The Good, The Bad and The Unread: okay.... this completely pisses me off

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11/16/2006

okay.... this completely pisses me off

The pitfalls of receiving free books...

Simon & Schuster is so not sending me free books! That is sooooooo rude!

hmph and double hmph... I am the first person to say I love free books. Most of all I love free EARLY books. They make me happy, very very happy. I even will sqqquuueee! (well not for inspirations)

But it doesn't mean I will like the book. I go with a few very simple ideas. Good or bad a review is a great thing, having your book mentioned is a good thing, a link to a book is a good thing. Because everyone likes different things and what I hate, someone might read and go omg I love that plot. So I tend to agree with Miss Snark (anyone even find out if she is really an agent?) that the idea of all free books will get GOOD reviews isn't true. But I could be wrong...

As for publishers only sending books to people who give glowing reviews, I tend to disagree but hey we will see if my next batch of Avon Red shows up or not.

Labels: Review

6 Comments:

Well, I've never been offered free books by a publisher or whatever but then I'm not widely read. I think I would turn it down only because I would then feel like A) I had to read the book as soon as I got it and well, I never know what book I'm going to pick up next B) I do have the people pleaser gene so I think I would feel somewhat *obligated* to review the book kindly.

Now, I don't tear authors a new one or anything like that. When I don't like a book I have reasons why and I'm not afraid to list them. I'm just wondering if I would curb my reasons if I felt it was expected.

Therefore, I will continue to buy my books ;)

Oh and I think the first thing I would mention is if I got a book for free. Also, I did participate in the Singh blog promo but I did say that I was doing it for the prize and that since I did have the book on my TBB list I didn't mind promoing. (It was super terrific that when I did finally read the book I loved it)

If a publisher e-mailed me to promote a book then I probably wouldn't be involved unless mucho money could be won and I could state the reasons why I was posting it.

CindyS

By CindyS, at 11/16/2006 10:07:00 PM
I don't worry about this when I'm reading reviews -- if someone is giving all good reviews then I either assume that she doesn't finish the bad ones, doesn't like to write negative reviews (for whatever reasons (I won't talk about romance books that I don't like because I'm a weenie; but I won't lie and talk up a book because I have the same publisher/editor/I got it for free, either)), likes everything, or has bad taste. If I follow the blog and read her reviews long enough, I can usually figure out which is at work.

But I rarely think: oh, she writes a good review because she sold her soul for free books. It's a non-issue to me. I don't suspect AAR of partiality because so many reviewers there receive free books -- why would I a blogger?

By meljean brook, at 11/17/2006 02:51:00 AM
I think the same thing, meljean, and I never assume a free book=a good review.

I send free copies of my stuff to a few places, reviewers I respect. I wouldn't send it if I didn't think I would get an honest review from them.

By Stacia, at 11/17/2006 03:52:00 AM
I don't think publishers will send books only to Agreeable reviewers. Doesn't make sense at all to me, because the point, IMHO, is to get the title and name out there, not to clinch good reviews. After all, you see authors dumped even though they got glowing reviews but bad sales.

Like Meljean, it's a non-issue for me, though I do mention it if I got the book for free.

By May, at 11/17/2006 06:17:00 AM
hee of course when I said this pisses me off I was only referring to they don't send me books *g*

I once had a reviewer tell me not to except books from any author because I would feel the need to only be positive.

So far it hasn't been an issue and I can only think of two authors I annoyed but they got over it.

By sybil, at 11/17/2006 12:24:00 PM
I also don't get books from publishers, etc, but I don't think I would want to. Essentially, like Cindy I would probably feel obligated to read it right away ~ but I have to be in the mood to read something. I can't tell you how many books I've bought that are still sitting in my TBR pile because I haven't been in the mood to read it yet. I will eventually read them somebody, but not because I have to ~ because I want to.

Also, I don't review books. I'll read them and will post on my blog about them ~ but I don't consider what I do a review ~ I'm a reader. I like somethings, don't like somethings and can overlook a lot of things if the story is good enough.

I also don't think that just because the publisher/author/what-have-you gave you the book for free, you're obligated to gush over the story.

By Dev, at 11/19/2006 03:18:00 PM