03/26/11
Authors & Bloggers: An Open Discussion
Posted In: Uncategorized
There has been an increasing amount of talk lately about book blogs in general. Ranging from our credibility, do we even have any? To our unfavorable book reviews ruining any chances of becoming published writers, for those bloggers that have those aspirations. And then there is the argument or wether we are a viable marketing source.
A variety of opinions have been voiced. Some that I agree with, some not so much. But one thing that I do agree with is this:
We can be mad… but what will that solve? So that is why I found myself engaged in a candid conversation with Author X. I may not agree with everything Author X had to say, but there are some valid points made.
(Author X is the author of about a dozen books under a coupe different names. They decided to go anonymous, simply because they didn’t want this to seem like a mere act of promotion.)
Me: As an author, what qualities do you look for in a blogger?
AUTHOR X: First of all, the number of followers is about the last thing I look at. There are plenty of people with a thousand or so, but 992 of them just subscribed to be in a contest. What I like best are the ones who are articulate and clearly like to talk about books, not just participate in memes and host giveaways. Talking about books is what they’re for, after all! It always surprises me how many bloggers don’t really seem to like doing that in the first place.
Not to say that they all don’t – there are some that I read and can’t believe they’re only fourteen or fifteen. Authors complain about the blog scene as a whole a LOT when we get together (believe me), but we also all know some bloggers who exceptionally good and not getting mixed up with the stuff that makes the others so frustrating.
Me: Absolutely agree there, there are some extremely talented bloggers!
AUTHOR X: But then there are those that don’t really talk about books at all, they just hold giveaways and stuff. Granted, those probably drive a lot more traffic than reviews, which is probably one of the biggest problems. It’s hard to see where the real motivation for great content is.
Besides simply the love of talking about books, that is.
Me: What advice to you have for bloggers approaching authors for interviews, arcs, etc.
AUTHOR X: The best advice is to be friendly and don’t assume the author has stacks and stacks of stuff to give out. Don’t say you love the excerpt if you haven’t really read it. Personally, the best way to win me over to ask a question about the book that shows you’ve read up on it and know what kind of book it is – that way, I know that you’re likely to write something intelligent about it if I can get you an arc (which I can always at least ask my publicist to send, though I don’t really get much sway there). I get a lot of requests from people who seem like they’re just sending the same request to every single author with anything coming out!
I’ve had people say they love the excerpt, then only read one chapter of the arc before trashing it. This stuff doesn’t help anyone – it doesn’t help me, and it doesn’t help people’s perception of the blog world at large.
Oh, and please refrain from suggesting that if I donate swag (anything from an arc to amazon gift card – people more popular than me have stories that are just outrageous) – it’ll pay for itself with all the books I’ll sell due to the giveaway. When you’re immersed in the blog world, it’s very easy to get the idea that blogs sell a ton of books. Even the most popular ones don’t affect sales much – they’re not great promotional tools. They’re a means of talking about books.
But it’s the same as just about any publicity. I can print up swag, make trailers, make videos, put up a downloadable soundtrack, etc, but these things are really just for fun. Only about .01% of people in a book store are going to know anything about it.
Me: I’m going to have to disagree there. Blogs are a great promotional tool! How can you say they are not? Or I guess I should say… SOME CAN be a great tool.
AUTHOR X: They’re a great way to promote, except that they don’t really affect the market much. I’d say that if a blog sells 5 copies of a book, that’s a very successful blog post.
Me: But I see that tide changing.
AUTHOR X: It could always change, though. Everything in the business is changing all the time. But as of now, having lots of buzz in the blog world isn’t necessarily going to translate to interest in stores.
Me: Well, I don’t think there is any one thing that is going to sell a book. but I do think that there are blogs that get it done. I wouldn’t completely write them off.
AUTHOR X: No, I wouldn’t write them off. I still do interviews with bloggers all the time – pretty much any time someone asks. But it’s mostly for fun. What’s going to move copies is store visibility and marketing on the publisher’s part (springing for table space, displays, and stuff). With my last book google ads drove about 100 times as much traffic as all the blogs put together.
But I can see it going both ways. I know publicists who say “be available, connect with the bloggers” and others who say “stay away from that whole mess – it’s not worth the drama!”
My own experience is somewhere in between – I have a lot of fun with blog interviews and stuff. But I’ve gotten roped into my share of drama, too!
Me: Yeah…. but with the popularity of online buying and ebook popularity…. those table displays will only get you so far.
Teens are online. People are online.
Random Buzzers, Book Divas… Goodreads! 4 million people on Goodreads can’t be wrong.
AUTHOR X: People are definitely online, especially teenagers, but they’re still a lot more likely to hear about a book from, say an article in EW than a book blog. Ebooks are taking off, but it’s not as big a thing as we think yet. Amazon is saying that they’re outselling traditional books, but most people I know look at their royalty statements and find ebooks make up about 1% of sales. (LIterally – about 1%. Less, sometimes). It’s sort of like how half the people I know only buy records on vinyl anymore, and there’s a new article every day about the resurgence of vinyl, but it still amounts to a blip in overall sales.
I’d look for that to go up very soon, though.
Me: Yeah, I don’t really see it myself yet either, but people love gadgets… they like the quick and fast access to have the book the second they want it.
AUTHOR X: Oh, I like my e-reader, too. Don’t get me wrong. I have one and I use it all the time.
But this is sort of illustrative of the larger issue: online reader communities aren’t necessarily representative of the market at large.
It’s like when people on yalitchat say “well, I’ve bought a book based on the write-up in Kirkus or from a trailer.” Well, sure! I have, too! But we’re the kind of people who go to yalitchat! Most people at a book store are probably only vaguely aware of what Kirkus even is, and when I’m hiring people to be in trailers, I always, always have to explain what a book trailer is in the first place.
Me: I highly doubt that the regular reader consults Kirkus. I didn’t even know about it until I’d been blogging for a few years
Librarians…. yes. the average reader, no
I just think that bloggers can be a good resource for authors wanting to reach readers on a new plane. not every blogger, but there are some!And I’m not just saying that because I’m a blogger.
AUTHOR X: There are a handful who can be good for spreading the word to the gatekeepers (these are the buyers for the stores, the librarians, etc). I’m not sure HOW good – I’ve had people get all excited that (blogger x) raved about one of my books, but the link only ever got me, say, 10 hits. But these things certainly don’t HURT.
Me: If only there was a better way to measure these things.
AUTHOR X: Yeah, short of exit polls outside of book stores, there’s no real way to tell.
About the closest we can come is web analytics.
Honestly, what got me the MOST hits with my last one was snarky forums posting my cover and making fun of what they imagined the book would be like. Those were pretty unpleasant to read, but they generated LOTS of traffic – sites like reddit, stumbleupon, etc.
Me: It seems that drama and meanness always get the most hits. But those aren’t the kind of posts that make a lasting readership. (Who wants to read about someone complaining and ranting everyday? Not me.)
AUTHOR X: Yes – and therein lies what I think is the biggest obstacle to making the blog scene better for bloggers and all other parties: the best content isn’t always what drives the most traffic.
Me: Absolutely.
AUTHOR X: I think a lot of kids are in it more to be a part of the scene than to talk about books. You see the same thing in any scene, really. Local music, sports, whatever.
You know what? If we had blogs when I was a teenager, I totally would have had one. But I wonder how many of these kids will look back on them in five years and say “Oh my god, I can’t believe I wrote that” like we all do with our diaries.
Me: I’ll be the first to tell you that there are people that do it for the free books, and it doesn’t take long to figure out who those bloggers are.
I look back at my life five years ago and think “oh god I can’t believe I did that!” of course it’s going to happen with your blog if you keep it up long enough! But you shouldn’t let something like that hold you back from taking a chance with something you enjoy.
AUTHOR X: Oh, that leads me to another issue: you also run across a lot of bloggers who seem to be using the blog to get their foot into the door of the publishing world. In reality, it can probably hurt you about as much as it helps you.
The way to make it work is really to be a GOOD one. People do notice when a blogger seems to be a really good writer. I don’t think many people in publishing would think than a blog with a lot of followers translates to a built-in audience, though.
Me: I see that too. but I think that if you are a good writer, it won’t matter if you were/are a blogger. Or at least I would hope.
AUTHOR X: Up to a point. But if you were a really negative blogger that had bashed all of an agents clients, that agent is probably going to be warier of you than he or she would be if they’d never heard of you. It’s hard to talk about this stuff without sounding like I’m discouraging bloggers from being honest, but if you’re planning to be an author…well, you never know who you’ll end up on a panel with!
Me: I can see that as well. That being said, I know some very “outspoken” bloggers who are not afraid to be negative and have gotten jobs in publishing because of that.
I don’t have a lot of negative reviews, but I enjoy most genres and can usually find something I like, even if it’s just one thing. But that’s my own personal choice to blog that way, I prefer honesty.
AUTHOR X: Sure, if they’re articulate about it. What bugs people isn’t usually the negative reviews so much as the unintelligent ones – you get a lot of those. And a lot of reviews that sort of come off like a vegetarian reviewing one of those Brazilian steakhouses where they just bring you plate after plate of meat.
This is one of the problems of goodreads – and the internet in general. There were always people who said awful things about books simply because they weren’t their kind of book. But the authors didn’t get google alerts about it before! I know a lot of authors who won’t go on goodreads for anything, and even a few (many who are MUCH better known than I am) who won’t even read their blog reviews.
And, unfortunately, the GOOD and articulate bloggers can get drowned out by that stuff (here we are again, back at the lament that the best blogs aren’t necessarily the most popular ones).
One thing I can certainly see is that it’s easier to write a negative review than a good one – with a book you like, it can be hard to say much beyond “Go read it” besides just giving away the plot. With negative stuff, you can just go nuts.
Me: I don’t think anyone would say that the most popular blog is necessarily the best one.
As far as negative reviews, I know for me personally it’s easy to recognize why I don’t like something or why I something didn’t work for me, but when I like something…. I just do!
AUTHOR X: And, similarly, when people tell me they’d rather I send them swag than do an interview because they can never think of questions, I understand. I’m a lousy interviewer myself. I’ve only had to do it a few times, but I’m not great at it. But if it’s hard for someone to think of things to say about books, I have to question why they got into book blogging in the first place.
Me: Well I can’t speak for everyone but I wanted to talk about books in my personal life, but didn’t have anyone to do that with. I do find it hard to think of things to say at times, but I don’t think that should detour me from wanting to blog about books.
I’m sure writers have a hard time writing certain scenes or writing at all, that doesn’t necessarily mean they should have never started writing.
AUTHOR X: If I have any parting advice, it’s that the blogs I like best tend to be the ones that seem like they JUST want to talk about books, and don’t care one bit what the other bloggers think of them or how many comments they get. One thing that every author I know has seen is that if one popular blogger says “this book is funny, but the characters are flat,” you’ll probably spend a week seeing five others that say the same thing. Then another blogger will say “the characters are great, but it’s totally unfunny,” and then another five that say THAT same thing. There’s an underlying theme of “what will people think of me if I say I like this” that you see in review after review. I’ve had people love my book and do a great interview with me, then decide not to post it because some other blogger didn’t like it. It’s this kind of thing that has publicists telling me things like “just, don’t worry about the blogs; the only people who read book blogs are other book bloggers.” Focus on good, articulate content vs. drama and all that noise, and we can make this scene better for everybody.
Related posts:
- YA Book Bloggers, Lend Your Voice!
- International Bloggers….
- International Book Bloggers!
