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S2 Ep30: When PR Boxes Go Wild
32 Plays8 months ago
Heather and Veronica discuss the most recent salacious PR box that went out and why consent is so important.
A podcast from 1852 Media.
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and playful mood
00:00:09
1852media
Hello, hello, and welcome back to For Books Sake. I am your host, Heather Roberts.
00:00:14
Veronica Adams
Yes, she is and I am her Girl Friday Veronica Adams and we are part of 1852 Media.
00:00:23
1852media
That's right. And I think I'm feeling my blonde moment today. I am.
00:00:28
Veronica Adams
Girl, you are bright and light and I'm guessing ready for some vibrant color.
Hair dye plans and excitement
00:00:34
1852media
ready to be dyed uh so yeah I love that the bottom I could tone it I thought about toning it out and seeing if I could get it to be white um which I totally could do but I have this gorgeous pastel pink dye waiting to go onto my head so that's what we're going to do this afternoon and uh we're going to do a nice pastel or well hope it's nice I haven't tried this brand before so
00:00:35
Veronica Adams
Hell yeah!
00:00:41
Veronica Adams
That's what I do to mine. Yeah.
00:00:54
Veronica Adams
Nice.
00:01:02
1852media
We're going to to do a pastel pink and see how it goes.
00:01:02
Veronica Adams
Cool.
00:01:06
1852media
And yeah, I have a neon pink, which is like my quintessential color for those, my signature.
00:01:10
Veronica Adams
Yes, you're sick. Pink is my signature color.
00:01:14
1852media
It is, it is indeed. um And so that's my signature color and I'm going a little lighter since summer and and all of that.
00:01:23
Veronica Adams
Dare I say you are a blush girl, but this time you're doing bashful to stay completely on brand with the Steel Magnolias reference.
00:01:28
1852media
Yes, yeah. yeah totally on brand and on point with, with it being a rush and all of that time.
00:01:32
Veronica Adams
Yes.
Bama Rush and TikTok trends
00:01:37
Veronica Adams
Oh my God, I am so ready for Rush Talk to be back. can we i like i I have not been delivered a single Rush Talk video yet.
00:01:41
1852media
Are you now watching rush talk?
00:01:46
1852media
oh
00:01:47
Veronica Adams
Has it started?
00:01:48
1852media
Yes.
00:01:48
Veronica Adams
Has it started?
00:01:49
1852media
We're on, we're on sisterhood route today.
00:01:49
Veronica Adams
What is wrong with my SYB? What?
00:01:53
1852media
Today at Bama rush today, his sisterhood day three.
00:01:55
Veronica Adams
Stop!
00:01:57
1852media
Yeah.
00:01:57
Veronica Adams
Okay, I kid you not, the family across the street from me, their daughter goes to Bama, she rushed. I can tell you what organization she's a member of, I won't. But like, I feel like so personally connected.
00:02:05
1852media
Yeah.
00:02:10
1852media
Oh my God, I will.
00:02:10
Veronica Adams
And also, I'm living vicariously through these women because, you know, the experience was mine 20 plus years ago and I'm old now.
00:02:15
1852media
Of course.
00:02:17
Veronica Adams
But like, what is going on with my FYP that I have not seen a single Bama rush talk TikTok yet?
00:02:18
1852media
Right.
00:02:24
1852media
I cannot believe it.
00:02:25
Veronica Adams
I'm going to have to go search it out or evidently stop.
00:02:27
1852media
Go search it out today. You have plenty to catch up on. Tomorrow's press, tomorrow's, they did, Yes, they did three days of, for anybody who's now listening to this and who doesn't care, my apologies, but they did three days of philanthropy and two or three days of sisterhood.
00:02:40
Veronica Adams
Oh my God.
00:02:49
1852media
I think this is, I think this is the third day of sisterhood.
00:02:50
Veronica Adams
I'm dead. i I am not cut out. i'm I'm not cut out for big state school Greek life.
00:02:54
1852media
No, I could not do it.
00:02:54
Veronica Adams
That that is too much work.
00:02:57
1852media
I could not do it.
00:02:58
Veronica Adams
That is too much work.
00:03:00
1852media
And then that doesn't even, I mean, then the obviously the complication and then there's prep and then bid day and then, um yeah.
00:03:05
Veronica Adams
Right, right, right, right, right. Yep.
00:03:07
1852media
But, oh my God. I mean, honestly, skip the skip the skip the philanthropy videos because it's just the t-shirt and like the introduction to this, you know.
00:03:14
Veronica Adams
Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, so maybe now I can get caught up on the good stuff instead of having put up with all of the...
00:03:22
1852media
Yeah.
00:03:23
Veronica Adams
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.
00:03:24
1852media
Yeah. Cause the dresses and stuff are really the fun stuff to watch, right?
00:03:27
Veronica Adams
Yes.
00:03:27
1852media
Like to see what they're wearing.
