What do you think?
I haven’t given a lot of thought into people blogging for ARCs, whether I give a flying that they’re just blogging for ARCs or not, because it doesn’t affect me whatsoever… But maybe some of you’s agree, so I reblogged… Would be cool to see what others think and maybe help shape my mind on the matter as well…
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Cover to Cover 
I think that’s a very harsh statement, plus overdoing it a tat bit when it comes to the accusations. I mean, where do you draw the line then?? One of the main things I like about blogging is being able to read some fabulous books I wouldn’t have been able to all buy myself. Plus, most of those ARC’s are there to help the author/publisher in promoting their book. Quid pro quo doctor? I don’t blog FOR the ARC’s, I blog for me and letting out some creativity. This sometimes feels ( and might even be) like a 40 hour work week. Getting some amazing ARC’s is like a little reward for that! People who solely blog for ARC’s? Is that even possible? That’s a lot of time spent ‘faking’ your way through socialising, just to get your hands on a book. Hell, that sounds like even more work than what I do, so that must mean they are REALLY into books. Can’t blame anyone for that! 😉 But yeah, I don’t like the negativity and accusations in this post about who’s spending more sincere time on blogging. I say anyone who spends time on it at all is sincere because we’re not being paid a dime for it! Speaking of dimes, how about those who are blogging with the end goal of making some money out of it? Isn’t that secretly what we all dream of? Fuck, if I could live off my hobby, whatever that hobby might be, I’d take it any day 😊.
Good that you reblogged this, though, because it makes one think! (And rant, apparently XD)
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Great stuff… I just didn’t want to voice my opinion because I hadn’t really thought about it so I didn’t want to blow bubbles, you know?
But what you say makes perfect sense and I had a feeling this post was a bit too pretentious… and jealousy? I just read it and thought- mmmm, maybe there’s an elephant made out of an ant here! But I’ve seen the ARC drama unfolding elsewhere as well… why do bloggers go grabbing for ARCs- well, who are they for then? 😀
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Yeah, that’s very good of you, because that way, you’re turning it into a discussion post (by refraining from an opinion) :). And jealousy…aye, I’m guilty of jealousy when it comes to different aspects of my life, but I don’t believe I’ve ever felt jealous of another blogger so far? If I see someone is having great success here, the first thing I’m thinking is taking notes/tips to see if what’s working for them could be something that would work for me as well. But jealousy? Hells no. And that’s something I really like in this entire community, that everyone at least seems to be genuinely happy for each other. And positive vibes being spread around, instead of bullying or tearing someone’s writing apart. Hippiefest 2016 yo! 😀 And then occasionally these kinds of posts come up…when are you really worthy of receiving an ARC? Pfff, like you’re saying, who are they there for anyways?
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hahaha @ hippiefest 2016! yes, you’re right, this has been such a great community and sometimes someone’s opinion can seem so bitter… then again, we all have a right to an opinion and well… if ARC bloggers make their life difficult then it’s their problem… I couldn’t be bothered to even think about how or where someone acquires their review copies… I just want to read great reviews and find out about new books 🙂
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😀 Oh yes, definitely everyone is entitled to their opinion on it. If you were the one who had posted this originally, I would’ve been hella surprised, but still, respect your opinion. I just don’t see the big deal behind all of this :D. *chugs beer bottle* to great reviews and new books! 🙂
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Ah… beer… it turns out I’m not that good with wheat and stuff anymore so doc told me to lay off beer… so now I need to discover a good wine instead.. fuck getting old… this body just wreaks havoc with my temptations list! 😀
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LOL! :’) Ah, that’s a bummer. I haven’t had a proper beer since March 2015. Nor wine. Alcohol free = meh. At least you can still get hammered on wine then ;). It just doesn’t feel the same as beer does it? More…girly? xD
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Ah! Better off booze anyway… mu husband is sober for the past, eh [doing maths in my head], 17 years! He ain’t missing out even though he plans to head to the Oktoberfest at 50 y/o and enjoy a proper drink again! 😀
yeah, man, wine is … sophisticated and girly and makes me sleepy! maybs I’ll join the Sober Club! 🙂
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17 years! That’s a mega achievement there! 😀 I’ve been meaning to do a full on Oktoberfest celebration for 10 years now, but the thing is: like you have with wine, I usually fall asleep after 2 beers (or any alcoholic beverage, really) But, one day!! I like red wine with a big fat 500+grams smoky steak, I believe that’s the only solution for making it less sophisticated and girly 😉
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Ahhh… steak… *drools* … is it dinner time yet? 😀
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It was for me. Fucking hell, we took my parents out for dinner one last time before my dad’s going to the hospital and I’ve been eating for 3.5 hours…steak included!
