Over the last couple of months I have read with interest the many posts regarding ARCs and whether or not bloggers should or shouldn’t accept them; and if they accept them are they obligated to give a positive review. Even more interesting than the actual posts, are the comments they generate. It bothers me to see criticism being leveled at bloggers who accept ARCs or review books because I think there are a lot of myths out there around this subject. As someone who receives her fair share of review books, I’d like to dispel some of them.
Myth #1: Bloggers who accept review books are being forced to read books they don’t like
I get review books (finished copies) and ARCs from a number of sources:
- Library Thing Early Review Program
- Harper Collins First Look (which is currently closed and in updates)
- Barnes and Noble First Look Book Club
- Shelf Awareness
- Contacts with publicists and publishers
- Unsolicited email requests from publicists, publishers and authors
NEVER have a I been pressured or forced to accept a book I did not want to read. In most cases, I specifically requested a book which looked interesting to me. When I get an unsolicited email with a request, I do my homework (which includes googling the book, checking out other book reviews, looking at the author’s website, etc…) before considering whether or not to accept the book. I actually do more research on the books I take for review than when I go to the bookstore and buy a book. But the bottom line is, every single book I take for review is one I WANT to read and review.
Myth #2: If you accept a book for review, you must give it a positive review
Wrong. No one has ever mandated that I give a book a positive review in order to receive it (and if they DID mandate that, I would not accept it). I have given review books less than glowing reviews here and here and here (for example), and I have continued to receive books from those sources.
I’ve read comments which question the number of positive reviews a particular book generates if it is an ARC. I can only speak for myself, but I suspect I am not in the minority when I say that if I give a book a positive review it is because it deserved it, not because it came as an ARC. A book which has been around a long, long time is To Kill A Mockingbird…it garners far more positive reviews than negative, but no one is questioning the judgment of readers who like the book. Why not? How is THAT book any different than a well-written new release? My reviews of ARCs (as well as books I have purchased) lean toward the positive because I research each and every one of them and only select the ones I think I will love.
Some bloggers think that if you don’t like a book you get for review, you should not post ANY review. I don’t agree. I have a policy on my blog that I post a review for EVERY book I read – no matter the source. On the other hand, I think bloggers have a responsibility to be professional in their reviews – steer clear of being cruel or mean, while still being honest. But again, that is my policy no matter the source of the book.
Myth #3: You are obligated to finish every book and review it – even if you don’t want to
Again, this is not a requirement for accepting a book for review. Is it nice to read and review every book that comes your way? Yes. But it is not a requirement. If you never review an ARC or never finish reading a review book, most likely your source for those books will dry up; but if it happens once in awhile, I think you will find that it is not the horror some people think it is. Most publicists are well aware that reviewers get more books than they can read (and this goes for “professional” print reviewers, not just bloggers) or receive books they think they will like, but then find they cannot finish the book. Publicists hope for a review, but they understand if sometimes it doesn’t happen.
Myth #4: Bloggers who accept review books must participate in Blog Tours of those books
Only if you agree in advance that you are accepting a book for tour are you obligated to participate in a tour of that book. So far, I have not agreed to a tour and then found out I disliked a book. I believe this is because I am pretty selective about the books I tour. I have really enjoyed touring books for TLC Book Tours because they are professional, consistently accept books which are outstanding, and make sure that the bloggers get books well in advance of the tour date. Bloggers who tour books are not told what to post – they may get a plethora of links and ideas, but ultimately the content of their tour post is up to them. Personally, I like to have a book be a spring board to other discussions or issues and it is these books that I like to tour the most (for example, Breathing Out The Ghost).
Myth #5: Review books and ARCs are “free”
Some people are going to argue this point with me, but I still stand by it…bloggers may not have to purchase a book for review, but they pay for it with their time. I’m not sure exactly how long on average it takes me to read a book and review it (because some books I read faster than others), but let’s say it takes me 10 hours (which is conservative). If a brand new book costs $26 (my “payment”), then I am making a whopping $2.60 an hour to accept a book for review. The bottom line is that the exchange of ARCs and review books between publishers/publicists/authors AND bloggers is mutually beneficial. The blogger gets a book they want to read and the publisher/publicist/author gets exposure for their book. Even if I don’t get a review posted, the book gets exposure on my blog at least once because I highlight books that arrive at my house in my weekly Mailbox Monday post. Is this advertising? Yes. But how is this any different than if I purchase a book at the bookstore and read and review it on my blog; or share with my readers the books I picked up at the store or library; or talk about a book I saw reviewed on another site that made it to my wish list? All book bloggers advertise books no matter the source of the book.
