tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post1061536222313660437..comments2023-12-27T03:44:03.834+01:00Comments on Presenting Lenore: Discussion topic: Authors requesting reviewsLenore Appelhanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664671644163369772noreply@blogger.comBlogger110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-15892910727452623252009-04-28T14:43:00.000+02:002009-04-28T14:43:00.000+02:00Doret said: "I do feel the authors frustration, to...Doret said: "I do feel the authors frustration, to send a requested arc to a blogger, and not seeing it reviewed. The blogger should at least send an email stating why. The author worked hard on that book and they were kind enough to send it, it just common courtesy "<br /><br />I disagree. Strongly. I'm all for courtesy, but this idea makes me squirm on multiple fronts. As a blogger, I have no business writing what amounts to a rejection letter for a published book, and as an author, I sure don't want to receive one. I'm neurotic enough without adding a second round of rejections into the publishing gauntlet. If a book doesn't sufficiently appeal to someone, they shouldn't feel obligated to review it. That choice should speak for itself without going into specifics.<br /><br />Once I had an author follow up with me to find out when I was going to review the book he sent. It was classically amateurish writing, riddled with typographical and grammatical errors. (I'd taken a chance on a self-published book.) But it was a holocaust narrative based on family history. How am I supposed to tell this author that his book is sub-par? I resented being put on the spot that way, and when he pushed for specifics I felt nagged to boot. It's just not a good position for either party.<br /><br />IMO, as soon as the ARC has been sent, authors should take a hands-off approach. Otherwise you're not getting an impartial review. Sending an ARC is a risk an author has to accept. Professional journals certainly don't review every book they receive, so IMO it's unrealistic to expect bloggers to do the same -- especially since bloggers are often speaking for their own personal taste as opposed to making an objective assessment. <br /><br />Maybe the courteous thing to do is ask the author at the outset where to send the ARC if you choose not to review it -- then at least it gets a second chance with another reader.Sarah Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02153201454830937349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-42370447795560671612009-04-28T14:42:00.000+02:002009-04-28T14:42:00.000+02:00This comment has been removed by the author.Sarah Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02153201454830937349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-28874721387541499142009-04-26T16:57:00.000+02:002009-04-26T16:57:00.000+02:00Hi Lenore, I came here from Elizabeth's blog who l...Hi Lenore, I came here from Elizabeth's blog who linked to yours today. :)<br /><br />From the POV of an author, I think it's perfectly okay to let an author know you aren't able to review the book he/she e-mails you about because it's not your thing or you are booked or whatever. <br /><br />I know if it were me, I'd appreciate the honesty rather than having you say - sure, send it - if chances were good you'd never read it.<br /><br />As for the authors who send out a generic letter to a bunch of reviewers, shame on them. They should be taking the time to get to know the bloggers, what they like and what they don't like, and should write a personal letter. Hopefully that isn't the norm for authors who contact you!!Lisa Schroederhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10677227681455190084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-32091729173697382682009-04-23T19:24:00.000+02:002009-04-23T19:24:00.000+02:00Lena- For me, the IMM post is not about bragging, ...Lena- For me, the IMM post is not about bragging, nor did Kristi (The Story Siren) intend for it to be that way. It's just a fun way to see what other people are getting and to learn about other books that you may not have known about before. I find out about so many new books through the IMM posts- to me, that's the big point about the posts. <br /><br />The main gist of my IMM vlogs is this: "I'm so excited to have these books and I can't wait to read them." My love for these books and my love of reading in general should hopefully come across when I do my vlogs. I never brag about anything- that's just stupid and unnecessary. It's probably also the same for most bloggers, I'd imagine.BookChichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03641362399541764523noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-38720260684097539402009-04-23T18:49:00.000+02:002009-04-23T18:49:00.000+02:00I'm a YA librarian, not a blogger or author, who r...I'm a YA librarian, not a blogger or author, who reads book blogs to know what to suggest to my teen patrons. I do appreciate the reviews and remember and use the positive ones.<br /><br />I just want to put in my two cents that I HATE the "in my mailbox" posts that many people are doing. What is the point of them? To brag? That's so boring!Lenanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-76370321068539941462009-04-23T15:22:00.000+02:002009-04-23T15:22:00.000+02:00I have been very lucky with review requests. Most ...I have been very lucky with review requests. Most of the authors who contact me are very friendly and personable. And when they send me their book I will try my best to read and review it in a timely matter.