- My Top Ten Marketing Tips for Bloggers
- My Top Read Authors
104 Comments
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A lot of book bloggers are not just online. That seems to be a point that is not brought up here. I do these things:
I have a teen book club at an iconic indie store.
I schedule, plan and implement author visits at that store.
I have debut parties for books like for Mockingjay everyone who came in the store that day was a 'tribute' and I put them through trials. For Clockwork Angel we all made our own angels out of scrap parts I bought.
I am at book clubs, browsing shelves, at conferences in your library. We are also a huge source of word of mouth which is still one of the most affective ways to sell anything. -
I actually think blogs are very promotional. I often times pick up books at the library or bookstores that I've seen recommended on blogs. For example, today I bought "Between Shades of Gray," by Ruta Sepetys because I had seen in recommended on a few blogs. Anyway, I find this interview VERY interesting. Thanks for posting it!
-Meredith
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I have to say though about book bloggers not helping sales, I tend to lean on that fact that book bloggers do help sales. For me, I don't have a bookstore around, and I don't really like browsing online to buy so about 98% of the books I do buy are ones I've seen on other blogs.
I've been very curious of the whole blogger/writer thing. I'm a writer myself and it wasn't until recently did I notice a lot of people saying they're afraid of not getting published due to bad reviews, etc. I can see the point of agents not wanting to sign someone, but then your point too, Kristi. This was an overall really interesting post to read!
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I agree with you Kristi, writing- blog or whatever- doesn't always come easily. It is sometimes hard to articulate why I liked a book. I have moments where I struggle with what to write & I've been blogging for 4 years. I don't think someone shouldn't blog because of that. Just because something is difficult doesn't mean it's not worth doing.
Very interesting thoughts from both you & Author X.
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As a YA debut author jumping into the deep end, I appreciate the peek into the blogger part of the equation. I've 'met' so many incredibly nice people who appear to love books as much as I do. I don't do much blog hopping, however – just a handful that I read once or twice a week, or when I see a link – so I haven't seen any bashing. Except on Goodreads.
Have to say, I dread the Goodreads experience. The 2K11 group groans every time I pull out my Don't Go There soapbox, but it's counterproductive for authors to see uber negative reviews from people who clearly didn't read past page one. Sure there are some great reviews posted there, but it's too painful to navigate the minefield necessary to find them.
I'm that girl who's always the last to know everything – gossip and good dish tends to fly over my head. Hoping I can keep that up as I go forward.
Thanks for this, Kristi. Terrific insights!
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Thank you for posting this! It was very informative and helpful.
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You both make very interesting points. Thank you both for this discussion! I do agree that some bloggers are in it for the wrong reasons and that makes it that much harder for everyone in general.
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Very interesting points made on both sides of the spectrum – from a very popular blogger, to an anonymous author (who is obviously not new to the scene). I have to disagree with the comments mentioned about bloggers not being a huge part in promoting books. If we're talking on a national scale, well then no – the business world will always win there. But you'd be surprised at the power that is behind word of mouth on the internet.
I blog because I love books. Whether I host meme's, do giveaways, or just talk books in general – I do it for me, no one else. And just an FYI: not all book bloggers for YA are teenagers. This coming from an almost 30 yr old blogger who has NO interest in trying to get my foot in the "publishing world".
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What the? Not post the interview and review because others didn't like it. That is just immature and stupid. I have to say this has to be one of the most insightful posts regarding the blogger-author thing to date.
I get it now. I see how it can be from an authors point of view. The thing is when your a blogger and you genuinely love what you do, it can be kind of hard to see it from the other side. I understand now though.
The author shed a lot of light on some things and I appreciate that. There is one thing that I disagreed on though.
"One thing I can certainly see is that it's easier to write a negative review than a good one – with a book you like, it can be hard to say much beyond "Go read it" besides just giving away the plot. With negative stuff, you can just go nuts."
It is never easy to write a negative review. I don't know how it possibly could be. A dedicated blogger who is serious about what they do who loves books, can't ever find it easy to write a negative review. I dread it every time, but I know it has to be done. I owe that to my readers and myself but that doesn't mean it's easy because it's not. Many choose not to write negative reviews at all because they are afraid of hurting feelings and because they simply are not cut out for writing them and that's fine.
But do you seriously think those that write the negative reviews don't feel that way? Because we do and it sucks. But knowing your readers appreciate them makes it worth it.
You both did a great job, and may I just say the author sounds awesome. I have heard what she said by other authors but they just came across completely wrong and a little annoying. She did not but in fact made a lot of sense.
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i am loving this interview. thanks for sharing!
and as far as teens following up with blogs online, the class of 2k11 had an interesting survey posted up that supports Author X's thoughts on that. you can find that here: http://www.classof2k11.com/?p=1536
i feel like we make more of an impact than we actually do when we write about books. i constantly try to recommend books in real life to real life people because i know that a lot of times the book i'm reading and reviewing are ones that other bloggers are too. so it doesn't do a whole lot…
but when we recommend in real life and review books that aren't getting as much publicity and doing what we can to get books into hands of readers, THEN i think we're successful bloggers. not because we have a ton of followers or comments, but when we care and put quality into action. sometimes that comes with followers, sometimes it doesn't.
again, thanks for sharing this! much to ponder.
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As an author I've seen firsthand how word spreads. I had a blogger receive an ARC of A Touch Mortal. She posted a well thought out review and I've had 10-15 people get in touch with me since then through @ replies on twitter or through my contact box telling me that they were reading because this specific blogger had told them about the book. Those were sales that she generated through her word of mouth. There are MANY books that I've picked up only because I heard other people talking about them. Right now I'm reading Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves because someone told me it was amazing. My bookclub read Anna and the French Kiss because of word of mouth. And I can tell you, that's not a book I would have picked up based on the cover and the blurb. NEVER. But so many people said so many great things about it, that I did. And I freaking loved it.
Let's go back to Slice of Cherry. I bought it because of a book blogger. That's one sale. One. Not anything that a publisher would even notice. But if I love it, I'm going to be talking it up. So maybe 2 people will hear and buy it and one person will be on the fence but file the title away for later. Maybe they'll stumble on another blog where it's mentioned and that will be the tipping point for them to make the purchase. So that's four sales total, and now this scenario is playing out with FOUR people, and word about the book is spreading and four sales become sixteen and sixteen become…I'm bad at math but MORE! It's the TALKING about titles that helps. Loving books and talking about them good or bad. Publishers need crossover though, because they're right. Most people don't go online and read book blogs. And at some point, one of those people who heard from someone online who heard from someone online will talk about the book offline. It's that crossover from online to IRL that publishers look for. To me, bloggers are the critical part of that process.
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One thing I've been hearing a lot in the debate about whether or not book bloggers are effective or sell books, and it's mentioned in this post is that Book bloggers are unimportant in marketing, because the only people who reads book blogs are other bloggers themselves.
And to this I feel the need to say, so what?! The whole reason that I blog about books is because I love them. They feed my soul. The reason I read other blogs is so I can hear other people talk about books. And, as a voracious reader I buy books. I always have. I'm barely 23 and I currently own over 850, MOST of which I have purchased on my own. Yes, a few of those are review copies and some of them are books that I won in giveaways. But a vast, VAST majority of them are books that I purchased myself. In all of the IMMs I watch or read, MOST of the books listed are books that they purchased.
I can't even begin to tell you how many books I've purchased in the last 6 months of so, that would never have come across my radar without blogs.
So who the hell cares if the only person reading your blog is another blogger. THEY BUY BOOKS!
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What an informative discussion. It's great to see this from both sides in an interview format.
It will be interesting to see how online blogs affect sales in 5 years as eBook sales increase and how long the "bad" blogs last.
It doesn't seem to me that those only interested in freebies will have the energy to keep blogging year after year. Only those true lovers of books would devote that level of time and energy into this endeavor. Blogs like Kristi's.
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Interesting.
I don't really care what an author thinks of my blog. I blog for my family and close friends. I live in another country far from them and this is a way for us all to recommend good books to each other and talk about books we love and why.
I think word of mouth will sell a book far faster than a table display. Most of the books I read are because someone recommended it to me! If any of my friends enjoy a book we all go out and buy it the next day. I trust my sisters recommendations on books before anyone's!
Who cares if the only people who read book blogs are book bloggers, we are READERS! We will tell our friends no matter if they read our blog or not. Blogging is an outlet for those addicted to reading. If author's don't like it, then they don't like those who read!
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This is a fascinating discussion, especially in light of what happened to me this week.
I've discussed the fact that I am book blogger with both my agent and my editor now, and neither expressed any concern about it. In fact, both think it could be an advantage. I guess time will tell.
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I think that Author X should grow some balls and put their name out there.
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Great post!
I also always pick up books that are recommended on blogs. I think a good percentage of the books that I've purchased over the past year are down to seeing them advertised online in a blog. I think blog's help drum up mutual excitement for upcoming books and when you see that somebody has really enjoyed a story, I think 'Wow, I would love to read that!'
I love the escapism of books, so when I sometimes come back to the 'real' world with a bump I like to discuss my experiences with these books and for me this is where a blog comes in. It allows me to write down my thoughts and potentially compare them with another person.
I do agree that it does show when a blogger actually enjoys discussing there love for books. Personally I only post reviews on about 25% of the books that I read because I only discuss a book when I feel I have something to say about it. I think as long as a blogger does it because they love it, it shouldn't matter whether you have one or a hundred followers or whether you use the medium of a meme or a review to do that.
When it comes to writing negative reviews this is also something I try and avoid. I now try not to write reviews about books that I completely hated (which is rare) because I don't think it helps anybody. But that's not to say I won't write about some parts of a book that I maybe didn't like as much as some of the good parts. I think as long as you are honest whilst being considerate at the same time you shouldn't hurt anybody. Besides I prefer to right about things I loved rather than things I didn't and it's unusual for me to read a book without any redeeming qualities
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As a debut YA author, I have to say that most people who have heard of my book have done so through blogs and bloggers talking about it. To say that book bloggers don't impact the market is crazy to me.
For example, I don't look through Amazon, Goodreads, or Bestseller's lists for books to read. I find books to go into my TBR pile by what bloggers are reading. I'm just one person, but just like Leah said and does, one person spreads the word. And if you're like me, I have a big mouth.
I think the author community owes the blogging community as huge round of applause from all the work they do free FREE and all the FREE marketing they provide for us.
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I think a lot of people have become disillusioned in the book blogging world as of late. I hate to say this for fear of sounding like a complete snob, but i'm an adult, i like to think i'm about the pettiness and silliness that can sometimes permeate an otherwise friendly and enthusiastically corner of the internet. I do not blog because I want to sell books for authors, I have a full time job already and that's takes quite enough of my time. I do not blog because I want free books, I blog because of my love for the written word and being able to openly discuss and dissect some of my favourite books is the driving force behind why I do what I do.
I have not once approached an author and asked for an advance copy of their book or for swag for a giveaway. Sure, if they wanted me to host a giveaway because they felt the people who frequented my blog would enjoy their work, then i would be more than happy to do anything they asked of me. I would not however, be so crude as to host giveaways of books that I didn't enjoy, because I want to recommend books that I myself loved. I loathe it when authors email me and say "dear blogger" like i'm not an actual person being my computer screen, and I understand the same can be said about bloggers who email authors without any knowledge of their book or the author themselves. I think both bloggers and authors are tarnished with the same brush. But not all of them.
