Ramblings about newslettering

[ziasudra]

skuf has an interesting poll here about fandom newsletters. I read the fill-in answers and the anonymous discussion threads with interest, and noticed that a reoccurring "complaint" seems to be newsletters tend to favor toward certain things, be they genres, pairings, or overall bias in reccing.

This got me thinking — and in fact I've had thoughts about newslettering for a long time now (and was great to get to talk about this with other fellow newsletter editors at r_becca's newsletter roundtable at Phoenix Rising) — why do people assume newsletter editors have the time to read every single fandom LJ account in the intarwebs? I'm glad the daily_snitch is not a rec newsletter, because I simply don't have the time to read all the fics that are posted in a day, never mind sifting through them to select recs. But even doing the meta/news/non-fic links alone, each issue takes me hours do compile. I almost always (barring RL busyness) go out of my way to look for links outside of reading my own flist or the Snitch's watcher journal. But I'm just one person, I can't know that someone who posts about RL stuff 99% of the time just happens to post something fannish and linkable today, and oops I missed it but instead linked to posts by "popular" LJers or slashers.

I've said this before, and would probably say it again in the future: if you see something that might be of interest, e-mail the links/recs/suggestions to the appropriate newsletter! Seriously, newsletter editors don't bite. In fact, every single one of them that I've met has been of the nicest group of HP fans I've had the pleasure to get to know.

</rant> (not directed against anyone in particular; in fact, I'm feeling more amused than annoyed)

Comments

[arby-m.livejournal.com]

Right and then what if the newsletter claims to be INclusive, but when you post your link, it doesn't get picked up? More than once (because I did give them the benefit of the doubt). Then you just start feeling like a jerk. I mean, maybe I suck and my comm's so lame no one would want to join, but don't pretend your newsletter is so inclusive and then exclude me.

[ziasudra-fic.livejournal.com]

I've been on both sides of this. There were a few instances when I had chosen not to include a link (most of the time I'd try to respond with an explanation of why it wasn't linked); I've also sent emails to newsletters but not have what I sent in linked.

It never feels good to not have your link posted, there's no way of getting around that. But maybe knowing why would help? Personally, I don't mind people emailing me wanting to know why what they sent in wasn't linked, and 99% of such correspondence I've had had been polite and cordial. Of course, I can only speak for myself here...

[arby-m.livejournal.com]

Yeah, you're right. If nothing else it would allow me to stop thinking about it! I'll make an inquiry.