So, should bloggers accept ARCs and review books? Well, that is up to each individual blogger, and I completely respect everyone’s choice.
I’ve nurtured my connections and have actively sought out books for review – it is hard work and time consuming – but, I like getting the latest books. I love getting mail. I get excited about every book that comes into my house. Lately, I’ve started turning down more books because I’ve overextended myself. But I will continue to accept new release books that I want to read, while I continue to also read the “older” books on my shelves.
I hope that readers of my blog enjoy my posts… I know I enjoy writing them. And I suppose that is the point…most bloggers are not making money from their blog. They blog because they love it. They love the connections with others. They love talking about books – new, old, classic – it doesn’t matter. The day that my blog becomes “work” is the day I close it down. But for now, I am loving what I do here.
Please leave me a comment – I’d love to hear your thoughts!
= Excellent
= Good/Very Good
= Okay read
= Not recommended
= Ugh! Don't waste your time.
Great post. Sorry it needed to be written, but I suppose it did.
Great post, Wendy! Everything you’ve written is perfectly true. I do wish you hadn’t had to clarify such things, but I’m glad you did.
Very well put, Wendy!
I must confess, Wendy, that up until 6 months ago I thought the only arc (ark) was the boat Noah built. This entire book-blogging world was unknown to me.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading your myth busters – and I must say that I agree with all of them. I would never consider accepting a review book unless I was keenly interested in the subject — which, would probably predispose my review to be favorable (because I already know I like the subject). However, I would never feel obligated to write a review that was not completely honest; that would contradict my core values. Just because I like the subject does not mean the book is well written.
I really enjoyed hearing your opinion about the ‘cost’ of an ARC. You are absolutely correct: time is precious and great bloggers (like yourself) put a lot of time and effort in writing quality reviews for the rest of us to enjoy.
I LOVE this post. I’m hoping the negativity dies down. I am tired of all the angst and accusations.
Thank you, Wendy! This is a great post and I hope it clears up some misconceptions. Good job.
I LOVE this post. Love it. I have felt the same way about it and wanted to tell you
I have thought before about how I earn $2.00 an hour to read…not worth it if that were why I was doing it, but since I do it because I love it, it does make sense.
Great post!
Great post. Thank you. Well said.
I didn’t even know there was a controversy about this. I thought every book blogger accepted ARC’s.
THANK YOU Wendy for writing this post! I have seen lots of negativity lately among book bloggers (not just about this subject, however) and I’ve been toying around with the idea of writing something like this myself. I’m glad you stepped up to the plate on this one.
I agree with *some* of the points people are making (the more negative ones) but overall I think that we are all bloggers, we are all in this as a hobby, we are all doing what we love, we should just support each other regardless of how we choose to blog. If I write reviews of only ARCs and somebody else refuses to review ARCs it shouldn’t matter. We should still be able to respect each other and appreciate what one another is doing.
I wish you’d been able to join us for the Festival of Books this past weekend – maybe next year, you’ll make it down to LA!
Well said. I appreciated that you distinguished between “review books” and “ARCs” – I think they tend to get lumped together. The majority of books I receive for review are finished books, actually; I don’t know if I’m in the minority on that score or not.
I wouldn’t accept a book that had requirements for a positive review either. I’m going to be fair and honest in my review regardless of how I obtained the book – and I agree with your “if I read it, I review it” position.
I was blogging for almost a year before I was offered my first review book, and I never would have thought of soliciting them – I didn’t even realize that I could. I think some of the appeal of ARCs, blog tours, and the like is being part of a group that’s getting the first look at a book. Also, having a number of people reading and posting about a book around the same time does help generate notice and discussion (which I think benefits both the books and the blogs).
And you’re quite right that review books are NOT free; they’re an in-kind payment for our time.
There have been some great discussions around the book blogs lately, and this is one of them!
Wendy, great post! This is by far the most balanced post on this topic that I have seen. Your myth busters are spot on. And I have always trusted your reviews and will continue to. You are one of my favorite bloggers and I read *everything* you post!