And I think that saying that blogs do not promote titles is a moot point. Before I started blogging, I had no idea there was this whole little world where people talked about books. Not a single clue. Many of the people I know have never heard of book blogs, they don't research books before they purchase them, they simply buy them, read them and then move on. But then there are the utter devotees, that won't buy a book without reading reviews from trusted sources beforehand, and many of these sources are in fact bloggers. I know many authors who have contributed at least part of their success as an author to the blogosphere, so I think in some way it can help the sales of a book and in other cases it simply just doesn't matter all that much. But I think the sale of one more book because of a review from a blogger could then multiply and multiply, word of mouth is a truly extraordinary thing. I think some people underestimate the value of a true book love's recommendation. This past week I have bought 11 books based on recommendations from trusted bloggers that i otherwise wouldn't have purchased.
Cont…..
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…….The comment about traffic – I have been blogging for nearly two years and the traffic to my blog is minimal and as much as I am competitive and would like to be seen as accomplished at doing the thing I love, it doesn't bother me in the slightest. It;'s not the hits that make me read into the dead of the night or spend hours of my free time writing posts, it's the interactions with other readers and being able to share my thoughts on the things that I love.
Plus, I want to hit on the subject of the working in publishing thing……….I don't think aspiring writers should ever not feel like they couldn't express their opinion on their blogs if the criticism was backed up and written in an articulate way. But in the same breath, I think authors should accept criticism in grace, especially if the argument for the person writing the review is well thought out and intelligent. Do I want to work in publishing? No, I don't. But even if I did, I would not for one second change the way that I blogged because I believe in not being afraid to post criticism as long as it isn't bashing for bashing sake. I believe that bloggers do sell books, maybe only to other bloggers, but that's a sale you wouldn't have had if the blogosphere wasn't here. Not everyone is going to love my blog, just the same as not everyone is going to love a book, but's thats what makes the world go round. If we all liked the same thing, it would be a very dull place indeed.
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The main reason I started my blog was to share my feelings about books. I didn't have anyone to really share my experience with. So I started my blog and discovered others in the process. I am all for blog word of mouth. Our library never gets new books in due to budgets. I don't have a book store near by unless you want to count the book aisle at the grocery store which mainly stocks Harlequin monthly books. So book blogs open up the door for me to find great books since some people don't have the luxury of a huge book store in town to browse.
I do believe that book bloggers make a difference in sales. I want to share an example. I had read the blurbs about The Hunger Game series surfing through book retailers online. I must say that the blurb/synopsis did not attract me to the books. I had no desire whatsoever to read them. Yet, I finally caved after seeing so many reviews of them. I DEVOURED these books in 2 days tops. I then bought my stepson and daughter a set. That is a total of three sales within 3 days. Then my Mom was curious about them after seeing me purchase them. She then bought a set and so did my cousin. That is an additional 2 sales within 5 days. That is just sales from my family. My friends I told about them also bought them and spread the word. It is a chain reaction with books and blogs. Once the word gets spread through numerous blogs a book can take off in the sales department in my opinion.
Onto the negative reviews. I started my blog to share my FEELINGS about a book. If I was not a fan of it, I say it. I am one of the few who will write negative reviews on a book, but in turn I don't bash a book either. I point out WHY I didn't like it and I always encourage others to give it a chance anyway.
I don't consider myself so much a reviewer as much as a blogger. I share my feelings not in depth coverage of a book.
I also notice a few bloggers out there who are constantly rubbing it in other bloggers faces about books and ARCs they receive. I hate that. I also know a few who just bug the heck out of publishers and I think they send it to these bloggers just to shut them up. It does get noticed. I admit that I was hurt that I never really received the bigger companies ARCs. I even thought about shutting my blog down because I thought no one really liked my reviews. Then my husband reminded me why I started it in the first place. TO SHARE THE LOVE OF BOOKS! So now I am just excited to get a library book! LOL After almost 2 years of blogging, I focus more on the book now and not the ARCs.
Just my two cents! LOL
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I have to say that this was quite an interesting interview! I think that blogs are like anything else, there's the good, bad, and mediocre. I've fallen a bit out of the social drama of it all and I feel the better for it.
I think that blogging is a fun hobby, especially when it's about books. I think that once you start stepping into the realm of "am I selling this book to my audience" is where the fun starts to seep out. I like to talk about books and to be honest, I'm not the best in-depth reviewer and if I had a do-over button I would have never accepted review requests and read what I wanted from the public library and blog only about the books that I truly enjoyed.
There are so many books out there, great books, that I haven't discovered and I feel like blogs sometimes hype up certain books to a point where I get disappointed when I eventually read them. But there are some hidden gems that pop up and I especially will take the word of a librarian blogger most of the time and find some compelling reads.
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Great conversation and a great comments!
I would have to disagree with a lot of what Author X has said – especially about book bloggers not helping book sales. There are a ton of books I've bought only because of a recommendation or review from another blogger. And yes, I'm a blogger but so what if only bloggers read blogs? There are tons of us and if we are all buying books based on what our fellow bloggers are saying? That's a lot of books and I can't help but feel that those sales count.
I have family and friends who have bought books based on my recommendations. And my recommendations are based on books I've read and loved AND I've read about 90% of these books because of blogs.As for Goodreads, I can understand how authors may be weary of it but as a reader, I am much much more weary of Amazon reviews. In fact, I don't ever read them or take them into consideration when choosing to buy a book. I'll take the word of a well loved blogger or a well written Goodreads review over an Amazon review any day.
Great food for thought here!
Thank you Kristi and Author X for your time. -
Wow. I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this post, but it wasn't this. I wouldn't have expected an author to think so little of book bloggers. I understand that there are people out there who blog solely for the purpose of getting free books, but that isn't the case with the blogs I follow, and it isn't the case with my personal book blog.
I started blogging because there were very few (and by very few, I mean none) people in my life I could talk books with. It was frustrating because I would read an amazing book and have no one to share my thoughts with. I stumbled upon blogging through Goodreads and I am so, so glad that I did. The people I have met are incredible individuals. They have a passion for books and it's fun to have hour long (usually more) conversations with them over books we've read.
I buy books that I have seen that interested me. Where do I see these books? Goodreads, yes, but BLOGS. The blogs I follow introduce me to books that I would have never found on my own. And I BUY almost ALL of my books. I've grown close to a lot of them and trust their opinions. And even if I didn't like the book as much as they did, it is still a great topic of conversation.
I blog because I love books, not for freebies. I buy books based on other book blogs because I value their opinions. I read because it's something that I love to do, and I do it for myself.
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Even if blogs are mainly read by other bloggers – most book bloggers, myself included, buy a TON of books in addition to any review copies we get. And some of those books I bought because I saw them mentioned on a blog. Plus if I really love an ARC I will buy a finished copy so that's one sale too.
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This was very interesting to read. I knew there were some authors out there having issues with bloggers but I didn't realize that book blogs were that disliked among authors.
I know I'm definitely not one of the best blogs out there in part because I don't have the kind of time that I would like to dedicate to blogging. I'm sure I don't drive sales but that isn't really why I blog anyway. I blog just to put my thoughts out there on the books I read.
It is a good thing that I'm not spending my time worrying about how many followers or comments I have or if any author has seen my reviews (positive or negative) because if I were worried about what others thought I would be very disheartened by this interview and would feel like there was no point in my book blogging.
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I buy books almost solely because I've seen them blogged about online. I buy a lot of books. And, I've avoided books that bloggers have articulately explained their flaws.
Some authors have complained about reviews being negative due to the formatting of the ebook, rather than the narrative. Formatting is part of the reading experience and can be negative.
I wouldn't be worried about the people who just blog things like 'this book sux big time', most readers won't evaluate a book based on that information. Nothing will change. There will be positive reviews on books and negative ones, and, that is the right of the reviewer. It's up to consumers to make informed purchasing decisions.
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Book blogs help blogs a lot. Most of the books I've bought have come straight from a book blog. Like I'm about to read Between the Shades of Gray because you gave it a good review. I also bought Wither because another blogger buzzed about it.
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I have access to the library journals, and it's great to get professional reviews. The unfortunate thing with reviews in journals like Kirkus, Library Journal, and Booklist is that they are so very short. Sometimes you need more than what is provided in those reviews, which is when I turn to bloggers. So many of the blogs I follow provide me with more detail and insight into a new release or up-coming book. It's something to really appreciate even for those that didn't really favor a new title. When looking at books, you know it's usually a good idea to look at both professional and amateur reviewers to get both sides of the spectrum.
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For me, the difficult thing about so many of the points that seem to be in dispute in the blogging world right now is that there's just not data to back up one point or another. Do book bloggers help sales? We just don't know. My theory is- if book blogs and book bloggers aren't generating sales, then a whole lot of people are wasting a whole lot of time, effort, money and resources doing something that will not benefit the people creating the product that is for sale. If doing interviews, guest posts, giveaways, tours, etc. doesn't help sell books then isn't it counterproductive for authors (most of whom have day jobs, families, and other obligations on top of their writing careers) to be doing them at all? I'm not buying that these things are done to make fans in the blogging community happy or to give back to fans or whatever other rationale there may be. As far as publicity goes, if in-store marketing is what sells books, wouldn't it be better for an author to spend the time they would have spent doing publicity things with bloggers sitting at a table in Barnes and Noble or whatever pushing their book?
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Great post.
I appreciate the comments of Author X.I have been blogging for about two years, but I have to admit that lately I have become more than a little discouraged. I started my blog as a way to discuss the books I love and that is why I continue to do so.
If publishers stop providing arcs to blogs, or if authors stop doing interviews and promotions on blogs, no problem. I will still be discussing the books I love.
All of the "drama" that has been unfolding as of late is very frustrating. Is there an answer to satisfy everyone. Probably not. Will everyone be happy in the end. No, not likely. So where does that leave us?
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Very interesting post, Kristi. The relationship between bloggers and authors can be so strong and positive, but it can also be very tenuous and if everyone were more open to talking about it, we might be able to resolve some of those issues.
I'm a believer that bloggers do affect sales, however minimally, they do. And even if a book blogger's readership is only fellow book bloggers, the fact is that we do trust one another and will purchase books based upon recommendations and reviews. I know I've bought countless books based upon other bloggers reviews and I then tell my friends to go out and get those books….and they do. There could be an argument that bloggers are getting free books and ARCs for review, so they aren't buying, but I don't think that's true. I receive books for review – not tons, but some – but I buy far more books myself than receive for review. You receive a lot of books for review, but I've also noticed that you still buy books. If a blogger is in this for the right reasons, because he/she loves books and wants to talk books, then that blogger is going to continue to buy books. We support the authors we love and the best way to do that is to buy the book and spread the word.
I'm not a huge fan of memes and only do them sparingly, but even those can probably help sell a book here and there. If a blogger posts just about a book's cover, it's now on his/her readership's radar. When I see books in memes, I go to check them out on Goodreads and often add them to my wishlist and then buy in the future.
I'm with Fiktshun about the bloggers who are in fit for freebies too. Blogging takes up a lot of time and requires a lot of work, so if a blogger's in it for free books, he/she is not gonna last very long.
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First off, thank you, Kristi and Author X, for taking the plunge and talking about such a sensitive subject in such an unapologetically straightforward way. It was enlightening to see the beginnings of what I hope will be further conversations about the matter, and also to read so succinctly about less publicly voiced opinions about the matter.
So. I guess it might be odd for me to say this, but I think it's pretty strange to say that bloggers have more or less influence on publicity than anyone who reads books and likes to talk about them. For you are both right: that's who we are, essentially, only many of us forget that about ourselves. Bloggers are merely book lovers who love talking about books, who just so happened to find out about this brilliant new online concept of talking about books. It has sold books in the same way that the Internet has greatly expanded the transfer of information across distance and populations.