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I hope you spent a lovely evening together and lots of love to you all in those difficult times!
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I did! We had some great laughs for once 🙂
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That’s great! 🙂
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And thank you ❤
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First of all I don’t quite understand what “blogging for ARCs” means. Publishers and authors need books read and reviewed before publication so they make ARCs and the best place to put them is in a book blogger’s hands. They cost money to make and mail so of course thery are going to give them to book bloggers who have the higher stats. It only makes sense. They arent going to waste an ARC on a blog that has 100 views a week when they can give it to a blogger who has 1,000+ views a week. They only make so many, so they don”t have one for everyone. The thing that some newbie bloggers don’t seem to understand is no one gets the big name author ARCs right off the bat. Everyone has to “pay their dues” if they want them. I reviewed books from the library and “Read Now” eARCs from Netgalley and Edelweiss at first. I keep my stats up so more people see the under-the-radar indie books I promote. Do I get the hyped and big name ARCs? Only sometimes, because I am still a middle sized blog. I like them because I feel I shouldn’t have to pay for a book I am going to review and get free publicity for. I see it as a perk and just like at a job, the longer you have worked and the higher your job title the more perks you get. I work really hard at networking and going around commenting on other blogs to get exposure for my indies, so if I get a few highly anticipated ARCs it is because I earned it, but that is not why I blog. The bloggers who usually complain about this are the ones who have low traffic because they never comment on anyone else’s blog. Heck, some of them doin’t even reply to the comments on thier own blogs. Writing more posts a week is not going to get you the big numbers, networking is and it is a lot of work. We deserve those ARCs. And when we tweet about getting them, it isn’t because we are bragging it is because the publishers always request that it be done. I get so mad when other bloggers say the tweets are bragging.
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Thanks you so much for providing your ‘two cents’ on this matter… as I replied to Anne’s comment- I didn’t want to voice my own opinion because I hadn’t given this ‘ARC drama’ and inch of thought… everything has two sides and I didn’t want to rush into saying one thing without having my mind made up entirely.
What you say however is correct and it’s really just basic Marketing 101… who are the ARCs for then? And yes, traffic matters, boy, does it matter! And you’re so right- all this blogging, networking, socialising is hard darned work!
Thanks for voicing your thoughts on this- really good!
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Exactly! And even if it was some sort of bragging, didn’t we deserve to do that in the first place? If I’m getting an ARC from a big publishing house, I want to fangirl all over the place! 🙂 But the same goes for when I buy something that I feel like showing off. No hidden agenda behind it of trying to shove it into other people’s faces, just sharing the awesomeness!
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I think “blogging for ARCs” is an unclear statement. What does it actually mean? I’m a very small blog at the moment and yes, I seek out ARCs in my favourite genres because I want as much material to read and review as possible. ARCs and review copies are my way of expanding my reading and getting texts which I might not have bought myself otherwise. The possibility of ARCs is one of the things that attracted me to book blogging… But I’ve been a book nerd for long before I even knew what an ARC was. Do I blog for ARCs? No. I like ARCs, but they aren’t the sole reason I wake up every morning to make a blog post. But, at the same time, does it matter if someone was driven by receiving ARCs or review copies? As others have said, authors need the visibility, regardless of whether it’s a high-profile or indie publish. Reviewers want content to review, and in exchange they provide this visibility, driving the industry. Does it really matter why people blog? Everyone has their reasons and I don’t think it’s fair to try to put others down because you don’t agree with how they run their blog. It’s like many things in life: if people let each other do their own thing, they’d be much happier with themselves. I think the open letter shows a lot of bitterness and jealousy on their end.
