Some of you may be aware that I was a founding member, about a decade back, of a Facebook group called Golden Age Detection, which in turn started as an offshoot of an even older Yahoo (remember them) group by that same name, which goes back two decades now, nearly to the last century.
Because of newly imposed posting guidelines at the GAD group by the administrator there, I am unable to post more than two posts a month of what the administrator deems a "commercial" nature. This seems a unique problem for me because I write a lot of book introductions (more this year than ever) and apparently the administrator at GAD deems any post I make about a book to which I have written an introduction to be commercial and subject to deletion, even though I personally don't make any money off the book sales.
Let me illustrate the problem. Here are the books coming out soon (or have already) to which I have written introductions:
Cat's Paw, Roger Scarlett (Mysterious Press)
The John Rhode reissues (Mysterious Press)
The last Christopher Bush reissues (Dean Street Press)
The Make-Believe Man/A Friend of Mary Rose, Elizabeth Fenwick (Stark House)
The Diehard/My Brother's Keeper, Jean Potts (Stark House)
Death on Herons' Mere, Mary Fitt (Moonstone)
The Edith Howie reissues (Coachwhip)
Death of an Intruder/Twice So Fair, Nedra Tyre (Stark House)
The Beautiful Stranger/The Missing Heiress, Bernice Carey (Stark House)
Death and Mary Dazill, Mary Fitt (Moonstone)
Death Freight, Patrick Quentin (Stark House)
The Alice Campbell reissues (Dean Street Press)
The Complete Short Stories of Leo Bruce (Japan)
And that's just so far this year. There's a lot more on the way, dear readers! So as I understand it, I will not be able to post about most of these books at the GAD group, on pain of expulsion, even though I think they are of genuine interest to members of the group. Thus I decided I would have to form my own group, Vintage Mysteries, which I will administer with a gentler hand. If anyone wants to join just friend request me on Facebook (if we aren't friends already) and I will let you in. I hope other people will post there too.
I certainly enjoy talking about detective fiction, as PD James put it (and crime fiction too); but I listen as well. I'll still comment at the GAD group as long as I am able to do so, but from now on I am going to be doing most of my Facebook posting at Vintage Mysteries. If you enjoy my Passing Tramp blog, I hope that you will find your way over there, as you might like Vintage Mysteries too. But, rest assured in any event, the blog will carry on here as usual. In fact I expect to be posting here more than I have been been the last few years,
That's all very understandable Curt. However ,for people like myself, very reluctant posters of any description , and certainly not ever using Facebook , does this mean I can still carry on reading your very interesting Passing Tramp stuffs and making the occasional comment ...OR do I have to use the Vintage Mystery site . I really don't want to go down the Face book road ...a bit like Em asking Jo French if he needs help reading a Railway Timetable!!!
ReplyDeleteOh, no, the blog will carry on as usual. In fact I expect I will be posting more blog posts here than I have been.
ReplyDeleteI was just trying to address the Facebook situation which had become untenable for me, with an administrator enforcing a rule that seems punitive against me in particular, at least that is how I see it. This all arose over my posting links to Passing Tramp blog posts in fact! Other bloggers are allowed to post seemingly limitless links to their blogs, but since mine are frequently deemed "commercial" since I write book introductions, I am limited to two a month. The only thing I could see to do, in regard to that situation, was to create my own Facebook group and invite people to join it.
But if people don't want to join, they can rest assured that they can just go on reading the blog as usual. Nothing will change for them. I hope this addresses your concern!
Good news that your Passing Tramp posts will continue! I, too, am not disposed to join Facebook. I also rarely comment on your blog, but continue to find your comments and choice of writers so interesting and entertaining. I'd certainly miss your intelligent writing, insights and perspective if you were to give up on The Tramp!
ReplyDeleteOh, that's very kind of you, thanks. No, I will never abandon the Tramp to his passings, absent failing health or something desperately unpleasant and unforeseen! Sorry for throwing a scare into people. No, this was all about Facebook groups, which I gather is a somewhat arcane topic to some people who have stayed away from Facebook.
DeleteI've simply started my own Facebook group and will be posting less at the old one. But many of my postings there consisted of links to new Passing Tramp pieces, so the Tramp remains the seedbed, as it were, of the whole thing, and ever so shall remain while I'm around.
You've also been a great guide to many Golden Age writers of whom I've been unaware...thanks for your detection skills and dedication to getting the word out about some good writers lost in the mists of time!
ReplyDeleteI would like to fully endorse Douglas's comments . I think I have lost track of how many " new " authors I have read after reading Curt's blogs or introductions.
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