I’ve been debating whether or not I really want to post about book blogger etiquette but I decided to go ahead and post about it. These are just my opinions and you guys do not have to agree with me.
First off, negative reviews. I know there has been a lot of drama in the past few months over negative reviews. Negative reviews are necessary and cannot be avoided. Not everyone loves a book. In fact, sometimes people absolutely hate a book. They are entitled to their opinion and nobody has the right to tell them that they shouldn’t share that opinion. I am not advocating rudeness though. A negative review and a nasty review are two very different things. NEVER attack an author or their viewpoints in a review. That has nothing to do with the book and it only makes you look like an ass. Also, if you are writing a negative review, you really should have read the whole book. If you read the first 50 pages and then review the book, how can anyone take that seriously? The first 50 pages of a book may be drastically different from the other 200 (or however many) pages you didn’t read. It’s like someone writing a nasty comment about your review after only reading the first sentence. How would that make you feel?
Second, ARCs. ARCs are a perk of being a book blogger. They are not a requirement. Book bloggers could survive just fine on library books and bookstore books. ARCs are just a bonus. ARCs actually cost more to make than a finished book so there is, obviously, a very limited number of them and book bloggers are not the only people who get ARCs. You cannot expect to get an ARC of every book you request and in my opinion, if you have been blogging less than 6 months, you shouldn’t even be requesting them. ARCs come with time and a lot of hard work. They are not free and they should not be taken for granted.
Third, drama. There seems to be quite a bit of drama surrounding book bloggers and it’s for many different reasons. Bloggers get jealous of bloggers, outsiders don’t like how bloggers act at events, authors don’t take kindly to nasty reviews, etc. Drama is inevitable but you don’t have to be a part of it and it’s better if you aren’t. First off, if someone posts a rude comment on your blog or sends you a nasty email, don’t encourage them by responding. Delete the comment/email (or leave it up) and laugh it off. It will happen. It’s best to just get past it and not show that if affects you in any way. Secondly, if an outsider (such as a librarian, teacher, random person) says something about bloggers behaving badly at an event (such as a conference like ALA or BEA) do not get in the middle of it. Once again, my advice is to ignore it or say your piece in a discussion post without naming names. If those people say something nasty they are already doing a pretty good job of making themselves look bad. Lastly, drama with authors is something you should NEVER get involved in. If an author or someone close to the author starts something over a bad review, don’t go on your blog, Twitter, Goodreads, etc. and call that person a rude name. How does that make you look any better than them? Also, what makes you think a publisher won’t see that and decide that maybe they shouldn’t send you review books if you are that immature? Just stay out of drama. It is the best way to go about book blogging and it makes things a lot less stressful.
Lastly, Twitter. Twitter is a great place to interact with other bloggers but it is also a great place to get yourself into trouble. A lot of that drama I mentioned above takes place on Twitter. People seem more open on Twitter and that can be both a good and bad thing. Just remember that anything you post on Twittter can later be used against you. Twitter has it’s own rules of etiquette though. It’s a very easy place to talk to people. Readers can talk to authors through Twitter, bloggers can talk to publishers, bloggers can talk to other bloggers, etc. Some people do take advantage of this though. Just because you talk to someone on Twitter every now and then does not mean you should take advantage of them. Don’t put someone on the spot by asking an author if you can review their book, asking another blogger to help promote your blog/giveaway, asking a publisher to be added to their email list, and other things like this. It makes people very uncomfortable. If you want to ask someone these things, email them or at least send them a direct message. Just remember to be polite and if you have to question something, don’t do it.
Like I said earlier, these are just my opinions. Some of you may agree with me, some of you may not. What are some of your book blogger etiquette tips? Leave comments and I will compile a list for a future post!
Great blog. I always try to remember that whatever I put out into the webosphere is there for everyone to see. The golden rule applies. As for etiquette tips- I think that being a book reviewer is a blessing and should be treated as such. Never, ever be nasty to other bloggers, writers, or publishers.
Dorine- The Write Path http://www.dorinewhite.blogspot.com
I love this post! I feel like the first three things should be something everyone knows by know, but it obviously doesn’t hurt to repeat it. I really like that you added the part about not putting people on the spot on Twitter though, and that one goes for more than just bloggers: authors should never send a review request in 140 characters if they want to be taken seriously!:)
I think the internet in general can get you in trouble because people are much more brave behind a computer screen and therefore, have much more gall to say whatever they want, thinking there are no consequences.
You summed up all of this really well though. Hopefully others will listen to you and take heed to the book blogger etiquette 🙂
Great post, I have to agree with pretty much everything you said. I can’t believe how much drama there has been lately (luckily I’ve only heard of it or read it, not be directly affected or included in any!). It’s like highschool all over again–and it’s not even from young adults all the time! 🙂
I’ve posted a few reviews in the past that were a bit negative, but I always try not to bash a book, no matter how much it bugged me. But I’m not perfect, and looking back on a few of my reviews now, I can see how, especially after reading it online (where one sentence can be taken ten different ways, as they cannot hear your voice to pick up on “I’m kidding” or “It may not have been for me but others will like it” type of clues), a few of my reviews might cause problems. They haven’t (so far) but I’m always very careful.
And as to people bashing bloggers and reviewers—well, I bet they don’t even really know much about us. Like with anything else, they are probably simply judging us without actually having anything to back it up. But that’s the way the world is anymore, unfortunately.
Enjoy!
TBQ
TBQ’s Book Palace
great listing all the pointers katie and i agree 100% agree
i write negative reviews once in a while but i never bash the author
Love this post and I’m so glad you decided to post your thoughts. People do behave very differently online than they might in person.