Which is why I'm not sure yet how I feel about considering bloggers as a professional or integral part of the publicity process. Do we help in book promotion? Yes. Are we essential? I'm not sure. We are essential in about as much as book lovers talking about books are essential to book promotion. So, yes, I guess we are pretty essential, but I'm not sure whether that transfers over to whether or not we are *special* and thus deserve treatment that's different from how book lovers who are not bloggers are treated.
There are many times, particularly lately, where I almost wish I were not sent ARCs for review, or emailed regarding potential reviews for books I'm interested in. Because when it comes down to it, I am a BOOK LOVER and I probably would've sought those books out anyway even if they weren't offered to me for review. I almost miss that part of book-talk that came out of NOT being sent a good book for review. I LOVE talking about great books that I just happened to discover, books that weren't sent to me for review, but that I picked up outside of the publisher-blogger-author ARC/review relationship. At the same time, however, I'm aware that the posts I make that are relevant to the next big hyped book are still the most read and influential–a little strange to me, because I WANT my review about the obscure but good book to be MORE influential! So I'm not sure how I'm able to do that, to, I guess, bring my blogging back down to the core of book loving.
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This interview was extremely insightful…great points made on both sides.
Honestly, I think book blogging is great. Like Leah, I pick up most books these days via referrals that come from the web, and if I like the books, I refer them to others. There's nothing quite like sharing a book you absolutely love with other people, especially when they read it and love it, too. And you never know. A blogger might only influence 5 people to buy a particular book, but if each of those people influence 5 more in turn, and so on and so on…well, that's how a successful word of mouth campaign works, right?
As for reviews…I try to stay away from posting negative reviews myself, but I have no problems with bloggers doing so when the critique is intelligent and thoughtful. Not every book will resonate with every reader, and there's no such thing as a perfect book. But IMO, it's great if negative reviews manage to remain respectful.
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Even though I do receive my share of review copies, I STILL purchase a ton of books from Amazon. I don't have a B&M store near me, so I don't have to luxury or opportunity to browse the book store shelves. If I don't see a book on Goodreads, Amazon, or another blog, I don't know about it. I would buy far fewer books if I would just STOP reading other book blogs.
As for negative reviews, they DON'T stop me from purchasing a book that interests me. Everyone has different tastes, and there are many, many books that I have loved that others pan. That's what's so wonderful about the book biz – there is something for everyone, if you have the time and the patience to look.
Thanks for taking the time to post this.
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Well, I disagree with Author X on a lot of things. Most importantly, I don't believe that bloggers don't have a significant impact on book sales, because even if it's mostly only bloggers reading each other's recommendations and buying books as a result of them, that's still A LOT of people! Take for example your blog, Kristi: you have over 4000 followers … granted, some are authors, but most are other bloggers … if only a percentage of those readers buy books on your recommendation, then that's still loads of people who will buy the book (usually in the first week of its release) then go on to spread the word about it on their own blogs, to their families and friends, etc. How can you say no difference is being made? I mean, I don't expect authors to be grateful to me for the reviews that I write, or anything like that, but – seriously – it seems that everywhere I turn there are authors trying to make it clear that bloggers are, well, not serving ANY purpose. I read and review books because it's something that I'm passionate about, but it does get annoying when what I do as a hobby, but others might do for free books, gets put down the whole time. I just have one question for Author X: if blogger reviews serve such a negligible marketing purpose, then why are publishers still sending ARCs out by the bucket-load to them?!
Because that sure is amounting to a waste of money, apparently.Another thing … Author X makes it sound as though we are giving authors freaking hernias with our reviews, lol … come on, now, what on earth is that all about?! Authors put their books out there and there's going to be people who like them, as well as people who don't, but for heaven's sake it's all CONSUMER PERSPECTIVES!!! We're allowed to think whatever we like about the books we read and share our opinions with other people, who often do buy books after reading negative reviews, anyway, since what puts one person off, might actually appeal to someone else. You're putting yourself out there by writing a book, which someone obviously thought good enough to publish, so just freaking grow a pair and quit whining because some people don't like it and aren't afraid to say so.
Perhaps Author X's strong opinions on the matter would be better directed at the people receiving ARCs and behaving badly, as opposed to bloggers in general, most of whom buy the books at their own expense and have every right to be as nice or not nice as they like, whether they've read ten pages, or the entire book.
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Very interesting conversation!
I'm probably one of the older YA book bloggers, and I've been around internet fandoms and cliques for years, so I honestly think book bloggers are way less wanky/drama-filled than most other corners of the internet. Yes, there are book bloggers who aren't that professional, but the same could be said about some authors.
I buy books based 95% on blogger recommendations. I'd say that since I started reading YA book blogs in 2009 I've bought at least $300 of books because of blog reccs, so bloggers definitely sell books!
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Amazing interview and SO insightful! I totally understand what Author X is saying and it's really good to hear it, especially as a new blogger. I think it's completely inspiring that they actually read reviews and don't just look at the number of followers, it's great that they actually care what's being said! As far as sales generated by bloggers, I think we probably think we "sell" more than we do – at least short term. I read reviews of tons of books that sound great but I don't make it to the store to pick them up, sometimes ever. It's good to have in your head though and have not been shy to tell people in stores what I've heard. Like Leah Clifford said, word of mouth! It generates!
Really informative post, Kristi! Awesome Job! -
Thank you Kristi and Author X for facilitating this discussion.
Do I think bloggers sell books? I don't know. I don't think they hurt book sales. And I think they can make a difference for certain books that don't get a great deal of traditional publicity. Look at Anna and the French Kiss – ever blogger raves about it yet it sits on the new book shelf at B&N with no extra publicity. If it wasn't for the blogs, I think most people would have missed this book. I certainly wouldn't have taken a look at it.
Author X may be and probably is right that publisher marketing sells far more books than blogs. However, that's expensive. Blogs are not. Participating in blog tours, interviews, etc is cheap publicity. ARCs of course are not free and sending them out to an unknown source is risky, but the cost can be decreased by using e-books and/or having readers share ARCs. With the exception of time (admittedly a real concern), I don't see a big downside to authors participating in the blogging community.
It's easy to forget that book blogging isn't just about the books. It's as much about the community as the books themselves. I do participate in several meme's and spend a lot of time commenting on people's post. That part isn't because I love books – it's because I love talking to people who love books. I am a very quiet and introverted person. I don't have a lot of friends, which is just fine with me. There are very few people with whom I can discuss books. Book blogging has completely changed that. The time I spend on my blog takes away time that I could be reading or doing a lot of other things. I put a lot of time into the blog, the community, and writing my reviews. I do it because I feel like I have a place where I belong in this community.
Like many bloggers, I would love to be a published author some day. It's definitely a good idea not to burn bridges with prospective colleagues. However, that fear should not silence discussion. I do negative reviews. I try very hard to keep them balanced with positive, because no book that I manage to finish is all bad. I have probably veered a little too far into snarkiness a few times, but I do try to be respectful.
As for ARCs, I'd be lying if I said I didn't like or want them. I also get a little jealous when I see other bloggers – many of whom are smaller than me – getting ARCs of books I want to read. But I'm not 14. It's not worth reacting to or getting whiny. I ignore the little twinge of envy and focus on to one of the many books I already have. I think any blogger who sticks it out for more than a few months is motivated far less by the idea of free books than the love of reading and communing with fellow book lovers. Having a blog that generates enough traffic to receive ARCs from authors or publishers takes loads of worth – certainly more than the allure of an ARC that you can buy in a month or two anyway is worth.
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Wow interesting interview Kristi – not sure I can add anything to the discussion.
As a blogger the last thing I thing about is “am going to sale this book”. I am not here to sale books, I would like to think that helping spread the word through memes, reviews, interviews and giveaways; that at least one person will pick up the book. But as a whole, that is not why I blog. I blog because I love to read and open up conversations about the books I’ve read. I want to be an informed parent and give my children an outlet to discuss tough subjects with me.
As a reader, most of my book choices come from books/authors I have read about on blogs or who were promoted by other authors. Word of mouth is what sales books, whether that is from blogging, tweeting, or talking to a book seller. I can say one thing – I have never walked into a store and bought a book based on the display. If I think I might like it, I go home read the reviews then purchase the book.
If an author/publisher does not like what PTB has to offer, that is fine. No hard feelings. There are a few that do think we help and I am happy to help them out. Personally I do think authors, especially debut authors benifit from bloggers promoting their book.
Thanks author x and Kristi for opening up this discussion.
~Pixie
Page Turners Blog -
Thanks for the great post Kristi. It's really interesting to take a peak at where the authors are coming from.
Like others have said- I don't neccessarily blog to sell books. I started by blog to keep a record of what I've read and how I liked it as I embarked on going to graduate school to be a librarian. It really grew beyond my wildest expectations from there. I'd love to say that I'm promoting the book and making ton's of sales, but I know that my reach is relatively small. However, for the books I really believe in, I push them. On my book clubs, at the High School I volunteer at, and to friends. I might only sell 5-10 copies, but I'm happy with myself for doing my small part for a book I love.
As for other bloggers influencing my choices. I'd say it happens all the time! I see tweets, facebook posts and read reviews and If it sounds interesting I'm all over it. I may not buy the book (because frankly, I'm in grad school, I don't have that money right now) but I get from the library and then spread the word from there. So we do get heard!
Thanks again for the great post.
Kate
A Reader's Ramblings -
Great post (and interview) Kristi!
I do think that blogs are promotional and beneficial. However, I know a large part of the business communtiy see blogging as a dying medium. Research has shown that blogging and blog 'surfing' is down, so "the business powers that be" have started looking down on blogging and bloggers in general rather than looking at the real big picture.
Technology being what is it, you can't just look at the blog to see the REAL impact it has. Many people who blog also have subscribers that get the post in their email and never even visit the blogs themselves. Many bloggers also post their blog posts in other communities like on the Facebook "Hey, I have a new post up here XXX" and also on Twitter. So in essence most people who blog kind of give authors the service as a "threebie". All of which have the possiblity to be (re)posted and (re)tweeted, etc.
In everything there will be people that do it because they love it, and those who do it for what they get from it. Baseball, scrapbooking, reading, cooking… That doesn't make either of them less valuable. What's that old saying "Any press is good press"? I kind of think that is true!
As a perfect example, take me.
I have always been a horror fan. Always. In the past if it wasn't horror, I never would have even thought about spending money on it.
In searching the googles for a new author one day, I stumbled across your blog. Your blog is full of YA reviews. I had not read YA. I like scary *rawrrrr*. But, due to reviews on your blog – I have purchased a few YA books. Guess what. I'm hooked! I still detest the romancy aspect of YA, but without you, BLOGGING…I would not have rode the escalator upstairs at Barnes and Noble to see what all ELSE was sitting in the YA section.
Authors like Jackson Pearce (whom I now totally have a girlcrush on!), Cassandra Claire, Meg Cabot, all have a new "fangirl" because of a blog stumbled upon totally by mistake! That would be YOURS.
It's a shame that publishers/authors can't get some kind of report from the bigger stores like Amazon and B&N that shows what percentage of sales was to an affiliate account. Not individual account stats, but "xx% of your royalties were from affiliate sales" type deal. Then they would see that the public does have some influence.
I see myself from my affiliate links that what I say matters, even if its only to a handful of people. That's sales that wouldn't have happened without my post. I don't even really care about the affiliate money, I just reinvest it back into my site anyway…I do like to see if people actually take interest in what I say though, and if they are trusting what I say enough to invest their own money then THAT makes me happy.
