Some may think this is a good thing. A big time publisher favoriting your tweet or liking a post on your facebook page; you end up giddy and excited right? What about small publishing companies? YES, someone likes my book summary! No. As of late, I had submitted my novel and a couple short stories to a company that was rejected. I am fine with that. I then posted about one of their contests where the last short story I submitted to was declined. It didn’t make me angry. Their professionalism did. See Changing Rules of a Contest post submissions deadline for more information on that.
I stumbled across a woman in one of my writing groups that was quite upset with the results of this contest. Many were because of the noted change after submissions. I told her I had blogged about it and even updated the blog with information the company provided (to further damage their reputation). They have commented in every group that I posted the blog or commented about the situation. THAT in itself is unprofessional. Writing groups are safe havens for authors to vent about their rejections or errors they have found in the publishing industry. To have a owner of a publishing company reply in a writing group as the publisher and stalk from group to group from either tip offs it was in there or he was already in the group unknown (he added himself to one group “And just so happen the latest post was the issue above”).
I felt like I couldn’t even vent about an experience without having the publishing company slam more information about the contest down my throat. Is this good syntax or bad? Should publishing companies stoop to social media and invade your personal space with their guidelines to the submissions and tell you to vent to them if you have an issue or problem. No! I made the mistake of mixing friendship with business as I had friended the owners of this group. Hell, I have even promoted their publishing company in my blog posts and on social media. No, I did not do it to gain favoritism. They are a new company and word of mouth spreads fast. I have blogged about other companies and will continue to do so for company spotlights. But, you do not come into writing groups and defend your company. Do you see Little, Brown, and Company infiltrating Facebook group or replying to Tweets about them if someone vents about rejection or company policies? No!
I think the point I am getting to is unless it is your group and the people of the group know that you are a publisher, free play. Do not go to other groups to dig yourself a hole. It’s bad character and looks bad on your publishing company. If someone vented in a group about my future publishing company, I am not retaliating. Hell, the day after I made my website public for it I was put up on absolute write website and they trashed my company. I myself did not reply, but my co-publisher did. I let it fly-by and waited it out and by and by the trashing came to an end.
In conclusion, it’s not always a good thing when a publishing company stalks your posts. They could be stalking for a completely different reason. They should not be allowed to talk about their publishing in a writer’s group that is solely for educating writers (that is promoting). When I vented about my experiences just opening the website up for my company, I never mentioned a name and told members to pm me for information. That is proper etiquette. Not as soon as you join the group introduce yourself as being the owner of a new publishing company and then proceed to infiltrate yourself into someone’s post because it was about your company. They do not want to hear from you! You rejected them! You are rubbing salt in their wounds.
I ended up having to block the owner. It was bad enough he joined one group and replied, but in another group he copied his statement and replied. I left his writing group, unliked his publishing company page, blocked him, and feel like I have to be on edge of someone running back and telling him “Oh she is talking about the company!” I didn’t mention the name in this blog, in the previous blog, and only when prompted did I answer on group posts. The second response in a different group didn’t even warrant their name! It is what it is. I will be removing the company from my blog list. I do not want my readers going to them when they have poor professional skills (and that is not my opinion alone).