This Week's Topic
You're Invited
I want to open this discussion by saying that I am grateful that ANYONE wants me to read their books, but I do have a few observations regarding the invitation process, and I was interested in hearing if anyone else has had similar experiences.
Like most bloggers, I post my reading preferences on the blog. It's no secret what I like to read. In fact, many of you will comment on some of the invitations as being "different" for me. I love that you know me and wish I would get more invitations for the type of books I read. I remember a comment Roberta posted about the criteria for determining who gets the invitations. Her suspicion was that the person only needed a pulse. I don't know, maybe she's on to something.
Whatever the case, I always received three types of invites:
- The Widget - This is my favorite. I love having the option to see where I am with my reading load and download the book on a whim. I tend to hold on to these and list them in my spreadsheet in a special way. Then, if I have the room in my weekly TBR, I will download it.
- Pre Approval - This is an Edelweiss thing. I will receive a notification that I have been pre approved for a book and it's ready for download. These tend to be books I am not interested in, but hey, it's nice they thought of me.
- Sign-up/Request - Another type of email I get are ones inviting me to sign up to receive a widget, or reaching out to see if I would like a review copy. The sign-ups are not as common as the out reach which are less common than the widget.
These WERE the kind of invite emails I usually received until last week. It was a first. I got an email from a publicist inviting me to request the book on Netgalley. I had to read it twice. It was from a publisher I rarely get approvals from, and I am feeling delicate these days, so I don't want the extra rejections. I found this odd. I don't know, AITA? What do you think?
Those are my experiences with invites. What are yours?
Now it's your turn!
How do you feel about invitations?
Let us know in the comments!
Let us know in the comments!
I get emails maybe a couple times a month asking if I would like to review a book. Most of the time, it's not something I want to do. I do like when it feels like they've at least glanced at my blog and seen other things I'm interested in, but just because I've read memoirs in the past doesn't mean I want to read every single one. I appreciate, though, the thought and the fact that someone did reach out (even if they are probably sending the same form email to many bloggers!).
ReplyDeleteI agree. It's nice to be included and bonus points if it seems like they checked out what kind of books I tend to read.
DeleteI like the Widget ones, too. I also save them until I'm going to read, or close to it, because I don't want my ratio to take a dive on NetGalley just in case I want to request a book on there. I think I have a better chance of being approved when I keep my ratio high. I agree, the pre-approvals from Edelweiss are usually books I wouldn't pick up. I get the PR ones, too. That last one has me scratching my head! Why would they ask you to request from a publisher that usually rejects you? That's ridiculous! I'd be tempted to respond to that email and tell them that while you appreciate the suggestion it would be doubtful you'd be approved based on prior requests, but thanks anyhow. You could also say: if you'd like me to read and review go ahead and send the widget!
ReplyDeleteSometimes I feel like the ratio matters, but then I see people getting approve for the "IT" books and they talk about their 60% ratio. Social media always wins. I just found it so odd to "reach out" so that I could request a book on NG????? I have so many books, I don't even sweat it anymore. There are plenty of pubs who send widgets and I love their books - Berkley and St. Martin's Press. They are very good to me. I just found the whole email odd.
DeleteI always scratch my head at the emails where they invite me to apply to be potentially chosen to receive an arc. It's probably just me, but I never apply for these. I'd much rather they offer the arc or leave me alone. LOL!
ReplyDeleteOMG! Your sentence is exactly how convoluted that whole situation was. You made me laugh. Show. Me. The. Widgets.
DeleteI love when I get widgets from publishers whose books I love. I also get them for some books that are not in my interest areas, so I just ignore them. I hate when I get those emails describing a book, then it says request and when I click on it, it is a wish only. Ticks me off. I also get those edelwiess invites, but they are usually not ones I would be interested in. I do blog tours so get invitations from PR people as well.
ReplyDeleteWow! Not only did they not give you access, it's a wish book. OMG! I think I have downloaded maybe one or two of the Edelweiss books. They are not normally in the genre I read. I don't do tours any longer. It's been a good four years, I think.
