Book Blogger Confessions is a biweekly meme hosted by  For What It’s Worth and  Tiger’s All Consuming Media

July16th: What do we owe publishers and authors? If we accept ARC’s do we “owe” anything to them or just an honest review to our followers? As book bloggers are we obligated to do more than just review books? Post covers – participate in book tours – host guest posts – promote authors?

What do we owe publishers and authors? If we accept ARC’s do we “owe” anything to them or just an honest review to our followers?

I think we owe a couple of things to the publishers/publicists and authors that we work with. First and foremost we owe an honest review of the book provided to us. We owe that to our readers as well, and I’ve said it before…the reviews we write should be written for the reader not the author or the publisher. We don’t write critical/analytical reviews here. There are “professionals” who do that…although I seem to disagree a lot with those reviews.

What we write here are our thoughts and feelings on the book. I think that’s what our readers are looking for as well. In the majority of my own reviews I also like to include a line or note to the author. If a review happens to be a “good” review, and the author and/or publisher wants to feature it on their site, on twitter, Facebook, etc. then I’m totally cool with that. In fact, I’m delighted when that happens.

Whenever we receive ARCs or ebooks for review I normally remind whoever is sending it to me that if we read it and it doesn’t rate at least a three then it won’t get a review on Bookish. Also, unless it’s for a specific release date or a blog tour I don’t make promises as to when the book will be reviewed.

As book bloggers are we obligated to do more than just review books? Post covers – participate in book tours – host guest posts – promote authors?

I don’t think we’re obligated to do any of those things, but my question would be…why wouldn’t you want to? I wouldn’t do them if I didn’t like the book, but I like to participate in all of those things not only to spotlight and support the authors and their books that I love, but I think my readers enjoy all those things as well. I know for sure that anytime I’ve hosted guest posts they’re very popular.

As far as promoting authors? If I love the books they’ve written I want the whole world to know about it and to read them. If I happen to also like the author? Even better as far as I’m concerned. If we’re being honest aren’t we more apt to be enthusiastically supportive long after we’ve reviewed a book if we feel we have some sort of connection? Maybe that’s just me.

I’m going to be less than humble right here and say that I think I’m pretty damn creative at coming up with different kinds of posts to keep an author, and their book(s) on people’s minds. So yeah…chat me up on a personal level.  I know that some book bloggers have a “no author fraternization” policy and if that works for them then so be it.  Btw, I have an upcoming Observations post that will discuss this more fully as well as the reverse of this question…do publishers/authors owe book bloggers anything.

Alright peeps…my question to you is this? Am I right in thinking you guys love seeing more than reviews here? Do you like the guest posts? Interviews? Cover reveals? Etc.?

Tamie Xo