I can’t imagine anyone walking up to an author at a signing and personally attacking them and their book, but on Goodreads you see all sorts of bashing. And while I haven’t yet been to one of the blogger events where people say bloggers are rude, I’m not completely surprised by the behaviors or the stereotypes.
People can be rude. It’s not limited to bloggers. And yes, things on Twitter don’t disappear just because you delete the tweet.
I don’t think any of us are saints, but I’ve always tried to go by two rules with anything: If I wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, I don’t say it. And if I don’t want to be treated a certain way, I won’t treat someone that way.
I don’t necessarily think there has to be any set rule about when you request an ARC. If you’ve been blogging for a few months, are incredibly serious, have thoughtful reviews and a good following, why not? But I never think there should be an expectation of anything. They are an awesome perk.
And I totally agree with you about the putting you on the spot on Twitter. Soooooo awkward. Whether from an author for a review or another blogger asking you to like their blog without ever having “met” them.
Sorry for the long comment!
I try to be as polite as possible when I post negative reviews. But with that, I also include what I liked about a book. Because there must have been something I liked if I finished it right?
If I don’t like a book, I just stop reading it and never pick it up again.
As for drama, thankfully I haven’t had that issue.
Great post! Luckily I’ve never been in any drama but I have a relatively small blog compared to others so I would have to go looking for drama if I wanted some, which I don’t. 🙂 When I hear of blogger drama I usually find that Twitter is involve. I have a twitter account and find it hard to make friends much less drama on it. I’ve tried to build friendships but I’ve noticed that people usually ignore you unless they know you..go figure. In the end I realized maybe it isn’t a bad thing..my little corner.
I always love hearing your advice! I don’t have a twitter account because i’m completely confused about how it works so I don’t have to worry about making bad tweet mistakes.
I try to only write reviews of books i think deserve 3 stars or higher at them moment because I want my blog to be recommendations of books I enjoyed.
Your right that drama should be avoided. Thankfully I haven’t received negative comments or emails yet.
Thanks for formidable advice!
Rachel
These are all very helpful tips. Thank you for posting this!
What an honest post, I always love hearing what people think about these things. And I agree on all of your points! I still don’t understand people that get involve in all the drama, especially name-calling, it’s so unnecessary and childish.
I have to admit, I still procrastinate on writing/sharing my reviews, whether I give them good/bad ratings – I’m still so afraid of negative feedback, lol!
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, happy reading 🙂
Great tips, Katie! Wow, now someone’s cleared the air! Drama, drama, drama! Book bloggers should actually UNITE considering we ahare such a strong and common interest in both books and the hobby of blogging. In my experience, people have been pretty supportive, and yes, I agree with you about preventing trouble on Twitter. Like anything on social media, whatever we say, tweet, text, or print on the Web can haunt us sooner or later. Best to have the best etiquette in all things. Thanks for having enough guts about your post. Kudos to you!
From one blogger to another, my best! 😀
Zara
I agree! Especially the first tip. Everyone has their own opinion, but you don’t have to be a jerk. I also liked the drama tips. I think it is good advice to stay out of it for any drama in life.
I think you’re brave to post this, to be honest. Haha. I would worry it would create more drama in the end. I totally agree with your post.
The blogger vs. blogger drama is really growing right now. I’ve seen a lot of complaints lately about small book bloggers feeling looked down upon by more established blog owners. I think sometimes big blog owners forget that they were once a little blog owner, and that their readers got them to where they are. And I think little blog owners forget that it takes work to become an established blog. Followers and readers are not acquired overnight, and I see lots of people resenting and badmouthing the big blog owners. I wish there was not this segregation, but there totally is. I’m not sure there’s a way to fix it, but I think everyone needs to remember that we are all here for the same reason: to share our passion for reading. We’re not here to compete with one another. We can, collectively, be a force for good in the book world. And… authors need to remember that we’re basically doing a full-time job for free. Our reviews give them publicity. Bad or good is relative, because one person’s bad review might be complaining about all the things another reader might be looking for. I know I have purchased books because of a negative review, and loved them! Drama is totally not necessary. Haha.
Great post!
– Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl
NO, I completely agree with you.
“NEVER attack an author or their viewpoints in a review. That has nothing to do with the book and it only makes you look like an ass.” I don’t like personal attackers, or people who take it so personally that they make a big event out of it, calling bloggers and other people to their cause. It doesn’t look professional and it just gives bloggers a bad name all around.
— Asher
Great post! I love that a lot of the seasoned book bloggers have been posting things like this lately. I’m a brand new book blogger and it’s helpful to know what to do and not to do when you’re first starting out. Luckily I haven’t been involved in any drama, nor would I ever intentionally start any. But now I can be on the lookout for those bloggers I need to stay away from. Thanks!
compelledbywords.blogspot.com 🙂
This was an awesome post! I completely agree with everything you said. I review every book I read, and luckily I have good taste in books because I’ve written very few negative reviews. In my negative reviews I always try to be respectful and mention all the positives. As for ARC’s, I definitely don’t take them for granted. I’ve been around for almost a year and I just barely started requesting them. I definitely see them as a blessing.
Luckily I haven’t been involved in any drama. Most of my blogger buddies are super friendly, and I can never imagine any drama between us!
I’m still new to twitter and haven’t had to deal with any of the awkwardness that could come from it. I definitely think that if you’re serious about requesting something, you should have the courtesy to write a formal email.
That’s my two-cents!
~Debz @ Debz Bookshelf
This was a great post.
I completely agree with you that you must read the whole book before posting a bad review.
And not answering negative comments or emails is the best way to avoid any kind of drama. In blogging and in general.
Thank you 🙂