It really kind of makes me sad to see authors discounting the service bloggers provide. Most of us provide it because we LOVE it, if we didn't we wouldn't be putting the effort into it. Or atleast I wouldn't. I didn't even realize you could get FREE stuff for review. That whole thing is still kind of crazy to me, I kind of wish I'd have known that sooner…*sadly stares at her library of over 500 books and frowns* =)
Love you girl, I appreciate your blog. And I appreciate YOU!
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Like a lot of these commenters, I have to disagree with Author X about blogs not helping their sales. Most (if not all) of the books I read, I've seen on blogs, or on Goodreads; I've read reviews and decided I needed to read the book and see if I liked it myself.
I'm the only bookworm in my circle of friends, and I've built a reputation for myself among them; so basically, if I tell them, "Go buy this book, you'll love it," they believe me and do as I told them. So that's another sale for the author.
And not a lot of us do it for the free books. In my two years of blogging I've received maybe five, because I'm Argentine. It's different for Northamerican bloggers, yes, but I don't think it's fair to put them all in the same category. Only a small percentage of the Northamerican bloggers try to get as many free books as they can. And if you've been blogging for as long as me, you can tell when a blogger just wants to be popular and get all the ARCs they can get, instead of having an interesting blog full of meaningful content.
I just wrote a post where I talk about content. To me, it doesn't matter if you have 12 followers and a simple layout. If you have good content, I'll follow you. It's true what Author X said about having 1000 followers who mostly followed that blog because of a contest.
One great thing bloggers who want to get ARCs and can't get them for various reasons is the eARC. I'm a member of both NetGalley and the Simon and Schuester Galley Grab Program, and I love that I can download an eARC and read it on my laptop. Because to me, if you really want to read a book, it shouldn't matter if it's printed or not. Yes, the eARC expires after 45 days, while you can keep the printed ARC, but to me, that's better than nothing. Being an international blogger, I'm just glad these tools exist, otherwise I might never read certain books, and ARCs would be impossible for me to get.
xo,
Ella -
What a fabulous discussion! As a reader, I've found a ton of YA books through book blogs and Twitter, since most of my friends don't read YA. As a book blogger, I love to check out the reviews and see what people are looking forward to. I've added hundreds of books to my TBR/Wishlist through reviews.
While I do receive some ARC's (both physical copies and ebooks), I purchase most of the books I read and review. Actually, last year – the year I started blogging – I spent over $1,000 on books!! Eep! (But good for the authors) Plus, after I read the books (whether they're ARC's or finals), they travel to my classroom library where I do share them with my students. My students also contribute to my blog and provide questions for my author interviews. This gets them excited about books and they're all about word of mouth.
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This post was really interesting.
I have to disagree with the author though, about 90% of the books that I buy are a direct result of bloggers. If I see a review or see the book mentioned in an IMM post or WoW or something.
And that other 10%? It's when I actively search for new releases online or I stumble across them in Amazons "people who bought this also bought" list. So yeah, bloggers are responsible for most of my book buying.
The author seemed to be basing what s/he said on how many hits their website got and what got traffic to their site, right? I assume that's what was meant – I rarely ever look at author websites/blogs. If I want to know more about a book, I go to Amazon or Goodreads (any time I go to an authors site, it's after I've read a book I love and want to know more). So the hits thing isn't a really accurate way to judge.
Beyond that, this interview made me feel a bit more positive about my blog. I wouldn't say it's good exactly, but I can at least happily say that I'm not in it for the free books (although, I do get them occasionally) or to get my foot in door of the publishing world and the only meme I actively keep up is IMM. And in the few years our blog has been up, we've had less than 10 contests all together.
Honestly, if I didn't like talking about books so much then I wouldn't have kept this up so long – I have a very short attention span and get bored of things easily but I've kept up the book blogging thing. =P
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To say that book blogs are not promotional tools when there is no true way to track the sales made by blogs is ludicrous. I barely ever go to an authors website and I never link my reviews to their website. It's simply not helpful. What I do link to is goodreads. So if they had tracking tools there for the authors perhaps they'd see the direct result of blog buzz.
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I posted this on my blog:
I'm not sure how much insight I can add, but I wanted to say that, if I were to guess, I would guess that blogs and bloggers are very important to getting the word out about debut authors, and less well-known books. I think, in the overall scheme of things, they probably have very little impact on the sales of established authors or well-publicized books.
However, what bloggers are doing, that I think is a point that everyone is missing, is creating excitement and buzz for reading YA in general. Just take the book blogging world for example. A few years ago, there were (from what I've heard) a handful of book blogs. Over the past few years, the buzz and excitement created by those blogs has grown, expanded and is practically ready to burst at the seams now. I see this trend growing and growing. It's a snow-ball effect. The reason for this is community. People like to belong, they like to have friends and "family" that is interested in the same thing that they are. They like to talk about the things that they are into. And the more they talk about it, the more into it they get. I guarantee you that bloggers, followers, twitter users etc. buy ten times the amount of books than they would have if it weren't for the community. It spurs us on, it gets us excited, it moves us into action. Some of it is even competition driven. People want to have the most, they want to be the best, the want to know first. Yes, this can be annoying sometimes, but honestly, authors, publishers, and people who love books should be ECSTATIC about this. Why? Because in the end, it sells more books!
Here's my story with blogging. Before the Twilight series, I read NOTHING. Not just only a little here and there….seriously, nothing….ever. I completely fell in love with Twilight, and started wondering what else might be out there that I would like. I went to the library, and started picking up books randomly, but didn't really find any that I loved. I just had no way to know. So, I went where so many of the people in the world now go for information: The Internet. I started googling YA book reviews, and I came across a blog. At the time I didn't know it was a blog, because I had no concept of blogging. But I went on, left comments on reviews, and asked for suggestions of other great books. The people on this blog gave me some suggestions, which lead to more reading, which lead to wanting to share what I was reading with others, which led to starting my blog.
When I started this blog, I had no idea there were other book blogs out there. I actually started a website first, and then realized that a blog was more interactive. I went to the library, bought books at stores, and had no idea what an ARC was. After a couple of months, I began to realize that there was a whole book blogging world out there that I never knew existed, that I could talk to authors on Twitter and they would actually respond. This was incredible. The more I started reading blogs and chatting on Twitter, the more books I bought and reviewed. I can name 100 books that I never would have looked at twice if it hadn't been for review from other blogs. This community has turned reading books into living books. It's one thing to read a book and enjoy it. It's quite another to read it, share it, hear about it from others, and talk about how amazing it is with hundreds of other people who loved it as much as you did. And what does that make me want to do? Buy more books.
So, do book bloggers sell individual books? Sometimes. Do book bloggers sell books as a whole? Absolutely!
Andye
http://www.readingteen.net/2011/03/do-bloggers-sell-books.html -
It's noticeable to me that a great deal of the debate about Book bloggers' credibility stems from professionals (for example, lit. columnists employed by major newspapers, print and online); these people can hardly be unbiased, as they have most to lose from upcoming reviewers in terms of potential usurpation, and from the division of readership which results from a plethora of book blogs both amateur and professional. Along with the recent hardline legal ruling about book bloggers' receipt of review copies, it seems that vested interests – big business et al – have declared war on 'amateur' reviewers. In light of such organised and prejudiced attacks, I see absolutely no need for handwringing or introspection – let alone any feelings of self-doubt – on the part of bloggers.
It should be borne in mind that the work of the bloggers is invaluable to many fledgling authors, and many of us are truly grateful for the attention, encouragement and critical guidance the reviewers provide. It is a marvellous service, and no book blogger should doubt themselves or their hard work, which is very much appreciated by those who know that success is often the result of the teamwork between people.
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Thanks to both of you for doing this post. It can be scary to discuss taboo topics, but I am glad you did. It’s refreshing to hear author’s honest opinions.
I understand how frustrating it may be for authors to work with bloggers. Listening to publishers dismissing the blogging community and listening to fans beg for more blog interaction probably is chaotic. I am more inclined to buy a book from an author that seems friendly and personable with the bloggers than one that is not.
If it helps you Mystery Author – I think of the book blogging community as book clubbing. The same discussions that happen at my local book club happen online. For an introvert like me I am more comfortable with my “blogger book club”.
I do not purchase a book without checking reviews out that my fellow bloggers have made. 100 percent of the books I do buy are based off recommendations from the book blogging community. 90% of my purchases are done online. While the displays are nice, it is not what inclines me to purchase a book.
Lastly, I have great respect for authors. They have worked hard and achieved the dream of being published. They have created magical worlds of science, fantasy, mystery and love. The book friendships I have will last forever and will be introduced to my children and my children’s children. (Harry Potter, Katniss, Grace, Mercy, Jace, Clary, Meghan, ….) I am grateful for the adventures I find in books, for the authors that create them and the book bloggers that talk about them.
k.
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What an interesting post!
Very informative, and it's nice to see what's the author's perception. We can't assume all authors think the same, but it's still nice to have an insight.
I'm an international blogger, and living in a french community, with very limited & very expensive books when buying in book stores, I purchase my books online exclusively. The book I buy? I heard about them on twitter, on other blogs, by browsing publisher's catalogues.
So yes, internet really affects my reading. Actually, I wasn't reading before I found the whole blogging scene and started finding books I thought I might like.
One individual blogger might not make a HUGE difference in an author's sells, but I think we do make a difference.
I've been a book depository affiliate for 9 months (and let's be honest BD sells less than amazon) and people clicking links on my blog, bought for 2 125$ of books. And that's $$ of books bought right away from my blog, online, and I'm not a big blog. How many more saw the book on my blog and bought it later (so no sale credited to me) or at their local book store?
2k $ isn't that much in the big scheme of things, but if all book blogs create interest, even limited, we have an impact. -
Great post Kristi. I really enjoyed reading about two sides of the argument.
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Well, I didn't get through all the comments but I think Leah Clifford said it well. Maybe mostly bloggers read my blog, but my review may tip the scale for them to decide to buy it. Also, I'm the one the local Indie goes to for the YA recommendations each month. ALSO, when I read a book I love I spread the word to REAL LIFE people. So me liking a book will get my mom to buy it, both sisters (they all live in different states) and my sister in laws. In turn they share it with 5 people who 3 of which may go buy it because they don't have any other recommendations… etc etc. I know that when I read the Bloody Jack books I told my mom and the next thing I knew my entire family had bought the series plus my sister in laws families… and so it goes.
But I don't really know anything. I don't read up on all that crap, if my getting 40 people to buy a book really makes any difference. And apparently it's not much… which is terribly disappointing I have to say. But oh well. I love books and I love to share books and my thoughts on books. I buy FAR more books then I get for free. I rarely ever request books for review (mostly just for events) and so I don't really feel any guilt for my free books. The 20+ hrs a week I spend on my blog is mostly for me. Having people read it is a HUGE bonus.
Oh, and I HATE writing negative reviews. I put off posting them as long as possible. Sometimes I don't. But I have to finish a book in order to review it and if I really hate it then I don't finish it so then there's no review to write…
Anyway, this was a very interesting post. -
That's why I almost never read reviews for books I'm planning to review on my blog. Even though I know I'm not going to intentionally copy someone else's opinion, it is hard to see past what they've pointed out to form an unbiased one. This was really interesting to read Kristi!
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As a writer, I'm embarrassed by the arrogance displayed by 'Author X'. Remarks like this are a disgrace:
'You know what? If we had blogs when I was a teenager, I totally would have had one. But I wonder how many of these kids will look back on them in five years and say "Oh my god, I can't believe I wrote that" like we all do with our diaries.'
