Saturday, September 01, 2007
The Happy-omoter
I have a new idea. Obviously it is a pretty extreme step to come out and say a publisher really sucks, so people find it hard to do. But every author is fundamentally happy or not happy with each of their publishers. So I have a new idea, let me know what you think.
What if beneath each publisher on the list there was a 'happy-ometer' which gives a percentage. Authors could send me an email just saying if they are basically satisfied with a publisher or not satisfied with them--for whatever reason. This would be equivalent to a transaction rating on eBay. I would post the percentage once I had at least 10 authors' responses.
Obviously any simple measurement has its limitations, but do you think this is a helpful and fair approach to representing author satisfaction? Would you participate?
What if beneath each publisher on the list there was a 'happy-ometer' which gives a percentage. Authors could send me an email just saying if they are basically satisfied with a publisher or not satisfied with them--for whatever reason. This would be equivalent to a transaction rating on eBay. I would post the percentage once I had at least 10 authors' responses.
Obviously any simple measurement has its limitations, but do you think this is a helpful and fair approach to representing author satisfaction? Would you participate?
Labels: the happy-omoter
¶ posted at 2:28 PM by Emily Veinglory
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Hmmm. Nice idea.
I would wonder though about the potential for false-positives and false-negatives - deliberate squewing.
The axes are always grinding.
I would wonder though about the potential for false-positives and false-negatives - deliberate squewing.
The axes are always grinding.
The idea first reminded me of the yearly P&E popularity poll where a company (Venus Press, I think it was) was open for only a few days and they made the #1 E-Pub ranking and they hadn't even published a single book or sent their first royalty check!!! Talk about a gang of giggling, doe-eyed authors being swayed by a lot of "big talk" from the owner...promises that never materialized. People got their friends, and their friends, and their friends to vote and vote and vote (ie. ballot-stuff) for nothing short of a publicity stunt. It was embarrassing and made the P&E poll lose the marginal "respect and legitimacy" it might have had.
Although, your approach has a big difference...you would be taking actual emails from actual authors so you would be able to eliminate or disqualify any ballot-stuffing morons, so this would be a more accurate survey/barometer.
Although, your approach has a big difference...you would be taking actual emails from actual authors so you would be able to eliminate or disqualify any ballot-stuffing morons, so this would be a more accurate survey/barometer.
# posted by 
: 7:48 AM
: 7:48 AM
I could probably rig it so that people could change their rating too--I imagine the squeeing over MGP underwent a pretty dramatic change over time.
Okay, I think this is a go. So do send an email with the subject line HAPPYOMOTER with your satusfaction yays and nays/ You can send to to ERECmail A gamil.com or, if you prefer, direct to me at veinglory @ gmail.com
I'd participate. You just want a happy or unhappy and not 0-5 happiness scale to take an average from? Just wondering, because I DO have publishers that I would give a luke-warm 2 or 3, but it's not that they are horrid "stay away from these folks, because they'll mess you up" types. Just a thought. Let me know when you open this.
B
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It may be low tech of me but all I want really is a 'thumbs up' or 'thumbs' down. Based roughly on, are you satisfied--would you recommend this press to others?
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