Recently, I had a friend ask me about blogging for free books. She knows I received them and she wanted to know how to go about setting up a blog to get free books.
I really wanted to encourage her when it comes to blogging, but I had to be honest: if you are going to blog just to receive free books, you are in for heartache.
Now it is no secret that we all love to get those wonderful ARCs. I even wrote a post about the
five stages of ARC rejection grief. Everyone knows the pain of the rejection is real and I am not afraid to admit that I feel it.
But are the ARCs the
only reason I blog? Hell to the no. And if they were, I would be so disappointed, mainly because I don't always get every ARC I want. Well that, and the fact that something should be connecting you to your blog more than just the promise of free stuff.
So why do I blog?
1. The ability to crazily obsess over books that I love. I LOVE PUSHING BOOKS ON PEOPLE!!
2. The ability to commiserate over books that I hated. This is especially true when everyone else seems to love the book, but I hated it. Misery loves company, right?
3. All of you! I have loved getting to know people in the blogging community. I don't know any of you guys in real life, but I love discussing things with you and I love hearing your opinions and I just love all of you guys. I have met some great people since starting my blog over a year ago.
So why do you blog? What would you say to people who say they want to start a blog for free books?
I always laugh when people want to start a blog for free books because I didn't even know that was a thing until after I started blogging!! I mean it is a perk of course. I blog to just connect with other book lovers and find out about books. But yeah starting a blog just free books might not work out since a blog is actually a lot of work!!!
ReplyDeleteGrace, I know, right?? After I started blogging, I had to look up the acronym ARC. I had no idea what it was or how to get them! And running a blog is work regardless of your reasons. If you are just blogging for free books, I feel like you would get burnt out and lose interest sooner.
DeleteIt's always a little disappointing when I hear of people who want to start a blog for books. It's like, wow, you're missing the whole point! For me, book blogging is very much a community and it's all about interacting with others who share your love and passion for books and reading. Plus, like Grace mentioned, it's actually a lot of work and quite time consuming!
ReplyDeleteTanya @ Girl Plus Books
Tanya, SO TRUE! Getting free books is a perk and THAT'S IT! I think of it as a nice bonus to an already great job because yeah, Grace was right about the fact that blogging can take a lot of work regardless of your reasons for doing it.
DeleteHahahah yeah. I kind of just ignore them, because I know that blogging is actually a ton of work, and I'm sure the ones that are blogging for the free books will just burn out or disappear.
ReplyDeleteSo true Valerie. If free books are your ONLY reason for blogging, I don't think you will last very long.
DeleteThe only "free books" I've gotten from blogging have been from winning giveaways, or the one book I was sent as a review copy when I was judging the CYBILS. I'm not interested in reading or reviewing books on someone else's schedule, so I don't request ARCs. I blog to connect with other readers, to develop my writing skills, and to learn.
ReplyDeleteWendy, I love your willpower on not requesting ARCs! No, they are not my main reason for blogging but I still can't resist them. And I really love connecting with other readers. That is the best part!
DeleteThose are some pretty awesome reasons which is why I started my own blog. But man it's a lot more work behind the scenes than it seemed. book bloggers are underrated :)
ReplyDeleteHope, truer words were never spoken. I am still kind of surprised at the time that goes into my blog. I didn't realize how much time it would require when I first started. But I keep doing it cause I love it. :)
DeleteIf the focus of a boo blog is the free arcs, they are SO in it for the wrong reasons! Not to mention if they think it will last, they are in for a rude awakening with the work and effort one must give to it. I think some bloggers expect the book fairy to just show up at their door with free books or something. Now I will admit, that when I started, I went a little too crazy on Netgalley and Edelweiss. Partly because I have no restraint and partly because I was told that as a new blogger I would rarely be approved (the opposite has proven true). Now I have since really had to pull back. And I VERY rarely inquire to a publisher for an ARC. It isn't about the freebies, it is about talking and sharing about books in general. The more commitments I have taken on for review books, the less fun blogging is. All the pressure to get it up on time, to get the interaction, etc. I much prefer reading what I want, when I want and to share things on my terms. i joined the community to connect with others of a similar interest, share the books I love (or warn of those I don't), learn of new books, etc.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right Jay!! There is so much work that goes into a blog behind the scenes. And if you get free books, you are obligated to review them and watch out if you get too many. I was the same as you when I first started. I pretty much requested any book that sounded remotely interesting from NetGalley and Edelweiss. Then I realized that I would actually have to review all these. And I requested a lot of books that ended up being bad. Now I am (somewhat) more selective. I have to be aware of the publication dates for all the books I request so I can read and review them in a timely manner. I have never sent an ARC request to a publisher. Like you said, I do love reading what I want when I want. I have to remind myself not to overdo it too much with ARCs because I already own SO MANY books that I haven't been able to read yet!