00:03:28
Veronica Adams
I i enjoy seeing 18-year-old women who have jewelry that's more expensive than my automobile.
00:03:33
1852media
Oh my God.
00:03:34
Veronica Adams
like There's just something about that that makes...
00:03:35
1852media
It's insane. Yeah. Yeah. There's this one girl who, we are not the same.
00:03:41
Veronica Adams
We are not the same.
00:03:44
1852media
I loved, she wore these like shorts and they were like sparkly black and she's more of a curvy girl. And I love that because, you know, oftentimes you're seeing the same sort of, you know, type of person, right?
00:03:53
Veronica Adams
Yeah.
00:03:56
Veronica Adams
Yes.
00:03:59
1852media
And these shorts looked so amazing on her. I was like, where are those shorts from? And she does say. But like I loved them. They were so cute.
00:04:06
Veronica Adams
Awesome.
00:04:07
1852media
So it's fun to see what the new styles and what the young kids are wearing.
00:04:09
Veronica Adams
Yes. Yes. Yes.
00:04:12
1852media
And she also was, I think it was her, she had $20,000 worth of jewelry on. And I was like, girl, girl.
00:04:18
Veronica Adams
Naturally. Well, the Cartier bracelet's like $7,500 by itself. so like
00:04:23
1852media
Yeah. I was like, my my wedding set isn't even. But you know.
00:04:29
Veronica Adams
Girl, tell me about it. like Including my anniversary band and everything, like still not that much money, right?
00:04:35
1852media
Right. Exactly.
00:04:38
Veronica Adams
Yep.
00:04:38
1852media
Exactly. But it's fun to watch. You need to...
00:04:41
Veronica Adams
Okay, but we're old enough too that you know inflation's a factor here as well, right?
00:04:44
1852media
That's true.
00:04:45
Veronica Adams
like
00:04:46
1852media
That's true.
00:04:48
Veronica Adams
I had no idea I was behind.
00:04:48
1852media
But so... Yeah.
00:04:50
Veronica Adams
I feel... God.
00:04:52
1852media
You built that FYP.
00:04:54
Veronica Adams
I miss everything. I miss everything.
00:04:56
1852media
She does miss everything. I don't even know what your FYP is.
00:04:58
Veronica Adams
I'm the worst. I'm the worst when it comes to drama.
00:05:00
1852media
What does your FYP consist of? I mean, truly?
00:05:04
1852media
You built that brick by brick, so.
00:05:04
Veronica Adams
yeah Honestly, right right now, if I'm honest, it's mostly JD Vance hate videos.
00:05:11
1852media
Oh, well, that's valid. But I mean, that sound is, but that's the best sound.
00:05:15
Veronica Adams
Yeah.
00:05:18
Veronica Adams
I'm a never Trump guy.
00:05:19
1852media
Yeah, no joke.
00:05:20
Veronica Adams
I'm a never Trump guy. Yeah.
00:05:21
1852media
Literally so good. It's so good that that sound is hilarious, um like crying at it.
00:05:27
Veronica Adams
Yeah. Uh-huh.
00:05:31
1852media
Okay, so what are we talking about today? Bring it back to the books Heather.
00:05:35
Veronica Adams
Yes. Yes.
00:05:36
1852media
See, this is why it's fun to record on Fridays because we're just wild. Like it's, yeah, we are carefree on a Friday.
00:05:41
Veronica Adams
We are very carefree on a Friday. the the Most of the business of the workweek is behind us. we're a little It's a little easier to just be free-spirited and enjoy ourselves.
00:05:51
Veronica Adams
And also, as I understand it, I'm just going to live react to whatever the topic is today. Because as usual, I'm behind.
00:05:56
1852media
Yes.
00:05:58
Veronica Adams
I have no idea what's been happening in book world.
00:06:01
1852media
Oh my gosh.
00:06:01
Veronica Adams
I have legitimate reasons for that, okay? Like I have been head down really focused on a very big project this week and I have not had time to be as connected to social as I sometimes try to be and usually fail to be, but um yeah.
00:06:04
1852media
Yeah.
00:06:11
1852media
Yes. But, usually you make an effort.
Casey McQuiston's PR box controversy
00:06:15
1852media
This week you've been otherwise occupied.
00:06:17
Veronica Adams
Yes, yes.
00:06:18
1852media
um But no, okay, so here's the deal. Here's what happened. ah I'll say who it is. We're open and honest. We're all friends here. So Casey McQuiston, I think I'm saying her last name, right?
00:06:30
Veronica Adams
Yes.
00:06:31
1852media
Yeah, we love her.
00:06:31
Veronica Adams
Red, white, and royal blue.
00:06:33
1852media
Yes. She has a new book coming out called The Pairing.
00:06:35
Veronica Adams
Yeah.
00:06:36
1852media
Okay. It is published by St.
00:06:38
Veronica Adams
Yes.