As you know, I love receiving ARCs as well. I (we) even have a blog dedicated solely to new book releases (http://www.novels-now.net — check it out for those unfamiliar!) But, I do see some of the points that some people are making in regards to over-saturation of certain book titles. As a blogger, we have every right to choose the books that we read and review, and I’m thankful for that. I love to get the new books, and I also love to read and review classics, books on the 1001 list, etc. I think many of the complaints about ARCs lately are not that bloggers are reading them, but that reviews of certain book titles clog up their feed readers. I have that problem already, as I subscribe to WAY too many book blogs, but I do understand the frustration of seeing the same book reviewed 20 times in a single day. But, at the same time, I also have the ability to just gloss over (or completely ignore) the feeds when that happens.
Bloggers should definitely choose for themselves what they want to read and review. Even if it’s all new book releases, I stand by the fact that each blogger is an individual and should read and review the books that interest them. At the same time, I do see the “commercialization” issues that other bloggers see as detrimental. But, the fact is, each one of us is capable of reading (or not) the blogs that we want to read. If I think a blog is overly commercial and catering too much to the author or publisher, I just delete it from my google reader.
So, I see both sides. I will continue to read ARCs and new releases on my own blog. I love getting the mail, too!! But for my own reading pleasure, I guess I seek out those blogs (like yours) that have a mix of reviews from new and older releases.
Thank you Wendy for this myth buster post. I have really disliked how much bloggers are questioning each other and the choices that they make with their blog, especially the choice to accept ARC’s. Like you, I read my fair share of ARC’s and you have written the post that I wish I could have. Thanks!
Well said! I agree that those books aren’t really free.
Nicely said – and I pretty much agree with you 100%!
Excellent post! I mostly get finished books rather than arcs (no arks unfortunately), and only accept books for review that I research thoroughly first.
Well said and very informative thank you for answering all my questions about ARCs. I feel like I drive people crazy not knowing what they are.
Thumbs up!
Word Lily: I thought long and hard before writing this. I didn’t want to beat a dead horse – on the other hand, I felt like there were some pretty widespread misconceptions about this topic.
Meghan: Thanks – I almost didn’t write this
But, then decided to go ahead!
Nicola: thanks
Molly: Like you I once thought an ARC was a boat! Thanks for weighing in…
Becky: I couldn’t agree more. The negative face being painted on bloggers who accept ARCs and review books was starting to wear me down a bit…especially when I kept seeing these myths popping up all over the place.
Beth: I hope it helps
Bethany: Thanks for your positive response…I knew I couldn’t be alone out there!
Marie: You’re welcome…and thank YOU!
El Fay: *laughs* I was surprised to see how many do NOT want them…which is okay. I think we all need to make up our own minds about what we want to do.
Heather: Exactly. I have always been a bit of a Libertarian at heart, I guess. If someone is doing their thing and it is not hurting anyone else, why should I care?
Florinda: I wish I’d been able to join all of you too (I’m marking my calendar for next year!). Thanks for weighing in – and like you, many of the books I get are not ARCs but finished copies.
Michelle: Thank you…and yes, I *do* also see the negative side to the same book getting reviewed on dozens of sites. But, like you, I can decide to read them, scan them or delete them from my feeder. I have not really seen too many bloggers just reviewing new releases and nothing else; and very few have become over commercialized (in my opinion)…but again, we can choose which ones to read and which ones to ignore.
Natasha: Glad my words resonated with you – what prompted this post is exactly what you stated so eloquently above … the second guessing of other bloggers’ choices.
Chris: Thanks
Luanne: Glad this post spoke to you
Book Chook: Sounds like me – mostly finished copies.
Shannon: No need to apologize – we have all been befuddled by this at some point and had to ask questions to sort it all out. Glad my post was helpful.
Suey: *smiles* thanks!
This is awesome, Wendy, and I agree with everything you’ve said here. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of having access to free books, but it is very important for bloggers to do their homework and only accept books they are genuinely interested in. This doesn’t guarantee that we’ll love everything we accept for review, but it does mean we won’t waste our time or publishers’ (ever dwindling) resources.
The beauty of the book blogging world is that there is such variety. There really is something for everyone, and it’s natural that we’re going to make different choices in how we create our blogs. I think we need to return to celebrating that and take a break from the focus on questioning and worrying about who is doing what.
VERY well said! Thank you so much for disproving all of the “book blogger/ARC” myths. This post was necessary, and I’m glad someone as eloquent as you posted it!
Wonderfully written Wendy and well said. I agreed with each and every one of your positions!!
This is a fabulously-written post. I completely agree with everything you said.
And I am very relieved to know I am not the only one who has struggled with not being able to finish a book sent to me for review. I said yes because I thought I’d like it, but ended up I couldn’t get 50 pages in. As a relatively new reviewer, this is reassuring information. lol.
