@simon Thank you for saying that - I love to read about other peoples work, and I like to talk about my work because I hope other people will enjoy that too!

Without marketing and self-promotion, people won’t hear about interesting things!

@simon,

Folks have to understand that rules lie in the hands of a server- moderator, and that's it.

The great thing about the #Fediverse is that:

if you can't find a server and moderator combo that works for you, simply setup your own server with your own rules 😀

@simon *are* there such people, though?

@simon I'm precisely in the same boat! I want to hear about what people are working on???

@simon

This heuristic from @Em0nM4stodon is applicable:

https://infosec.exchange/@Em0nM4stodon/109547766181497120

"Respect what others wish to toot about."

@simon I'm hearing about it but I'm not seeing it. Then again I am not one of the affected people.

If you're #hawking your #own #creations I think that's legit. It's not like people are in here selling #Amway and shit.

@simon I would love nothing more than to be made aware of a new #author / #artist / #startup I can feel good about spending money with. Bring on the self-promotion!

@simon I agree — it’s one of the reasons I’m here. I’m a freelance journalist writing about #ClimateChange in the #Southwest. I’m always looking for new sources for stories whether that’s from scientist/researchers, community organizers, or folks working in government on policy issues. If that describes you, hit me up!

@simon Just ignore people like that. If they don't want to see it, they have tools to customize their feed.

@simon Read about my fascination with the Catalan way of telling what time it is, including a working Flash (!) animation of a Catalan clock:

https://kamasys.nl/archivo/2021/10/15/el-rellotge-catala/

(Google Translate or Deepl your good friend)

@simon please do. I’ve already bought a few books from people here on Mastodon. And expect I’ll buy many more.

@simon That should be welcomed, not considered inappropriate. I've never done anything worth noting, but if I had, I would be promoting it.

@simon I put promos behind a CW, just in case, but I don't hesitate to plug my stuff. When I remember to!

@simon I haven't written any books yet. Working on one but far from finished. I wish I still had the physics paper I wrote in 2002, but the physical copies got lost in a move and the digital copies probably got scrambled somewhere or the hard drives died.

When I do finish this book, I'll proudly promote it. Until then everyone will have to make do with bowling scores, selfies, and occasional bad jokes about the trans experience in Texas.

@simon Are there? It's one thing if that's ALL you do, but it's basically just saying "I'll only accept stuff I find through corporate marketing" otherwise.

This is the generation of indie publishing and marketing. Great stuff to be found.

@simon
IMO if you (the general "you", not you specifically) are plugging your own neat things you've created, good! Plug on and if I dig, I'll Boost!

But if you're getting paid to promote stuff because you have a wide following, I'll block and move on.

#SelfPromotion and #Advertising are different things, though there is an overlap to be conscious of.

@simon I got the impression that marketing was a feature of social media? Strange that there would be people against that...

@simon

Post what you find interesting or useful, including your own work. People are free to block. You won't miss them.

@simon if people (especially writers/journalists) didn't promote their work, we wouldn't have half the contributor base we do at @damemagazine. It's how we find new writers!

@simon I bought already 2 new ebooks because the authors promotet their work here and had good reviews. I'm all for it as long as people use the right hashtags and don't constantly spam it 🙂

@simon Thank you for saying this 🙂 I have had no issue about talking about the software I work on, but books, I’ve always felt as if it was too much self-promotion …

Maybe this is self-evident, but you made me realize that I can talk about the stuff I write and still not be actually marketing … So thank you again for leading me to that realisation 🙂

@simon what is the logic? Why would that be considered wrong?

@simon @davidvasandani please do! No gatekeeping here, I want to hear about your projects, and hey if it’s good we can support it!

The fediverse is for everyone.

@simon @glennf yes! Promote your stuff - be proud of your work

@simon Yes! This!

@simon
It’s about all I ever talk about, but I’m not really doing much by way of promoting 😉

@simon if anybody ever tells you it’s inappropriate to talk about things you’ve created or worked on, you :
A. Tell them to FUCK OFF
B. Tell them it’s time to shave off their neck beards, move out of their parents’ basement, and create or work on something themselves
C. See A and B
Happy holidays. 🌲

@simon OK, since this appeared on my timeline, I'll share the very silly podcast about parallel dimensions that I've been publishing weekly for almost five years: Dispatches from the Multiverse. I hope someone will enjoy it! https://dispatches.fm/

@simon
Thank you! I agree. We don't write books just to market them. We write them because (we hope) we have something to say that others may profit (morally, intellectually, via self knowledge) from

@simon I keep seeing people complaining about this but never see the actual posts. Do we need a hashtag for calling out this behavior?

