Book Blogger Confessions is a new meme hosted by All-Consuming Books and For What It's Worth. You can find out all about it here.
Every second week there is one topic that has something to do with book-blogging that you can discuss on your blog.
In short, my answer would be no. We are not obligated to do anything. I started a book blog because I wanted to talk about books, and honestly, I don't see how anyone would start a book blog for a reason other than that. Book bloggers might be a marketing tool for publishers, but that's not the reason we blog. This is my blog, and I can do whatever I want on it; I don't owe anyone anything.
When we start accepting review copies, that changes things a little bit. But the only thing you agree to do is to read the author's/publisher's book and to write an honest review for it - nothing else. No author can expect us to compromise our integrity for them, to write a positive review if we didn't actually love the book. I feel much more obligated to my readers to tell them honestly how I felt about the book, than to the author or publisher to make them happy with a positive review.
I personally love taking part in cover reveals and blog tours, interviewing authors and posting their guest posts. When I'm excited about a book, I want to share that excitement, and posts like those are a really good way to do that, and to help promote those books. But again, I don't think you should feel obligated to do any of that if you don't want to.
Really, that's all there is to it. You can do whatever you want, because it's your blog. The only thing you owe to an author or publisher who's book you accepted for review is just that - a review.
What do you think book bloggers owe authors and publishers?
Posts
I agree. But what do you do when you have accepted a book for review and then find out you can't or really don't want to read it? That is the hard thing for me.
ReplyDeleteWell, I think it's important to only accept books you really do plan on reading; that makes things a lot easier. If something does come up and you can't read it for whatever reason, I think you just have to let the author or publisher know why. If you're honest, people will understand, I hope.
DeleteI agree once the book is accepted, you need to review it. But life does get in the way, and I don't always like the books I did ask for .
ReplyDeleteI think that, if you accept to review a book, you do owe a review. Other than that: you must be honest. I don't receive books - for now at least - but I clearly state that I will be honest when it comes to a review. Accepting doesn't mean that you'll love it.
ReplyDeleteLove your answer.
ReplyDeleteI will push the heck out of a book if I love it but I don't (& shouldn't) feel obligated to.
Good, concise, to the point. I agree 100%. Leave your obligations at the door, plzkthx.
ReplyDeleteI always try and review everything I accept, BUT there have been times when I've had to email the author or publisher and explain that I just can't review it because I can't read it. Sure, I could force myself to finish it - but chances are I'm going to resent that poor book.
ReplyDeleteMy point here is that communication is the key. As long as we aren't grabbing every book in sight and then going incommunicado, we're fulfilling our obligations.
I agree with you, the only thing you owe is an honest review, no touring or cover reveals unless you really want to.
ReplyDeleteThe thing is, if you're part of a tour which is obviously to drum up support and publicity for a book, and then find that you don't like the book at all, is it better to bow out and privately explain why? I think that's what I would do, because I'd feel terrible giving a bad review as part of the official tour.
It's different if you get ARCs from Netgalley and you're not part of the tour.
Yeah, tours make things difficult. With most tours I've participated in, you're only supposed to post the official tour review if it's 3 stars or more; if you can't give it 3 stars, you're supposed to post it after the tour ends. I think that solution works pretty well :)
DeleteThat's a great way to get around embarrassing situations. Also, I think it's fair for the author and whomever organizes the tour. I guess you can not do a review and just post a character interview or guest blog as well, can't you?
DeleteCan you read the book before agreeing to the tour? If you're required to review it as well.
With the ones I've taken part in, no. You say you want to take part in the blog tour, and only then do you get to be part of the ARC tour. But you can usually say you only want to do a promotional post (interview, guest post, etc.) and not a review if you're not sure you'd enjoy it :)
DeleteGood to have that option unless you KNOW you'll like the book enough - it works for favorites:)
DeleteHave you ever been a Beta reader?
Nope. To be honest, I don't have the time, and I don't trust my writing skills enough :p
DeleteThat's too bad! I think it's important to have both writers critiquing and readers who just want to enjoy a book. They're different audiences and both have awesome input for a writer. You'd be really great at it I think:)
DeleteAww, thank you :) That does make sense, getting a reader's point of view. But I've only been asked a few times, and it was for books that didn't really interest me, so I felt like I couldn't really be of help anyways.
DeleteFor me, when I'm part of a blog tour, and I don't like the book, I will do a promo post or a spotlight of the book and author and where to find it. Then I'll post my review of the book at least a month after the tour is over. I figure, I read it, I said I would review it, but i'm not going to post a poor review for a tour...that can wait.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a work. It's hobby - that's what I'm saying ALL THE TIME.
ReplyDeleteBut anyway,,, When I don't like book I accepted to review I just talk to the author and we do an interview or something like that. If I believe someone would like it of course ;)
I think an honest review is a given. Everything else is at your discretion.
ReplyDeleteBook Bloggers don't owe Publishers or Authors anything in my opinion because it is a win-win situation. Book bloggers get a free book in exchange for an honest review which may or may not benefit the author/publisher depending on the quality of their work. Book bloggers are doing all of this for free when really, if you think about it, with the amount of time we read, if we were getting paid, we would all be rich by now..
ReplyDelete