Spot on!!!
I, too, hope we can get back to just discussing books, no matter their source.
I think we aren’t just offering a publisher a review in exchange for a review copy, but our audience. And this is a point I think often gets overlooked.
You already know of course that I love your blog and hope to see you next year at the FOB!
This is a well-written post which clearly states YOUR motivation for what you do on YOUR blog … well put!
I especially connect with your senitments about researching books before you agree to accept them for review. With this type of diligence you’re putting the odds in your favor that you’ll enjoy the reading experience.
This post is extremely well-written and spot on – I agree with all of your points. Thanks for writing this!
Thank you for writing this post, Wendy. I couldn’t agree more with every single point you made. I’ve been feeling a little down on book blogging lately and I attribute a lot of that to the negativity going around–not only on this issue but on others as well. Like you, I blog because I enjoy it. I love to read and love sharing that with others. How each of us chooses to blog is up to the individual.
Having just started the first two books that I had as review copies (one offered by a publicist and one just showing up on the doorstep) that I am choosing not to continue reading or reviewing, this was a really timely post. I was feeling a lot of guilt and wondering if I should keep accepting books, etc. But there have been so many fantastic books that I have chosen because I would have picked them up had I seen them in the library or the bookstore. I also asked the publicist in question if she would like me to pass on the book that I wasn’t interested in and she was fine with it. We are advertising these books but we are not shills.
Perfect post! I agree with every word you say!! I am a lot more fussy about which ARCs to accept than books I buy myself, as they have to be good enough to jump the queue of my already packed TBR list. Id won’t reat them any differently when i review them though. Thank you for writing this great post.
Wonderful post Wendy! I have seen all the posts around and I really haven’t had too much to say in the matter. I started my blog for personal reasons and all the other benefits have flowed from that.
In no way do I think that the ARC’s that I have received are free. There is the time that I take to read them, not to mention the time that it takes me to wrestle out a review, type it up, and include publication information, etc. I do it because I love to read, and am genuinely interested in the book that I have chosen.
Because I take are to choose books that I like, and the writing style is of a quality I like, I often like the books that I pick, but I have no problems saying if I didn’t like it and why.
Somehow it seems that blogging has gotten very self-conscious and there is too much going around about what people should and should not do with their blogs. I read what I like, I read the blogs that I like, and even among those blogs I skip what doesn’t interest me. Sometimes I like reading 100 different post about the same book, especially if I read it. It’s like book club. If I don’t like the book, am not interested or have burnt out on it, I won’t read it.
I think that everyone needs to find what works for them. I’m not really interested in a blogging community where we all have to run our blogs in the same way.
Rebecca (Book Lady): I totally agree about researching offers. And yes, I want to see us celebrating each other and appreciate differences. Life it too short to be worried about other peoples’ choices.
Jenn: Thank you so much.
Staci: Thanks for weighing in.
Rebecca: I think it can be unnerving the first time you get a book you can’t finish, but we’ve all been there. Glad this reassured you!
Amy: I definitely want to see you all next year too! And I agree – I am excited to share books with my readers (which is also why I do give-aways…not to increase my numbers but because I want to help another reader discover a book I liked).
Dawn: *nods* And I don’t think I’m alone in researching books – which is one reason we see favorable reviews…people are doing their homework and selecting books they think they will like.
Carrie: You’re welcome…glad you agree!
WendyCat: Thanks for the affirmation! I know what you mean about feeling the negativity and having it affect your enjoyment of your blog…
Kristen: I’m glad my post was timely for you…publicists really DO understand.
Jackie: Thanks – and I know what you mean. I am much more impulsive when I buy books then when I request them from other sources.
Nicole: I completely agree – thanks for weighing in on the topic.
Great post, Wendy! As someone who has worked with you for some time, I can confirm that you absolutely put into practice everything you stated above, which makes it a distinct pleasure to work with you.
And it’s not just your book review guidelines that make you awesome, your criteria illustrates the person that you are: fair, balanced, honest, realistic…
Lisa: Thank you for your kind words and affirmation – it is the publicists like yourself who make my experience with review books/ARCs so positive.
This is a great post, Wendy. I’ve tried to steer clear of the latest controversy because, while I usually enjoy discussing the ins and outs of blogging, the negativity of some of the comments (not the posts themselves) has rubbed me the wrong way. I get more and more picky about accepting review copies but I do accept them because I love the idea of helping a book–especially a debut novel–off to a good start by featuring it on or near its release date. Am I honest if I didn’t like the book? Absolutely. And sometimes what I didn’t like about the book is just the thing that inspires a reader to go out and pick it up!