00:06:39
1852media
Martin's Press. And St. Martin's Press is also having other issues because of some but a controversy that happened earlier. Oh, gosh, it's been a while now.
00:06:51
Veronica Adams
Yeah.
00:06:51
1852media
um regarding some racist remarks made by an employee that some didn't feel was handled appropriately.
00:06:57
Veronica Adams
Right.
00:06:57
1852media
So some people are actively boycotting St. Martin's Press. So that's, I guess, I mentioned that too to add into a layer onto what is happening.
00:07:09
Veronica Adams
That that's the context.
00:07:11
1852media
Yeah, we're we're adding a piece of context, okay?
00:07:13
Veronica Adams
Yes.
00:07:15
1852media
But there's more. So there's a PR box that they sent out unsolicited, okay?
00:07:20
Veronica Adams
For Casey.
00:07:21
1852media
for Casey, for the pairing.
00:07:23
Veronica Adams
Okay.
00:07:24
1852media
And the PR box itself, cute, cute idea, okay? So because it's the pairing, yeah.
00:07:29
Veronica Adams
Love a PR box.
00:07:31
1852media
And because it's the pairing, they tried to include things in the box that would pair with each of your senses, okay?
00:07:39
Veronica Adams
Ooh, I like this.
00:07:40
1852media
So yeah, so they had like a candle, right?
00:07:42
Veronica Adams
Okay.
00:07:43
1852media
Like they had they different pieces in there that would work for each of your senses. Well, one of the items in the box was a personal toy, a vibrator.
00:07:54
Veronica Adams
A massager, if you will.
00:07:59
1852media
Yes.
00:08:00
Veronica Adams
Stop.
00:08:00
1852media
Like a $50 one.
00:08:02
Veronica Adams
Stop.
00:08:02
1852media
It was not a cheap one.
00:08:04
Veronica Adams
Stop. St.
00:08:05
1852media
Yes.
00:08:05
Veronica Adams
Martin's Press put together a pr PR box for Casey McQuiston with a vibrator in it.
00:08:10
1852media
Yes.
00:08:11
Veronica Adams
No.
00:08:12
1852media
Yes. And they sent it out unsolicited.
00:08:14
Veronica Adams
No.
00:08:18
Veronica Adams
No.
00:08:19
1852media
Yes.
00:08:21
Veronica Adams
No.
00:08:24
1852media
I hate to tell you so.
00:08:27
Veronica Adams
What they thinking?
00:08:29
1852media
I don't know what intern came up with this. It was like, that's a good idea. Now, if they would have had a sign up and let people know that what was sort of in the box, correct.
00:08:40
Veronica Adams
The PR box will contain adult materials and is designed for an audience that is 18 and up. Like, you may be getting something a little sexy or a little steamy or a little, like, right?
00:08:47
1852media
Yes. now
00:08:52
1852media
Risky. Yeah, yeah. Which, to be fair, there's nothing wrong with personal massagers, right? There's nothing wrong with that.
00:08:59
Veronica Adams
No, of course not.
00:09:01
1852media
But to be sent one in the mail, yes.
00:09:01
Veronica Adams
it's It's the unsolicited delivery of them to an audience who's not prepared for it. like
00:09:06
1852media
Correct.
00:09:08
Veronica Adams
I, I, my guess is I've read one of Casey's books. I have not read her entire backlist, but I've read one of her books. And my guess is that she doesn't have a whole lot of Pearl clutches in her readership, but that doesn't mean there are none.
00:09:18
1852media
Sure. Well, and this was not so much that like it was a pearl clutter per se, but you just don't know the situation of somebody's home.
00:09:29
1852media
You don't know the situation that people are in.
00:09:31
Veronica Adams
Like for real.
00:09:32
1852media
You you don't know and...
00:09:34
Veronica Adams
People's personal beliefs on on a ah on exploring your body or or touching your body or anything else involved in human sexuality, like that is just so presumptuous.
00:09:36
1852media
Right.
00:09:47
1852media
It's a very, yeah, yeah. So if they would have had a sign up, so they did have a sign up, but it was for the eARC. They didn't have a sign up, like, so, yeah.
00:09:55
Veronica Adams
For the PR box.
00:09:58
1852media
So they didn't have a sign up for the PR box. That was sent out unsolicited.
00:09:59
Veronica Adams
So they built a list of their own
Concerns about unsolicited adult items
00:10:01
Veronica Adams
targets. Those just went out to people they identified as proper recipients for the box.
00:10:02
1852media
Yes.
00:10:05
1852media
Yes.
00:10:05
Veronica Adams
Okay.
00:10:06
1852media
And so people were had no idea that they were receiving this box and no idea what was in the box. So like some people opened it in front of family members, right?
00:10:13
Veronica Adams
I was just sitting here thinking about how my husband and I unabashedly open our deliveries in front of our four-year-old.
00:10:25
Veronica Adams
Like how do I explain that to my preschooler?
00:10:26
1852media
Right.
