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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Bardsandsages" data-source="post: 3447653" data-attributes="member: 28771">G7:  I don't believe I ever insulted you or questioned your professionalism.  In fact, I don't believe I ever uttered the words "DON'T SUBMIT TO THIS!!!!".  I made a suggestion, to you and your partners, based off of my own experience assembling anthologies.  And then I clarified some technical issues involving the industry in general that others may not be aware of.  Please don't start engaging in the martyr syndrome, where every question or recommendation becomes a personal attack.  That which is worthwhile should withstand criticism and open query.  Attempts to deflect the questions by feigning some harm, or to imply that the queries are personal attacks, are insulting.You have two choices as a publisher:  you can respond to queries and criticism with positive, proactive results, or you can cry foul.  That you changed your listing to an unpaid call is a positive, proactive result.  Accusing people of personally attacking you is crying foul.  I use lulu.com as my printer.  Do you know the crap I have to listen to because of it?  I had a situation where a website refused advertising (yes, they REFUSED to take my money!!!) because they didn't want to be flooded by a bunch of self-published authors selling crap.  Now I could have ranted and taken their position as an insult.  Instead, I replied that I appreciated their concerns, agreed with them that a great deal of self-published stuff is in fact crap, and explained that I simply use POD instead of offset printing to reduce my up-front costs on production. I invited them to visit my website, and if they still hand concerns to ask.  Because I know that if someone goes to my website, they are going to find that I AM professional.  They are going to find dozens of positive reviews for our fiction books from third-party sources.  Eventually I worked out a very productive promotion with them giving away a couple of comp copies in a drawing that generated a lot of hits for my site.My point is that not only should you expect questions and criticisms when you launch a new venture, but you should welcome them.  Such queries will help you determine how you are being viewed in the public eye, and therefore allow you to cultivate the positive and change the negative.  Getting defensive and accusatory only makes people think you are up to something.  And I never assumed, or stated, that you were.  As a writer, you know that you need a thick skin in this business.  You can't look at questions or criticisms as personal attacks just because you don't agree.  But I don't mean to lecture.  As someone very involved in POD, my goal is always to help people get the best possible result out of their work.  And sometimes I may come across as a tad bit bitchy (though if you REALLY want to see me rip into someone, you should come over to the Lulu forums...loads of fun to be had there!)</blockquote>

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