#MastadonIsForThis or something maybe?

@simon I will block such people on sighf

@simon Thank you - from all the writers, singers, painters etc. I've been scared to post anything about my books.

@simon One of my major reasons for starting to use social media was to learn about new books from authors & reviewers

@simon

Agreed! I purposely followed a bunch of authors here, hoping very much to hear about their new books, and other output.

@simon it’s annoying if it’s all they do

@simon I like to hear what others are doing. I also like to hear more information than just a posting of a link. Tell me something! Something interesting or noteworthy about the link (book, music, article, film). It’s pretty rare that I follow links if there is nothing but a promotional context.

@simon I have no problem with that kind of self-promotion.

@simon absolutely! people’s work and thoughts is what can make this platform really interesting, so I cannot get those who want to make it inappropriate… do they want just shitposting?

@simon Isn't that what else social media is used for?

@simon I sort of get the feeling that people who think self promotion are bad have never created anything in their life

@simon totally agree.

@simon My latest painting. This is study for a larger painting. Local horsewoman wants me do a portrait of her rescued mustang.

@simon

I built my Mastodon server as a Hong Kongers community-focused server with nearly 100 bots mirroring prominent China + Hong Kong dissidents accounts including @nathanlawkc_mirror @jooeysiiu_mirror #artist @aiww_mirror @badiucao_mirror #journalist @WilliamYang120_mirror @JChengWSJ_mirror #media @bbcchinese_mirror

@simon I don't promote my stuff online because it's all for GED students at my college, but I promote the hell out of my friends' stuff.

@simon samsies

@simon not to mention, compared to other platforms, everyone here seems far more supportive of other people's endeavours

@simon agreed. Promote away. No one else will. I learned that long ago.

@simon not that we haven't talked about this on the main tl, we have, because we share your view ... but! here, for you personally, since you feel this way, is our new @shannoncurtis album. the sound is 80s-inflected artpop; the topic is reclaiming one's personal peace and power in hard times. the title song was a #1 radio hit in oregon, of all places. we hope you love it. 🖤 https://songwhip.com/shannoncurtis/good-to-me

@simon I think as long as people aren't being spammy or beggy - then go for it.

I mean, if it is really annoying they'll get unfollowed or blocked by a lot of people.

I get having the general rule so companies don't set up and try and spoil the vibe.

@simon Thank you! I get weird feelings every time I post here about my forthcoming book but like, I worked really hard on it and I think it's really cool and I want it to be successful? https://www.harpercollins.com/products/flight-paths-rebecca-heisman

@simon absolutely #Mastodon is literally the place you should talk about the work you've done if you want!

There's no algorithm to put it in front of a bunch of people who don't want to see it, and nobody has to follow you.

Toot all about it, and if you make a little money from, it even better.

@simon Authors, artists, and other creatives promoting their work and discussing each others' work is one of the many things that added value to Twitter, and I'd be disappointed if it didn't happen here.

@simon the devil is in the details. My server, for example, has explicit rules against advertising. I agreed to join so I play by those rules.
Plus, there’s a vast difference between subtly mentioning what one does vs. using the platform as a sales megaphone.
For those who just want the sales megaphone, Linkedin may be better. There, everyone talks about what they sell, with little room to discuss anything else.
Here ppl are more nuanced, and we must be mindful of the audience

@simon You're right, I learned this last year, when you are in love with what you do, you gradually become successful and with the right knowledge about cashflow, you become wealthy, you become successful after realising a worthy ideal.

@simon not one of those either unless you're pushy and trying to convince me to buy something. In which case, I'm might get trigger happy with the mute button.

@simon I wrote a book about open source https://howtoopensource.dev

@simon Agreed! and i don't write books

@simon I have already bought a book I learned about here, and Santa is bringing it shortly....

@simon and please use appropriate hashtags so it is more discoverable.

#selfPromotion #artists #makers

@simon

My new book:

https://sigmoid.social/@roycoding/109548098949367889

@simon That's silly. People should 100% promote their art, their podcasts, their projects. Why would people want to make this place feel like a weird gated community with HOA rules?

@simon I will shamelessly send you all cartoons. Don't say you weren't warned!

@simon I wrote a book called “My Menopause Memoir” it’s on #amazon and it’s helping people 🙌🏼

@simon same

@simon Nothing wrong with self promotion. More so than ever on #Masto. I don’t have to listen. There is no algorithm jamming you down my throat. If anything, the fact you are here and letting me know what you have found iterating enough to write about it appreciates.

