Promotion zone: Rules

[Rob B]

After much discussion and deliberation, we have decided to run, as a trial, a new Forum area where members can highlight their own books, films, trailers, websites and things of genre interest.

The Promotion Zone is just that: a place where new things can be examined by Members.

The area still follows all the usual SFFWorld rules.

This is a new area for us: and, looking at the rules, is not what we normally do at SFFWorld, up to this point.

So, it is a work in progress, and one we will watch very carefully.


Staff will be moving threads and posts that are placed in the usual Forum areas to this new Zone where it is felt to be more appropriate.

Thank you for your understanding.

Mark / Hobbit

Addendum:

Since we have offered up the Promotion Zone for members to post about their novels / stories / blogs etc, we expect NOT to see such advertisement posts in the main forum.

Furthermore, if you post visitor messages on a Member's page or send Private Messages to members advertising your novel / stories / blog / etc., this would be considered severe abuse of our forum guidelines and the spirit behind providing this forum for Promotion. As a result, you will be banned immediately.

 

[Steven L Jordan]

Question: Retracted.

 

[Window Bar]

Suggested format

Having read Pragmatist's inquiry on how to avoid making work for you guys, I've got a suggestion: all promotions should bear a timeline. In the first line of the promotional announcement, there should be a date of expiration. That way, the poster need not worry about trying to delete the post.

--WB

 

[Hobbit]

Thanks WB. It is possible, though I quite like the fact that we can see old posts, even when they've clearly expired.

Going to think some more on that one, and ask around.

Mark

 

[Window Bar]

Clarification Format Suggestion

Thanks WB. It is possible, though I quite like the fact that we can see old posts, even when they've clearly expired.

Hi Mark -- Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. My thought was not to delete expired offers, but to simply to ask the poster to clearly display the date. That way, anyone looking at an expired offer will know that it's over; and you hard-working Mods won't have to take on the responsibility.

Thanks for all you do -- WB

 

[Hobbit]

Ah: that's nice and simple, and totally makes sense.

Great idea.

Thanks, on both counts!

Mark

 

[Triceratops]

Very glad to see this. I've blundered before. At least the promo/marketing can be confined to one section, and the readers have a choice of checking it out or not.

Gratefully,

Chris Stevenson

 

[Hobbit]

Thanks Chris. We have talked about something like this on and off for quite a while, to be honest, and there are as many potential pitfalls as benefits, but comments like yours suggest we might be doing something right.

Mark

 

[Triceratops]

Hobbit, I think it's a stride in the right direction, but admittedly, it does have the potential for abuse. Fly-by spammers, who care nothing about meaningful contribution, can take advantage of the thread and it therefore has to be policed more often. On the other side, you have writers and readers who are curious about each other's books and stories, which can branch off and lead to some productive threads. Blog announcements can add to your links, and draw more readership here. Posted book reviews can add titles to your nominations threads.

All in all I think it's a wonderful thing, and I'm glad you've taken this step.

Chris

 

[Catherine]

Catherine Broughton

Yes, it will be great to be able to promote our own books. Where do I start ?!

 

[Red Dobbs]

Yes, it will be great to be able to promote our own books. Where do I start ?!

Me too!

 

[Hobbit]

Where do I start ?!

Create a thread in the Promotion Zone (where you are now!)

Might be worth looking at some of them there already to give you a flavour of the sort of thing that's OK.

Mark

 

[Cirias]

Hey Hobbit,

I just wanted to check an aspect of the rules for this forum with you. I noticed M. R. Mathias' promotion threads have been taken down and he's been banned. Is there something he specifically did wrong for this to happen? I just want to make sure so that I know for any future promotions I may post.

Thanks!

Cirias

 

[Hobbit]

Hi Cirias.

Don't want to get into specifics about this one example, but I will say that it shouldn't be a problem on future promotions as long as members follow our (pretty broad) guidelines.

If in doubt, ask (as you have done!)

As for the risk of being banned, in most cases anyway we run the 'three strikes' rule, unless it is something very very serious. You have at least two chances to get it right.

Most members do get it right first time (again, usually by checking/asking!)

Mark

 

[Cirias]

Cheers for the clarification

 

[Hobbit]

No problem.

I'm sure others may be thinking the same thing, so happy to try and explain things when needed.

Mark

 

[Jack]

Hello there!

It's been quite a while since I've actively posted here, but I still lurk around when I need book recommendations. anywho, I have an issue and I thought of this place.

I have a ton of books. Not a bad problem to have, but these days I am 100% an iPad reader. So i have all these physical books i will never read. My house is small, and I'm looking to find a new home for all these books where they will be used and appreciated.

I don't want to go through the hassle of selling these. They are mostly MMPBs and won't fetch a lot on eBay. I know sffworld has a long standing rule on no book sales, but what if I wanted to just give some away, with the donee covering shipping costs?

My other option was to take them to the goodwill, but I was getting sad and nostalgic packing them up today, and would feel better if they went directly into the hands of an SFF lover.

Thoughts? Thanks!

 

[Hobbit]

Lovely thought, Jack.

What I would suggest happens is that people contact you through PM if they're interested and you arrange details that way, although anyone undertaking such a process understands that SFFWorld has no involvement/reponsibility with such transactions*.

(*reading from the legalese book of issues*)

Thanks again, though.

Mark

 

[Sam Richardson]

What do I do?

Hey there! I am desperately trying to find ways to spread the word about my first completed/published/now available science fiction book. And I was wondering (since I am the kind of person who tends to botch things up if he doesn't have specific/clear guidelines) how and if I can do that in this particular area. Mind you, I have no intention of doing so anywhere on this forum except for the promotional area, so there's no reason to worry about that. I'm just getting desperate to see this not become another in a long list of failures. And I'm willing to walk right up to the line (but not cross it) in order to see that this succeeds.

 

[Hobbit]

Basically, Sam, you can mention your book here in the Promotion Zone. We would like you join in elsewhere in the Forums as well, but any other posts you make should not be with the intention of promoting your wares. Members often come down quite hard on that.

M.