00:10:29
1852media
And that's sort of the thing, right? That some people found themselves in that situation
00:10:34
Veronica Adams
Yeah, that's that's exactly what would have happened at my house.
00:10:36
1852media
And listen,
00:10:36
Veronica Adams
Not that I'm on anybody's PR box list, but like if I had been, I guarantee you my child would have seen that. That's just how I handle my mail.
00:10:43
1852media
and right. And not that you're not open with your child, but you should be the you as the parent should be the one to choose when to have that conversation with your child.
00:10:47
Veronica Adams
Right.
00:10:49
Veronica Adams
Well, yes, I feel like that's not an age appropriate topic for him yet. That's just not something like, you know, we're.
00:10:55
1852media
Right. And and so to be forced sort of into that situation unsolicited,
00:11:00
Veronica Adams
Yeah, for real. I mean, oh, that's just, that's just a massager.
00:11:05
1852media
That's the biggest thing here is sure.
00:11:08
Veronica Adams
I guess, you know, like there's a way to, to avoid crisis, right?
00:11:11
1852media
You just, of course, that is you hit the nail on the head, right?
00:11:13
Veronica Adams
But like, that's just one slightly uncomfortable and comedic thing that could have happened in the situation. What about people who are in domestic violence situations or people who are in high control religious situations, like,
00:11:30
Veronica Adams
This is so insensitive. It's so insensitive.
00:11:35
1852media
it's It's very presumptuous, very insensitive, and that is what is being brought up frequently.
00:11:41
Veronica Adams
As it should.
00:11:42
1852media
Yeah.
00:11:43
Veronica Adams
As it should.
00:11:43
1852media
because You don't know, like you could be doing your book talk thing, right? Like your so your spouse or partner who isn't necessary, who may be as supportive of you becoming famous on the internet, but doesn't but who wants to control the rest of your life, right?
00:11:58
Veronica Adams
Yeah. Yeah.
00:11:59
1852media
That could very well be the case.
00:12:02
Veronica Adams
Yep.
00:12:02
1852media
And to have this type of situation pop up, it's just not it's not great.
00:12:11
Veronica Adams
oh Listen, I have seen my fair share of personal massagers given away in romance landia on social media as part of book promotion in the years that we've been doing this.
00:12:14
1852media
Yeah. Sure.
00:12:23
Veronica Adams
And I have no problem with it when consenting adults who understand what it is they're signing up for to potentially receive are opting in.
00:12:24
1852media
Nope.
00:12:30
1852media
100%. Back in the day when I was blogging, I did a pairing series
00:12:36
Veronica Adams
Oh my God, you win the blog. I loved this.
00:12:42
1852media
I did a sex toy pairing series where I paired a book with a sex toy and I reviewed both.
00:12:45
Veronica Adams
Yes, yes. Every once in a while I will be on Amazon and come across a review that is yours from your blogging days for an old book. And I ah just, I think about all of that and how fun it was and irreverent and like, I mean, ah there is a an arousing part of reading high heat spicy romance like that's just a thing that happens for a lot of people so why wouldn't you explore
00:13:02
1852media
It great.
00:13:13
1852media
Yeah.
00:13:16
1852media
Oh, hitting things.
00:13:18
Veronica Adams
the the personal massager approach to you know giveaways and reviews and even PR boxes for people who know what they're signing up for.
00:13:20
1852media
Right.
00:13:29
1852media
I mean, right. be And I say that because because of that series, I started to receive PR boxes ah from companies
00:13:39
Veronica Adams
Right. You invited that.
00:13:42
1852media
Yeah, i and I invited that because of that series.
00:13:44
Veronica Adams
Yes. yeah
00:13:47
1852media
So obviously I would expect to start getting reached out from you know different sex toy companies saying, can we send you this, whatever.
00:13:54
Veronica Adams
Yes.
00:13:57
1852media
ah And I was happy to receive them.
00:13:57
Veronica Adams
Yes.
00:14:00
1852media
I still have an entire box of them downstairs, like.
00:14:02
Veronica Adams
i don't I don't know why you quit blogging about it, honestly.
00:14:05
1852media
I mean, I guess I could again.
00:14:05
Veronica Adams
I mean, I do. I know why you quit blogging, because there's a conflict of interest for the business.
00:14:10
1852media
Yeah.
00:14:12
Veronica Adams
But like beyond that, the sex toy blogging didn't have to stop, Heather.
00:14:12
1852media
Yes.
00:14:15
1852media
I know. It was very fun.
00:14:19
Veronica Adams
You could have like the world's biggest collection
00:14:20
1852media
I know.
00:14:23
1852media
I could, I could. But that makes sense to receive those things unsolicited because that was what I was doing.
00:14:29
Veronica Adams
Right.
00:14:32
Veronica Adams
Yes.
00:14:33
1852media
But usually you send books unsolicited because they're books and that's totally fine.