As interesting as the post undoubtably is, it reads like a mere forum for author complaints about bloggers he/she considers to be little better than freeloaders and culturally-ignorant hobbyists. A little humility wouldn't go amiss.
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From the perspective of a reader, I can definitely say that the number of book purchases I have made have gone up since I began reading book blogs. At least 85% of the books I've bought in the past month have been the result of a review I read on a book blog. Book blogs have rejuvenated my interest in genres I have drifted away from, as well. I eventually became a blogger, myself, because I love books and wanted an outlet for all of my enthusiasm. Are ARCs nice? Sure, but that's not why I started blogging. I'm still a new book blogger, but my enthusiasm is all for the books just waiting for me to stumble upon them and read them. I didn't get into all of this to land "free" books or snag a job in the publishing industry. I simply like to read books and write about them. Otherwise, I wouldn't have become a literature major. If I help promote a book: great, I'm glad. If not, that's okay, too. For me, blogging is an extension of my passion in life. That's my two cents on the subject.
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So, book blogs aren't doing much for overall book sales. Who cares when it has thousands of teens discussing books on a daily basis.
I'm personally very thankful for the book blogging community for bringing so many wonderful titles to my attention, I distinctly remember purchasing Anna and the French Kiss late last year because so many of my fave bloggers raved about it.
I think we've all figured out the readers of book blogs each have a book blog of their own because it's such an easy thing to do in the beginning but those blogs that are still running when the review copies die out, which we all know is going to happen sooner rather than later, will have my full attention.
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An addendum to my earlier comment…
I was at Barnes & Noble tonight and I walked by a teenager who had just picked The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson off the shelf. This is a book I read based on all the fabulous blog reviews. I practically leaped at her telling her how wonderful it was. "It'll make you cry…there's a really great romance." I also took the book from her and flipped through it to show her the poems at the beginning of each chapter and how the visual is part of the art. She and her mom were quite impressed and she took it with her to buy.
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I can only speak for myself, but I know I've purchased and read many books that I've learned of through book blogs. I wouldn't have known about them otherwise. I then tell other people about them online and off. I give many books and ARCs away in giveaways, mostly at my own expense, and I do my best to promote authors and their work.
I had no idea there was a controversy going on about book blogging. I often get unsolicited requests from authors and their publicists offering books, ARCs, giveaways, interviews etc.
I do my best to run a fun, enjoyable and informative blog. So far, no one has complained…thank goodness
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Not to sound completely stupid, but I don't understand. How will book blogging ruin one's chance of being a published author? Just because those authors' important buddies in the business won't like it if a book blogger said something mean or negative about their books? This is really concerning me. Something I might actually give up blogging for.
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@ Critica: in reference to this interview excerpt…
'Me: I see that too. but I think that if you are a good writer, it won't matter if you were/are a blogger. Or at least I would hope.
AUTHOR X: Up to a point. But if you were a really negative blogger that had bashed all of an agents clients, that agent is probably going to be warier of you than he or she would be if they'd never heard of you. It's hard to talk about this stuff without sounding like I'm discouraging bloggers from being honest, but if you're planning to be an author…well, you never know who you'll end up on a panel with!'
The above is merely common sense, really, rather than any truly pertinent insight. And after all, very few bloggers are agenda-driven nor make a habit of wilfully trashing books/authors; one would hope that agents would have the wisdom to judge submissions and queries on their literary merit and not because of blog posts. Don't let such comments put you off blogging.
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Wow. I have to say that I have only been into book blogs and book blogging since early October of 2010 but it has greatly impacted the reading and purchasing of books in MY household. I buy a large number of books based on positive or interesting reviews of books on blogs. If the book is good, My husband will read it too. And he tends to talk those books up at work. Prior to book blogging- I stuck to my favorite long standing series' or books I was given as a gift. It has also lead me to be more active in regards to my local library which is a small town library with a very spotty collection. I think book blogs can cause great things to happen for books and authors.
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This was fantastic and so informative!! Thank you both!
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This is interesting food for thought. Thank you to Kristi, Author X, and all of the people who left comments.
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I started my blog to include more technology in my classroom, but this past summer I decided to step it up and review the books I read. I'm a huge YA advocate, and every book I read and buy goes directly to my classroom for my students. Whenever I add a new book, I booktalk it with my students so they can decide if they'd like to read it. Making my blog a book review blog was a way to step up my booktalks. I blog because I love talking about books, but I mostly blog for my students.
I believe that blogs sell books because when I first started reviewing books, I was spent a lot of time reading other blogs. I bought Hex Hall after reading a blog review. It's now one of my favorite books and I'm reading it to my students. I know my reviews have sold at least a few books because my students have gone out and bought books after reading my reviews (they told me as much). I stay connected with friends from college who are also teachers. When this topic first came up, I posted on Facebook asking if any of them have bought a book after reading my reviews. Many of them said they have. Blogs help and word of mouth helps even more.
On the Class of 2K11 blog, my students were the students polled about how they choose books etc. As much as I love blogging, I have to admit that I wasn't surprised when they overwhelmingly answered "No" to the question about whether they follow blogs. When I first tell my students about my blog they look at me with confused faces. Most of my students won't use Twitter too. I don't know why this is. So I can agree with Author X on some parts.
On the issue of negative reviews, I write them. I don't write many negative reviews because I usually won't keep reading a book if I don't like it, although that's rare. If I do write a negative review, I will still include some positives because it's not very often that I dislike everything about a book. I certainly don't like the idea of hurting an author's feelings, but it's my blog and I'm going to be honest. It ruins my credibility if I'm not. And when it comes to my students, they want to read a book more when I tell them I didn't like it!
Great post, Kristi!
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Thanks for that great post! I'm a former bookseller and I just can't stop recommending books–it doesn't feel right if I stop telling people about them, especially when there are so many great books coming out right now! That's why I blog, and I hope authors perceive that from the way I write my reviews. Well, that's also why I post so few–because I take so darn long to write them, agonizing over every word! I have some co-bloggers now and that helps keep our content flowing on the blog. It's hard to shut us up once we get started discussing YA.
I do enjoy the free books, but when I get a book that just ROCKS I end up buying one or two and sometimes 3 copies–for myself and bookwormy friends–hence I do buy more annually than I receive free. I've got the Borders Bucks to prove it
The BEST thing about arcs is when they truly come in advance; being able to help a good author boost their first-week sales is important to me as a former book-slinger.Thanks for the feedback, Author X!
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What a great blog post – and a great idea! I found both sides of the argument interesting. Honestly, I've only had my book blog a couple of months – but I really haven't seen any drama or bashing. The only bashing I have seen is on Goodreads! I think book blogs are great. So many of the books I buy were purchased because of reviews I've read on other blogs. My to-be-read list has gotten HUGE since discovering the world of book-blogging. There are a lot of books out there that I wouldn't have heard about otherwise. I have been buying books a lot more online lately – so I wouldn't say that store displays are what gets me to buy a book.
Also, tons of bloggers spend their own money on giveaways and don't expect free books. I know that when I've found an author that I like, I am happy to promote them without anything in return. A lot of bloggers DO hold a lot of giveaways – but it is for fun. If blogs weren't fun, there wouldn't be as much traffic.
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Thank you both for this post.
Personally, I have bought a lot more books since I began blogging and following other book bloggers. I rarely (if ever) buy a book purely because of one or two positive reviews — my decision is based on a mixture of recommendations and summaries. However, what I get out of book blogs is exposure to titles I'd never have known otherwise — and that, I think, is more important than anything else.
It's difficult, perhaps impossible, to judge blog's reviews' effect on sales. I doubt book reviews drive the significant portion of sales for most novels. However, they can definitely help, especially for debut authors.
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I would say that bloggers do help the market. Heck half the the so called tables that are selling books in the stores are organized the correct way. Today in fact I went to the teen section at Borders (one that isn't closing) and I could not find a copy of Wither (which I'm getting thanks to all the blogger reviews I have read)in the new teen books. I had to search through half the store before I found it mixed in with the new adult hardcovers! Bookstores sell the books but walk around a bookstore sometime, they are not all that organized anymore when I walk around constantly reshelving items. I think bloggers do help sell books. Maybe not just one blogger in particular but the combined efforts of all bloggers that give great, well thought out, honest reviews.
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Wow! As a new blogger I have to say I wasn't aware that there was such controversy in the book blogging world – and am totally surprised by it! In fact, I only recently discovered there WAS a book blogging world – I was aware of a few book blogs before I started mine but certainly didn't realise just how many there were.
I started mine because, like a few others have mentioned, I LOVE discussing books that I read and don't get the opportunity to do this much in real life. I thought a blog would be a great way of getting my thoughts out there and hopefully connecting with other book lovers as a result. It was really fun to start with but I must say after coming across a few posts about this "controversy" it is a bit off-putting. I'm just so shocked that people actually blog for free books and so on… that possibility seriously never even entered my mind before I saw other people blog about it. As for whether bloggers influence sales, that too never entered my mind – as I said, the idea behind my blog was to discuss books, and if I inspire others to read them, great, but that's certainly not what I set out to do.
I am a writer and do hope to get into novel-writing one day, and the idea that my blogging about my love of books (even if I don't love EVERY book) would hinder that is a bit frightening. Again, it's not something I had considered before and it is worrying!
I guess it's disappointing that there is this kind of drama out there – isn't this whole community supposed to be about sharing a love of books?! That's what I hoped for with my blog anyway… I'm going to try and focus on that and forget about the rest. -
WoW what an insightful post and awesome comments. Great discussion.
I guess the problem that we are not taking serious (bloggers I mean..) is that there is not goo measure about the sales.
I take myself as an example: I read lots of blogs and some blogger I trust instantly with their rec's. So if this blogger tells me about the love for book Y I keep that in mind. Next time I'm on amazon I go and buy the book. But like this no one knows how and why I bought this book in the end although in the end it was a Blogger that made me buy this book.
Do I make sense?Plus, take the snowball effect (which again cannot be measured) I buy the book because of Blogger 1, I love alas write a post on my Blog, maybe 2 people trust my judgment and recommend it further, and so on and on.
Those 2 people might either buy it online later or go into their local store and buy the book – but again no track records for me and the other blogger.I read tons of times in my comments "Gosh you sound so excited I need to read that book" and if only a few of them realyl go and buy it – wow that's wonderful?
All I want to say is that a bloggers influence is just not easy to be measured but this doesn't mean we are not important.
I for myself bought tons of books just because I saw them on other blogs and I'm most definitely not alone.
One more thing I'd love to add, go and ask Indie authors about Book Bloggers, I'm pretty sure they would tell you how important a Book Blogger is for their publicity. But that's another topic…
Well, now my comment got longer than intended. Thanks Kristi and thanks a lot to Author X for giving us so much to think about
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It bugs me when I hear things like book blogger influence is a drop in the bucket. There's no way to know how far one blogger's reach extends, let alone an entire community of us and, as some pointed out, all of those people that we've reached that then spread the word on and on. VIRAL. Word of mouth has ALWAYS been the best way to sell a thing, and it always will be. I couldn't care less what some critic thinks of a book. I care what my FRIENDS think about a book. And my friends, tangible and virtual, are online.
To believe the majority of people don't get their book information online is ignorant of the world today. I don't know a person who isn't online. Everyone I've interacted with in the past 10 years goes online for information before they go anyplace else for it.
