This Week’s Topic: Review Pressure
One of the tasks we take on as reviewers, is to contribute to the early buzz about a book. We get a complimentary copy of said book, we are expected to read and review it, with the goal being some time close to publication. But you know life and other books can get in the way, and that brings us to this weeks topic: Do you feel pressure to get your reviews posted in a timely manner?
At times, I feel a little bit guilty about it, but then I remind myself that:
- I have marked this book To-Be-Read on Goodreads. This kicks off a tweet and shows up on my feed, thus calling a little attention to the book.
- I feature the book in the my Stacking the Shelves post, and once again, showing it off.
- If I happen to get a physical copy, I post it on Twitter and Instagram.
- I may have already featured the book on an anticipated release list or a Can't-Wait Wednesday post.
Now it's your turn!
Do you feel review pressure?
Let us know in the comments!
I used to feel pressure to review before release date in my early blogging days, but now no. Like you said, we feature books in different ways, and I do always end up writing a review for the book.
ReplyDeleteExactly! Sometimes I think it's a little better to be a bit after publication, because people start seeing the book around in stores and whatnot, and that is why I notice my GR reviews getting read more. Look, I will never be that blogger who reviews an August release in April, because I feel it too early, but I would love to be within a month of publication.
DeleteI don’t read ARCs, so I probably don’t feel as much pressure as other bloggers, but I do feel bad about not getting books read faster. I’ll put a book in my haul post and get comments saying “I can’t wait to see your review of this book.” Then I’m like, “Well, you might have to wait 6+ months . . . .” I feel bad about that.
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
My co-bloggers never really read ARCs. They went to BEA every year, and they would read those books between the four of them over the year, but they didn't request digital ARCs the way I do, and they liked it like that. The DRCs help fund my reading addiction. I would be living in a cardboard box if I had to pay for all the books I read.
DeleteI think you have it covered, even if you are a bit late on reviewing. I really try and limit what I accept because I want to share them around the time the book is released, and I feel like I do fairly well. Sometimes, life just happens though...so yeah, I do feel guilty, but not AS much as I used to!
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
I have been so much more disciplined with requesting on NG and EW, the problem is when my requests have been hanging out there for months, and I think there is no chance, so I request more books. Today, I got approved for a book that is being released next week. I am very excited to read the book, but still, I requested it months ago. I never thought I would get approved.
DeleteI am on the same page sometimes life happens and you just can't get to everything in one day. I try to get my reviews done as soon as possible and yes I feel guilty I am behind.
ReplyDeleteI feel like my reviews were better when I was mixing in more of my own books, because I casually write reviews for non-review books. March sort of killed my mojo, but I am trying to get it back, while still keeping up with my review books.
DeleteI like that you have alternate way of promoting the book even if you don’t review it right away. I don’t particularly feel pressure to review but more a responsibility. I feel like I need to uphold my end of the bargain in exchange for the book provided. I might let other reviews slide a while but I try to really stay on top of reviews for ARCs.
ReplyDeleteI do try, but sometimes I get these massive amounts of approvals all at once. I read a lot, so I know I can catch up, but I still would like to get them read during the release month.
DeleteI feel a bit of pressure as well, but I think I like it? I don't really have many ways or promoting books, I try to feature them on my First Thoughts and my main form of promotion (if you can call it that) is to post a link to my review on twitter (if I remember that is).
ReplyDeleteFirst Thoughts is definitely a way of promoting the book. I remember, one publisher reached out to one of my co-bloggers and asked if she wanted a book. They just wanted it featured in some way, even if we didn't review it. Any talk is good. That is one of the reasons why I love Top Ten Tuesday so much. It allows me to feature 10 books at once, and I only feature books I have read (unless it's a anticipated read type list). I also try to not repeat a book too often. I read a lot of books, so that is not too hard for me, but I have to remember to mix it up.
DeleteIt depends on who I'm reviewing for. I try to get reviews done in a timely manner, but if there isn't a hard deadline, it can take me a while.
ReplyDeleteThe only hard deadlines I have are tours, but I feel like any advanced book I received should be reviewed within its release month.
DeleteI do feel pressure. I always plan to get books read in time but sometimes life happens and things don't work out. I am trying to take on less and get caught up with books I skipped over right now. You are right in that I do feature books in ways other than reviews so there is a little less guilt.
ReplyDeleteI have tried to cut back, but then FOMO gets to me. I need a 12 step program or something.
DeleteEven though no one is forcing us to read and review ARCs, I feel so much pressure to get to them on time. I don't like feeling like I have to pick up certain books at a certain time (I need the freedom because I'm a mood reader), so I've been trying to limit the amount of ARCs that end up in my possession. It's so hard though.