@simon I've been a writer for well over 35 years now. I recently re-opened my own blog (https://carriescornerblog.blogspot.com/), which I've had since 2005. I publish once per week, and I welcome anyone, and everyone, to share their own views, opinions, blogs and work with me. That's how we all learn, grow and relate to each other. Have a wonderful holiday! :blobcatcoffee: 🎄 ☕

@simon "the work you have done and the things you have made" - definitely! The willingness of public health experts and scientists from all different fields to share expertise has been invaluable during the pandemic, and we need safe spaces and channels for communication to continue.

And I personally would be sad if I couldn't talk about the book that I edited, and the resources we've made available in the public domain... https://h-net.social/@ClaireFromClare/109499422601020603

@simon they're probably thinking of those as something similar to ads and they don't like ads, so i get what they're going for.

@simon I agree. Those of us who make things with our hands are hardly capitalist, and free, open-source software doesn't mean the users must never use it to promote what they do and never make money. I'm a political anarchist, but we still live in a capitalist society and regardless of a political system one might live under we are all interesting and we all have to put bread on the table.

@simon I make useful things from leather. Supplements my meagre income.

@simon

What? That's nonsense.

@simon Same

@simon Can I suggest adding a picture of a cat might deter many of the critics.

@simon as a bookperson I think its great when ppl plug their books here. I hate to wait for a publisher to promote it...

@simon

Sell your stuff. You made it!
Heh

@simon #SelfPromo is no problem here. Just some people trying to run the show.

@simon

Been seeing a lot of Hate from peticualr groups this week against creators showing, pubishing, talking about, and most of all trying to sell their wares

@simon
Yes, the rules of your instance are not the rules of the fediverse.

@simon I edit a #Hawaii building management magazine and somehow find ways to write about #sustainability, helping the #homeless and in an upcoming issue, the importance of supporting the #performing #arts in communities. I started my career as a community #newspaper journalist, telling stories of small town residents and it shows in my current work!

@simon Yes, I want to see and hear also!

@simon

Diving right in!

I'm working on a fantasy set in Neolithic, where a superior limbless race keeps humans from developing culture. By mistake, a teen with memory impairment comes up with a proto-writing technique, and as it spreads humans start using it as a tool of self-determination.

There’s also archaeology and different attempts at democracy being built along the way!

@simon @RareBookLibAntw my favorite thing about this app is seeing all the cool stuff people make

@simon @darnell I'm new here, but the notion that there's a single Mastodon community with uniform notions of appropriateness seems counter to the idea of federation. Surely the point is that everyone gets to pick their own subset of instances or users to join? If someone wants a completely non-commercial space, go for it, but there's no need to have one rule for all everyone.

@simon Well! I do something extremely niche. I make conceptual tool kits for people who run #DnD and #LevelUpA5e (forms of #TTRPG) to create (homebrew) their own worlds splitting species and culture and giving them their own mechanical effects (hacking). These dry technical manuals allow very detailed customisation and subtley teach how to do it yourself.

My work is found here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/m/browser/publisher/Homebrew-and-Hacking/21080

Boosts welcome. 😀

@simon some people have strange opinions about what is OK and what isn't on Mastodon

@simon me too

@simon
How boring would it be if people never talked about what they did or made! Talk about these things, people, they make you who you are!

@simon im blissfully unaware of these puritanical edicts. Toot your horn. If you get too qvc I’ll ‘curate’ accordingly. Congrats on the book!

@simon Even without such negative people, it's already super difficult for indie writers and artisans to promote their work, so thank you.

@simon
I'm writting (working in the stretch goals of) a solo ttrpg succesfully funded in kickstarter called Bloodstained Hands and I am working with a publisher to release a former ttrpg called No Man Hills ☺️☺️☺️

@simon
Nor am I. Please do share the things you've created with us.

Ignore the wanna-be Mastodon police!

@simon Thank you. I was rather concerned that I would be frowned upon here for telling people that something I’d worked on for two and a half years had been published and that they might be interested in it.

If you’re a creative why wouldn’t you want to show and tell? If you don’t talk about what you’ve written then no one will read it and you’ll be discouraged from doing more.

@simon

Hello, indie media. People should be celebrated for creating something. Communities everywhere support their artisans.

I bet no one is complaining about the quilters or the coders.

I've seen a bunch of photographers, a scale model builder, some painters and crocheters just today. No complainers.

@simon I've seen a few people get backlash, too. Don't get it. As long as you're not shouting into my feed with totally irrelevant info, you should definitely use what platforms you have (Mastodon included) to promote the stuff you've made and are proud of.

@simon @TheCyborgintheGarden I agree! I WANT to see people’s art, hear people’s music, and read what people have written!

Please promote your work!

@simon
Well, doh! I'm here for that stuff!!