To Tour Or Not To Tour?!

Wednesday 5 October 2016


I remember when…… oh gosh, I sound like I’ve been blogging for years but…. remember when we used to get excited over being chosen to receive an ARC.  That feeling to have been one of the chosen few. Nowadays ARCs seem to be offered out more freely but at the same time, the demands from the authors and their PR gurus have escalated, hence my question above.  Do we continue to tour and accept the demands placed upon us in return for that greatly sought after ARC or do we take a step back, purchase the book upon release and then pimp it like crazy?

We, like many other blogs, work hard to support authors and do so mostly without recognition or financial reward. Yes we like to receive ARCs but not because they are free books, it’s because there is an opportunity of reading a book, that we can’t wait to get our hands on, as early as possible, ie because it is an ADVANCE copy. If authors simply see the majority of blogs as people looking for freebies then they are wrong. A number of people who receive ARCs go on to buy the book, or other promotional items, or in my case, I often purchase the paperback to grace my bookshelves (and to randomly stroke but that’s another story!!!). I will also, where possible, read a book I’ve been asked to review, via KU, so the author can receive some financial recompense for his/her efforts.

I agree that many authors are too generous in the number of ARCs they offer and I am fully supportive of some authors opting to limit the number of ARCs available, that said I may still be disappointed not to receive a copy but that’s because I am a fan, not because I am not one of the chosen few!

Bloggers spend endless hours building posts and promoting authors and books and to have the shine taken off this by an indirect accusation of us simply wanting to get our hands on free books which, in my eyes, is offensive. Apart from the larger blogs, the majority of us make a financial loss from the cost of running our websites etc, despite receiving a small commission from affiliate sales. We do what we do for the love of books, the authors and the reward of reading a memorable story. That’s it!

So, has the indie bubble burst?  Is the battle for indie author supremacy getting out of hand?  And, is the indie market just too competitive to survive for some authors?  I guess time will tell but for now…. I’ll #keepblogging







No comments