Blogging Frustrations: Dealing With Ungrateful and Demanding Toy Makers
One of the things I love most about running battlegrip.com is the interactions that come up because of the various posts and reviews here at the site. Toy companies from as big as Hasbro (website, Twitter) to as small as Onell Design (website) have gone out of their way to thank me for posts and reviews, and it’s always a treat when an e-mail or phone call leaves me smiling. Thank you to everyone who has ever contacted me to tell me how much you enjoy and appreciate the work I do here at battlegrip.com.
But there’s another side to the interactions that is frustrating and, unfortunately, becoming far more common than it once was. And I’m about at the point that I’m going to entirely stop covering those toy makers who are on this frustrating side of the coin.
More and more I’m getting e-mails from toy makers who are asking when I’ll post a review or information about their toys. And it’s not that they’re mailing me toys; these guys expect me to buy their toys and then spend my time writing about them. And what is even worse are those toy makers who I have written about who then turn around and ask for more, never once saying thank you or even posting a link or a tweet to the review.
battlegrip.com is, for me, intended solely as a source of creative release and a place to unwind after long days at the office or on the road. I really do enjoy finding things online to share and posting reviews is especially fun for me, but these ungrateful and demanding toy makers are pushing me a little too hard. I’m sure it’s just the stress of multiple trips and very long work hours wearing down on me, but I’ve reached the point that I have to post this.
Why does it bother me? Because I am human and it’s always nice when chats with others are not entirely one-sided and demanding. I love talking with everyone about toys and art, but when those “talks” are nothing more than e-mails asking why I haven’t written about a specific project or toy — and not once a “thank you” in the message — then there comes a point where it is no longer fun and is instead a headache.
Toy makers and artists. I am happy to share information and write about your work, but please think twice about how you’re approaching me.
And for everyone who has ever been friendly and appreciative I again say thank you. It’s you guys — and everyone who reads the site and interacts with me to discuss reviews and the various posts — who make this more fun than I could have just playing with toys.
I hope that I can continue to entertain you all for a long time to come.
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I feel you buddy. I wrote for BIG company and guess the region representative over my end of such big international company are doing poor PR job as they do not even share information with me.
@LEon – That sucks. Good luck getting through to someone who will ship you info.
Completely understandable. I’ve always just thought of guys like you and Adam on 16bit and Josh and his gang at Collection DX as doing these sites just for fun and to inform other people with similar interests of things they might like. If I had a decent digital camera, I’d probably be doing the same sort of site and the whole idea would be “I think this is super cool, I know some of you will too” and nothing more complex. Seems weird that some companies think you’re going to sell out to them and even weirder that they don’t even give you things to review as incentive but just assume you will.
Damn dude, If anyone follows your blog enough to know what you are about it would become abundantly clear you’re a busy guy. It is a damn shame to see a good guy get hassled.
If it helps at all your coverage of my art has been the largest reason for my exposure and what success i have had, so thanks again dude!
Not to mention it takes a good man not to say who has been hassling him so good on ya.
People wanting free advertising? Nothing is free man, nothing.
This is a shame. 16bit, CollectionDX, and Battlegrip are my three favorite sites about toys. You guys always call it like it is, honest with the readers. The companies that ask for reviews should at least say “thank you” or throw you a freebie every once in a while!
Yikes, have I thanked you lately for the traffic you’ve sent my way?
I really appreciate your site. Toy makers should be your best friend. You introduced me to Onell Design and Atomic Mushroom Toys. I would never have found them without your reviews. I honestly think toy companies should send you samples if they want reviews. They have much more to gain from the relationship.
I enjoy this site daily. Thank you so much!
@oOMoSOo – Thanks! You’ve always been cool about e-mailing me/tweeting and I share your work with everyone because I love it. Fantastic stuff.
@E – Happy to hear it. And thanks, I just hope you don’t mind the randomness of the various posts. I know I can be all over the place some days.
@Aaron – Onell and Atomic Mushroom both make fun toys. Actually, now that I think about it I’d love to see the two companies work together on some sort of crossover. Imagine a short comic where Combat R-Zero and Armodoc fight.
Jeez… I know some people can be kinda pushy, but that goes beyond rude. If a company wants a review they should be good enough to send you something to review… and not be pushy about it.
You’ve always been a very good friend to me and have always had an eye out for those of us who don’t have the ability to spread our own stuff around. One of the main reasons I came to BG originally was the fact that you cover small time guys like me– your coverage of the indie-toy scene has helped enrich the community and has introduced a lot of people to designers they would have never seen otherwise. Keep doing what you do, like you do!
@Monsterforge – Thanks! I love seeing the tiny releases right next to stuff from Hasbro and Mattel, so for me it’s always about what I like. I’m just lucky that guys like you are so friendly and enjoy that I post all kinds of different stuff.
And you are not at all one of the people who have been giving me headaches. Hell, not once have you been anything but cool to chat with.
Oh yeah, that giant book is ready to ship to you but it probably won’t happen until I get back from NYC.
Wow bro…not kewl, not kewl at all. Sorry you have been experiencing this sort of harassing behavior.
I will make sure not to even breathe to heavy when I await hearin’ your Armorvor has arrived.
I don’t want you to think I am eagerly awaiting your opinions on the piece…hahaha…j/k
btw, your Armorvor is shipping out Wed. Had to make sure I had the packaging.
Hang in there, I know the turds are buggin’…your too good of a person to have to deal w/ that kind of crap.
TGB
Oh man, I always hate hearing about stuff like this! Our little toy community is too small for people be rude to one another, especially to a blogger who does all this great work solely due to his love of toys.
Glad you shared your story though; hopefully it’ll cause others to think before they type next time! I’m happy to say I’ve never received a rude email but I can definitely see how it could happen. Keep up the great work!
I’ve heard this flipped in other hobbies (reviewer demands product and threatens producer if they don’t cough up free stuff).
But never heard producers demanding reviews.
Look at the bright side. At least people want you to review their stuff. I think most toy maker cringe when they find out the Atomic Martians have reviewed their product.
Wow. The closest I’ve come to this myself would be maaaybe the odd requests for further topic coverage on the Transformers podcast I host, that’d involve either coming up with discussions on topics that we panelists didn’t have much to add to, or purchasing TFs purely to have on-topic hauls each week. But those came from listeners, not companies or even professionals that tune in.
A product producer who wants an independent website to give them coverage in the thankless ways you’ve described probably needs to work on their candor, to say the least. Personally I think polite requests now and then would be fine, but to thanklessly try to put some pressure on a website without any reciprocation certainly should not yield a surprise to them if that website declines to satisfy their wishes.
That’s a bummer to hear about, for sure. At least you don’t have people commonly asking you to give them toys out of the blue? 😀 (I hope?)
Thanks for the comments and support, everyone! I really appreciate that so many of you took the time to step in and cheer me up; it’s sad that a few people can destroy my mood like that, but as I said I’m human.