books in a not-very-clever way by sneakily sticking in a few mentions of their new title in posts like “How to Get an Agent,” or “What Publishers Are Looking For.”
Or slyly mentioning the new CD their band just cut. Or their new series of photographs of ceramic lawn ornaments which sell for $250. Or whatever.
If you're selling something and you're doing it under the radar, it's spam.
Personally, I find this sort of subterfuge revolting. Come on guys, you’re not fooling anybody.
Really.
You're not.
How can you be so shameless?
So sneaky?
Why don't you just be up front about it?
Kind of like this...
Not that I’m promoting it. I just think the cover is pretty. I mean, who doesn’t like cherries?
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Kerry Lauerman
havlin
Rolling
TheWiseGuise
jmac1949
A Persistent Muse
Salon.com
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Ahh , I see Matt doing his shameless pitch below. I give both you guys gold stars. When mine comes out in a few months I promise not to overkill it here.. nope I will do my promotion on other places.. But others have offered and I have no damn shame. It's not like I have to live with you people..:)
HUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
Love the cover, if you can figure out something worth reading to put inside it, I'll bite. I love 'em, like you said -- who doesn't like cherries?
My publishing company is Perma Press. So far, nobody's outed me in either the book world or the dry cleaning industry.
Of course, the first time I made that comment I was deported.
r.
Must say though, as a connoisseur of titles, yours is good. Connotes something sexual which always grabs attention, and immediately I want to read to figure out your twisted take on "half virgins."
The cover is a grabber too. PM me for address on where to send my FREE promotional copy... yeah, I'll write you a review in exchange... if it doesn't suck
in contrast, herman cain actually believed that - having never been elected even to dogcatcher or the local school board - he could be elected president. and he also believed that no one would find out about his serial sexual harassment. not smart - but not hucksterism either.
many candidates have considered - or actually made - a run for president, without holding office before. lee iacocca, ralph nader, howard cosell, colin powell. all these aspirants shared one thing in common - media attention fed their self inlated perception of their fitness for office and popularity with americans.
upon joining facebook a couple of years ago i instantly discovered that this is all about advertising. if you "like" a company (subway's $5 footlongs) it will send you an update every day of zero importance. friend's comments and updates come with an attached advertisement, unless they dig into the arcania of features to turn this off. every major corporation now has a facebook page, which they watch obsessively, to see who is dissing their products and services.
there's nothing wrong with advertising - it just doesn't need to be in every facet and channel of our daily lives. i seldom use facebook anymore. i don't believe for a moment that any celebrity writes her or his own "tweets". i haven't "clicked through" an online banner ad in i don't know when.
good post - thank you - rated
http://crabbygolightly.com/mt/
So John.. any dirt you do in tinseltown please email me and I will give ahhh frontal exposure hahaha
If you don't blow your own horn, people will just blow you off. After all, if you can't sell your self, then why expect a marketer, a focus group, a couple of agents and an advertising agency to want to do it?
Loved the ideal and the tongue-in-cheekiness -- and it is a nicely designed cover. Love the photographic symbolism.
--r--
I should have stopped at this line "Take Herman Cain. Please."
Good luck with the book. Hope it sells.
That is a great cover, though.
Lezlie
Cool drink of water,
such a sweet surprise.
Tastes so good,
make a grown man cry
Sweet cherry pie...
@ Steven: A spam sandwich? With cheese? OK. It's available on Amazon as a Kindle and a paperback. Also Barnes & Noble as a Nook and paperback. Also Burger King as a hamburger patty. I'll be sending around a FB fan page invitation soon which will have plot details. Thanks for your interest!
http://www.amazon.com/Three-Half-Virgins-John-Blumenthal/dp/0967944414/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327618098&sr=1-3
David, a half virgin is one that only gives hand jobs. Or maybe that's a three quarters virgin and the one who only gives blow jobs is the half. In either event, do they still get to wear white at the wedding? Maybe some shade of beige.
Rated for self-promotion.
R♥
Anyway that's still a fine looking cover.
Bon Voyage, Three and a Half Virgins. Congratulations John.
RATED!!!
BUY MY CD, TINK RAVES ---available at Amazon!! :D
Best of Luck with it John! R
Really.
My current post IS the introduction to the manuscript I'm trying to peddle to a publisher. Yes, a cheap attempt at self promotion.
Next thought: Uh oh. Where did John go? Did he really write this?
Then . . .whew. He's back! Cool!
Am on my way to amazon whistling to Millard Fillmore he's got company!