For What It's Worth


Tuesday, May 15, 2018

tell me something tuesday


Tell Me Something Tuesday is hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings and discusses a wide range of topics from books to blogging.

Question: Are most of your review books for publishers or your own books?

For the past 5-6 years they have been publisher books. Most from Book Cons like BEA/ALA. I’ve been trying to catch up with that mess for so long now and I finally did it this year!

I have ZERO books on Netgalley right now and around 50 physical books (mostly from the conferences & a group - @ 9 from Macmillan YA or sent unsolicited from publishers.

I buy quite a few romances for my Kindle but I either tend not to review them or group them into minis since they are my fun/escapist reads.

And I’ve been using my library more to give books a try that I’m not sure if I’ll like so I don’t waste the $ on a hardcover I end up hating.

So I’m around probably 50/50 on where my review books are coming from right now.

I love not having that pressure to review things on a schedule anymore so I plan on keeping it this way. The balance I have going right now is perfect for me.

37 comments:

  1. I'm about the same - 50/50. I was lucky to attend a book conference the last couple years so I got a lot of books there that definitely took up time with reading. I'm not attending any this year though, so it means I have more time for personal books (whether I own them or from the library) which is nice. I like being able to finally get to books I've wanted to read for awhile. At the same time, I request some from Netgalley here and there and SOMETIMES accept requests via email, but I try not to over do it!

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. I'm going to ALA this year so I'll be overwhelmed again soon lol

      I'm going to TRY to be better about it and keep the # under control this time. I've learned my lesson the hard way. It has taken me 7 years to get to books I picked up in 2011 O_o

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  2. It's mixed for me as well. I do have some books on Netgalley, but I mix in library reads and personal reads, too. I try to keep my review books to a minimum though, because I hate feeling stressed about deadlines. It seems like all the books I'm interested in come out on/around the same day.

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    1. I'm having a problem with that this month. I requested a few library books - they all came in at once and now all the new releases I wanted are here too. Ahhhhhh lol

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  3. I request a few books from NetGalley that are already on my wish list. I mostly read what I want these days. I used to accept every request that was sent to me but reading started to be a chore and that's no fun. So I pretty much just read what I pick now.

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  4. That is the way to do it :D
    I plan to check one of the library's collection of audiobooks tomorrow :) I have like never borrowed one from there! But I fear they only have like 1 English so ;) Anyway my point is YES to more library books

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    1. I'm not a big audio book reader but my library has an awful selection of audio and e-books :-(

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  5. That’s awesome that you’ve found a good balance that works for you. I’m probably 50/50 right now between review books and my own books. However, I’m requesting fewer and fewer ARCs these days in an effort to read from my own shelves.

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    1. That's what I'm doing now. it has to be something I really want to read if I request it.

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  6. I am so proud of you for catching up. I don’t know if I will ever get NG caught up. I think I have 123 outstanding from the last seven years. I need to go through and clean it out and be done. I am really working on not requesting at all except from the library. I want to be like you when I grow up!

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    1. It has taken me YEARS Heidi! I reduced my review requests drastically - then worked on each pile one year at a time.

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  7. I've also been using the library more and trying to hold off on review requests because I've been getting so many ARC's lately. I also only have one book from netgalley and I'm reading it now. I learned early that I did not do well with requesting alot from netgalley.
    Tori @ In Tori Lex

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    1. I'm getting a lot of unsolicited arc's lately. I don't even know how - I don't have contacts. But most have been books I wanted to read so I guess that's ok. I don't feel pressured if I didn't request it.

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  8. 50/50 seems like a good balance :-) Like you said, it's so much less pressure when you read your own books. I probably read somewhere between 50% and 80% review copies, depending on the time period. So far this year I think it's been about 50/50 for me too. It's the only way I'm able to read so much since I couldn't afford my reading habit otherwise ;-P

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    1. For me, I just needed to get rid of those 100's of books I acquired through the cons. I was bad about grabbing too many books during my first few and then getting regular review arc's after and it spiraled out of control.

