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There’s an SOP for scheduling a blog: 1) Either I invite someone or they ask me. 2) I offer a choice of available dates; they select one, or if they aren’t choosy, I simply pick one for them. 3) Then, I explain the rules: I update the blogs every Friday. The article has to be in that writer’s file by the Wednesday before. All pictures must be jpgs. 4) They agree.
Everything’s copasetic. Right?
Wrong. At this point, one quarter apparently forget, erasing it completely from their minds. Or they expect me to be like their mothers and remind them continually: Don’t forget. You have a blog coming up! Don’t forget that blog. Got your blog written?
I’m only human, much as I hate to admit it. I try to keep track of everyone; I even bought a calendar just for that purpose, with each website and each blogger, etc., listed. As soon as a date is confirmed, I also tell my computer to save that person’s e-mail address. Alas, the computer appears to be as human as I. Sometimes, it doesn’t save it or the address is so far-fetched and removed from the person’s name, I can’t match it. Unfortunately, this particular system has no place for notations, such as “Name is Jane Smith but email address is polkadotsam@cox.net” or some other helpful info. So, outside of keeping a separate, written address book—which would be redundant and require severe cross-references (“Jane Smith, see polkadotsam; Sam, see polkadot also Jane Smith; also novel Hurry Along; also blog date Nov 26”) or some such, that doesn’t appear very feasible, as well as time-consuming—I’m stuck.
If I do have the address, I send a reminder at the first of that particular week, but being only human (see shameful admission above ), I sometimes get involved in other piddly things (such as minor surgery, filing my tax returns, the birth of my granddaughter) and forget. So now the question arises: In the final analysis, who is responsible for remembering to turn in a blog? The person on whose website it will appear, or the person agreeing to write said item? To me, it would appear to be a 60-40 partnership. 60 to the person writing the blog, 40 to the person with the website. This would be another case of someone taking responsibility for her (I use that pronoun because most of my guests are female) actions, i.e., agreeing to write a blog. We can always rely on other people to call us, e-mail us, or in any other way remind us we have something to do. Besides, I’m offering them the opportunity to promote their novels. Can’t they at least do me the courtesy of sending me the information without a hassle?
I admit I’m not without sin in this particular case. I’ve forgotten blogs, too, and had to be reminded. But—hey, I’m 70. Maybe not a good excuse, but… Give me a break!
This isn’t aimed at everyone, just those recalcitrant few. To all those other writers who’ve sent their blogs in on time, or—bless their hearts!—have gotten them to me weeks ahead of their appointed date…a heartfelt Thank you! You’ve kept me from making that mad dash to the Emergency Blogs File.
Icy Snow’s latest novel is The Earthman’s Bride, available from Class Act Books: http://www.classactbooks.com/The-Earthmans-Bride-by-Icy-Snow-Blackstone-Trade-_p_343.html
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