Last Updated on August 19, 2020 by ThoughtsStained
Hello lovelies!
I hope you’re all doing well! As you may have seen from Monday’s post, where I discussed how I want to shake up my review structure, it’s gotten me thinking about myself as a book blogger on the whole and if there is anything I can do better.
The short answer: yes, absolutely 100% yes.
The long answer: well…the rest of this post!
This is a bit of a vulnerable post to write, even though it’s also a very important post, so, if you do decide to comment on it, I would greatly appreciate if you respond with kindness, rather than any forms of attack. <3
So, this blog is something that is really important to me. It’s my own space where I can feel completely whole, completely me. I’m not only a book blogger, but I also share my journey about my writing and my tidbits of my personal life in here. It’s a blog that’s been around for 8 years (!! 😮) and one I plan to continue for many more.
However, I think it’s also important to recognize that I come from a very privileged space as a book blogger. I am a white woman living in the US, where access to libraries is plenty and the ability to buy books is easy, due to access and shipping availability, which opens the doors to ARC and book tour opportunities that many international bloggers don’t have.
Obviously, I can’t change the book publishing industry overnight (and probably can’t do too much on my own, at any rate). However, I would like to try and do a few things that will hopefully help make positive strides, not only for myself a book blogger who wants to be a better ally to BIPOC communities, but also perhaps with publishers and how they view and interact with book bloggers.
Relationship with ARCS
Again, I must recognize that I am very privileged to even receive ARCs, including receiving regular emails from both Titan Books and Orbit Books. I don’t always accept them, but (with Orbit especially), when I see a book I’m really interested in, I definitely request it, even being lucky enough to receive print copies (which, I only like to read print books, to give my eyes a break from the screen, which is another privilege).
However, currently, I have 70 ARCs that are overdue. That number doesn’t include the books I’ve received as gifts from self-published authors, also in exchange for an honest review.
There are plenty of reasons why I fell behind: mental health struggles, changing jobs, changing commitments and time restraints, mood reading, a global pandemic. And, while all of those are valid, it’s also just as valid that, by not reviewing these books on time, I have hurt the important publicity chances of that author during a pivotal point in their book’s shelf-life: that first week, where sales are look at most closely and changes of hitting bestseller lists are determined, plus plenty of other factors I don’t fully understand, not working in publishing; all of this, however, impacts whether the author will be trusted–and paid–to write more books.
Do I think a singular review from myself is going to truly make or break an author’s career? No, not really. However, I do know that ARCs are meant to be promotional tool and there are limit numbers given out and I have taken that slot for many books and failed to uphold my end.
This is even worse for books written by BIPOC authors, who already most likely have been given less marketing and publicity, due to how the publishing industry mistreats and undervalues writers of color.
Plus, with self-published authors, they are already paying for their entire publication of their book out of their own pocket–including sending an ARC to me. The least I can do is do a better job of reviewing their book in a timely manner.
This is something I feel a lot of guilt about, but guilt doesn’t fix things. I have been slowly working on catching up on my backlog of ARCs and will review these books, starting with any books by BIPOC authors, until I am completely caught up. I am very sorry that I haven’t honored this promise I have made and didn’t truly realize not only the negative impact this neglect could have, but also how this is a privilege denied to many, that I’m not upholding as well as I should.
Going forward, I:
- am not accepting any review requests from self-published authors until I get my backlog caught up
- will not accept new review request from publishers unless I have a) read at least double the amount of older review copies than what I am requesting that month and b) it is a book I was already actively wanting to reading (not a book that just looks interesting)
- Once I am caught up, I plan to be more honest with myself about how much I truly read and if I have time to read a book in the ARC timeframe, only accepting books that I can actually read on time
Advocating for International and Diverse Bloggers and Authors
Like I mentioned above, I can’t change how publishing views or values diverse bloggers. I can’t change shipping costs or increase marketing budgets. I can, however, do a much better job using my voice to help support international and diverse bloggers and authors.
