Making friends and influencing people: Ur doin’ it rong

I’ve been avoiding the Romancelandia blogs in favor of writing, so I almost missed the “Avon editors diss online romance reviewers” kerfluffle. But while it doesn’t surprise me that mainstream NY print publishing isn’t 100% caught up on the marvels of the online reading/reviewing community and how it can be used to further sales and build reader enthusiasm, I have to wonder at the vitriolic tone in response to what seem to be rather innocuous and well-intended — if possibly ill-informed — comments.

Yeah, it makes sense to say, “Dude, you might be a tad behind the curve on this,” and provide data to support your point. Less with the sense-making is the whole, “OMG, you took a piss in my Wheaties ON PURPOSE and I’m TOTALLY GOING TO CUT YOU,” thing.

I thought the intent was to educate the industry on the joys of the online community, not score Imaginary Intraweb points by launching attacks and fomenting bad feelings. Doesn’t look like those Avon editors will be standing in line for any “education” anytime soon. Counter-productive, much?

But what the hell do I know? I live in jeans and dirty sneakers, and my style-quotient is WAY below the norm. Maybe sporting a massive a chip on your shoulder is the new black?

Gooooooood morning, Viet Nam!!!!

Huh?

Yeah, I don’t know either. It’s that kind of day, and it’s not even 9AM yet. The kind of day that starts with a bang and ends with a fifth of Cuervo…except it’s Wednesday, which means homework, piano lessons and gymnastics, with possibly a trip to the lake if the weather holds, and a full, three course dinner for the five us plus clean-up, so the Cuervo really can’t happen till well after nine, and by then…seriously, what’s the point? I can face-plant on the bed just as easily if I skip it and wake up tomorrow without my head aching and my mouth tasting like the wrong end of my beagle’s tail.

So.

I’ve been baaaaaad blogger. I know this. And I have no defense, nor anything interesting to say, so I’ll just link to my shiny new interview at Reviews by Jessewave and call it a day, ’k?