<br />As for the growing TBR pile... eek...KT Granthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15958121742156171756noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-20300949835725987832009-04-19T23:19:00.000+02:002009-04-19T23:19:00.000+02:00Michael Phelps has been writing me too. I thought...Michael Phelps has been writing me too. I thought he'd be more persuasive - alas.Lenore Appelhanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16664671644163369772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-88169275441310667762009-04-19T22:57:00.000+02:002009-04-19T22:57:00.000+02:00...Okay, I was totally thinking we were not gettin......Okay, I was totally thinking we were not getting a lot of these spammy emails everyone's talking about, and then I actually checked our blog's email address... [usually my co-blogger's job]<br /><br />and Oh My Lord. Some of it is as bad as C1aLi$ spam. Also, did you know Michael Phelps wants to make me aware of a new self-published crime novel? ...Elizabethhttp://underagereading.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-82249893277250905662009-04-16T22:01:00.000+02:002009-04-16T22:01:00.000+02:00Ruth - Exactly why it pays to do research. If the...Ruth - Exactly why it pays to do research. If the reviwer is a good fit, there is a better chance they'll read AND like your book :)Lenore Appelhanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16664671644163369772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-32231207084762716462009-04-16T05:59:00.000+02:002009-04-16T05:59:00.000+02:00I've spent the last twenty minutes reading all the...I've spent the last twenty minutes reading all the great comments here. Very interesting discussion, Lenore. <br /><br />So far in 2009, I've only accepted three books that were directly pitched to me by authors. It's amazing how many offers I get that are mass e-mails, or contain little to no information about the book. (One of these didn't even include the title of the book. If you can't take the time to type the title, why would I want to take the time to read your book?) But the three books I accepted were from authors who had obviously spent a decent amount of time at my site, and two of them were authors I had read in the past -- BEFORE I started blogging. Neither of these authors knew that I had read (and enjoyed) their previous work before making their pitch, but, because they took the time to do their research, ended up requesting a review from a blogger who was a VERY good fit for them.Ruth Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06863703037623512619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-742848838565991722009-04-15T21:04:00.000+02:002009-04-15T21:04:00.000+02:00Great post, and an important topic. When I get gen...Great post, and an important topic. When I get generic requests from authors or publicists, I usually ignore them or reply with something equally generic. If a note is personalized I'm likely to be a little more personal in my response but many of the books I get offered are not appropriate for my blog. Ever since I posted a review policy I've received fewer offers, which is fine with me. I'm not bothered the generic offers but I'm also unlikely to accept them.Marie Cloutierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14938166831865436287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-55709070747561231192009-04-15T20:59:00.000+02:002009-04-15T20:59:00.000+02:00HeatherMarie - That's a wonderful success story! ...HeatherMarie - That's a wonderful success story! Booksellers who care about books can really work wonders. I love it when friends or blog readers tell me that they bought a book because of my recommendation.Lenore Appelhanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16664671644163369772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-67391472518619219322009-04-15T20:56:00.000+02:002009-04-15T20:56:00.000+02:00Dawn - You bring up a good point. What if we requ...Dawn - You bring up a good point. What if we request a book and it turns out to be something different than we expected? Something we don't like, or something that is offensive even? Do we still have an obligation to read and review it? Would the author prefer us to write and say "Sorry, but I hated this book because e.g. every other word was a profanity"? Worth a whole discussion post probably!Lenore Appelhanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16664671644163369772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-43695892882649803112009-04-15T20:51:00.000+02:002009-04-15T20:51:00.000+02:00Alice - Not to generalize, but it's usually the se...Alice - Not to generalize, but it's usually the self-published authors who send me the most clueless pitches for their books. That they are even sending me an e-mail shows they haven't read my policy...<br /><br />Chris - YES! We all need to do our homework. Well put!<br /><br />HeatherMarie - Publishers also have different expecations when it comes to booksellers, so there is probably less (maybe no) obligation to review.Lenore Appelhanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16664671644163369772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-4751317512731199572009-04-15T20:43:00.000+02:002009-04-15T20:43:00.000+02:00Gwendolyn B. - That's so cool that you've been in ...Gwendolyn B. - That's so cool that you've been in the know for years! I am sure publishers have a different agenda when it comes to passing out free books than authors do. Passing out a lot of books to eager readers can generate some serious word of mouth, but the kind you really can't measure.Lenore Appelhanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16664671644163369772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-20050859715912871462009-04-15T20:38:00.000+02:002009-04-15T20:38:00.000+02:00Jenn - I agree about having a review policy. It p...Jenn - I agree about having a review policy. It pays to keep it updated and in a place that is easy to find as well.