I recently got an email from another blogger and it really made me think. She told me that what I was doing, asking authors for ARCs was wrong, and in all honesty it made me feel really awful. Maybe I'm not really a person who's made to be a blogger after all. I jokingly ask around for ARCs from authors. No I don't expect a yes, I just ask because well, idk, because authors are just so much fun and I love talking to them. It's not like if I do get the ARCs I just take them. I give back as well. If asked I will pass them on, and for every author who even lets me borrow one I send earrings or some sort of big thank you. The earrings I send are also home made, but maybe that makes them worse? After all of this, I ask you a question; should I stop blogging?
Let me know what you think and after all of this, I also apologize to any authors out there who I've upset in the process of my blogging.
No way! I think that blogger just misunderstood, and assumed you only blogged just to get ARCs and rub it in people's faces, which you definitely don't do! And I'm sure that blogger had no intention to make you stop blogging, she just wanted to give you advice. So I say if you love what you do, keep on doing it :)
ReplyDeleteI'm a blogger and I'm not cheeky enough to ask the author for ARCs and finished books. Instead publicists send me review requests.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I think the blogger who emailed you is correct. When you've been at this blogging thing for awhile, you learn what is correct etiquette and what is not. And really, it is tacky to beg for ARCs on twitter.
And honestly, why are you even asking for ARCs before you've established yourself as a blogger? You have what, 4 reviews posted? Most of us who have been at this didn't start getting ARCs until we were several months in and proved our selves as bloggers. I'm not trying to be mean, but trying to explain why maybe some people might question your intent as a blogger.
Authors get a set number of ARCs, those they have to distribute to get the best press for their books. A brand spanking new blog is never the best place to get the best publicity for a book.
ReplyDeleteI didn't even accept review copies for the first year I blogged even when asked by a publicist because I didn't have the traffic to support being given any books. Instead I used my local library and bought books.
I think asking if you should stop blogging is the wrong question, maybe the question should be "How can I improve my blog?". ARCs are not the end all.
I disagree with April.
ReplyDeleteYou have a big enough following on Facebook (which reaches more people than a traditional blog) to justify receiving ARCs. They are sent out to promote the book, and to get reviews out there before the official release date so more people get excited about it. As long as you hold up your end of the bargain by reviewing the book and whatever else they ask of you, you are not doing anything wrong.
Maybe you could repost some of your reviews off of Facebook to build up this blog a little? Or make a new page on this blog with links to your past reviews. Or you could do a post of quickie reviews of books you've already reviewed on Facebook. That way people can see you have been doing this a while.
To answer your main question, no, you shouldn't stop blogging. Everyone makes mistakes, and yours will likely be forgotten.
ReplyDeleteLike Pam said, authors get a limited number of ARCs, and probably have family, friends, critique partners etc. they'd like to share them with. Asking an author for an ARC they may not be able to give puts them in an awkward position. It's also important to remember to be polite when asking for ARCs--they aren't free!
I agree with April and Pam about getting yourself more well-established. You don't have many posts up right now. Instead of worrying about getting review copies, work on improving the content of your blog and establishing your voice. Publicists like to send books to bloggers who have their own voices and solid readerships. Perhaps if you work on your blog more and ask nicely, you'll get more ARCs. If you still have questions you could check out The Story Siren's blog (www.thestorysiren.com). Check out her Dear Story Siren feature--I know she has answered lots of questions about ARCs there.
If you love blogging about books, don't stop. And definitely don't make ARCs or the lack of them the reason you stop.
ReplyDeleteBut do take into consideration the advice that more experienced bloggers (Pam and April both) are giving you. The purpose of ARCs is to help sell books or at the least spread buzz about them... a brand-new blog may not be the best place to do that (as Pam mentioned). If authors or publishers/publicists WANT to send you ARCs (read: offer to send you ARCs), that's awesome and shows that you're doing something right with your blog.
But I do think that waiting a few months (I say six months but that's just my own personal feelings) before asking or requesting ARCs from authors or publishers is a good idea. Once you've been blogging consistently for a while, with a good backlog of reviews as well as some regular readers, your blog starts to be the type of website that might be good to showcase upcoming books (ARCs) on. Plus, waiting a few months really does show that you're blogging because you love books and not because you want free ones. You might be asking for copies jokingly, but authors and publicists may not know that and it does paint you as someone who is out to get free books, not blog because they love it and genuinely want to talk about books.
Contrary to what you might think, not all bloggers ask for ARCs. Some do, some don't and if you're going about it professionally with a solid blog it is not at all "cheeky."
Sapphire I have to disagree, a Facebook following doesn't matter just like my 4,000 Twitter followers don't matter.
ReplyDeleteWell I think it all matters. She has several reviews on Facebook. I read that page more than this one. So she's not really a newbie. Ive been following her reviews for months.
ReplyDeleteyou must be joking right!!
ReplyDeleteOMG!!!!!!!
THERE IS NOT SUCH OPTION FOR YOU TO TAKE!
we all know how you joke with authors
I'VE SEEN IT AND THEY LAUGH WITH YOU DON'T GET MAD,plus I think that if they did get mad or something they'd tell you!
PLEASE DON'T STOP IT!your FACEBOOK PAGE did more to me and for many more people that any other BLOGS out there.
Jesus why would you say that your twitter followers don't matter!
Girl Blogging is just ANOTHER way of MANY to get to promote books bloggers get to a certain kind of audience and belive me not everyone likes and follows blogs, just like not everyone likes facebook pages. Your page on facebook gets to a certain audience that you know, bloggers can't. You're just starting now in here and sure you'll make mistakes but really not only listen to the people who've been blogging for a while now, but also ask the many authors you've helped by reviewing their books and Us your followers on both your page and here. Sure bloggers will help you from time to time but you just keep doing what you always have been doing you just got this email because you started the blog and maybe they don't know how things on FB work out nor how close to some of the authors you are and how you talk and joke with them!
So personaly just go along with what you feel is right but don't stop it just because some people think it isn't right.
I happen to know the blogger who emailed you pretty well and I've talked to her about it. I know that she genuinely wanted to help you. She didn't want you to quit and didn't want you to get upset. The fact that you are so upset is kind of eating at her to the point where she felt physically sick for a while. And I can also tell you that she would love to have an actual conversation with you about all of this.
ReplyDelete