Book publicists don't get it...

Current t-shirt: punk skull with heart-eyes
Current music: Elvis Costello, "Spike." (Okay, everybody who's wondering why it's not "Blood and Chocolate," get with it. Yes, that's a punk classic, but it's not his only good album.)

Ok, a lot of publicists get it, but a significant subset don't...

Last night, I found a 3+ minute message on my cell phone from a publicist, wondering if I'd received the galley (generally the question is a pretext for asking if I plan to review it), and elaborating on what, according to her, were the extraordinary merits of the book.

My Dad is going in for major surgery on Oct. 15. My mom recently hurt her back badly. Yet they've decided that, despite health issues, they're going to renovate the house. Meanwhile, I'm playing phone tag with one of my editors (read someone who may eventually send me a check).

The last thing I need is some damned publicist clogging my cell phone in-box with messages - messages that, quite possibly, might fill up the space so that I can't hear the latest message from my Dad.

My Dad is one of the people I love most on this earth.

So I left a firm message telling her never to do this again.

I don't know of a reviewer who wants unsolicited messages from publicists on their cell phone. And actually, we aren't supposed to talk about reviews before they run. This is standard practice. Editors don't like it, and a reviewer who pisses off her editors is a reviewer who doesn't get a paycheck.

And I resent anyone who gets between me and my paycheck. (Wouldn't you?) Therefore, I get kinda mad when publicists call, asking if I'm going to review something.


Furthermore, reviewers aren't really supposed to have much contact with the people putting out the book. When we're pitching reviews on our own, we have to, but we're supposed to limit it. This barrier is to avoid conflict-of-interest issues, and as such, is a deeply sensible wall.

Good walls make good neighbors.

Love and stones,
The Red Pooka!