PR box strategies and consent
00:14:39
1852media
But like, this is not that.
00:14:39
Veronica Adams
Yeah.
00:14:41
1852media
This is a much more personal thing.
00:14:42
Veronica Adams
For sure.
00:14:46
1852media
And they, yeah, it's it's not great. So my point of bringing up the other controversy, so they had this other controversy where they were not sensitive to, yeah,
00:14:56
Veronica Adams
where there was the racist the the potential racism internally and then their failure to handle it in a way that was but some that some felt was necessary.
00:15:04
1852media
appropriate, right.
00:15:08
Veronica Adams
Yeah.
00:15:08
1852media
And now there's another instance of them doing something that was inappropriate that some have deemed inappropriate, you know, and and yeah.
00:15:17
Veronica Adams
Yes. Yes.
00:15:19
1852media
So it's just, it's more about the culture of this particular press now and how they are, yeah, yeah.
00:15:25
Veronica Adams
sounds Sounds pretty icky to me, honestly, like that there's ah an internal corporate culture at St. Martin's that needs to be addressed.
00:15:33
1852media
So, I mean, this just goes to show, I never really love, here, listen, I never love sending out PR boxes unsolicited. I don't because they're expensive.
00:15:40
Veronica Adams
No.
00:15:43
1852media
And when you send them out unsolicited, you have absolutely zero expectation or agreement or understanding or any, you you're not, the chance of them posting about it, you know, is not huge.
00:15:49
Veronica Adams
Yeah.
00:15:54
Veronica Adams
yeah
00:16:00
Veronica Adams
Right. Well, and also...
00:16:01
1852media
Okay, it has unless the box is insane, right?
00:16:04
Veronica Adams
Right. Right. and And what's the rate of return on the posts that you're going to get? Like, who who on your list is going to post and actually post in a way that the content is viral on whatever platform it's shared?
00:16:10
1852media
Right.
00:16:16
1852media
Right.
00:16:17
Veronica Adams
And and you have no control over that. What they post, when they post, how often they post, how many posts they make. I mean...
00:16:25
1852media
So if we are sending out a PR box, I do at least like to, and I've i've sent out unsolicited PR boxes before, they get meh results.
00:16:34
Veronica Adams
Yes.
00:16:34
1852media
I like to now you know send out a thing to everybody who's on my list to say, like I would like to receive a box and you know say,
00:16:44
Veronica Adams
I agree to do some sort of content curation once I receive it.
00:16:46
1852media
Right.
00:16:47
1852media
Like, and would you like this particular box?
00:16:47
Veronica Adams
Yeah.
00:16:50
Veronica Adams
Yes.
00:16:50
1852media
You know, this is what it is. This is the book it's going to be promoting. Would you be interested in post receiving this and posting about this particular book?
00:16:59
Veronica Adams
Right.
00:17:00
1852media
Because then you get people who are actively interested. Are there still going to be people who don't post? Of course there are, because people are going to people.
00:17:06
Veronica Adams
Thank you.
00:17:08
1852media
But for the most part, you're going to get a much higher rate of return of the actual posting.
00:17:13
Veronica Adams
Great. Great.
00:17:16
1852media
So your money is being much better spent because that's, they're not cheap.
00:17:18
Veronica Adams
Sure.
00:17:23
1852media
They're really not.
00:17:24
Veronica Adams
No. Not if you're going to do them well.
00:17:25
1852media
I mean, yeah,
00:17:26
Veronica Adams
I mean, you can you can toss. author copy paperback and a bookmark and a sticker and a pen in a and a bubble mailer and like be done with it, right?
00:17:39
1852media
you could be.
00:17:39
Veronica Adams
Like, um, but to really get someone's attention. you have to put together something that looks good enough to be social media fodder, right?
00:17:50
1852media
Yes, needs to be social media worthy.
00:17:50
Veronica Adams
Like it needs to be a pretty cardboard box that's branded or decorated in some way.
00:17:54
Veronica Adams
And there's got to be some really good stuff inside that is actually packaged well so that there's a ah ah physical response to it just upon opening, right?
00:17:54
1852media
Yup.
00:18:03
1852media
We need the aesthetics.
00:18:03
Veronica Adams
And then they want to record that and the aesthetics go on the Instagram and the Reels and the TikTok and it, you know, I mean, it's a whole thing you have to pursue.
00:18:10
1852media
Yup.
00:18:14
1852media
It's a whole package.
00:18:16
Veronica Adams
Mm hmm.
00:18:16
1852media
So when you're doing a PR box like that,
00:18:18
Veronica Adams
Yep.
00:18:19
1852media
And the I will say from the pictures I saw, the St. Martin's box was very pretty and was packaged very well.
00:18:24
Veronica Adams
I have no doubt. They have a great budget for this.
00:18:27
1852media
um
00:18:28
Veronica Adams
It's it's hard to compete with the kind of money that they have and and the relationships they have to procure items too. So like.