      I'm much better at selecting and knowing my limits now.

      Now that I'm limiting review copies, I find myself going to the library more for the books I'm unsure if I'll like because of the cost.

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  9. I used to be a bookstore weekender but not since I've switched jobs (going on three years now). I still go but only once or twice a month now. I don't get a lot of books for review but I've started using Net Galley again. I went to the library today and couldn't decide on what to get. I'd probably need to start a list of books to borrow when I have a second.

    Thanks for sharing, Karen!

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    1. I can't even remember the last time I binged at a bookstore. I tried but we don't have any Indies & B&N is the worst at getting new books in. Books-a-Million used to be good but it closed.

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  10. You're doing great, Karen. I think a 50/50 balance is sitting pretty. Personally, I'm at more a 25/75 with personal books/library books at 25 to publisher requests/unsoliciteds at 75. My numbers are a little misleading b/c many of the publisher books are ones I would have bought anyway. I have worked hard to get caught up on older review books and to refrain from saying yes to everything.

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    1. I don't mind any ratio now as long as it's under control. I don't even mind 100% review books if they're spread out and I'm able to read them without pressure.

      I just had too many coming from all directions lol

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  11. Most of my review books are my own/library books. When I came back to blogging last year I promised myself I wasn't getting sucked down the rabbit hole of only reading books that others had given me for review. It made me grumpy. :)

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    1. Same. Cutting back on all that is the only way I can continue blogging.

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  12. I'm going to have to check what % I do, I use my library a ton but I do go through phases where a month or so straight is publisher review books

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    1. I think however anyone does it is fine - as long as you don't get overwhelmed by it.

      That's why I haven't stopped review books entirely. I'm just keeping it balanced so it's fun.

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  13. I was heading toward that percentage but right now they are mostly review books. I've had to give up some of my reading time for other things right now so my own books have sort of gone by the wayside. I'm not requesting many review books though so that may change rather quickly.

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    1. I'm going to ALA in June so my ratio will go wonky again but I've really cut down my own TBR pile so I won't feel so pressured.

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  14. I have mostly review books right now but they are somewhat manageable. I also have a crap ton of books I own I need to read but get some library books out as well. I want to get to a lot of the books I own though. I have been requesting much less.

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    1. I really wanted to make a dent in my TBR books and I have. I'm in a good place now so I don't feel pressured from any direction.

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  15. I'm probably at a 1-4 ratio but that's only because I've been completely ignoring my Netgalley books and only reading those that come in physical ARC's from the author/publisher. Reading on my Ipad sucks. I think I have 7 NG titles left and I feel zero urge to read them. At least it's keeping me from requesting more books I won't want to read!

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    1. I had cut back on Netgalley a lot because I had to read on a tablet and it killed my wrist. But now I can read them on my paperwhite.

      I never had too much of a problem with Netgalley. The deadlines freak me out so I don't go there unless I already have a book in mind.

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  16. Yeah, I love trying books through the library. Then I have zero guilt if I read a couple chapters and return them!
    Jen Ryland Reviews
    '

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  17. Other than actual numbers we're much the same on that. I do WAY less "review" books for pubs these days than I did even 6 months ago when those were the majority.

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    1. I didn't think it was a big deal accepting all the books because I read so fast but once you hit a few duds or a reading slump - it spirals out of control pretty quickly.

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  18. It's good that you have less pressure for reviews now. I'm sure that takes the fun out of reading. It would for me.

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  19. I used to try to balance it out a little more, read a few publisher review copies and break them up by reading one of my own so I can catch up on reviews but lately, not so much. It definitely feels more pressurised to get through them though which is why I rarely request. I'm vowing to keep reading review copies at the moment until I can get them down into single digits, taking inspiration from your TBR reading goal as well ♥♥♥

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  20. ARE YOU OFFICIALLY CAUGHT UP?!?! I've been trying to curb my one-click buys for my kindle because I NEVER read them. One of these days I'll get to your level.

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