I plan to do this by:
- Continuing to check and make sure I am following a wide range of bloggers, reading their posts, engaging genuinely with their content and sharing their work through things like my Monthly Wrap-Up posts
- When I receive emails for ARCs for publishing, instead of accepting an ARC written by a BIPOC, I will start recommending bloggers who would connect with that ARC more than myself, as a white reviewer, and ask that the copy “reserved for me” be sent to them instead.
- Prioritizing asking my library to purchase diverse books
- Continue to check my own reading and make sure that I’m not just reading books by cishet white men. I’m doing an okay job of this currently, but I could definitely do a better job diversifying my own shelf.
Making My Website More Accessible and a Safe Space
To be honest, this is something I haven’t looked into too much, yet, but I know it’s something I want to do a better job at. I want my space to not only be a safe space, but also an accessible space, no matter what.
I plan to do this by:
- Adding my pronouns to my “About Me” page and my “Welcome” blurb on the front page (they are already on my social media platforms)
- Look at bloggers like Destiny @ Howling Libraries, Kal @ Reader Voracious and Shealea @ Shut Up, Shealea on how they have made their blogs have accessible modes and how I can emulate that
- Include descriptive captions on all of my pictures and GIFs that I use
- Do more research on what my blog is lacking and how I can fix that
Those are just a few ways that I can definitely see myself improving as a book blogger (and a person, I think). I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Is there anything you’re hoping to improve upon? Is there anything else that you think I could be doing, to do a better job myself? Let me know in the comments below!
Cheers.
![Hello, writers, wordsmiths and storytellers!
Thanks for the BooksforMaui fundraiser, I was able to work with three winners after I donated my most popular querying package: the 1st Impressions Package.
It was so wonderful to work with those writers that I want to work with more who want to prepare for the querying trenches. So much so, I'm offering 50% off for anyone who books during the month of October! 🎃
Full details below.
THE PACKAGE:
This is a combo package for writers who are preparing to query, but want to make sure their querying materials are going to make the right first impression to agents.
You get an single edit of your query letter, synopsis AND your 1st 50 pages, along with notes and an email summary.
COST:
Traditionally $200, this sale for $100 is good from October 1st - October 31st! Payment plans are available by request and always welcome.
TIMELINE:
Please note you just need to book in October to secure this pricing. If you need more time to prepare your materials, we can actually plan to work on your materials anytime in the next year ($50 will be required to secure booking).
Right now, I am doing 1-2 week turnaround time for this package.
Interested? Please reach out on my website (linked in bio) and let's get you ready for the trenches!
Please share widely, as word of mouth is how freelancers find clients!
[ID in alt text]
#writing #writinghelp #editing #amediting #amrevising #edits #freelanceeditor #SFFWriters #fantasywriters #writingcommunity #writing #querying #amquerying #writersofinstagram #writersofig #WIP #editorial #1stImpressionsPackage](https://thoughtsstainedwithink.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)
Good luck with clearing your TBR, Nicole. You’re right, feeling guilty doesn’t change anything. We must act to change the situation.
Thank you so much, Debjani! And you’re right, as well, which is why I’m working to make that change!
I’m quite new to blogging. Brand new – I just launched last Monday, actually. As a newbie, I’m so pleased to have discovered this post. Your transparency and goal setting are very inspiring. I’ve made notes about some small, supportive measures I can adopt in my space as well. Congratulations for setting boundaries and taking care of yourself.
Ah, well congrats on your launch, Emily!! Welcome to blogging! 😀 And I am SO glad this post was so helpful for you! Thank you so much for taking the time to read; I appreciate it greatly!
Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing this, Nicole! It shows a lot about your character that you want to hold yourself accountable. 💕
This is a really good idea as well, just as a post, to show how we want to change and let our followers hold us to our word. Do you mind if I emulate you and write up a similar post for myself? I’ve been pondering over this a lot lately myself and I appreciate the way you laid it all out and feel I should follow your example. 💜
(Also, the accessibility! It’s been on my long list since I first noticed it on Destiny & Karl’s blogs. I’ve got to do some research on that too….)
*Kal’s blog!!! 😫 This time I blame autocorrect, it’s the just punishment I deserve for commenting on my phone.