ReplyDeleteI struggle with turning a book down. If I get an email from a publicist and the book looks good, I usually say yes. I felt so bad turning down this one author, because I did want to read the book, but I was drowning in review books and knew I couldn't get to it. Saying no is really hard though.
DeleteI do feel the pressure, tbh. Mostly because sometimes I don't want to say stuff- I just wrote a "review", I use the term very loosely, and I had just nothing to say about the book, you know? It was fine. I have basically zero feelings about it. It's exhausting sometimes to come up with junk to say. I really should look at it the way you do, because you're right, I feature them in all kinds of ways before the actual review anyway, so it isn't like it's being ignored!
ReplyDeleteUm, those are the books which I tend to just review on Goodreads (I'm terrible, right?), but I can usually find something that made me finish the book (you know I DNF like crazy), and I tend to focus on that. But in reality, every book isn't going to be a perfect fit for every reader, but when that happens, those are the review I tend to put off for a while too. They are so hard to write!
DeleteI do feel the pressure but it is not as much as when I first started blogging. I also feature the books in other ways. Now I hardly ever request ARCs unless it is something I really want to read. If not, I'll just wait for the book to go on sale lol.
ReplyDeleteOne of the draws for me, when I was asked to join this blog, was the ARCs. They are such a perk for me, because I read so much. I could never afford my reading habit.
DeleteI don't really have this problem because I don't request ARC's (so why am I commenting lol), but I know if I did I would absolutely feel the pressure I'm sure. I like seeing your breakdown though of how you spotlight a book in ways other than just the review- like CWW posts, Stacking the Shelves, social media links, etc. I hadn't really thought of that but all those looks at a book must help, at least a little, and it's nice that there are so many of us book bloggers out there pushing these books. Again, such a wonderful community!
ReplyDeleteWe have so many ways to highlight a book these days, and I try to take advantage of them. The fact that we go to each other's blogs and talk about books creates a buzz, and I love learning about new books from all you guys too.
DeleteI'm a big FAILURE at reading and posting on time. I try my best, but I only read like 60-70 books per year, so I can't always have everything done when I want to. Also, mood reading gets in the way-- along with blogging and bookstagramming and running the blog tour thing.
ReplyDeleteI tell myself that I do post the book on bookstagram and other lists on my blog, so it is getting some attention, but I still feel guilty. The blog tour books I get, I don't feel guilty at all because whether or not I read it, I just got that author like 8-10 reviews and other promotion of the book.
You do SO MUCH. It's crazy! I let the Instagram kind of go, because I don't really get that many physical books, and I don't want to give up my reading time. I think organizing a tour counts ten-fold towards hyping a book, since you did recruit other people to read and promote the book in their circles.
DeleteIt's a joke because I feel a pressure to get them up in a timely manner but I can never achieve it >.> I try not to feel the pressure and go at my own pace. Because in the end whether the review goes out right away or a little down the line, the influence is what matters most! ... Right?
ReplyDeleteMy recent post: http://oliviascatastrophe.com/2018/04/sunflowers-in-february-book-review/
Same here. I read 6 - 8 books a week, and then I look at my spreadsheet, and cannot understand how I missed a date. --sigh-- I am getting better at requesting less, so that I can keep up.
DeleteI try to read and review around the publication date but last year I got backed up. I am still working through those! I do feel bad when I don't get to an ARC on time though.
ReplyDeleteA few from last year slid through the cracks, but I hope to get to them before the end of the year. I just need to give it a title with the word challenge in it, and I will get them all read. XD
DeleteAt a point in my blogging journey I would have said yes. Nowadays, not so much. Though I've stopped requesting ARC's because I'm a mood reader and I never know if I'll be in the right mood to read said book when/if I get approved. Unless I signed up for a blog tour (with set dates) I don't feel the need to pressure myself into reading a specific book because the release date is near and I've yet to read it.
ReplyDeleteI am a mood reader, but I have really only been requesting books that I pretty much always enjoy. Last year, I was trying to mix it up more, to keep the blog interesting, since my co-bloggers are very busy and cannot really contribute, but I found I am more successful when I select the books that are my favorite kinds of books.
