N.L. slammed as unethical, goes on self-promotional binge - By N.L. Belardes
On the same day I got some big news that I can't talk about, one reader slammed me saying I was unethical because I wrote about my kid's band in the article "Local Harry Potter Song Wrocks" and about my Yosemite Writers Conference experiences in the story, "Is Book Publishing Dead" on ABC23.
Harry Potter songs were very newsworthy at the time. That was the biggest book release in the history of book releases in the world, and Potter songs are popular and have their own music genre. I was proud that my kid's band was involved, and who better to write about it? Since I do run a literary press. I'm qualified! That's why MAS and Bakotopia asked for the article to run in their magazines too.
My Yosemite Writers Conference pieces are timely as well, or one of them would not have gotten the traffic it received.
In fact, I didn't go out of my way to promote myself at the conference. That would be tacky. I spoke about the hot topics at hand and only spoke about my book when asked.
I think I do a pretty good job of promoting others. I got my Captain America piece on the CNN homepage yesterday (As well as about 75 broadcast websites). I don't think that was self promotion. And I could list hundreds of articles I've written that promote others.
So why don't people get it? Are there just naysayers out there? People who only pretend to support others to get media attention?
Ahh, it comes down to you can't please everyone. Jealousy in the scene maybe? And that's OK. It's just part of the heat I've been taking since blogging. You gotta have thick skin in this biz. I've heard the same arguments since I began my blog. My philosophy is what Ray Bradbury said when he came to town. He said there is always going to be people who try to ruin your dreams. Push them out of your way, he said. So I did. I told that person to quit writing to me. Although I respect people's opinions, I can't support people who outright slam me. That would be crazy. Who needs that? Ray Bradbury would have run over that person's opinion with his wheelchair.
My answer is for more people to blog, to be the media, to put themselves in positions to help the community they believe in, and to help those close to them who are doing great work, even in if they are in their own families. And yes, to even help themselves when appropriate.
I believe in helping my kid's band. I do write about music don't I? I would take heat if I ignored them.
Now for some self lovin'...
In a sudden bout of feeling self promotional, I was overjoyed that ABC23 reporter Leticia Juarez included my novel in a cameo in her report on earthquake safety tonight! If you want to buy a copy of my book used in this on-air report, go to www.noveltown.net/books and order a copy!
Harry Potter songs were very newsworthy at the time. That was the biggest book release in the history of book releases in the world, and Potter songs are popular and have their own music genre. I was proud that my kid's band was involved, and who better to write about it? Since I do run a literary press. I'm qualified! That's why MAS and Bakotopia asked for the article to run in their magazines too.
My Yosemite Writers Conference pieces are timely as well, or one of them would not have gotten the traffic it received.
In fact, I didn't go out of my way to promote myself at the conference. That would be tacky. I spoke about the hot topics at hand and only spoke about my book when asked.
I think I do a pretty good job of promoting others. I got my Captain America piece on the CNN homepage yesterday (As well as about 75 broadcast websites). I don't think that was self promotion. And I could list hundreds of articles I've written that promote others.
So why don't people get it? Are there just naysayers out there? People who only pretend to support others to get media attention?
Ahh, it comes down to you can't please everyone. Jealousy in the scene maybe? And that's OK. It's just part of the heat I've been taking since blogging. You gotta have thick skin in this biz. I've heard the same arguments since I began my blog. My philosophy is what Ray Bradbury said when he came to town. He said there is always going to be people who try to ruin your dreams. Push them out of your way, he said. So I did. I told that person to quit writing to me. Although I respect people's opinions, I can't support people who outright slam me. That would be crazy. Who needs that? Ray Bradbury would have run over that person's opinion with his wheelchair.
My answer is for more people to blog, to be the media, to put themselves in positions to help the community they believe in, and to help those close to them who are doing great work, even in if they are in their own families. And yes, to even help themselves when appropriate.
I believe in helping my kid's band. I do write about music don't I? I would take heat if I ignored them.
Now for some self lovin'...