Google isn't just a search engine. It's a freaking verb. Google it. If I want to look up a book review? I Google it. If I want to find a list of recommended YA Summer reads? I Google it. If I want to find authors similar to X or books similar to Y? I freaking Google it. I look on Goodreads. I ask Facebook. I tweet about it. I read reviews on Amazon. And guess what? Bloggers are all over those sites. We're not confined to our blog URL. We're posting our reviews all over the damn place and plastering the internet with our opinions. There's a reason that things posted on the internet go viral. It's because the whole world sees them. When people want information, they look online.
I don't see Amazon filing for Chapter 11, bouncing employee checks, unsuccessfully searching for a buyer, or going out of business (no offense to brick-and-mortar stores – it's just a fact). People are ONLINE. Yeah, they browse around bookstores. Sometimes they pick up something off of one of the front display tables and maybe they'll buy it. But I bet most of them are there to grab something that they read about online or that someone told them about.
"But the people who are looking this stuff up online are readers who use the internet"? Shouldn't that be a target demographic, since it's the readers who read and the entire population of the developed world that is online?
Most books are not displayed prominently in stores. Marketing teams should start focusing on the spines since that's all people see of most books in a bookstore. This is not the case online. There are two recent releases in particular that I cannot find anywhere locally. I'd never know they existed if it weren't for online promotion on blogs and book sites. Browsing in a store, your title+book have to be eye-catching to get noticed. Then the description has to hold interest. Then I must decide if I'm willing to risk $20 on this info alone. Online, I have a plethora of resources contributing to my decision of whether my $20 will be well spent or wasted. Online promotion has unlimited, global reach.
To say that bloggers only cater to other bloggers is a moot point. Bloggers should be a target demographic. Bloggers buy more books than any other reader I have ever met. I don't ask for ARCs. I get them sometimes from contests. I read e-galleys. I often end up purchasing the book afterward. My husband bought me a huge new bookcase at Christmas, and it's already overfull and double stacked. I bought all of those books because bloggers and other online friends sold them to me with their enthusiasm.
It seems to me that some authors have been rubbed the wrong way by a few bloggers and are now attempting to dismiss all bloggers, then rationalizing it by saying we don't help them much anyway, other than to provide them with meaningless fun and entertainment from time to time, of course!
"What great fun it is to answer those interview questions even though free online publicity offers me miniscule benefits! What's instant worldwide viral word of mouth done for me aside from sell 5 books?!" Sorry, but I'm calling BS.
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What a fabulous interview! I really enjoyed the push back all the way through. It's interesting that we clearly have one strong perception as bloggers (Obvi… we're bloggers! We're a little biased in how much we value the blogosphere) while Author X clearly has the sales data to back up the other perspective! Fascinating.
I love that s/he articulated over and over again that there's no substitute for great content. Giveaways and memes do not create a stellar blog! There are a few that I'll drop everything and read (like FYA and write meg!, just to name a couple) because their content is so darn fabulous.
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I'm fairly new to the blogger scene (less than 2 months). I have been an avid reader my entire life. I am having a blast blogging my books. I started it as a meaningful way to keep track of my books read – for me.
I'll say I like blogging memes very much. I meet so many people this way and see so many blogs I would not have otherwise seen. I review everything I read but that is only going to be 2 books a week. The memes are my way to stay active on my blog every day.
As a tie in to "In My Mailbox", I have 40 books recently purchased and waiting to be read that I bought only because of book blogger recommendations. I do think the book bloggers have an impact on sales.
I thought the interview very informative and I thank Kristi and Author X for their willingness to discuss this topic.
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Yes because I link the author website in every single review I write.
Straight-up, I am way too lazy to do that, so of course you aren't seeing hits from my blog.
And gosh, my blog is so totally not on the google, so I have never ever ever gotten any search engine hits. I mean, good lord the people around me don't even know what the internet is!
Not only that but I have never ever ever posted a review on Amazon or Goodreads or Librarything because I live in a bubble.
Yup. A bubble. I also never ever talk about books in real life.
Give me a break.
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Great post with good points all around. I love bloggers and consider myself one, though I'm an author too. It's fun to be involved in this book blogging world, and i I try to keep that in mind always. Love this discussion.
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Great post and interview indeed.
I find writing negative reviews the hardest to write because I want to be respectful and give readers enough to still make their own decision.
I have stopped following blogs that have giveaways, memes but not many reviews or book discussion.
I'm glad i'm not a teen anymore and can escape the drama.
Bloggers are amazing to me, I have bought a ton of books because of blogger reviews and I also buy ebooks that are over $10 if I want it so think that ebooks will eventually start adding to the beneficial costs for authors.
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Oh, how I wish I had the imagination to come up with great debate posts like this one. I'm so envious(in a good way!) of Kirsti and other bloggers who write such excellent posts that create debate in the book blogging community.
I personally think it's weird that the author thinks that blogs aren't selling books. I can only speak for myself but I have bought loads of books based on other bloggers reviews
I have one person in my life that I can talk books with and that is my younger sister, so for me blogging is a great way to reach other book lovers and hear what they have to say about books. It's sad not to be able to talk with any one about the books that you've read(for me at least).
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I used to want physical ARCs but now e-ARCs are preferred. I do wish it were easier to get them as non-pdfs for Kindle which still has terrible pdf programming, and bringing the IPad to the gym – not happening.
I have to say that I do read books because of other bloggers. Especially series. Chloe Neill is a good example.
I find it hard to write negative reviews but I do it. I am not here to pander to authors or publishers. My audience is the people who follow the blog.
I specifically do not require contest followers because they are not who read my reviews, news or commentary posts.
I don't know if individually we sell a lot of books. As an aggregate though we create a lot of buzz. If I go thru my roll and I see author X 25 times I am going to check author X. Let's not forget that as a form of promotion, we are much less expensive than nearly anything else.
And, as far as stats go: authors might not be interested but publishers, agents and publicists are always looking. Page views is more important than followers. I often think bloggers are the dog chasing its own tail.
Also, books don't garner nearly as much interest as TV shows and movies. True Blood posts are apparently nectar to the blogging hummingbird.
And, sometimes off topic stuff pulls in a bunch of comments.
Virtual book tours are a great way for an author to garner buzz at the least possible cost.
Also, if you love blogging and treat it as a professional would treat any other form of journalism then you will eventually get respect and following.
There is almost always something good to say about the worst book. Even if it is only how nice the cover is.
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According to Author X, it appears I'm a bit of an anomaly because I tend to buy roughly 75% of the books I do based on blog posts (and I buy a ton of books, both standard and e-book). I'm not a book blogger (I write about music), but I find these sorts of blogs as excellent exposure of books I may be interested in. Having three small kids means I no longer have the luxury of being able to browse a book store at my leisure. Book blogs give me the info I need when I have the time to look.
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There's so many things I disagree with this author about…
First of all, it is not the bloggers' job to sell books. That is the job of the publisher – the publicity, sales and marketing teams. We shouldn't have to feel like we're not doing a very good job if someone doesn't buy a book after we've recommended it. That is not what book blogging is about. I originally started my blog to post book photography. I had previously only posted my reviews privately and then about six months later, on Goodreads. I didn't do it with the intention of affecting people's opinions but because I enjoy it. We are not booksellers.
However, there is not always a way of telling where book sales are coming from. Does the sales assistant ask the customer why they're buying a book? Does Amazon email every customer to ask where they heard about the book? No. You can't tell whether book blogs create sales but that doesn't mean you can assume they don't (and that they don't affect the market). I would say, personally, that I get the large majority of my book recommendations from the Internet – other book blogs, discussions and messages from my blog followers, and general browsing. I can't even remember the last time I bought a book because of an offline recommendation or from an article on an "official" website. I also have received many messages from people thanking me for recommending a book because they loved it. Many.
I'm guessing this author would not consider me as a proper book blog because I'm not constantly talking about books publicly. I mainly post photos, with the occasional recommendation, and a review after I've finished a book. Just because I don't write a long, insightful book post every day doesn't mean I don't like books, and it doesn't mean I run a substandard, inferior blog.
I imagine it would be different on Bloggers, WordPress etc but Tumblr is very different. Perhaps on those blogging platforms you only get bloggers reading, but that is the completely opposite on Tumblr. People are able to get to know about, and follow, blogs without running one themselves. I would say 99% of my followers do not run book blogs – I know this because I try to follow *all* book blogs on Tumblr and it's very few compared to my followers. Tumblr is also very different in the sense that people really do follow because they want to. I've only hosted 2 giveaways in a year and 3 months. People aren't following with the hope of getting free books. They're following mainly because I post book photography (and they love books!) as well as liking my recommendations, quotes, reviews, etc.
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One of the reasons I got my current publishing internship was because the publisher was impressed that I had significant knowledge of social networking and was actually able to demonstrate a love of books. I had something to show for it. Everyone in publishing has a CV that states they love reading but at least I could show I meant it. I believe I am in a much better position because of my blog.
I'd like to know what the author considers an unintelligent review… I sometimes read and review books that I are way out of my comfort zone (e.g. historical fiction, science) about but that doesn't make me unintelligent if I decide I didn't like them that much, it just means I refuse to limit myself to one genre and sometimes it doesn't always end happily. I may not like every book I read but that's not equal to being unintelligent.
Also from experience, I haven't found myself saying something because other bloggers have said it. Ever. And I don't honestly believe that is the case for the majority of bloggers.
At the end of the day, I don't consider myself a book reviewer. It's not my main priority, but I deserve just as much respect as someone who is. The publicists who view bloggers negatively are wrong (to put it simply) and hopefully (as an aspiring book publicist) I will be able to change that attitude some day.
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@Jenny What an awesome comment! I agree with you on all points!
I also agree with the person who said bloggers' job isn't to sell books. In fact blogging isn't a job since we aren't paid for it. We do it because we love books, not because we should sell books, even though I always suggest my readers to buy book X when I loved it. And I'm sure the majority of us review more books we buy than books we got for free.
And speaking of free books, when I read an ARC and love the book, I go out and buy the finished copy to encourage the author. I'm not gonna read the finished copy since I already read the book, but I want to support the author, and keep a copy in my collection. And I'm sure I'm not the only one. -
I'm an author, and I'm only speaking for myself, but here's my take:
Generally, I love book bloggers. I think it's wonderful that there are people so excited about books that they spend hours writing about them and talking about them. It was a blogger who first put up my book covers on Goodreads. Bloggers have come to some of my live book events. I think all this is fun and exciting and I hope everyone who's participating is having fun doing it.
For the most part, book blogs are not for authors (except in the sense that we are also readers, and I've read books based on some blog reviews I've seen!). But what I mean is that a blog review should be aimed at the blog's audience, the general reader. As the author, I am not going to go around reading every single thing every single person says about my book, nor am I going to take anyone to task for expressing their own opinion about it. I'm happy to answer questions, join chats, give interviews, respond to email, if invited–but I know that your blog is not all about pleasing me and I'm not going to jump in and tell you how to run it.
About review and giveaway copies, it is nice when people remember that authors receive very few free copies. Once those are gone, the only copies we have are those we buy ourselves. Sometimes our publishers have review copies, but those are also limited. I'm never offended by a polite request for a review or giveaway copy, but I appreciate people's understanding when I can't fulfill it.
Keep reading and blogging and above all, enjoy it!
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Well, maybe its because I'm a reader and blogger outside the US but for me book blogs are invaluable.
It takes a lot of time, effort and money to READ outside the US, and when I started to buy books online- the only way they are truly available to me – I spent hours and hours scouting the internet trying to find synopsis, excerpts, reviews and recommendations.