<br /><br />Pussreboots - I also get quite a few books I didn't ask for, but I know that publicists don't expect anything. They just hope. Sometimes these titles catch my eye and I read and review them, other times I pass them on to other reviewers or friends and family.<br /><br />vvb32 - Pricing is a good point. Would the author rather no one read the book if no one can afford to buy it over a group of friends passing it around, reading it, enjoying it, and recommending it to others? Just because someone will give a book a chance if they can read it for free, doesn't necessarily mean they will pony up the cash to read it. So this isn't necessarily cutting into sales.Lenore Appelhanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16664671644163369772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-85262966941622315302009-04-15T20:30:00.000+02:002009-04-15T20:30:00.000+02:00Mollie - If you're honest with them, and they stil...Mollie - If you're honest with them, and they still send the books, then no reason for you to feel guilty.<br /><br />And if the students like the books, they may tell their friends. In any case, the book is out there, hopefully being read and enjoyed.Lenore Appelhanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16664671644163369772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-9528623770797001882009-04-15T20:25:00.001+02:002009-04-15T20:25:00.001+02:00Ok, this is why I shouldn't type and eat, I get di...Ok, this is why I shouldn't type and eat, I get distracted and ramble. <br /><br />I just wanted to clarify on that whole bookseller issue because I'm afraid it sounded more like I was bragging than I intended it to be. My point was that on occasions when I've met authors in person I've received mixed responses when I tell them I'm a reviewer (before I became a blogger), but if I tell them I'm a bookseller, they seem to instantly love me. lol I had no idea of this effect until I went to a conference a few years ago and Mystery author JA Konrath accidentally sic'd a bunch of authors on me by announcing to an entire room of them that I was a bookseller. <br /><br />However, sometimes authors have good reason to feel this way about booksellers. My example of Heather Brewer and her Vladimir Tod books is a great one. Back when she was first starting she'd sent out a request via Myspace looking for reviwers, bloggers, booksellers to help promote her new book. I responded because I LOVE vampire books. I loved the book, reviewed it on Internet Book Database (this was before I had my blog), and best of all I made sure we had it in stock at work. We sold 25 friggin copies of that book in HARDCOVER! Of an unknown author! I was so freaking excited and so happy with my co-workers for helping me push Vlad. :)<br /><br />So yeah, that's my lesson learned. Even if I'm talking to an author/publisher about a book for my blog, I make sure to always let them know that I work in a bookstore too.HeatherMariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03722313104326986837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-66881203520100032182009-04-15T20:25:00.000+02:002009-04-15T20:25:00.000+02:00Kristi (Story Siren) - As I commented on your blog...Kristi (Story Siren) - As I commented on your blog, I'm 100% sure your intentions with IMM were pure. You aren't the one bragging and then not reviewing. I'm glad you decided to keep it and I hope bloggers will be more responsible in the future.Lenore Appelhanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16664671644163369772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-75049200531962566192009-04-15T20:22:00.000+02:002009-04-15T20:22:00.000+02:00Marjolein - When I was first starting out, it was ...Marjolein - When I was first starting out, it was like that for me too. I e-mailed a few authors directly and fortunately they were very very nice! I am so glad they were patient and had faith in me. We all were beginners once!Lenore Appelhanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16664671644163369772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-11714475382261891852009-04-15T20:19:00.000+02:002009-04-15T20:19:00.000+02:00Anna - My e-mail is overflowing generally. I have...Anna - My e-mail is overflowing generally. I have good friends I don't have the time to write back to!<br /><br />Serena - I know authors are pressed for time too, but it is great when they can say some personal that lets you know they have read at least something on your blog.Lenore Appelhanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16664671644163369772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-9474421417600239182009-04-15T20:01:00.000+02:002009-04-15T20:01:00.000+02:00another post I'll be refreshing for the rest of th...another post I'll be refreshing for the rest of the day, to read the continuous comments!<br /><br />Your original question had to do with being contacted by an author - yes, I look for - Do you know who I am (my name)? Do you know what types of books I've reviewed in the past (if you have a sci-fi, western, or paranormal fiction ... let me give you someone else's name). Can you write an e-mail without spelling or punctuation gaffes? (this might give an indication as to the quality of your finished work), etc.