It's hard to express just how fun and satisfying book blogging is for me. It really is such a good time. I'm secure enough in my nerdiness to admit that publicly (not that it will surprise any of you). As much as I love this gig, though, there are parts of my "job" that make me feel stressed, pressured and guilty. Yes, I'm talking about blog tours. I've tried cutting back, agreeing to review only the books I'm really, really, really interested in and yet, I still find myself signing up for more tours than I can handle and then having trouble meeting those commitments. This makes me feel both embarrassed and guilty. It's not the blog tour coordinators or anyone else making me feel this way—it's me! I can't control myself. So, I am officially resigning from participation in blog tours. In addition, scheduled reviews will no longer be available, except in the special cases described below. I feel terrible doing this, but I know it will help me remain sane and keep blogging fun. What's going to happen to the tours for which I've already signed up? I will honor those engagements to the best of my ability. However, no new tour stops will be scheduled from here on out. I'm still interested in reviewing books, of course, but only those that can be evaluated within my own time frame. If that doesn't work for you, then you'll have to find a different reviewer. I'm still open to hosting giveaways, author interviews, product reviews (of at least a semi-bookish nature) and cover reveals/tour stops/guest posts for authors with whom I have previously worked or with whom I would like to work. In addition, I may be open to scheduling an occasional tour stop, but only for books published through a traditional, established publisher (i.e. Harper Collins, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, Deseret Book, etc.) or written by authors to whom I've given positive reviews in the past. Anyone is welcome to email me with questions or queries, just be aware that unless your book meets the above guidelines, I will probably not accept it for review.
Just to make everything crystal clear, I will no longer be participating in blog tours. If you run a tour company, you can take my name off your contact list or you can continue querying me. It's totally up to you. If you are an author, publicist, intern, etc. looking to have a book reviewed in an open time frame, please feel free to query me. I'll accept or decline requests in the same way I always have—based on how much a book appeals to me.
I hope all this makes sense. If you have questions or comments, you're always welcome to email me. I love getting your ideas and feedback, so don't hesitate to communicate with me.
Thank you for understanding! I really think this decision will help me be a better, more relaxed, more efficient reviewer. And that's what we all want, right?
I'm so glad you're doing this! I've considered it myself, mainly because I only finish books I really like and when I've signed up for a tour and end up not liking the book...well... it becomes a chore. Reading should never be a chore.
ReplyDeleteI think this is such a lovely idea. I hate that I sign up for too much and most of the time I don't like the books that I signed up for and it's such an awkward position to be in. I think it's easier to stay true when you choose what you want to read and don't have an obligation to a tour. Also less stressful because you choose what you want to read and when you want to read it.
ReplyDeleteI hear you! I've become extremely selective of blog tours I'll participate in. I hate that feeling of guilt and pressure to read.
ReplyDeleteWay to go!!! Good for you!! I was never "popular" like you...but I gave up what few blog tours/requests awhile ago. Life is too short for book guilt. I provide plenty of that on my own.
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