Being behind on most things I’m only now reading about the Book Blogging panel at BEA. Really, this post has been coming for a while, because I’ve encountered many of these questions before. But I think I’m finally going to tackle some of these things today.
Myth 1: I blog as a hobby, not as a professional.
I believe that professional is a mindset more than an income level or a set of accomplishments. You can be a professional without making money at what you do (and likewise can make lots of money and not be a professional.) Professional is attitude, demenor and presentation.
That said, I book blog because I love books. Absolutely adore them, and almost everything about them. I book blog because writing reviews helps keep me writing. It lets me share my opinions with people, but more so it forces me to read outside my limits, and forces me to better analyse what I read, which in turn helps me make my own writing pro level.
I strive to be professional with my reviews, which is why I avoid snark and avoid overly positive reviews. Every time I come across a truly bad book I struggle, and invariably my husband gets asked “Should I review this truthfully, or just decline to review it?” and” Does this sound negative, but not snarky or mean?”
I try to stay on a schedule when posting my reviews and try to vary between small press and large press and a variety of genres. I don’t take books I’m not at least mildly interested in. The very, very few negative reactions I’ve had to my reviews have been personal and I have tried very, very hard to keep them out of the public eye.
I try to the best of my ability (which does change as I get better at it) to be professional on BookLove (and pro casual elsewhere) because I consider it a job, an obligation. And yes, my ulterior motive is that I hope I am building up an audience so when I have my own published books to promote I have people to reach out to instead of starting from nothing.
Myth #2 Long Time Blogs are better than new blogs.
Not at all. The audience on the net are always looking for something new and different. You never really know what they’ll be reading next.
This comes down to a personal choice, but my opinion is go for the blogs you like. Go for the ones you want to see your book on. Go for the reviewers you think will like your book, or whose review style you like. Go for the people who can whip up excitement around a book. Which brings me to…
Myth #3 Book Blogs are useless.
Book blogs fall into one of the basic levels of publicity. They work as word of mouth (which is the PR level: Raise awareness than your book exists.) only they are a special kind of word of mouth because the conversation is not just frozen in time where it happens, but it is typically accessible to everyone, any time. That text equivalent of “Hey I read this book…” blogs can become active conversations between book lovers, or they can be overhead conversations listened to by people who are less involved or outgoing, but who spend money just the same.
Book Blogs, online reviews and online book conversations are the best kind of word of mouth, the kind that isn’t vocalized only to fade away as soon as the conversation moves to another topic.
Myth #4 Comments mean a book blog is a healthy one.
Not true. Again, refer to the above point. Blogs aren’t just conversations, they are overheard conversations. Not everyone who listens to a conversation puts in their own two cents. Sometimes they have nothing to say. Sometimes the blogger says it better. I’d say both counts when it comes to book reviews on blogs, because these potential readers are looking for recommendations, and when you are looking for recommendations you listen more than you contribute. Dialog usually only happens when multiple people have already had shared or similar experiences (such having already read the book, or books by the author). Dialog is great to have on a blog, but the real point is raising awareness of the book and drumming up some interest for it. If the book sounds good to the reader then the proper response isn’t always a comment, it’s the reader going and buying the book.
Myth #5 Book bloggers just want free books.
I want to say something like “Well who doesn’t?” or “Are you kidding me?” but both would be taken wrong. Yes, there are people out there who think reviewing gets them free books. I think they either lose that attitude real fast or get over it. Because reviewing is work. It can kill a desire to read.
The truth is you don’t get the books you want, you get the books authors, editors and publishers want to be read. In my first myth I mentioned that book blogging has pushed my boundaries and forced me to read authors and books I wouldn’t have picked up on my own. I can’t even count anymore the number of books I’ve been asked to review that I never would have picked up on my own, but that I loved.
I’m a reviewer, but I’m first and foremost a reader, and I do commonly go out and buy print copies of the ebooks I’ve read and enjoyed, or buy author’s later books, or back lists. At the very least if you give me a free copy to review you could potentially make me a paying customer.
Also, and I’ve brought this up before, I feel more obligated to review books that are given to me. I know that you need the reviews. I know that ARCs cost money. I have never sold an ARC and never plan to. I may not get to the book right away, or even in a timely manner (and for that I am sorry) but if I take a copy from you and say I’ll review it, I will. If I buy a book myself I am more likely to put it off in order to review the books I’ve been given instead. I commonly buy $20-$60 of books a month (new, more if you include used books) and my TBR pile is massive because I alway put requested reviews above my own pleasure reading.
I know not all reviewers are like this, but many of us are. Many of us are here to spread the word about books, and feel loyalty to authors, genres, and to the stories themselves.
In short, most book bloggers bring a complete passion for books to the table and it’s absolutely ridiculous not to use their passion to your advantage.
Amen.