Lately, I have been feeling some pressure. Just a
note that this is pressure is 100% self-induced. But there have been some
things that have been causing a knot in the pit of my stomach.
I need to take some advice from Frozen and let some
stuff go.
1. The
need to read every ARC before the publication date.
Yeah, not only do I feel the
need to read them before the publication date, I feel the need to read them weeks
before. And if I am a week or two late reading it, what is going to happen?
Will the ARC police come knocking on my door?
2. The
need to continuously request ARC after ARC.
Yeah, it’s like a point of pride
with me. Now that my ARC# is at a manageable level, I feel the need to keep
requesting them. Meanwhile, I have over a hundred books on my Kindle that I am
DYING to read. I am on a NetGalley/Edelweiss timeout right now.
3. The
need to buy all the books.
Sigh. Yep, over a hundred books
on my Kindle and two dozen ARCs . . . of course buying more books makes perfect
sense, right?
4. The
need to buy all the books ON their publication date.
Do you know how pricey books are
when they first come out? More than I want to spend. Now there are some books
that I have no problem paying full price for so I can read it as soon as
possible. (I’m talking to you, Winter).
But do I have to read every
single book on my TBR as soon as they come out?
5. My
stupid need to compete with other bloggers.
Yeah . . . again, this is ALL
ME. But when another blogger gets approved for a popular ARC that I desperately
wanted, I just compare myself to them. I have been doing that a lot lately and
it needs to stop. Instead, I am going to be grateful for the ARCs that I
have received because seriously . . . a few of them have become favorites (Black Iris by Leah Raeder and Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill, for
instance)
***To go along with this, I really need to let go of the fact that Harper Collins apparently hates me. I get rejected for everything from them. Let it go!!!
***To go along with this, I really need to let go of the fact that Harper Collins apparently hates me. I get rejected for everything from them. Let it go!!!
God I love this post so much!!! I put os much pressure on myself about certain things too. My need to read 3 books a week, post 6 times a week, get through my ARCs by pub date, requesting all the ARCs - UGH. I totally compare myself to other bloggers but then I remember that I can't do that. But man it is hard. Oh and St. Martins Press rejects ALL my requests so I feel your pain :)
ReplyDeleteGrace, I am so glad you can relate too! I absolutely love your blog so it's nice that I am not alone in this internalized pressure. :)
DeleteYou and I must be sisters! I have the exact same problem, sans one. I do not purchase books on a normal basis. I kind of feel like I have so many that unless I'm totally dying for something, then it is not worth it. I love books and do buy some but not anything like I used to!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great list! It's scary to NOT review a book, especially by the aforementioned publish date, but you are only human! As are all of us book bloggers. It's time to get real and understand our silly foibles. At least until I can speed read. Then the books are going down like hotcakes!
Great post!
Thanks Christina! I am so glad someone else can relate. I am sure most bloggers can. I try my best to review all my ARCs, but I need to ease up on feeling like I have to do it by a certain date. It kind of messes up my mood reading. I am a pretty fast reader, but man if I could speed read, that would solve ALL my problems!!
DeleteI can totally relate...and I am doing what you recommend: letting it go. When I first was approved for NetGalley, I requested and downloaded way too many books! Then, of course, I put an inordinate amount of pressure on myself.
ReplyDeleteNow I sit on my hands...almost literally....instead of requesting more than I can handle. Three books max, and I try to arrange the dates so that I have breathing room.
I am trying not to purchase as many Kindle books...but request them as ARCs instead. But again...not too many!
Good luck! Here is MY MUSING MONDAYS POST
Laurel, you have so much willpower with NetGalley. I admire you so much! I have gotten a LITTLE bit better. When I first joined it, I did the same thing. I requested everything that looked even a little bit interesting. So I had tons of ARCs to read and some of them weren't even very good. I have gotten better about that, but I need to sit on my hands too. Maybe I should just put a NetGalley block on my computer to help me out with that. :)
DeleteI'm sure HarperCollins doesn't hate you, dude! :) And I for one love your blog. It's unique and therefore it stands out. Your review have substance and your recs are definitely worth any bookworm's notice. So there :)
ReplyDeleteHa, Ramona you are probably right. I am sure my blog is still just too new. And thank you so much for your kind words. I do this blog for myself and my enjoyment, but it's still so nice to hear that there are people who like and appreciate my blog. Thank you so much!!
