Banning WITCHCRAFT
As I developed my marketing plan for GIRL'S GUIDE TO WITCHCRAFT, I joked about sending advance copies to ultra-conservative religious leaders, so that one or more of them could ban the book, gaining me tons of notoriety, and encouraging free-thinking people everywhere to buy a copy.
Ahem. That was a *joke* everyone.
A joke that has sort of, kinda come true.
I am donating 10% of my income from GIRL'S GUIDE to First Book, an international non-profit organization with the single mission of getting children their first books to read and to own. First Book is a fantastic group, and they have been a pleasure to deal with every single step of the way. They know their business; they have shown me support, and their projects work.
As one step of my working with FIRST BOOK, I prepared (with the ample assistance of my Chief Technical Officer, husband Mark), a "tile", a small graphic design advertising GIRL'S GUIDE, which would appear at www.theliteracysite.org when people clicked to donate funds through that site. (The Literacy Site, like The Hunger Site, The Breast Cancer Site, and others, allows interested donors to click on a website, and funds are donated by third parties to charities. Clickers pay nothing, but their clicks are counted for advertisers.) When people clicked at The Literacy Site, they saw a number of tiles, including the one for GIRL'S GUIDE.
Until someone complained.
It seems that the complainer(s?) believed that GIRL'S GUIDE TO WITCHCRAFT was recruiting small children (um, girls), to become witches. And obviously, that would just be wrong, wrong, wrong.
And so, The Literacy Site removed the tile.
Now, I *don't* fault The Literacy Site. They need to generate clicks, or they can't raise funds for fantastic charities. They don't have the staff to be in the center of a "witchcraft" firestorm.
And I *truly* don't fault First Book, which informed me of the problem and proposed a number of solutions, which involve using other tools to reach an even broader audience, to tell them about our partnership.
But I am truly, deeply saddened by the small-mindedness of a relative handful of people in this country, people who set an agenda and change the world for the worst for everyone around them.
Please, don't respond to this post by acting/posting/speaking out against The Literacy Site or First Book. They are victims here, and I honestly, passionately believe that they should not have acted otherwise, under the circumstances. Nevertheless, I think that the story should be told - and if you have a chance to speak out against the Little Minds, do so. Early. And often.
Mindy, shaking her head
Ahem. That was a *joke* everyone.
A joke that has sort of, kinda come true.
I am donating 10% of my income from GIRL'S GUIDE to First Book, an international non-profit organization with the single mission of getting children their first books to read and to own. First Book is a fantastic group, and they have been a pleasure to deal with every single step of the way. They know their business; they have shown me support, and their projects work.
As one step of my working with FIRST BOOK, I prepared (with the ample assistance of my Chief Technical Officer, husband Mark), a "tile", a small graphic design advertising GIRL'S GUIDE, which would appear at www.theliteracysite.org when people clicked to donate funds through that site. (The Literacy Site, like The Hunger Site, The Breast Cancer Site, and others, allows interested donors to click on a website, and funds are donated by third parties to charities. Clickers pay nothing, but their clicks are counted for advertisers.) When people clicked at The Literacy Site, they saw a number of tiles, including the one for GIRL'S GUIDE.
Until someone complained.
It seems that the complainer(s?) believed that GIRL'S GUIDE TO WITCHCRAFT was recruiting small children (um, girls), to become witches. And obviously, that would just be wrong, wrong, wrong.
And so, The Literacy Site removed the tile.
Now, I *don't* fault The Literacy Site. They need to generate clicks, or they can't raise funds for fantastic charities. They don't have the staff to be in the center of a "witchcraft" firestorm.
And I *truly* don't fault First Book, which informed me of the problem and proposed a number of solutions, which involve using other tools to reach an even broader audience, to tell them about our partnership.
But I am truly, deeply saddened by the small-mindedness of a relative handful of people in this country, people who set an agenda and change the world for the worst for everyone around them.
Please, don't respond to this post by acting/posting/speaking out against The Literacy Site or First Book. They are victims here, and I honestly, passionately believe that they should not have acted otherwise, under the circumstances. Nevertheless, I think that the story should be told - and if you have a chance to speak out against the Little Minds, do so. Early. And often.
Mindy, shaking her head
*shaking my head too*
(Anonymous)
Re: Banning Witchcraft
I think you handled the situation with grace. Kudos! :-)
if anyone took the time to read the little blurb telling what the book is about they would have to laugh and go "oh!"
as it is we still love you Mindy ;)
I'm desperately looking forward to the sequel to GIRL'S GUIDE.
<3 Britt
Yes, and there IS a direct correlation between global warming and the number of pirates in the world.
Even more mind boggling is this, explaining why Voldemort is meant to represent Jesus, Lucius Malfoy is meant to be the Angel Gabriel, and that nasty Rowling teaches children to act against them. It would be hilariously funny if this woman weren't completely serious.
I wasn't serious, I didn't think they'd fall for it. *points at profile*
Well done satire can confuse people :-)
(Anonymous)
Tough situation. If it was just your book that was at stake, it'd probably help your sales. With it being a charity at stake, it makes things a little trickier.
My question: Why does no one ban movies with magic in them?
-Stacy
You've hit the nail on the head - if this were "just me" I'd approach it differently than I need to, since the charity is involved. I'm willing to speak out for me, but not if it costs them current and future support.
As for banning movies with magic - that doesn't seem to come up. But banning (or protesting) movies with *religion* - that's the way to get the little-minds hopping mad!
Mindy (who went to see The Last Temptation of Christ solely on the strength of the protests!)
Silly me, huh? :-)
Try not to let the crazies get to you. As a Christian myself, I loved the book and found it to be more empowering than satanic :)
Awww!
You are being admirably patient with the problem. I'd be hurt, but I'm a wimp that way!
(Anonymous)
Am loving it!
Respectfully,
Jeannie Katzenmiller Moore
jeanniekat8@yahoo.com
Re: Am loving it!
(Anonymous)
How I Discovered Girl's Guide
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