TL;DR: Dear Open Letter – leave people to blog how they want to blog. You’ll be happier for it.
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Hiiii! many thanks for taking time to comment… I like your thoughts on this and I could see how someone in your position, with a small blog, starting out might see that open letter as a direct attack… The more I read everyone’s comments and the more I think about what was said in that letter, I’m thinking- was that really necessary? Like you say: ” It’s like many things in life: if people let each other do their own thing, they’d be much happier with themselves” – spot on!
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ARC copies are for reviewers, regardless of their personal motivation. People who receive an ARC copy and actually post a review somewhere readers can find it (on their blog, Goodreads, Amazon or elsewhere) have nothing to feel guilty about. The people who ought to feel guilty are the ones who take ARCs with absolutely no intention of ever posting a review anywhere. There are lots of NetGalley users who do just that. I only managed to shift a handful of ARCs via NetGalley and nobody published a review. Money down the drain for me.
I’ve also had several readers email me for a free copy of Deny Friendship in exchange for a review (having already had two full novels free) who don’t post a review and don’t reply to polite reminders. I view that as dishonest and one small step away from theft. (And, yes, that’s happened to me several times.) 😦
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Hi RG, great to get your input on this! An author view, someone who can see things from a different angle…
I just don’t understand people who get book copies which are meant for reviewing (especially after asking for a review copy) and then disappear into thin air… what is this? some hoarding compulsion? Why on earth do they get a book if they have no intention to review? Sure, there are all sorts out there and we can never know what goes on in their heads… but it’s puzzling and it’s a real shame authors have to suffer because of that!
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I with some of the other commenters here on not really following what’s meant by ‘blogging for ARCs’.
I consider myself extremely fortunate to get some ARCs from publishers and have now reached the stage where I’ll get emails from PR people or authors from time to time asking if I’d like a copy of their book. Before that though, I’d review the books I’d bought on goodreads/amazon, and then on my blog.
Where I’ve been lucky enough to get an advance copy, I do my best to review them as promptly as possible, but sometimes ARCs arrive unsolicited and they go into the queue. However, If I’ve specifically asked for an ARC (after a PR request, or via twitter through some unsubtle hints), I will *definitely* review it.
Do I ‘blog for ARCs’? I don’t think so – if the ARCs dried up, I’d still review books, and still pester my friends that they should read the good ones!
Having a fairly small blog in terms of views, I did ask one particularly friendly publisher whether it was worth their while in sending me these books. I’m not going to quote stats, but they certainly weren’t in the 1000’s! We had a good discussion and she said that having someone who was clearly passionate about the books, who would talk about the books on twitter, review them on goodreads and amazon, was almost more important than the number of views on the blog.
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Hiya, thanks for stopping by 🙂
Yeah, that’s just the thing, every book blogger and person who enjoys reading will have access to ARCs. they are out there for offer after all with no predetermined restrictions mentioned. So, for someone to make an issue about it baffles me. But hey, we’re young and opinionated and it’s a freedom of speech, darn it! 🙂
I liked reading your comment.. and I was really glad to see the last part re discussion with a publisher. It’s nice to see that it’s the passion for books that counts, not if you’ve just started blogging and haven’t yet managed to pull in 28454556 followers… And that follower number being high doesn’t always mean the review (promo) is actually read… People follow for follows, they may never check out a single post after hitting follow button 🙂
Thanks for your comment and it’s always good to see ‘new faces’ here 🙂
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