Amber, I just adore you!
And um, YES, I WOULD LOVE THAT POST! I’d be curious to see your thoughts on it and see if I can steal anything from you that I should be doing myself! 😛 So yes, please, of course! I can’t wait to read it! (And I am SO sorry for the wait on my reply; I once get a chance to respond to comments and blog hop like, once a week *sigh*).
(I know! I’m trying to figure out a way to do it without having to upgrade to the BUSINESS plan on WordPress, because my goodness, I’m not made of money.)
<3 Thank you for your support on this!!! Definitely don't worry about the delay – I tend to respond weekly to all my comments, so I totally get where you are coming from.<3 Thank you so much!
I don't know what your WordPress relationship is – I'm self-hosted – but if you can add your own plugins, Userway looks like a good one for accessibility! Good luck!!! <3 <3 <3
Ah, great minds think alike! 😉 And of course!! I cannot wait to read your thoughts on this!!
I like this, very much. Good for you. But… I wouldn’t separate self-published books from traditional published ones. I know quite a few self-published authors who write books that are better than some of the ones I’ve read from big-name publishers. Also, I think the idea of suggesting books that aren’t in your genres to other bloggers is a fantastic idea. I just did this myself. Two good friends of mine from High School, who have both been writing for Hollywood for well over 20 years, finally decided to write their own novels. Well, one of them was exactly my thing (see my review of “The Boys Next Door” on my blog), but the other one – psychological thriller. For that one, I went over my list and suggested a bunch of bloggers who might be interested. I hope he reaches out to them and gets some reviews. Now I need to find more bloggers willing to read and review The Boys Next Door!
I totally understand that! I don’t separate them because I think they are lesser quality, but because, when a self-published writer sends me an ARC, it’s different when a publisher or company does, if that makes sense! Oh, that’s awesome! I’m glad you’ve been able to give good recommendations like that!
Nice blog
Thank you!
Great post and proposed actions. I started adding alt text to my pictures a while back and I’d like to get a “podcast” running of me reading my work as another accessibility feature.
That’s awesome! I’m not surprised you’re already on the ball with this. 🙂
Love this post! It is so honest and straight from the heart💛. It definitely takes guts to acknowledge and take responsibility of not being able to read the ARCs you have and decide to make amends. I am fairly new to the book blogging world but have realized it soon enough that ARCs are a double-edged sword. They make you all excited and more importantly, validated as an established blogger. But it can get out of hand easily. I try to only accept ARCs that make me feel excited and are at least 3-4 months away from being published, even though I often feel bad about turning down requests.
Thank you for writing this amazing post! Your ideas have definitely inspired me.
Thank you so much for such a detailed response, Aayushi! <3 <3 Yeah, I started out doing a really good job, but then it got a bit out of hand, so I definitely know what I need to do, going forward. It can be a sharp double-edged sword, but I'm glad you've figured out a system that works for you!
These are great areas to be thinking about and improving on! I should do an accessibility review of my own site. I particularly love what you’ve written about advocating for other bloggers. I rarely get asked to review books, but I have also started asking if reviewers whose identity is being represented are receiving copies. Also, you’ve made me realize that I only have my pronouns on my Twitter bio, not on my website. That’s an easy change I will go make right now. 🙂
Thank you!! I still need to figure out how to be more accessible on my website, WordPress says it already is, but I don’t think I buy that! And I think asking if reviewers whose identity is being represented are receiving copies is SO important!! And YAY.
Thanks so much for sharing this! I feel very much like you – I realize that I’m coming from a place of privilege, and I need to make sure I’m not taking advantage of that. Like you, I want to do all I can to make my blog accessible—ironically, I just read a great post over at Metaphors and Moonlight about exactly that, and I’m trying to take her advice in my future posts. I’m going to bookmark this so I can make some of these changes as well.
Really? I’ll have to try and find that post, because I am definitely excited to read anyone’s advice and thoughts on this matter! I’m so glad you connected with this, Nicole, and I hope we’re both able to make the changes we feel we need to make!