tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7047843651411739466.post486673746447443427..comments2024-03-28T12:11:42.691-04:00Comments on For What It's Worth: Book Blogger ConfessionsKarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13958940283330319507noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7047843651411739466.post-19848120399941075792012-07-17T16:31:51.381-04:002012-07-17T16:31:51.381-04:00I pretty much agree with everything you say here. ...I pretty much agree with everything you say here. To me, the most important things when working with publishers and getting free books are what you said: act professional, be honest, and don't overload yourself to where it's impossible to get things done on time. I have to admit, I constantly have to remind myself about the last one. I'm always sorting through review requests, and I've always found it hard to turn them down! I've gotten much better over the years, but I still sometimes over click that NetGalley button.Natalie https://www.blogger.com/profile/15879112865868418812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7047843651411739466.post-27337458167590947362012-07-17T09:52:26.338-04:002012-07-17T09:52:26.338-04:00Great post madam, I agree completely! To me when s...Great post madam, I agree completely! To me when something is a job it means you are getting paid for it and mostly all of us are not getting paid so I don't think bloggers should feel they must do more than review a book on time if they WANT to do more, then that is up to them.Sandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15842315793902005771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7047843651411739466.post-3630681757278649862012-07-16T20:34:30.128-04:002012-07-16T20:34:30.128-04:00I was at Blogger Con but I must have missed that! ...I was at Blogger Con but I must have missed that! It was probably the blogger-publisher relationship session at the end of the day, and I had to leave early to do a school pickup.<br /><br />I'm like you -- I feel a lot of freedom because I don't request or receive many books from publishers. I counted up my 2012 reviews thus far, and 2/3 came from books I'd bought, borrowed or traded. The other 1/3 came from NetGalley and Edelweiss.<br /><br />Thus far I have never received a physical ARC for review from a publisher, unless you count BEA. I have done a few "decline to reviews" on NG. I do that only if I'm really not liking the book and just don't want to finish it. It rarely happens, and I don't feel guilty about it.<br /><br />I have not done any blog tours, because I'm not sure what the expectations are. Is the author paying someone, and therefore does he/she expect positive coverage? If so, that would make me uncomfortable.<br /><br />I agree with you and Tiger (above). I don't want my blog to be a source of stress or feel like an obligation. I prefer to read what I want to read, rather than have to plow through a stack of books that I'm not really interested in.Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04756695137600895936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7047843651411739466.post-47739820108494241842012-07-16T18:43:29.997-04:002012-07-16T18:43:29.997-04:00I believe it was the speaker from Amazon that said...I believe it was the speaker from Amazon that said that bloggers should do more than write reviews to be considered professional - such as posting cover reveals etc. I could be wrong. i would have to find the original wrap-up posts again.<br />That's interesting that you didn't feel like publishers at BBC said we should do more. I had read so many posts afterwards that interpreted the speakers that way.Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13958940283330319507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7047843651411739466.post-68362571953151764102012-07-16T17:34:49.375-04:002012-07-16T17:34:49.375-04:00"We shouldn’t be requesting more books than w..."We shouldn’t be requesting more books than we are able to read and review during their required time frame"<br /><br />This! We should request responsibly. Right now, I'm requesting nothing and accepting absolutely nothing because I know I can't review new books in anything like a timely fashion.<br /><br />On the "extras" in blogging--I love doing the "extras" but I don't think we should be expected to do it. We're discussing a passion. We don't exist in order to be perfect marketing machines for the book industry! :-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17140835320864680932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7047843651411739466.post-86541630509601655162012-07-16T12:43:50.555-04:002012-07-16T12:43:50.555-04:00I do not really have a problem since few would sen...I do not really have a problem since few would send me books anyway when I live when I do, so I request or a get a few. Very managable. And Ng and 1, I just had an ereader meltdown today so..