Ali: So true – what I don’t like, another reader may love…and that is what makes book discussions so stimulating!
This really seems like one of those issues with two groups of people, neither side of which will concede any ground to the other. It’s like the Mac vs. PC battle or Coke vs. Pepsi. If it’s your side of the debate being discussed then you can only see how reasonable you are being (generic you, not YOU you) and how blind the other side is.
Wouldn’t it be nice if this side could see that perhaps it COULD appear a bit commercial and the OTHER side could see that MOST people do accept ARCs for reasons other than greediness? It seems to be that BOTH sides must have a valid point for so many people on either side of the debate to be saying “Hey! Thanks for posting what I’ve been thinking!”
Sure, Lisa, I’m willing to concede there are ALWAYS two sides to every position. The reason I posted this was because I was feeling that one side was getting a lot of exposure, and this side was not. As I mentioned above to Michelle, I agree that reviews of one book can be overdone. On the other hand, we don’t have to read anything we don’t want to (including reviews or particular blogs)…so my position is less about why people accept review books/ARCs (or don’t) but more why should we care what other bloggers’ choices are? To each his/her own *smiles* I truly appreciate you weighing in on the topic!
Wendy, with all respect, this post isn’t about why we should care, it’s about why you (and other bloggers) read ARCs. I’m not arguing that you shouldn’t read them! You do raise a good point in your reply though- we SHOULD other bloggers care? If (generic) you don’t like what someone is posting then unsubscribe. it’s that simple. I personally subscribe to a lot of blogs (more than I have time for!) and perhaps I should just unsubscribe to the ones that feel a bit commercial. It’s their blog, their time, and I shouldn’t take it personally if a post ends with “this copy provide by Publisher X.” Everyone should do what feels right for them, and what they enjoy. It doesn’t hurt the blogging community for person x to read arcs any more than it hurts the community of person y wants to include stories about their children or their cute new puppy.
Lisa…
At the risk of this turning into a fight, it’s a bit different than the Coke or Pepsi debate. That’s a matter of taste preference. Accepting ARCs and whether or not you think that’s okay has sort of turned into a moral judgement issue.
My blog is one that probably comes across as commercial to you, because I read about 90% review copies. Personally, this has been an excellent choice for me and I get the added bonus of knowing that while my own reading horizons have been expanded, I’m also helping to level the playing field by giving exposure to books that otherwise would get little. For me that works.
For every action on a blog there’s about a million opinions. None of us can please everyone, but it would be great if we could just respect each other’s choices. I read blogs to learn about great books…but also for the bloggers. I spent time this weekend with book bloggers who accept review copies and those who don’t and I loved them all.
Lisa: I am not sure we really disagree here. But this post wasn’t designed to argue WHY bloggers accept ARCs – it was to show that a lot of people who are criticizing that decision are doing so based on a bunch of myths. I DID address the commercialism issue when I talked about advertising (see myth #5). I agree completely that a blogger’s choice of what they include on their blog doesn’t hurt anyone – and my point really of this post was to underline that issue. I would just like to see less judging of a blogger’s content (I’ve seen some pretty harsh comments about content these days).
Amy: Well said.
I also do a ton of research before I accept a book for review. In most cases, it has to be one that I would probably buy before I agree to review. Of course, there are A LOT of books I would buy, so that doesn’t always help me narrow it down!
Wendy, I don’t think we really do disagree. I think we’re just looking at slightly different aspects of it all. I’m happy that people are finding books and authors they love, and that they can help promote authors, and paticularly NEW authors. I believe that it’s true that most bloggers are choosing ARCS that they will enjoy, and that that is why the reviews are positive. Most of us read enough to know if something fits our taste before we ever pick it up. I don’t feel that most established bloggers are in it for anything other than the love of books and for sharing what they think. The bloggers that I recognize from this thread certainly fit that. (Sorry, I don’t recognize everyone!)
The issue, FOR ME, is the few bloggers (and yes, they are out there and NO I’m not naming names) who post a weekly list of 15+ books that they got that week, all from publishers. Then post 7 or 8 new reviews all of which are a 2 or 3 paragraph blurb from the back of the book and a 2 or 3 SENTENCE review of how much they love it, following by which publisher sent it. TO ME, that feels like blatant advertising, and that’s fine too, if you’re honest about what you’re doing.