DeleteI am with you! I actually would probably laugh REALLY hard at someone who thought that blogging was about getting free books. Because it isn't like that AT ALL. You have to work HARD for like, YEARS to even be considered for "free" books, and then when you do get them, you have to be diligent about reviewing them! And I totally blog for all the reasons you do! To shout my opinions at the internet and meet fabulous people like you ♥
ReplyDeleteShannon, SO TRUE!! I have been blogging for about a year and a half and there are still some publishers who reject me. Yes, it sucks especially when I REALLY wanted the book but I know I have so many other books (both ARCs and ones that I own) to read. If I were doing it just for the free books, I would have stopped blogging a long time ago because of all the rejections I get. Craziness.
DeleteI think it's a nice perk to get to read books before it's released, but I think the best part about blogging is getting to talk books with so many other book lovers! Also, The ability to crazily obsess over books that I love. I LOVE PUSHING BOOKS ON PEOPLE!! <- This so much. And ranting about books haha.
ReplyDeleteGreat discussion!
...that gif makes me want to rewatch The Princess Bride now...
Cyn, ME TOO!! When I find a book that I love, I can ALWAYS find someone who wants to fangirl over it as much as me. And when someone tells me they read a book I adored and they adored it too, I GET SO EXCITED!! My goal is to push as many books as possible on everyone! And there is never a bad time to watch Princess Bride. That reminds me . . . I need to watch it now too. It has been too long since I have seen it.
DeleteI think newbie bloggers all go through that stage! "Free" books - *cackles in the background*. Yeah, they're so not free. And I agree with all your reasons for why I actually blog - because of the people!
ReplyDeleteThanks Rachel! Yeah, I kind of laughed when she asked me that too. Free books. Ha. Yeah, cause that's a reason to blog. If that really were my only reason, I probably would have stopped blogging a long time ago.
DeleteWhen I started my blog, I thought it was just going to be this little place where I posted my rambling thoughts about books. I didn't really even know what book blogging was except that it seemed fun. I certainly didn't know that getting free books was a thing. I will confess that I was pretty darn excited about it once I found out that it WAS a thing, though! LOL! But you are, of course, quite right that the books are just one small piece of the blogging picture and that the people you meet are by far the best part!
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Nicole, oh man I was so excited too! When I first started blogging, I had to google the acronym "ARC" and I had NO IDEA about NetGalley and Edelweiss. I was so excited when I did that google search! Ha.
DeleteIt is almost hard to say why I blog, but I suppose it almost gives me a purpose, and allows me to buildup my social skills? But above all, because I just love the books. If I never got another ARC again, I'd be okay. A little heartbroken, but I wouldn't just stop. I love the authors and the other bloggers I have met, and blogging helps me find books I would like, or I would have missed. Before book blogging, I really had a hard time finding books I liked to read, or even a genre I liked, and therefore, I just never read. I also never found acceptance reading what I liked (young adult/fantasy), but now I know it is okay to read the things I love, and encourage others to do the same! It is a great feeling to help others find books they like. I even have my mother reading novels again, and that right there is a wonderful feeling.
ReplyDeleteLyn, I am right there with you. If I never got another ARC again, I would be disappointed but I WOULD STILL DO IT! I have met so many amazing people and I absolutely love getting to push books on people. When I read a book I adore, I can't even wait to post about it so I can push it on as many people as I can!
DeleteHahaha firstly, your gifs are perfect!
ReplyDeleteI totally understand people seeing free books and ARCs and sort of "expecting" it now once they start a blog. Honestly, when I first started, I had no idea ARCs were even a thing and I was just blogging for fun and to share my opinions. Four years later, that's still the reason I blog but I also have one more reason -- the people! I love interacting with the community and they're part of the reason I started my blog in the first place. I get to recommend books and my recommendations are actually heard and that is the greatest thing!