In a sudden bout of feeling self promotional, I was overjoyed that ABC23 reporter Leticia Juarez included my novel in a cameo in her report on earthquake safety tonight! If you want to buy a copy of my book used in this on-air report, go to www.noveltown.net/books and order a copy!
Labels: Bakersfield, blogs, California books, journalist ethics, unethical novelists
This entry was posted by N.L. Belardes, on
Wednesday, September 05, 2007.
You can leave your response.
Okay, to be totally honest...pitching for your kids band is right on the edge of the whole debate, but everything else is just the gears of journalism.
I think the fact that you got the Captain America story on CNN is the coolest thing ever. Everyone else is just jealous.
Yeah I've always thought you were unethical for using your own personal BLOG to promote your book. And now you're using other venues available to you too? You should be ashamed of using every opportunity possible to self promote. Don't you know if you just SIT THERE and do nothing else but bitch and talk shit about people success will just LAND on your lap?
Oh wait... no, I have that backwards, don't I? speaking of self promotion go check out my blog on bakotopia.com
By the way, I've been telling all my Harry Potter fan friends about your kid and his band, and that song... all all three of them loved it. (I actually only have TWO friends, the third person was a friend of a friend.. )
Hey, you gotta take risks is all I can say. I think I write fun and newsworthy articles. It's pretty much no different than you see at Bakotopia with Mento Buru. You gotta get the word out and not ignore yourself and those around you. We're our own best promoters. The media world has changed to allow for differences in how news is presented and who talks the news. People have to deal with changes as good, not negative. Blogging and a personal touch...it's all a part of media these days.
Here are some comments from myspace:
"It's a doggy-dog world" - Snoop (Bakotopia)
"Was that your book on her bedside table? That's kinda funny, but still good publicity I guess. Kinda like how they advertize products in movies. About your blog...like I said before...people are dumb..." - Ill-fated
"I hate that you have so much more marketing savvy than me! Good blog though. Looking forward to checking out more!
- Michael (Writer of novel, "Assault On The Senses)
"If we repost it (myspace bulletin), it's no longer self promotion. :)
- Stephen Coal Bear
Oh, and I will raise this issue on the radio on Friday. I am going on the Ralph Bailey show (1560) to talk with co-host Preston Nash about his "Hammer" song that he thinks may have been ripped off by Godsmack. Is it unethical as a show host to discuss his art? I don't think so, but clearly some people do. And so we will discuss.
I call bullshit:) I say every other word has to be about promotion. You have to promote yourself. Out of sight out of mind. You got to put it OUT there for others to see. You can write whatever you want in your personal blogs. ITS YOUR BLOG. Nobody forces others to read it.
People should stick to what they are good at. Some are good at writing and some are good at music. To try to do both would mean that one of the two is going to suffer in an obvious way;)
What a dumb-ass this person is...
Don't they know that you being from a caucasian/latino background makes you multi eth-n-ical?
geez!
Keep it up street warrior!
I won't be allowing the unnamed party to comment here, that would bring too much into the open, and I am not interested in dirtying anyone's name. That would expand the conversation too much.
I don't have a problem with promoting the areas I care about. I think there's a decent way to do it, and in indecent way. I don't believe I have crossed the line into indecent self-indulgences through local media.
It's not like I have written a book review of my own novel on ABC23. That would be shameful. But I won't hide that I'm a novelist and writer from anyone, including the ABC23 news audience.
If names were brought into this then we would be talking egos, and I don't want to go there.
I'll write this anonymously, then.
Wow, not even a criticism can go without a spin and plug. Come on, Nick...
You know I never brought up the Harry Potter article, so I don't know how that slipped into the 'slam'? In fact, when that event took place, I personally commended you and the guys for taking advantage of that marketing opportunity, did I not?
As for the unethical writings (self promotion) in question, it is in direct relation to the 23 News website, NOT nlbelardes.com
I made that clear in my criticism as well, but some how it was left out.
People utilize 23 News as their trusted local news source...When you use that avenue as you would your own personal nlbelardes.com blog with self promotion, I believe ethics come into question, and I don't think that's such an unreasonable thing to question.