00:18:36
1852media
And a lot of people are ah trying to not say the name of the author. I mean, I did say, obviously I did say who it was because I feel like it's relevant for the book and what was in the box, but there's no evidence now
00:18:44
Veronica Adams
Sure. It's not like we're coming for Casey here. like its This is not personal. like This is something hurt her representatives did on her behalf.
00:18:52
1852media
That's what I'm saying. There's no evidence that Casey knew what was happening and likely didn't know what was happening in the box.
00:18:53
Veronica Adams
It's not about her.
00:18:57
Veronica Adams
Right.
00:19:01
1852media
So yeah, it' it's it's a thing. It's blowing up on the ticking talk. And ah yeah, you will see it now, now that we're talking about it.
00:19:10
Veronica Adams
Well, like Bama Rush talk, I haven't seen it yet. miss
00:19:16
Veronica Adams
Okay, so full full disclosure, it's Tim Walz, okay? I'm a Midwesterner, right?
00:19:21
1852media
Yeah.
00:19:21
Veronica Adams
And I left the Midwest 20 years ago, and I just came back a couple years ago, and I'm like reclaiming my culture, and I'm in love with this man and his inability to tolerate anything more than black pepper and mayonnaise.
00:19:26
1852media
been
00:19:32
Veronica Adams
like he is my He is my people, okay?
00:19:38
1852media
It's so true.
00:19:40
Veronica Adams
So I'm just on Tim Walz talk and anti JD Vance talk now.
00:19:42
1852media
Yeah. ah You were in you are in the Midwest, so that actually makes a lot of sense.
00:19:44
Veronica Adams
It's just a whole,
00:19:48
Veronica Adams
Well, yeah, no, I'm in deep, like, my IP address track, like, so what I'm getting fed by the algorithm is just all...
00:19:49
1852media
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
00:19:55
1852media
Midwesty stuff.
00:19:56
Veronica Adams
Yes.
00:19:57
1852media
Yeah, which Totally makes sense.
00:19:57
Veronica Adams
Coach Walls, yeah. Yeah.
00:20:00
1852media
Totally makes sense. We got it. We got to branch you out though get you on a couple different You really are you really are so I'll also I can send you a few too So that you can you know, yeah correct your FYP and get on some some more fun light-hearted
00:20:04
Veronica Adams
um I'm just going to have to go do some searching for some content and tell he TikTok I want to see more of it because I am missing out big time. Oh, my gosh.
00:20:16
Veronica Adams
Please help me correct my FYB.
00:20:24
Veronica Adams
Yes.
00:20:25
1852media
but thesis of Americana as well.
00:20:26
Veronica Adams
Are you for real? Yeah. bless Less controversial controversy.
00:20:29
1852media
But yes, less controversial controversy. Oh my God. But yeah, this is this is your um tip of the day, is do not send out a PR box with a personal massager in it unsolicited.
00:20:47
Veronica Adams
Yeah.
00:20:49
Veronica Adams
For sure.
00:20:50
1852media
and you
00:20:51
Veronica Adams
Or, or anything adult content related, right?
00:20:53
1852media
Right.
00:20:53
Veronica Adams
Like care not safe for work character art. I have seen some steamy, steep, like almost embarrassingly graphic ah illustrations and stuff, right?
00:21:03
1852media
Yeah.
00:21:05
Veronica Adams
Like, and they're super hot.
00:21:06
1852media
Right.
00:21:07
Veronica Adams
You probably had to warn people they're going to get stuff that's like, you know, rated R or even X in some cases, like just
00:21:11
1852media
Yes.
00:21:15
1852media
Correct.
00:21:17
Veronica Adams
Let people know what you're throwing at them.
00:21:18
1852media
Right. I mean, that's ah it's like sending, you know, and anx if you're doing something like that, it's like sending an X-rated movie in in the mail to somebody and unsolicited.
00:21:26
Veronica Adams
Oh my God. Oh my God.
00:21:31
1852media
like
00:21:32
Veronica Adams
I'm having a constitutional law nerd moment now. I'm like, oh, the the um the entire line of cases about obscenity.
00:21:39
1852media
Oh my God.
00:21:41
Veronica Adams
and
00:21:41
1852media
Yeah.
00:21:42
Veronica Adams
ah like
00:21:44
1852media
Yeah.
00:21:47
Veronica Adams
i
00:21:47
1852media
And also, yeah. and And we're trying
Cultural sensitivity in PR
00:21:52
1852media
in the climate in which we live, in the context in which we live. Do we really want to, listen, we understand that these books sometimes can be arousing, but, and there's nothing wrong with that.
00:22:05
Veronica Adams
Yes, of course. There's adult material in most of them.
00:22:09
1852media
There's a dull material, most of them, but the books themselves are not porn.
00:22:14
Veronica Adams
Right.
00:22:14
1852media
And we have had this sort of conversation, I could do a dissertation on this topic about the different types of genres of romance books.
