Disclaimer

I often receive samples of merchandise — beauty products, books, clothing, etc. It’s all a wonderful testament to the power of websites. PR companies realise how much impact our words have, & how much our readership respects what we say. It’s very flattering, & it would be easy for that to go to our heads.

You know how some people are “gay for pay“? I don’t dig that. You are what you are. It applies to writing online, too. No one is asking me to be gay for pay, but the offers come in thick & fast to pimp out all sorts of products, from bags to mascara to books, & it would be very easy to say, “Sure thing!” To disregard my integrity entirely; to lie to my readers; to endorse something I don’t care for.

I think the blogging equivalent of being gay for pay is being “faux for dough” or “a slag for swag“.

In short: I don’t do this. I won’t do this. Thanks, but no thanks.

The most important thing to me is that my readers — you wonderful, sparkling nonpareils — trust me. That comes above all else. So I make a practise of only ever mentioning things that I am happy to put my name to. I never profile products that I wouldn’t pay for myself. That is dishonest & not what I’m about.

I just thought you should know.