Would you tuck a promotional postcard about your book inside a birthday greeting card mailed to a friend?<\/p>\n

No?<\/em><\/p>\n

Then why would somebody write “Happy birthday!” on my Facebook timeline and include a link to his book’s Amazon purchase page? (Forget that it wasn’t my birthday — that just confuses things further.)<\/p>\n

When you gather with a few friends to chat over coffee, do you hand them a bookmark for your book each time you speak or comment?<\/p>\n

No?<\/em><\/p>\n

Then why would an author\u00a0include a link to her (unrelated to the topic) book’s Amazon purchase page\u00a0every time she comments on my personal Facebook page status updates?<\/p>\n

Awkward!<\/em><\/h3>\n

I don’t understand it. If we don’t do these sorts of things in face-to-face or “real world” social exchanges, why do we think they’re acceptable in social networking interactions?<\/p>\n

They’re not. And here’s my advice for those doing this: Stop<\/em>.<\/p>\n

If you know something about me that makes you think I’d like to read your book, please tell me that in a private message via Facebook inbox or e-mail. That way I’ll feel like you’re really talking to me<\/em>, not trying to use my timeline to get your book title in front of my Facebook connections.<\/p>\n

If you’re doing this with others, you’re going to find your friend count dwindling. And that makes me sad for you, because I don’t think that’s what you want.<\/p>\n

So, tell me . . . \u00a0am I too sensitive about this? Is it OK for authors to promote their books this way on anyone’s personal timeline? What do you think?<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/a>Would you tuck a promotional postcard about your book inside a birthday greeting card mailed to a friend?<\/p>\n

No?<\/em><\/p>\n

Then why would somebody write “Happy birthday!” on my Facebook timeline and include a link to his book’s Amazon purchase page? (Forget that it wasn’t my birthday — that just confuses things further.)<\/p>\n

When you gather with a few friends to chat over coffee, do you hand them a bookmark for your book each time you speak or comment?<\/p>\n

No?<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":20284,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,157],"tags":[346,356],"class_list":["post-4933","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-stuff-that-annoys-me","tag-facebook","tag-social-media-mistakes"],"yoast_head":"\n