00:22:20
Veronica Adams
Girl for real.
00:22:24
1852media
And when you do something like this unsolicited,
00:22:27
Veronica Adams
Yeah.
00:22:28
1852media
you are now brushing up and it gets traction in because it's wild, right? You're now brushing the entire genre with a brush of that the entire genre is porn, which it is not nor is Casey's book porn.
00:22:40
Veronica Adams
Right. Wait.
00:22:44
1852media
And, you know, I don't think there's nothing wrong with having a personal massager in the box.
00:22:53
Veronica Adams
Sure.
00:22:54
1852media
It's the solicitation portion of it.
00:22:57
Veronica Adams
Yeah.
00:22:57
1852media
And I'm sure it's actually a very nice one. like It was a $50 one. like It was not a cheap $10 piece.
00:23:04
Veronica Adams
Right.
00:23:05
1852media
This is a nice thing.
00:23:06
Veronica Adams
Yeah.
00:23:09
1852media
So wouldn't you want the people who are receiving it to want it like and appreciate it?
00:23:13
Veronica Adams
Appreciate it. Yeah. and not be offended by it or caught off guard by it or put in a very awkward or troublesome situation over receiving it.
00:23:15
1852media
like
00:23:22
Veronica Adams
Yeah, absolutely.
00:23:23
1852media
Right.
00:23:24
Veronica Adams
Yeah.
00:23:24
1852media
And yeah, I just worry about our, i I'm constantly worried about, and I go back and forth on this, cause you hear me say one thing and then another, and like I go back and forth.
00:23:34
Veronica Adams
yeah
00:23:35
1852media
I'm constantly worried about in the state of our culture and our society, um about future laws that could come into play that, um you know, would really affect the romance industry.
00:23:43
Veronica Adams
100%.
00:23:47
1852media
My job, your job, everybody who listens to this job and,
00:23:48
Veronica Adams
what yeah We are currently in a culture war that's threatening romance novelists and fiction authors in general, really, and everyone who works to support them.
00:23:54
1852media
Yes. Right.
00:24:03
1852media
So it just, it worries me greatly when these things get blown up and people do stupid shit like this.
00:24:05
Veronica Adams
Mm-hmm. Sure.
00:24:10
Veronica Adams
Yeah.
00:24:10
1852media
And then that's just more, I guess my point is that's more fodder for them to come and say like, you know, oh, well this is, look how terrible this is, this is, and you guys didn't even agree with this.
00:24:18
Veronica Adams
Sure.
00:24:21
1852media
Well, we didn't agree with it for a very specific reason because it was unsolicited.
00:24:25
Veronica Adams
Yeah.
00:24:25
1852media
We've only been consent here and that's the problem. This all comes back to consent, yes.
00:24:28
Veronica Adams
Enthusiastic consent. Yes, absolutely.
00:24:31
1852media
This all comes back to consent, which did not exist in this scenario.
00:24:36
Veronica Adams
Right. And, and
00:24:37
1852media
So.
00:24:40
Veronica Adams
a lack of sensitivity, too. I mean, consent being the most important thing, of course.
00:24:42
1852media
Yeah.
00:24:44
Veronica Adams
Like, I don't want to receive a PR box that has anything in it that's going to offend me or cause me trouble or the risk of harm, right?
00:24:44
1852media
Right.
00:24:53
1852media
Right.
00:24:55
Veronica Adams
There's just no way anybody at St. Martin's could screen their recipients list to be sure that there's not some sort of religious or cultural or domestic or just personal situation.
00:25:07
Veronica Adams
that including something like this is going to exacerbate or aggravate or press on in a negative way, right?
00:25:13
1852media
Yeah.
00:25:14
Veronica Adams
So,
Mindful marketing advice and conclusion
00:25:15
Veronica Adams
gosh.
00:25:15
1852media
you need That's thus why the consent is so necessary.
00:25:18
Veronica Adams
Yes, of course.
00:25:19
1852media
So necessary.
00:25:20
Veronica Adams
Of course.
00:25:21
1852media
But that is the the wildest thing that has happened this week.
00:25:25
Veronica Adams
the steaming The steaming hot tea this week, huh?
00:25:28
1852media
Yeah, it really is. I mean, PR boxes are great.
00:25:30
Veronica Adams
Unfortunate.
00:25:32
1852media
I love PR boxes.
00:25:32
Veronica Adams
Love them. When done well and in a targeted way, absolutely.
00:25:34
1852media
Yeah.
00:25:37
1852media
They're wonderful.
00:25:38
Veronica Adams
Everybody's consenting to receiving the material inside.
00:25:41
1852media
Yeah. And if you want to send out unsolicited boxes, great. Just make sure that it's, you know, generic stuff that people aren't going to, yeah, people aren't going to be shocked at when they open.
00:25:47
Veronica Adams
Be sensitive.
00:25:53
1852media
It's just a book and a bookmark.