<br /><br />If the book doesn't seem to be a good "fit" for me and the people who read my blog, I politely decline.<br /><br />I do believe there's some responsibility on both sides - bloggers need to be truly interested in a book they request for review (granted, it may not be what we expect, or even like it in the end, it's the intention that counts). And, authors need to vet the bloggers they agree to work with (look for those red flags, like someone requesting a book that's been out 5 years, or someone who requests a history book for review on their all-chick-lit-all-the-time blog).<br /><br />Sorry my comments weren't brief ... I'll see what others are saying ...Dawn - She is Too Fond of Bookshttp://www.sheistoofondofbooks.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-4269076000047039672009-04-15T19:56:00.000+02:002009-04-15T19:56:00.000+02:00Wow this is a great discussion. I'm yet another bl...Wow this is a great discussion. I'm yet another blogger here (surprise), but I'm also a bookseller which gives me a bit of an advantage when contacting publishers. I really don't contact authors, and have so far only had a couple contact me. Most of the books I've reviewed at Want My YA have been books that I've either purchased or borrowed from work (yes I'm allowed to borrow books).<br /><br />I did recently start contacting publishers to get review copies for my blog just because it would be nice to do some advance publicity rather than always reviewing after the books are out. The first two publishers NEVER responded. I was kinda bummed. The third publisher did respond and has agreed to send me a couple of books thanks to the fact that I'm a bookseller. <br /><br />So yes, even though my current blog doesn't get many requests, I used to review for a popular Romance review site and I got tons of requests via my MySpace page. What amazed me was that so many of them had nothing at all to do with Romance, even though I made it quite clear that because of the site I reviewed for, I only reviewed Romance novels. <br /><br />Now my blogging partner and I are just running into the issue of time. She runs the Romance blog and I run the YA blog and we used to help each other out by blogging on each other's blogs. Now we just don't have time to. Her blog is actually the one getting all the author requests and she keeps trying to tell them she's just one person, and sadly I'm too busy to help her. And vice versa. I think she's posted exactly one post on the blog, though she has permission to post at any time. Despite that I recently received an email to my blog's email account, addressed to her. lol I was vastly confused, though further discussion with K lead her to think that maybe she had spoken with that person in the past. <br /><br />Ok I am rambling now, all in all great post. :)HeatherMariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03722313104326986837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-61292201643150185202009-04-15T19:33:00.000+02:002009-04-15T19:33:00.000+02:00Holy Crow I'm not even through half the comments y...Holy Crow I'm not even through half the comments yet! Whew!<br /><br />Anyway, I've never requested ARCs unless it was through a list sent to me from a publisher who wishes me to choose a couple to review. I still get a fair amount in the mail and try to get them reviewed as soon as possible (maybe a little too soon. I accidentally reviewed one I wasn't supposed to until a later date). <br /><br />Unfortunately, I have seen a lot of 'how do you get free books?' questions on some forums lately. I hope those bloggers are reviewing them but apparently some are not from Anon authors' comments. It doesn't mean every blogger is slacking off. It would pay the author to check the blog of the reviewer esp. the contact page. And all book bloggers should have a contact page to let authors know how you do things.<br /><br />If we all do our homework and then we'd all have better relationships, I think.<br /><br />Also Doret has a point. The smaller blogs can be a great resource for authors. We all have to start somewhere :)<br /><br />Interesting discussion!Chrisbookaramahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11972547663609480210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-987167496142681464.post-33801205212525040982009-04-15T19:29:00.000+02:002009-04-15T19:29:00.000+02:00Wow, and here I was feeling a smidgen of guilt bec...Wow, and here I was feeling a smidgen of guilt because I've got my schedule booked through June! My current policy is that authors can expect a 90 day turnaround and I try to stick to that.<br /><br />As our site has gotten more popular, I've also had to decline some books. Although we're open to self-published authors, we're becoming very choosy about who we'll accept. You really have to convince me that your book is worth reading.<br /><br />Those with the best rate of success are publishers and publicists I've developed a relationship with. They know me and my style. But a well-written and personalized request will at least pique my interest, as long as your book is in the genres I prefer to review.<br /><br />I almost always reply to requests, and will send polite declines. Only once I sent a slightly less polite one, but the author had written a book on a topic I find completely horrifying and she was attempting to glorify it. I couldn't let that pass. But otherwise, you'll just get a "No thank you. I can't fit you into my schedule at this time."Alice Bergerhttp://bergersbookreviews.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com