I just went to check my mail, and one publisher dropped off a sample textbook...but it was in a gift basket, which included gourmet marmalade, cookies, candy, expensive teas, and so forth. Sheesh.
The part of me that is used to being a nobody wants to scream at them, "don't you know who I am? You're wasting your time on someone with no influence or power!" But who am I to turn down swag?
4 comments:
holy geez - I'm just excited to get a free book from publishers! And who can turn down marmelade????
I dunno, as I broke the basket open, I started to feel like I was being bribed...and that pushed it over the line. I'm thinking about asking them kindly to limit gifts to books, because the whole thing feels just a little sleazy and dishonest.
Thoughts?
Its only sleazy and dishonest if you allow gormet marmalade to unduly influence your choice of textbook.
Coming from a family of doctors, I know how much free shit reps can throw at people that have next to no influence at all. You should never have to buy pens or post-its ever again. One drug company once gave my dad a real human skeleton in a cupboard.
The problem starts when someone who has given you a free coffee maker with their logo on the side actually has the best textbook, and you find yourself wanting to recommend it, but thinking about the coffee maker makes you feel cheap.
-eoin
I agree with these thoughts - here are some others...
share the wealth - pass along "freebies" to friends, that way it isn't as bad
create some wealth - sell publisher books online - let's face it, we're not rolling in money and what happens when you can't/don't want to use the book sent to you?
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