tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post7900158638778752884..comments2024-03-20T08:13:24.605+01:00Comments on Bingeing On Books: DISCUSSION: Blogging for free stuffCynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16050447428759378366noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-87609380240886457262016-05-07T08:22:47.814+02:002016-05-07T08:22:47.814+02:00Lady Cupcake, that is a great reason to blog also....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!Cynthiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16050447428759378366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-50462772846706990682016-05-06T20:09:02.786+02:002016-05-06T20:09:02.786+02:00I started a book blog to get me to actually write ...I 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.<br /><br />I 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!ReadingWithCupcakeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06636997060736762616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-68524610238917394572016-04-28T13:12:06.472+02:002016-04-28T13:12:06.472+02:00I know, right! It really is the worst thing you ca...I 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. Cynthiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16050447428759378366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-828655974351806162016-04-28T13:11:30.348+02:002016-04-28T13:11:30.348+02:00Karen, yeah when you put it that way, the books ar...Karen, 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. Cynthiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16050447428759378366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-45732743362203324932016-04-28T13:10:40.726+02:002016-04-28T13:10:40.726+02:00Thanks Trish! You are so right about all the work ...Thanks 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. :)Cynthiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16050447428759378366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-91380074466350673002016-04-25T04:31:31.878+02:002016-04-25T04:31:31.878+02:00Blogging just to get free books sounds like a terr...Blogging 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 UnboundAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-57635613807889699172016-04-23T16:34:07.254+02:002016-04-23T16:34:07.254+02:00Haha! Whenever people ask me about blogging for fr...Haha! 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. Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11205709973717833264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-29677734188155430852016-04-22T16:45:42.881+02:002016-04-22T16:45:42.881+02:00Great points. I think getting books for free is a...Great 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.Trish @ Between My Lineshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08517849083417759188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-19617170779123575552016-04-19T09:41:49.007+02:002016-04-19T09:41:49.007+02:00Me too Kristen! When I started blogging, I had to ...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.Cynthiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16050447428759378366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-40947401541312599052016-04-14T06:06:20.519+02:002016-04-14T06:06:20.519+02:00When I started blogging, I literally had no clue t...When 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!<br /><br />But 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.Kit @ Metaphors and Moonlighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10113986982046115579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-10540282106094920502016-04-13T12:08:49.921+02:002016-04-13T12:08:49.921+02:00Brittany, you are so right about everything! I tol...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. Cynthiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16050447428759378366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-17593793755482604442016-04-13T12:06:04.182+02:002016-04-13T12:06:04.182+02:00Lyn, I am right there with you. If I never got ano...Lyn, 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! Cynthiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16050447428759378366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-20388982393919079482016-04-13T12:04:23.226+02:002016-04-13T12:04:23.226+02:00Nicole, oh man I was so excited too! When I first ...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. Cynthiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16050447428759378366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-69079919942475298422016-04-13T12:03:29.112+02:002016-04-13T12:03:29.112+02:00Thanks Rachel! Yeah, I kind of laughed when she as...Thanks 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.Cynthiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16050447428759378366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-18525661620846947262016-04-13T12:02:39.883+02:002016-04-13T12:02:39.883+02:00Cyn, ME TOO!! When I find a book that I love, I ca...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.Cynthiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16050447428759378366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-49025776711893432552016-04-13T12:00:57.938+02:002016-04-13T12:00:57.938+02:00Shannon, SO TRUE!! I have been blogging for about ...Shannon, 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.Cynthiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16050447428759378366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-81959699142634776762016-04-13T11:58:54.787+02:002016-04-13T11:58:54.787+02:00You are so right Jay!! There is so much work that ...You 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!Cynthiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16050447428759378366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-70993680287074475552016-04-13T11:55:34.007+02:002016-04-13T11:55:34.007+02:00Hope, truer words were never spoken. I am still ki...Hope, 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. :)Cynthiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16050447428759378366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-11627796135533432052016-04-13T11:54:49.480+02:002016-04-13T11:54:49.480+02:00Wendy, I love your willpower on not requesting ARC...Wendy, 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!Cynthiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16050447428759378366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-6321336533900276892016-04-13T11:53:42.662+02:002016-04-13T11:53:42.662+02:00So true Valerie. If free books are your ONLY reaso...So true Valerie. If free books are your ONLY reason for blogging, I don't think you will last very long.Cynthiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16050447428759378366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-75534073630139390822016-04-13T11:53:13.705+02:002016-04-13T11:53:13.705+02:00Tanya, SO TRUE! Getting free books is a perk and T...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. Cynthiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16050447428759378366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-34124487352529584532016-04-13T11:52:07.360+02:002016-04-13T11:52:07.360+02:00Grace, I know, right?? After I started blogging, I...Grace, 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. Cynthiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16050447428759378366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-13914900426987280842016-04-11T20:32:46.730+02:002016-04-11T20:32:46.730+02:00Hahaha firstly, your gifs are perfect!
I totally ...Hahaha firstly, your gifs are perfect! <br />I 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! <br />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! <br />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. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00133612131488048932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-11661400975225815462016-04-10T16:58:56.473+02:002016-04-10T16:58:56.473+02:00It is almost hard to say why I blog, but I suppose...It 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. Lyn Kayehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10471867801089862828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719681682618841725.post-92123780618622347152016-04-10T05:35:21.016+02:002016-04-10T05:35:21.016+02:00When I started my blog, I thought it was just goin...When 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!<br /><br />Nicole @ <a href="http://feedyourfictionaddiction.com" rel="nofollow">Feed Your Fiction Addiction</a>Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addictionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08637114079800138680noreply@blogger.com