Dear Direct Response Letter Subscriber: Recently an online forum flagged my answer to a reader question as being inappropriate and self-serving. Why? Because the forum frowns on answering questions by recommending a book, especially one you wrote, even when the book provides a more complete answer than a brief, hastily written reply online. This frustrates me, as most of my how-to books were written precisely to save me time by responding thoroughly and helpfully to questions I am frequently asked. Writing the answer in a book saves me time by eliminating the need for me type the same answer over and over again. The forum's "book ban" policy seems wrong-headed to me. I mean, if you wrote a book on topic X, and someone asked you a question on X that is answered in your book, well -- why on Earth would you NOT recommend your own book? Perhaps the forum thought I was being greedy and attempting to "sell" my book to their audience so I would profit. Well, most of my nonfiction books can be purchased on Amazon used. When you buy a used copy, you often pay only a few bucks. Which is a huge savings compared with all the online courses on the subject that sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars. And because Amazon is selling a used book, as the author I make zero dollars on the transaction. So I can hardly be accused of lining my own pockets, right? I write my business and life advice books primarily out of a compulsion to share what I have learned through experience ... and also to help people improve their businesses and their lives. As noted, writing a book enables me to answer common questions about the topic once, rather than over and over again. If this were not the case, I could not answer many questions as thoroughly, or at all, because my time is already taken writing for my paying clients. Also frustrating is people who tell me they have read the book, and then ask me a question which is already answered in its pages. I frogmarch them back to the book, and suggest they reread the appropriate chapter again. And then if they still have questions, I answer them. Questions on standard topics and which require only a short answer, I respond to without charge. Questions that require analysis, I recommend my subscriber to colleagues of mine who are experts on that topic, and will provide an answer either for free or a fee. Sincerely, Bob Bly Copywriter / Consultant 31 Cheyenne Dr. Montville, NJ 07045 Phone 973-263-0562 Fax 973-263-0613 www.bly.com Follow Bob:        I welcome your feedback! Did you like today's message? What other topics would you like to see covered in my e-mails? Please let me know at: rwbly@bly.com As always, please feel free to forward this e-mail to a friend! If you liked this essay, and want to read 75 more just like it, get my book "Don't Wear a Cowboy Hat Unless You are a Cowboy -- and Other Grumblings from a Cranky Curmudgeon," which you can order here: www.bly.com/KindleCowboy Disclaimer: The Direct Response Letter only recommends products that we've either personally checked out ourselves, or that come from people we know and trust. For doing so, we sometimes receive a sales commission.