DeleteLe sigh. Join the club, Cynthia. Join the club.
ReplyDeleteHa, I know right, Joy? I am sure a lot of bloggers can relate.
DeleteI love this post Cynthia! I can relate to so many of these points you've made. You're not alone!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Chrissi! I am so glad to hear that. :)
DeleteLove this post! I have to fight myself all the time not to go on a NetGalley and Edelweiss requesting spree. I work so hard to get my ARC bundles under control and it can all be ruined in a few minutes! And yes on not buying books on their publication date, so often I've rushed out to buy them and 6 months later I still haven't opened them. I should have just waited and nowadays that's what I'm trying to do.
ReplyDeleteI stick to publishers that I know approve me so I don't really know who hates me!
Thanks Trish! Yeah, I don't know why I keep requesting Harper, even though they reject me. I guess I am a glutton for punishment? Oh well. I have really forced myself not to request anymore ARCs that are being published this year and so far, so good. And even though I still have several to read for this year, I feel weird that I haven't gotten any new ones. Sometimes habits are hard to break, I guess.
DeleteSuch good advice - when I first started blogging I was convinced that I needed to post every two days, which I found really stressful and not fun at all - I've been trying to let that go, and just blog when the feeling takes me. Hopefully it means fewer posts, of greater quality....(that's the idea anyway).
ReplyDeleteThanks bornandread.com! I agree that is a great policy. I used to feel the same way too. Now there are days where I don't post anything and I have learned to be okay with that. It's tough though.
DeleteThis is FABULOUS and I need to listen to your advice! See, it makes sense that we are book twins, because I think we may actually just be REAL twins. I do all of these things! ALL. I got a twitch the other day because I saw books that I had pre ordered (for full price, of course) on Book Outlet for like, $4. Books that I HAVE NOT READ YET. Because ARCs. ALLL the ARCs. This is just my actual life. You have written a post about my life. (Sidenote: Don't feel bad about Harper, for some reason, they seem to randomly reject a lot of people who I can't imagine why they'd ever reject!) And I had a beef in my head with SourceBooks when they kept rejecting me. And every email without a response? I go a little more insane. Gah, I feel you. If you figure out HOW to let it go, you let me know :D
ReplyDeleteShannon @ It Starts At Midnight
Thank you Shannon!! I am not surprised that we are so alike in these issues, just like we are alike in the books we love. Maybe we were separated at birth? :) I am glad to hear that you can relate too, especially because I love your blog so much. I honestly can't imagine people rejecting you either, but I guess it happens. Bloggers talk about all the ARCs they get, but not the ones we don't. A few weeks ago, I had to cancel a few preorders because I just had SO MANY!! And they are so expensive when they first come out!! I only want to preorder books I am desperate for (like Winter, for example).
Deletelol - Your comment at the end made me laugh. It's like that with me and Sourcebook Fire... they must hate me. I've become a lot more ARC picky over the years and don';t stress over them anymore. It's much more pleasant now. Great post.
ReplyDeleteHaha, Christy. It's so funny that us bloggers tend to take things kind of personally, isn't it? We are thinking these publishing companies hate us when they probably never even think about us. And I am sure they have logical reasons for denying us so much. :)
DeleteIf you figure out how to stop the whole comparison thing....please share your wisdom with me, because some days, it just really gets to me, you know? UGH.
ReplyDeleteAnd as for buying all the books...NEVER. I love them all!!
Lyn, oh I know, I really, really need to figure that one out. I could probably even make millions by bottling my secret to dealing with it and selling it, right? Ha, I wish!
DeleteThese pressures that we put on ourselves are so hard to avoid - no matter how often we tell ourselves we should just stop worrying about everything and stop the comparison game ... well, sometimes it's easier said than done. If you find a magic wand that makes it all possible, let me know!! :-)
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Thanks Nicole! If I find a magic wand, you will be the first to know. :) I would probably make lots of money by selling something like that, huh?
Delete