March 2, 2015

How to tell a publisher you're unhappy with their website (and actually get them to consider making changes)

Over the past eight years, I've dealt with thousands of complaints from readers… ranging from the completely baffling the to the hugely helpful. I've noticed a few patterns in what makes the difference between constructive and helpful feedback vs extremely frustrating feedback. The next time you're unhappy with a publisher, here are my suggestions for how to make sure your feedback is heard and acted upon:
  May 18, 2014

How to report a photo on any Offbeat Empire site that shouldn't be there

My editors work hard to ensure that we only use photos on the site that we have full permission and licensing to use. We've had solid attribution policies in place since 2011, and tend towards the obsessive when it comes to crediting photographs. Sometimes, however, despite our best efforts and intentions, things go wrong.

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  20 Comments May 13, 2014

Reader complaints that taught me things

As y'all know, with a readership as large as the Offbeat Empire's, we get a fair number of reader complaints.
Last week, we got a couple different reader complaints that were super valid, and I wanted to take a minute to share what I learned.

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  22 Comments November 27, 2013

Cursing as celebration: why and how we swear on the Offbeat Empire

This issue has come up for years — does anyone remember "Motherfuckergate" back in 2011? — and our response is generally the same: foul language has been a part of the Offbeat Bride brand since before the website even launched. The copyeditor of my book, Offbeat Bride: Creative Alternatives for Independent Brides, was flagging foul language all the way back in 2006. Ultimately, if you're uncomfortable with swearing, Offbeat Bride just isn't going to be a great fit for you. That said, we DO have a very specific way we generally use curse words…