DeleteI do feel pressure, especially when its a book I specifically requested. I always try my best to post my review on the release date or during the release week, but like you said, sometimes life gets in the way. I feel like the Sunday Post, though, definitely gives upcoming releases a good amount of buzz. I know I always add books from other people's and they're usually my top post of the week. Lately, I've been trying to be more conscious of how many April releases, May releases, etc. I have so that I don't overextend myself by accepting more but sometimes it's hard to say no lol
ReplyDeleteYou do pretty well. We have a lot of the same books, and I almost always see your reviews before mine. I was so overwhelmed in March, but have a lot less in April. It's all a timing thing with me. It seems like I am not getting any books, and then BOOM! Mass approval.
DeleteI use to feel pressure, but that's because I took on my too many ARCs when I first started blogging. Now I just take on a couple of a month, and usually they're only ones that I really really want, so that way I still have time to read books that have been on my tbr forever that I want to pick up. And since I've done that the pressure has gone down drastically since there's less books to worry about. :)
ReplyDeleteJen @ Star-Crossed Book Blog
I was shooting for 15 per month, since I read about 30 books each month, but it's that request hanging out in limbo that wrecks my plans.
DeleteI have never gotten an email from a publisher either. This is my own guilt. I feel such a sense of obligation, but I am posting 4 - 5 reviews a week on the blog, and I review every book on GR, so I hope I have good book karma because of that.
ReplyDeleteI feel a little pressure if it's for something like a blog tour but that's fairly easy to manage as they tend to give you a good amount of notice.
ReplyDeleteI don't feel any pressure with netgalley etc.
What stresses me out is if it's direct from an author and they're doing the email equivalent of 'are we there yet?' It's even worse if you don't like it and have to write the dreaded 'I'm sorry but' email. :/
My biggest nightmare when I sign up for a blog tour, is that I won't like the book. It hasn't happened yet, but you know, it could. I stress when my NG rating is below 80%. I worry that I won't get approvals, because I have so many unread books, but I read in order of publication, and most are not past due.
DeleteI definitely feel a bit of responsibility to post my reviews in a timely manner, but at the same time, I'm getting better about accepting the fact that I can only do the best I can since I'm fitting them in around all of the other responsibilities I have in my life.
ReplyDeleteI struggle a little, and remind myself that this is a hobby. I am getting better about that.
DeleteThis is such an interesting post! I do feel a little bit of pressure to review everything in a timely manner, as best as I can, yet sometimes life gets in the way. I guess we just need to do the best we can, we can't always be on top of everything and... we always end up doing that review and talk about the book anyway, that's what I try to remember when I'm a bit late or feeling stressed out :) x
ReplyDeleteSame. My pressure is self imposed, because nobody is asking about my reviews. It's all on me, but I have been able to talk myself down most of the time.
DeleteI do feel pressure to get ARCs reviewed on time since, as you said, it was kind of part of the deal. But also like you said, if I miss the date for one every so often, I try not to let it stress me too much because I do usually get it read eventually, and reviews are always helpful, plus I also share books I get on my Sunday posts and take a photo for Twitter if I get a print copy.
ReplyDeleteI love getting ARCs, but my deadlines have become less concrete lately. I can't seem to resist tours, and keep moving my books around to get those post done.
DeleteI am actually so chill about reviews now, and I think that's down to me falling so far behind on all of them. I want to post reviews for all the books I read and I want to review all the books I got ARCs and copies of but I've had so much going on IRL that blogging land has taken a backburner. I used to stress myself out getting books read in time for release day but that is no more. Do I wish I reviewed more books before they were released? Yes, of course, but I figure any mentions of a book before and after release are good and I try and get books read eventually and (almost always) post my reviews to goodreads/amazon/etc. I'm sure some publishers would be less than happy with my attitude but I figure it's a free service I'm doing and I so rarely get physical ARCs and copies of books that being a bit lax with my reviewing is cool. All it's impacting is my Netgalley figures.
ReplyDeleteYou crack me up. I write blurbs for all books read/listened to on my Sunday post, but not every book will get a featured post on the blog, because I read a lot. One of these days, we are going to get ahead. I just know it!
Deleteyup I do feel the pressure! Sometimes I'm on top of it sometimes I am not and I just cross my fingers it all balanced at the end [winks] Great post!
ReplyDeleteI read about 25 books a month, and I still have so many left to review. This is what happens when the "wishes" come through, and requests that have been pending for months are finally approved. But, I will catch up, because I have a much lighter load after June.
DeleteI try my hardest to get my ARCs read in a timely manner, but it can definitely be hard sometimes. And, yes, there is definitely guilt involved, but you make great points here about other ways you feature the books!
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I am shooting for review month right now, but still not getting them all done. I wish more approvals came through in a timely manner, then I would know how many I have for sure. Those last minute approvals are killing me.
Delete