And in that spirit, I have decided that I will no longer be trying to coax #bookbloggers and #bookreviewers to look at my #books. I reached out to the ones who had already agreed to review my latest #novel, and have withdrawn my request.

The time I have already spent sending out press releases and requests to review my book, could have been far more productively used to #write more #shortstories.

I will announce new stories or books here, but I no longer give a fig about reviews

#bookstodon

I know #bookreviews are a gateway to being in #library holdings, and that #librarians use reviews as a gauge of how much #readership a #book might enjoy, but like I decided that querying literary magazines was a waste of time, I'm rapidly approaching the point at which I will say the same about ##bookreviewers and ##bookbloggers

I'm sure this works for many other #writers, and other #writersofmastodon may find it worth the time, but I'm not seeing the value vs spending that effort #writing

Spent most of today looking at articles on what #bookblogging is and what #bookbloggers do. Also about how #writers and #authors should engage with them, and how this forms part of a #writerslife and the broader #writingcommunity

I have reached out to #bookreviewers and bloggers, but now that I've taken a closer look, I think I'm out. The amount of time and effort this would take away from actually #writing is far too big

https://mastodon.social/@screwturn/116031632631978564
https://mastodon.social/@screwturn/116031744211689891
https://mastodon.social/@screwturn/116031269126119580

@EveHasWords
I have a small number of people who more or less eagerly take my ARCs, but that's really my beta-readers. I think they like the #books and in return for a free book, they give me edits and sensitivity feedback.

I'm not sure I have my head around the point of #bookreviewers or #bookbloggers in this picture, but I'm starting to feel like I care if they help #readers who would naturally like my writing to find my books, but that I actually DGAF what the reviewer or blogger thinks

Which brings me to the final lap

Not all #writing is appealing to all #readers. People want different genres (itself a hot mess) different topics, different styles, and will tolerate or demand different levels of editing stringency.

The best a writer can do is find the audience for whom the content, style, and level of editing is satisfying.

The best thing you #bookbloggers #editors #bookreviewers can do to help, is to connect those two groups. Help #readers find their #writers

#bookstodon

Dear #bookbloggers #bookreviewers

As a #writer and #author, there are a few things of which I would like to remind you.

Firstly, covers, titles, blurbs are seldom under full control of the #author, if at all. If they went through a traditional publisher, even less so.

But this is the least of it.

The entire publishing industry, which includes you, is a nasty, predatory, and exploitative machine that sucks #writers in, chews them, and often dumps their corpses

#bookblogger #bookreview

Dear #writer #author #writingcommunity

What is your thinking on #bookreviews?

Do you seek and solicit #bookreviewers and #bookbloggers?
If so, do you look for ones that fit your genre or some other criterion, or just do it broadly?
Do you engage with them socially or just toss a press release over the wall?

Once your book is reviewed, do you go look?
If you go read your review, what do you do with that?

#bookstodon

😡 Spent hours reviewing an ARC, only to learn it was 100% AI, not human. ARC sites missed vetting. Now I extra-vet debut authors I want to champion. Time for AI book transparency! Ethical AI use? YES. Deception? NO. #AIBooks #ARCTransparency #BookReviewers #DebutAutho

https://viewsshewrites.com/the-arc-that-made-me-stop-trusting-the-process/

ARC Betrayal: Undisclosed AI Books Hurt Reviewers

After discovering an undisclosed AI-generated ARC, I reflect on trust, transparency, and how hidden AI books harm reviewers and debut authors.

Views She Writes

Q1 #MakersHour How have you been this week, and what’s new on your creative front?

Good enough
I started putting a New Year's Resolution into practice. I made a rather bad press release about my newly published book, and sent it out to about twenty newspapers and magazines., and maybe ten "influencers" and #bookreviewers

I got one reply, and one out-of-office emails back

#ReviewersWanted !
(Pitch-black dark romance)

Unholy Fate and Unholy Bond are available as review copies now ...

Apply here:
https://forms.gle/yewo3VouLmfd7fuPA

Tropes:

🖤 Partially set in Hell.
🩶 Mostly set in Boston.
🖤 Nun FMC.
🩶 Virgin heroine.
🖤 Possessive heroes.
🩶 Demons.
🖤 Advanced character development.
🩶 Vengeance.
🖤 Mythology.
🩶 Pitch-black romance.
🖤 No choosing.
🩶 Self-discovery.
🖤 Paedo-punishment.
🩶 Chains.
🖤 Edging.

#ARCreaders #bookreviewers #ARC #darkromance