I simply couldn't afford to buy a book, pay lots in shipping and then end up not liking the book, so it took me forever to decide to try a new author (particularly before The Book Depository showed up).
Book bloggers changed that, since they made tons of different opinions readily available, and over time I have found bloggers with similar tastes to mine whom I know I can trust with their recs to match my tastes.
I'm quite simply beyond most promotional efforts made offline, because I'm not even there to see them. And I'm not even talking about Giveaways – it's rare I can enter those anyway – I just mean adds in general.
And, as a blogger, I try to talk about all type of book-related things of the genres I love (announcements, covers, discussions, excerpts) because that's the kind of thing I was forever looking for. And I try to keep my reviews coherent and fun, even though I admit my rating system is completely subjective to how much I enjoyed a book (regardless of the subject matter) and how likely is that I will re-read.
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Don't worry, folks – if I ever have the misfortune to be 'on a panel' with Author Z, I promise to beat them about the head with ARC's of varying genres.
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"But they’re still a lot more likely to hear about a book from, say an article in EW than a book blog"
Really? Because 95% of the time, books I buy are based on Blogs advertising upcoming & new releases, in addition to their reviews. I don't even know what EW is, but I'm going to assume it's an American magazine publication, and being in the UK I wouldn't ever read an article in that. Additionally, I think I've only ever visited around 5 or 6 Author websites – so I'm not sure in what way Author X believes the hits she gets is relative to the puchases blogs have encouraged. Further, I'm a reader who visits blogs – I'm not a blogger in the slightest. I find the dismissive attitude Authors seem to have about the buzz/interest/promotion Bloggers can provide to be just downright insulting. Yes there are some bad bloggers, there are some good ones and there are those in between. But honestly, without blogs I'd not have the TBR pile I have now – and I certainly wouldn't have the wishlist that continues to grow. The fact is, Author Interviews, Giveaways and Blogger Reviews are what I use to find the books I want to purchase – practically nothing else. I have no local bookshop and the library is barely deserving of the name. My bookshelves are filled with Blogger promoted & reviews paperbacks, delivered by Amazon & The Book Depository.
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Great discussion. I love book bloggers. I appreciate all the time you spend reading and writing about books. And you do it mostly for free. I love finding about new books from bloggers. And as an aspiring author, I appreciate the buzz it can create in at least some people who love books.
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Natalie said it best, I think. Author X's views are not representative of most writers' opinions, especially those of fledgling/rising authors.
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I think Author X should heed some of her own advice, telling bloggers not to review after only reading one page. Not all bloggers are the same, and there are hundreds of us.
I don't blog for free books. When I began my blog (to get back into writing about literature after completing my Master's degree in English literature) I just wanted to participate in a community devoted to talking about something I loved – reading.
Also – I have many non-blogging friends. When I review a book, my friends and family talk to me about it even if they don't comment. They also come to me for recommendations and send others. There may be no quantitative method for tracking how many books sell from bloggers, but again, that's not my job. That's the publisher/marketers' job and the job of the author him or herself.
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As a new blogger (well, new BOOK blogger) I have to say that I think book blogs DO make a difference in sales – I know I for one have seen blog after blog after blog review the same book and come to the conclusion "wow, if everyone is loving this book I need to see what's so great about it too!"
Do I do memes and giveaways? Yes, I do a couple memes and I have decided to do one or 2 giveaways a month (when I'm able.) For a new blogger the memes help me network with other blog members and meet new people, people who I hope I can build a friendship with. Giveaways, I like doing giveaways because it brings in new potential readers to my blog who might not know it even exists (like I said, I'm new) and for all of my giveaways I never DEMAND anyone to "follow" me in order to enter, I want them to follow me because they like my site and want to read more of what I have to say.
Also, about posting negative reviews – I have yet to post a bad review on my blog, but I am literally DREADING the day I have to do so. I hate giving bad reviews, especially because I know the author took so much time writing the book. However, I don't understand how authors can think that people look at other reviews and only post accordingly – if other bloggers have good reviews, they will post a good review, if others have posted a bad review they will do the same?? Really? How do authors know that? I haven't seen that happen anywhere. In fact, the only reviews I've seen have been extremely professional and even if they were only mediocre there were reasons given for why they didn't think the book was for them. Basically, I don't see how ANYONE can know if someone holds a review back or something – are authors somehow in on the inside scoop on blogger posting behavior to know that?
Frankly, I didn't realize there was drama between authors and bloggers, all the interactions between the two groups I've seen has been positive.
I also get ARCs from netgalley and I actually got emailed by an author last night asking me to review her book. I have so many books on my plate right now that I had to be honest with her and let her know it might not be several months until I could get to her book to read. I'm not in it for free books, free books are a PERK – yes, but if you have a nice site and are interested in getting to know other bloggers and really participate in this community – you realize REALLY FAST how much WORK goes into this hobby.
Just my opinion
I've enjoyed reading everyone all the comments. Great discussion, thanks Author X and Kristi for doing this, it's been enlightening.
April @ My Shelf Confessions
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This was a great discussion and it was interesting to see what an author's point of view on bloggers were. I liked the honesty of it. I will add this however and I'm a little nervous because I don't want to toot a horn or anything *blushes* but I really do think bloggers help promote book sales. It may not be directly via a blog post but as a blogger I also facebook and tweet and talk with others. I recently reread the Fever series by Karen Moning. I mentioned my obsession with the books to someone with a book club – that series went through over 100 people (that's a low number too) ALL 6 books. Since then, through my recommendations, the club has embraced 4-5 more authors and their series. This totally excites me because isn't this what it's all about – sharing our passions for others. It really makes me giddy being told someone will read a book and actually do it because they feel I haven't lead them wrong. My efforts in celebrating romance and the paranormal (my genre of choice) may not make huge dinks in the bank but I think I help. *sigh* gosh this was a ramble. I just wanted to share that sure, in some cases some bloggers/blogs make small differences (I think all help even if it's just planting the authors name into the mind of a future reader) but there are alot of us that do have an influence and it shouldn't be overlooked *grins* Happy reading everyone!
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Wow. I am marveled by the thought that authors don't think book blogs help their sales at all. Since I recently discovered the massive amounts of book blogs that do exist, I have never bought so many book! I ask for recommendations, then go out and buy them! I read reviews and when a review says something like "You HAVE to have this book!" or "I would marry this book if I could", I am on my way to Chapters to get that feeling myself.
I assumed it would be amazing for an author to see how many people love and want to discuss their book — how many book lovers there really are. Teen authors especially. I have never seen a group of readers as dedicated as those for young adult novels! For instance, I read The Story Siren every morning, I learn about all the new books that are coming out, I write them on my calender and I go get them the day they are released!
As a book lover, blogs such as this one warm my heart. Reading about how captivated people are by books makes me feel like true imagination still exists. That words still have that enthralling power. It always amazes me =)
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I'm going to disagree with Author X on a lot of their points. Like Pam, I am talking about books just as much offline as I am online. I run a teen reading and writing group with a friend. I help run a library book club. My friend is a high school English teacher, and refers kids to my blog for book recommendations. Actually, I can think of at least 3 teachers and librarians that I know have given my business card to teens that are looking for more to read.
For those blogs that are "unprofessional" and "just do giveaways," I'm not sure why we are still wasting our time on them. Their readership will eventually fade out. There are unprofessional people in every industry. They embarrass us all, but to continue to talk about them only gives them more of a platform to continue to do their crap.
"Authors complain about the blog scene as a whole a LOT when we get together (believe me)"
I certainly hope that isn't true. Because you are doing yourself a disservice by doing so. I know I work hard at my blog, and I'd be very insulted if I knew that authors that I was working so hard for (for free!) were bashing me behind my back.
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What a Book Blogger did for Me:
Yesterday, my first book (a novella) was the subject of a very kind and insightful review from Majanka Verstraete of I Heart Reading. While Majanka appeared to enjoy the book, she also hinted at some problems which have been bothering me for quite a while. Because of her comments, I've now found the solutions I've been seeking and am well on the way to making my book a full-length novel; hopefully, this extended work might attract an agent someday. So, I'm extremely grateful to Majanka for highlighting the areas which gave me concern, and for inspiring me to resolve the problems. This is just one example of how incredibly valuable a book blogger can be to a writer.
I Heart Reading:
http://booklog.eternalised.net/ -
Great Interview!! I have also noticed that the best blogs tend to be the least popular ones. All the "popular" blogs all post about the same thing.
I am not sure about how much impact bloggers have. I started blogging because all my friends would ask me what book I an reading and what I thought of it. I know some have bought books because of that but I do not proclaim to be able to sell to make a profit.
I can finally see what authors think about the whole book blogging scene. I am sad many stay away because of the "bad" book blogs but now I can understand why. -
Great post. Both of you spoke about it a sane and thoughtful manner; more than I can say about other rants I've seen/heard.
AS I pointed out in another blog…although I receive coutnless arcs, I now buy more books than I ever have before, based on reviews I'm reading on OTHER book bloggers' sites.
Maybe I don't affect the market with my blog, but like many other people, I write about books because I love them. And because this book blogging community helps me stay sane.
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Great post. Both of you spoke about it a sane and thoughtful manner; more than I can say about other rants I've seen/heard.
AS I pointed out in another blog…although I receive coutnless arcs, I now buy more books than I ever have before, based on reviews I'm reading on OTHER book bloggers' sites.
Maybe I don't affect the market with my blog, but like many other people, I write about books because I love them. And because this book blogging community helps me stay sane.
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This is an awesome interview – thank you for giving the entire community pause to think about these points. All of these points are really important, and I think a good chunk of book bloggers don't really consider them.
I've written a semi-response/editorial here: http://witchoftheatregoing.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/your-daily-moment-of-zen-why-i-blog-about-books-why-i-want-to-write/
For what it's worth, I guess.
Usagi
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This is an awesome interview – thank you for giving the entire community pause to think about these points. All of these points are really important, and I think a good chunk of book bloggers don't really consider them.
I've written a semi-response/editorial here: http://witchoftheatregoing.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/your-daily-moment-of-zen-why-i-blog-about-books-why-i-want-to-write/
For what it's worth, I guess.
Usagi
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How NOT to treat a book blogger:
http://booksandpals.blogspot.com/2011/03/greek-seaman-jacqueline-howett.html#comments
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I'm not sure how I missed this post!
I like that you two were able to discuss this in a civilized manner. You didn't always agree with each other, but both sides brought up good points.
Thanks for posting this!
Jennifer of Little Shelf
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it's much of a muchness. Just because people read a blog doesn't mean they are going to buy the said book from an online outlet. And, not all people who read blogs neccesarily have an account. The number of books given out to reviewers probably nearly counteracts sales generated for it, but in the end it's another good word put out into the universe and in the long run may give them more sales for newer books.
And on the whole "bloggers as authors" thing- i don't think it really matters. If they go under an annonymous name, than the publisher wouldn't neccesarily know the author was a blogger and i think it is a very small amount of popularity granted to even effect sales or the chance of publishing at all.
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Blogs can be promotional tool, but remember, it’s not the main objective on why people start book blogging in the first place. I blog because I love books and I would love to connect with other book lovers.
If we review something, it’s more of a buying guide, not a promotional post. We are reviewers/bloggers, not an endorser.
Just to tell you the truth, I don’t blog for free books, and I don’t care about ARC. Assuming book bloggers are that cheap is kind of naive.
Citra recently posted..Review : Exiled by RaShelle Workman
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Forgot to say that this is a good post so we can see the opinions of the “two worlds”
Citra recently posted..Review : Exiled by RaShelle Workman
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