I posted this ad about my friend's website.
I am not an editor, just a webmaster helping a firm that offers a very
good service to find writers who need their services.
Opinicus: So what makes this a scam??? The fact that it's unsolicited
commercial advertising in a public forum.
This comment seems to confuse me. My question: How private is this
"public forum"?
I thought a "public" forum was a place to discuss various topics in an
open manner. Am I wrong?
I may have a little off-scope with some of the forums I placed my ad,
but it was not a random choice for placement. I was looking for forums
that might welcome such a service and this forum seemed to match my
criteria.
J.Pascal: Not that I can quite imagine an editing service being the
difference between a manuscript that sells to a professional market
and one that can't, won't, and never ever will. But there you go.
I was not trying to make that as my point .We humans are not all the
same. Some of us have great skills with writing. Some of us have
almost no skill. Most of us fit between the two extremes. My friend's
editing service is for those who feel they need it.
J.Pascal: Making money off of people's insecurities is kinda low in
any case, even when it isn't properly a "scam." If you look at the ad
it clearly suggests that a new author doing without a professional
edit of their work is taking a big, and potentially expensive, risk.
Many times people's insecurities are based on logical reasons.
The strong among us don't bury their head in the sand when they have
insecurities. They seek help to overcome their fear. Help can be found
in many forms.
My friend offers help in the form of a paid online editing service.
Oh, by the way. I believe it IS true that new authors who skip a
professional edit of their work ARE taking a big risk.
J.Pascal: If your honest friend wants to avoid the appearance of
preying on the vulnerable, he might (besides *not* spamming
newsgroups) make a point of saying that he is available if the author
knows that they need the service for whatever reason, rather than
implying dire consequences for the fragile new author if they don't.
First, I was not spamming newsgroups! I targeted specific types of
newsgroups just right for my message. Please find fault with my
message and not where I put it! But for the record I was wrong posting
it in several news groups at the same time, and I won't do it again!
Second, my message was not as heavy-handed as your comment implies. It
was not a threat saying, "Use an editing service or lose your ability
to get published!"
I don't think anyone will signup for my friend's service because they
were so intimidated be my posted message.
Those who need this service will take a look at
www.aysaediting.com
and make up their own mind on the usefulness of this online editing
service.
J.Pascal: Marketing isn't always moral, even when it's convincing
people they need a service that will be performed in good faith. It is
*still* preying on insecurities and making your living off of the
vulnerabilities of others.
It sounds like you are advocating that people should not try to
overcome their insecurities. I personally don't agree with that!
Please read my posted message again. It is not a slick attempt to
convince anyone of anything. It is a message offering help to those
who need it.
Dayo Mitchell: However, unsolicited Spam undermines the credibility of
a company, even if it is directed to somewhat relevant groups (and
it's definitely out of place on at least the two microsoft groups).
I'd be a bit concerned about using an editor who was too clueless to
recognize the sort of reaction such an email would provoke.
I directed my posting to a few groups that were related to MS Word
documents. At the time, I felt it was appropriate since my friend's
editing service only works with MS Word documents.
I am not offering the service myself. And my friend who offers the
service did not know I placed this ad on newsgroups.
I have used newsgroups in the past to promote my own and other
websites without having this sort of reaction occur.
Should I have made a stronger tie-in between my message and the news
groups I posted to? Well yes. I am learning from this!
Dayo Mitchell: I would suggest that the person with the friend
encourage the friend to use the newsgroups for marketing in a very
different way, if they must. For instance, by giving good answers to
single questions, and using a signature with a simple tagline, eg: For
individual editing consultations, see
www.xyz.com. In that way, one
not only reaches a potential market, but builds some credibility with
it.
Some suggestions in this forum are useful to my cause. And I will pass
these comments to my friend. Perhaps I can get him to be active in
forums like this one.
J.Pascal: I have only heard of *one* published fiction author who
regularly has someone else edit their work *outside*of the normal
editor/publisher arrangement. No doubt there are people who do use
editing services that I have no knowledge of...I hardly claim to be an
expert after all. But there does seem to be this... silence... from
published authors that I come in contact with. For some unfathomable
reason the recommendations to use editing services aren't coming from
*authors.*
I don't think that it is fair to judge online services that way.
I don't think those who are likely to use it will want others to know
their shortcomings. That seems to be against human nature.