DeleteI dislike the emails that invite me to request a book -- unless it is one from an author I want to read. I would still rather it be a widget. Those truly are the best. I get a ton of email invitations to sign up from a couple different PR companies, but I signed up to be on their lists. I do have a couple of publishers that send me emails to read certain books and I have gotten better at saying no if they aren't ones I want to read. I try look at blurbs and reviews if possible.
ReplyDeleteI only did tours back in the day for YA. It has been years since I did a tour. You're a good egg. I don't even reply to the emails, but that was the first time I received a personalized email to request a book on NG. It was so strange for me.
DeleteAs an international reader, it's so different for me because most of the books on NetGalley are "wish for it" due to my location. I rarely get those emails from the big publishers to request a book on NetGalley, esp. since most of the time when I click the link it's still "wish for it", so if I'm interested enough, it's the only time I "shoot my shot" and ask for access. But as I said, it so very rarely happens! I am still on a few publisher email lists to join blog tours or to read certain ARC titles but they're also not widgets so I usually have to email back and say which ones I'm interested in. I still haven't gathered up the courage to email publishers directly to ask for ARCs unprompted since I'm almost always rejected, lol. I like to think it is mostly due to my status as an international reader but it still sucks. On the plus side, it has helped me trim down my TBR greatly although I do still get FOMO sometimes!
ReplyDeleteI think that's what Carla said also about the emails with the link. The email I got was an email from a person, not one of those mass emails from NG which seems like the normal kind of email for suggesting a book to request. So odd. If it makes you feel any better, I don't have much luck with wish books either. I have never asked for a book, but one of the last times my daughter went to BEA, she had a meeting with a pub, and she told the kid to email if there were any books she wanted to read. She did, and we got the books.
DeleteMine are either authors messaging me and asking if I would be interested in reading their books or publishers reaching out with the link to download the book from Netgalley!
ReplyDeleteI am a fan of the link/widget. I don't want to ask. I want to download on demand
DeleteDefinitely prefer the widgets. The situation that frustrates me the most are when I get review requests for books that are nothing like what I review, though. I just ignore those outright 99% of the time.
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I get that they want to get the word out for a book, but it just makes me feel like they picked me at random. My reading time is limited and I want to dedicate it to books I enjoy.
DeleteThe widgets are my favorite too. They seem to be the ones that more closely align with what I like to read. I also like that they stay active until the book archives on Netgalley so that even if I initially pass, if I change my mind, it's still there waiting for me. I can't stand the ones that pretend to really enjoy the content on either my blog or instagram page and then ask me to review a book that they would know is clearly nothing I would be interested in if they had spent any time at all on either platform.
ReplyDeleteI agree, but maybe it's because I get most of my widgets from St. Martin's Griffen and Berkley - love their books! I get that it's their job to try and find readers, but it seems like a waste of time when you know the person doesn't read xyz kind of books.
DeleteYES I have gotten a few of these as well. Like nah, if you are not going to give me the thing, I am probably not going to stick my neck out for it if I wasn't already interested. Like you, I LOVE the widget! Best option by FAR. They make my day, too- and sometimes will convince me to read something I otherwise may have overlooked.
ReplyDeleteMy personal favorite (and thankfully these are rare) is "please buy my book on Amazon and review it at your earliest convenience" and then I nearly choke to death laughing. 😂
Seems so odd to reach out to tell me to request a book. Why bother. I agree that widgets are a motivator for me. I don't know, I have a thing about rejection, so I won't always request books, but I am likely to click the widget for a book that appeals to me. I think I have received the buy-the-book and review request like one time. That one really takes the cake.
DeleteI've received those weird invites "to request" a book on NetGalley too! I don't really get it. Like wouldn't I just request it myself if I wanted to read it?
ReplyDeleteIt is an odd type of invite for sure. I guess it's a way to advertise the book, like those announcement type mass emails Netgalley sends, but why make it so personal when it's not.
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