<br /><br />But owe, why should we owe them everything? To have your blogs swamped with thingsBlodeueddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03435479623560871881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7047843651411739466.post-21754798412229038342012-07-16T11:56:42.709-04:002012-07-16T11:56:42.709-04:00Damn. I wish I could have been at Blogger Con. I r...Damn. I wish I could have been at Blogger Con. I really want to know what more they expect out of us, as a whole. In my eyes, we do a damn amazing job at promoting books. We each have our own style and niche and follower base, but we all do the same thing: let others know about books that we read, and why we did or did not like them. That is the point of reviewing, no? As far as promoting books in any other way, I think that is entirely up to the blogger and there is no requirements. None of us signed contracts and none of us get paid. Period.Smash Attack Ashhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16459323734201391878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7047843651411739466.post-83398651630554408892012-07-16T11:25:01.127-04:002012-07-16T11:25:01.127-04:00Great post, Karen. I read a lot of posts about BBC...Great post, Karen. I read a lot of posts about BBC and I'm not sure many people were happy with it. Like you said, I didn't go, so I could have just read into it wrong.Carrie at In the Hammock Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01496016097652195216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7047843651411739466.post-84424950461490724232012-07-16T11:20:05.770-04:002012-07-16T11:20:05.770-04:00I was going to quote exactly what Reena did. This...I was going to quote exactly what Reena did. This is an AMAZING post and I thank you for sharing all these thoughts. I did go to BBC but don't remember anyone saying Bloggers should do more than what we are. However, I do think publishers would like it if we did. It's a great supplement to a blog, but not what I'm about. I just don't have time!<br /><br />I also totally agree with your thoughts about what we supposedly have to do to be taken seriously as a blogger. Well if that is their opinion, there are plenty of blogs out there that they can take seriously. Mine is for what I want to do. I'm serious about books and reading.Midnyte Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10411332857885069319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7047843651411739466.post-7812845841355356812012-07-16T10:58:47.345-04:002012-07-16T10:58:47.345-04:00Once again, you've pretty much expressed my ex...Once again, you've pretty much expressed my exact thoughts on the subject.<br /><br />I have felt as if I was being used as an outlet for free publicity. I had a publisher contact who started asking me at least once a week to do promo posts. I started feeling uncomfortable w/this. For one thing, she would ask me at the last minute, putting me in a bind. For another, I hadn't read the series she wanted me to promote, so that bugged me as well. <br /><br />I went along at first, thrilled at being asked. But when I didn't put a post up that she sent me , the relationship cooled. And that's fine , really, b/c my blog shouldn't be used as a marketing tool for one specific publisher, but still, her reaction stung.<br /><br />Wow, I rambled. Sorry about that. ;-) Thank you, as always, for your honest words.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08355438390442316391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7047843651411739466.post-86306306768951013422012-07-16T09:03:43.823-04:002012-07-16T09:03:43.823-04:00I am at a crossroad with helping publisher and fin...I am at a crossroad with helping publisher and finding my love of reading. Because it often feels like a job. I love to read but I feel the pressure of a timely review LOlJulie@My5monkeyshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17861113387434481518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7047843651411739466.post-42819269872904335062012-07-16T02:19:23.121-04:002012-07-16T02:19:23.121-04:00"It's when you start blogging in a way th..."It's when you start blogging in a way that you're more worried about offending the publisher than being honest with your followers that I think leads to problems."<br /><br />It would be a shame if that happened on a large scale. In many ways, it seems like the relationship between agent and publisher has gone that way. It seems many agents are so afraid of offending the publishers, they forget their clients are the authors.<br /><br />Before this question, I hadn't even considered publishers went into the relationship with an attitude of "You owe me." In my mind (the author's side), it's always been "Please help me!"Reena Jacobshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16860984511692822921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7047843651411739466.post-58599313124972514862012-07-16T02:05:16.422-04:002012-07-16T02:05:16.422-04:00I don't want to be a 'free publicist' ...I don't want to be a 'free publicist' for publishers, I do this because I want to talk about books! Of course I'll tell anyone that will listen about a book that I love, but I don't want to feel obligated to do it.<br /><br />The bloggers I respect the most are those that let their love of books and reading shine through, and don't get bogged down with promotional posts.Kathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14312515005865122767noreply@blogger.com