I'm not gonna lie -- "free books" are an awesome perk BUT they are not the reason I blog at all. I could never receive another review book again and that wouldn't stop me from writing and posting and tweeting and instagramming. I do this because I love it and because it's fun and because this is SUCH a great group of people!
Being a book blogger is also a great give and take. You accept a review copy and sure, it's a free book, but you are also accepting the book with maybe not a promise but at least the expectation that you're accepting it to post things on your blog and help promote it. We won't be able to read and love every book but in that sense, it's not quite free. There are "strings attached" so there is an exchange there, even though it's not money.
Brittany, you are so right about everything! I told someone in an earlier comment that if I never got another ARC, I would be disappointed but I WOULD STILL DO IT! And when I first started blogging and realized what ARCs were and how to get them, I was so excited that I requested everything that seemed remotely interesting. Then I realized that these books were not that great and of course I realized I would actually have to find time to review all those books. Oy. Now, I am (somewhat) more selective of ARCs and I try to be mindful not to accept more than what I can do. It's a lot of work. It isn't all fun and games just because we get free books occasionally.
DeleteWhen I started blogging, I literally had no clue that bloggers even got free books. I didn't know it was a thing lol. So I agree that it's definitely a perk but not the reason I do it. I started simply because I wanted to rave over the amazing books I was finding. But I've stuck around because the community is amazing! And now I'm also finally realizing that I actually have a way to share not just my thoughts on specific books but things I notice/love/hate about books in general and all that!
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, if someone is starting a blog just to get free books... I don't know. I understand that some people don't have a lot of money to buy books (I know I don't), and it makes sense to want to get something when you're putting in this much work... but I would feel like that person isn't as passionate about the books they're reading. And I might not trust their reviews as much since they might just write good things in order to get more free books. Maybe those things don't make sense, but that's just how I'd feel.
Me too Kristen! When I started blogging, I had to do a google search for the acronym ARC and for NetGalley. I kept seeing both of those things on all these blogs and I had NO IDEA what they meant! I love raving about books that I love. That is why I started too. I do agree with you too about someone blogging just for free stuff. Also, I have a feeling they would burn out quicker than other bloggers. Blogging takes work and time and the free books are a perk, but they aren't everything.
DeleteGreat points. I think getting books for free is a bit of a myth! After all a book costs say 15 euro but if you get a book it, you have to read it, write a review, format it and promote on social media. That would be a very bad investment if you were to quantify it per hour. HOWEVER I love being part of the book community, getting to read books before they hit shops and having all the book chats. So that's why I love to blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks Trish! You are so right about all the work that goes into reviews. And sometimes it gets tough to balance the books you have to review with the ones that you have purchased and want to read it at some point too. The book blogging community is beyond awesome! I am so glad to be a part of it. :)
DeleteHaha! Whenever people ask me about blogging for free stuff, I always talk about all the html, hosting, advertising, time, and networking that is involved. That usually puts a damper on their ideas. I didn't start my site(s) to get free stuff. I started because I have something to say. It turns out I like to talk about books with you fine people most days.
ReplyDeleteKaren, yeah when you put it that way, the books aren't really free after all, are they? There is so much work to blogging! I do love it and I love the perks of free books, but there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes, that's for sure.
DeleteBlogging just to get free books sounds like a terrible idea. I think most people would burn out trying to get enough followers to get the really good ARCs. And then some people get so popular they end up with more ARCs than they want/can read. I'd rather read what I want, they feel beholden to a TBR pile from publishers. --Krysta @ Pages Unbound
ReplyDeleteI know, right! It really is the worst thing you can do. If you aren't blogging for the right reasons, I don't think you will last very long.
DeleteI started a book blog to get me to actually write a book review that was more than "it was good" as a way to exercise my brain better. There are so many reasons behind this...I won't bore you with them.
ReplyDeleteI also love books. And then I discovered the book blogging community and I fell in love. And this community is why I have stuck around and will continue to be around. I am quickly approaching my 1 year blogiversary!
Lady Cupcake, that is a great reason to blog also. I agree. My reviews have gotten so much better since I started blogging. Before this blog, my Goodreads reviews would just say, "I loved it" and "great characters" and that's about it. The book blogging community is just wonderful!
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