There is another issue of oversaturation of some books, which is really truely all about me and my time and my tolerance for reading reviews of the same book over and over. I’d much prefer to see a book spread like wildfire because one person found it at the library or the bookstore, or heck, even got it from the publisher. Remember how it was with Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, or The Book Thief, or uh, the circus one? Or John Green for YA? Even with those I stopped reading the reviews after a while, so there ya go. I know that authors/publishers want a big hit on opening day, but it feels more like love to me to see someone say “Oooh, Wendy told me I should read this book, and then Amy loved it, and then Michelle suggested I was in the right demographic and she was giving her copy away.. and I LOVED it!” I’ve picked up a ton of YA books lately because of this sort of thing and to me it’s the best part of blogging- being able to say I read it because someone else did. Yes, that can happen with book tours too, but it’s LESS likely too because by the 4th or 5th or 10th review of the same book in the same week I stop reading them. Those same 10 reviews over a month will continue to draw my attention. The same goes for author tours and interviews- I watched every video Natasha posted from Laurie Halse Anderson because I didn’t see them on every blog (and they were great!) I’m interviewing an author next week myself, but I haven’t seen the same interview on 6 other blogs.
Anyway, I’ve gone WAY off topic now. I’m trying to show the other side and I keep sidetracking myself. To summarize: I don’t find MOST bloggers commerical. I am happy that authors are able to get exposure from ARCS and that readers are able to find new authors through this channel. My personal tolerance for repetition is low. I need to get out more. I’m a PC and I’d rather drink Coke.
(Also, I did not proofread as I am at work, and I hope this makes even a tiny bit of sense.)
Excellent post, Wendy. I’ve enjoyed all the ARCs I get at work, as well as from publicists and authors. In no way do I feel obligated to give a positive review. I’ve even given up on a few and passed them on to other readers who might enjoy them more than I did. I’ve solicited favorite authors for ARCs and some have been happy to send one to me and others haven’t responded. No big deal to me, as I have sooooooo many unread “old” books patiently waiting their turn.
Anyhow, just wanted to let you know I enjoyed this intelligent post. Well done!
This was a great post. I am just catching up here and trying to prioritize my ARCS for May. Thanks again
Excellent post Wendy! I agree with all of your points.
I feel strongly about giving any book I read a fair and balanced review even if I don’t like it. I make a point of reviewing every book I read regardless of if I like it or not.
The only books I don’t review are books that I don’t finish, although I may do a short post on why I didn’t finsh a book.
I only accept books that have a plot line that I think I would enjoy. I have turned down books and still keep getting offers.
I’ve noticed a lot of posts about this lately, too. I feel pretty much the same way you do- I only accept ARCs of books I’d really want to read anyways, and don’t hesitate to give a negative (but polite) review if I didn’t like it. But I rarely get offered ARCs that look like something I’d really like- so I’ve turned down most of them lately. (At first I acccepted anything that looked kinda interesting, because I was so excited to get any offers at all. Most of them I didn’t like much, so I’ve gotten a lot more picky).
Lenore: I use the same standard you do: Is this a book I would want to buy? If the answer is “no” I turn it down.
Lisa: Thanks for coming back…I have not seen a lot of blogs just posting blurbs of a book (as a review), but have seen a couple…and I agree, that is not my idea of really reviewing a book and definitely smacks of commercialism. But, as we’ve both said, if a blogger is doing that all the time, chances are I won’t be visiting their blog a lot as I can get blurbs of books from Amazon or any other seller. What I am most interested in is the bloggers opinion of the book. I can see where oversaturation of ANY book would turn readers off.
Les: Thanks for weighing in!
Diane: You’re welcome – I’m doing the same: prioritizing! Not always an easy task!
Teddy: *nods* I am probably turning down far more books than I accept these days.
Jeane: I find it goes in spurts. There are times when I am seeing a lot of books I really, really want to read; and then times when it seems like every offer is a book I don’t care much about.
Great post! I blog too because I like it. I like reading the books and receiving them. I love people reading what I write and commenting. I have no other agenda. I too am particular about the books I accept. I go to Amazon and make sure I’m going to like it. If there aren’t any reviews on it, well usually you can tell by a description if it’s your kind of thing or not. Ultimately it shouldn’t matter whether you’re getting arc’s, participating in blog tours or whatever. As long as you’re enjoying what you’re doing, I think that’s all that matters. Thanks for the myth busters!