Just as you did in your replies to me, you bring up 'success' which I never brought into question, and still find no connection between ethics and success...separate deals, and I don't think it's worth having pissing contests over who's more successful, etc. That's stupid.
I honestly DO commend you on getting your links up on CNN...that's good stuff.
I realize you started this w/ an unnamed criticism, but I felt the need to clear a few things up to the public before the valuable topic at hand got shredded through the filters.
Why does the song "Jealousy" come to mind when I read this post.
Heck ever thing I do is self promotion as is anything anyone does.
Anon.: Writing that I was on two panels at the Yosemite Writers Conference and linking up to the Sierra Star's coverage is not unethical. It was a friendly way to provide the Sierra Star more traffic and to let people know that blogging in the literary world is important. I didn't plug my book. I plugged the importance of writing for social change, and blogging/social networking as important vehicles for authors to use as promotional tools.
And yes, you did mean dirty spanglish on ABC 23. You can't say I'm unethical for writing about family on ABC23 and then ignore the Harry Potter song article that is about my family.
I really don't see having broken the trust of ABC23's audience.
What I am really seeing is that you represent certain artists in Bakersfield who you might feel aren't reaping their just rewards, as the conversation stemmed from pointing out that a certain group wasn't on a cheesy survey on the ABC23 Buzz Bands blog. And then directing me ever so subtly to view band pics (while slamming me).
And maybe I should write more about local bands. I've already done a lot of it...and will be plugging bands on-air starting next week.
It's great to have the controversial fiesty N.L. back on Paperback Writer! I for one have been missing your firery spirit.
As for self-promotion... N.L. and I just attended the Yosemite Writers Conference where it was stated over and over and over again even by David Morrell the creator of Rambo and writer of the new Captain America series, that you have to promote yourself and your work. No one else is going to do it for you!
And what parent is not going to promote their kids band? It's just a natural thing to do. N.L. was also promoting other bands on the buzz bands blog. He's done nothing but promote bands and the music scene for the last couple of years and yet he's still slammed for daring to promote his own writing or books! I just don't get that.
Even the person and the conversation that spawned this blog from N.L. was seeking promotion for a certain band!
Everyone wants and needs promotion, some are just jealous that N.L. has a voice and the media resources to use that voice for promotion that they themselves do not have.
shameless plugs are running rampant in Bakersfield...AHHHH...here's another one, add The Nacharoo on myspace for the heck of it!WOOHOO!!!FIESTA TIME!!!
Last time I checked I typed in nlbelardes.com so if I didn't want to hear about n.l. I guess I should have typed someone else's name. I thought that was how how this "internet" worked.
I am guessing the complaint is people don't want a "voice". They are happy with de-humanized news, which is silly, because in broadcast news the reports and all anchors state their names and their opinions...
news, blogs, journalism, advertising, etc.... it's all marketing. self-promotion or not... it's all the same whether or not you choose to admit it.
believe it or not, people decide what you hear and don't hear on the news. people will report news, stories, or whatever how they interpret it.
if you don't like what you're hearing, reading, or watching, then turn your head... sorry to break it to you... media is media. how many journalists do you know stay in one place for a long period of time (unless they are grounded there because of ties)... most are self-promoting to move up in their career (usually to a larger, better paying market)just like any other regular business person working their way up at a corporate entity.
again, with anonymous opinions such as those listed here that are in denial of what they are really trying to say... start your own blog and promote yourself (and your band...oops... did i say that? i'm assuming it's all because you're in a band who needs promotion and can't get it -that's usually when anon comments such as these show up)...call radio stations, get a p.r. agent... something... just stop whining to the masses.
thanks.
cordially,
chingpea
Actually I was forced into anonymity (I attempted to post with my name, but Nick wouldn't allow it, so I posted anonymously)...Once again, this is regarding 23 News, not nlbelardes.com. And no, I'm not in a band...and no, I honestly don't think that band NEEDS any more local press.they've been getting great local support and press...from NL, Matt, other news, etc. The guys DO have PR reps, get radio, tv, print advertisement, etc. That's not a problem at all.
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