00:25:53
Veronica Adams
Yeah, I mean, is it safe to presume that people who want to receive a box with a romance novel in it are probably a little more open-minded or maybe not in particularly sensitive situations?
00:25:55
1852media
and
00:26:05
Veronica Adams
Sure, but it's, that's still an assumption and we know what assuming does.
00:26:07
1852media
That's an assumption. Yeah.
00:26:10
Veronica Adams
So, you know, there are exceptions to every rule.
00:26:12
1852media
and doesn't any
00:26:15
1852media
Even if it's not in a dangerous situation, it's you know potentially an uncomfortable situation. like One girl opened it in front of her mother and you know they don't they're not a very open...
00:26:21
Veronica Adams
For sure.
00:26:24
Veronica Adams
Oh, God.
00:26:28
1852media
This would be like in my situation, my mother and I don't have those conversations, okay?
00:26:32
Veronica Adams
Yeah, like for real.
00:26:33
1852media
My mother, I am very open. My mother is not very open. So if I were to open a box like that in front of my mother, she would you know be like,
00:26:41
Veronica Adams
Your poor mom would have a heart attack.
00:26:43
1852media
Right, exactly. So it just, yes.
00:26:45
Veronica Adams
Like, clutches, corals, scandalized. Your poor mother. Like, that would make her so uncomfortable.
00:26:52
1852media
It would make her so uncomfortable. I wouldn't care, right? But it would make her so uncomfortable.
00:26:56
Veronica Adams
Yeah.
00:26:57
1852media
So it put this particular reader that I saw in a very uncomfortable situation where she and her home situation would have no problem receiving that, but without, she did not know what was in the box when she opened the box.
00:27:00
Veronica Adams
Yeah. Yes.
00:27:08
Veronica Adams
Yeah.
00:27:13
1852media
So she did not know to not open it in front of other people.
00:27:17
Veronica Adams
Yeah. Right.
00:27:20
1852media
So that would make an uncomfortable situation. So yeah, let's not set people up for failure here.
00:27:25
Veronica Adams
Yeah.
00:27:27
1852media
That's the thing.
00:27:27
Veronica Adams
For sure. Well, and that's just it. like how how good are your How good is the content going to be if you've scandalized people, right? like Or if you've offended someone or if you've caused them to experience distress or hurt or abuse at the hands of someone in their household or someone that they're connected to, right?
00:27:35
1852media
Right.
00:27:45
1852media
Yeah.
00:27:45
Veronica Adams
like Definitely not gonna get the PR you were looking for.
00:27:47
1852media
This is not the look. Yeah, this is not the look.
00:27:50
Veronica Adams
like
00:27:52
1852media
It's not it.
00:27:53
Veronica Adams
No.
00:27:53
1852media
It's not it. So be mindful in your marketing.
00:27:57
Veronica Adams
Yeah.
00:27:58
1852media
You're not getting that on your TikTok either.
00:27:58
Veronica Adams
if you want If you want to give away a personal massage, just tell people that's what you're giving away before you send it to them.
00:28:06
1852media
Yeah.
00:28:06
Veronica Adams
Goodness gracious.
00:28:07
1852media
You're not getting the demure. It's not very demure. It's not mindful.
00:28:11
Veronica Adams
I know that sound, but I don't know what's going on.
00:28:13
1852media
You know that one?
00:28:15
Veronica Adams
Yes, of course. But I don't know what's going on on Bama Rush Talk or Book Talk right now, apparently.
00:28:20
1852media
Well, to to be, to to to say that sound, St.
00:28:21
Veronica Adams
I just fell out of a coconut tree.
00:28:28
1852media
Martin's Press wasn't very mindful.
00:28:30
Veronica Adams
No, not to mure.
00:28:31
1852media
Not demure, not cutesy.
00:28:33
Veronica Adams
That's right.
00:28:35
1852media
So be mindful in your marketing, okay? Be mindful.
00:28:40
Veronica Adams
You can still be loud. You can still be ostentatious. You just need to do it in a way that is inclusive and sensitive.
00:28:43
1852media
Yeah.
00:28:46
1852media
You can still send out a sex toy if you want. Yeah, you can still send out a sex toy if you want. There is a line of people who would be thrilled to receive a PR box with a sex toy in it.
00:28:56
Veronica Adams
those and Those readers and promoters and influencers are absolutely out there. They're enthusiastic. They're ready to go.
00:29:02
1852media
Yeah, 100%.
00:29:02
Veronica Adams
Get them on your team tomorrow. Like, please.
00:29:05
1852media
But yeah, get tell them what's in it.
00:29:08
Veronica Adams
Don't blindside people who may be living in controlling and abusive situations with something that's going to get them in trouble.
00:29:10
1852media
No blindside people.
00:29:13
1852media
All right. And on that note, we will see you next time.
00:29:18
Veronica Adams
this is
00:29:20
1852media
And for bug's sake.