For the past few months I've been inundated with requests to review books. Inundated, I tell you. Not just one a month, or one a week, but at least one request a day. Is it because so many book bloggers have stopped blogging? Is it because more and more writers are getting published through non-traditional means?
(gif courtesy of Giphy.com)
Whatever the cause, I have to say thank you so very much for thinking of me, but I'm sorry; I can't possibly review--or even read--all the books from all the authors who request it.
Why?
Well, for one thing, I'm human, not a reading machine. Yes, I do read a lot, but there are only so many hours in the day, and I must spend time with my family, do household chores, get some form of exercise every day (I have RA and need to get up and move around), and of course block out time for my own writing and for reading other blogs. And yes, occasionally checking in with Twitter or Facebook.
Furthermore, let's be clear here. I post recommendations, not reviews. This blog only features books I love. Not every book can make the cut. And of course, I'm only one person, with one opinion. Your opinion may differ.
If you're similarly flooded with book review requests, how do you handle it?
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Monday, June 8, 2015
Friday, March 1, 2013
Is it true? Is this the future of blogging?
In the December 4, 2012 issue of Shelf Awareness, in an article on YA authors and their social media platforms, Andrea Cremer (author of Nightshade and its sequels) admits she started out with a blog, but "now finds that medium too slow and relies primarily on Facebook and Twitter."
She also says her "social media activity takes up three to four hours of her day." And that's without blogging!
Further evidence that blogging is losing its appeal: several of the authors I follow have essentially stopped blogging. The last time Maureen Johnson (Name of the Star) posted to her blog was five months ago. Yet you can find the Queen of Teen on Twitter nearly every waking hour of the day. Laurie Halse Anderson also hasn't blogged for five months. Mike Jung (Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities) is another author with a Twitter empire. His last blog post was Feb 23, certainly recent enough. Yet the one before that was Oct 7, 2012!
What does this mean?
I think it means the future of blogging is Twitter and Facebook! The internet is changing our brains and the way we process information. People simply don't have the patience to read long blog posts anymore (Go on, admit it, you've skimmed more than one of my longer posts -- and yes, I've probably skimmed one or more of some other blogger's posts. Not yours! No!). And it's possible that LinkedIn, Google+, Tumblr and especially Pinterest also vie for a portion of your allotted social media time. When does anyone have time to write or read books?
Wait until Facebook buys out Twitter and they'll be the same thing. Then it will be one looming tower of babble.
What do you think?
She also says her "social media activity takes up three to four hours of her day." And that's without blogging!
Further evidence that blogging is losing its appeal: several of the authors I follow have essentially stopped blogging. The last time Maureen Johnson (Name of the Star) posted to her blog was five months ago. Yet you can find the Queen of Teen on Twitter nearly every waking hour of the day. Laurie Halse Anderson also hasn't blogged for five months. Mike Jung (Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities) is another author with a Twitter empire. His last blog post was Feb 23, certainly recent enough. Yet the one before that was Oct 7, 2012!
What does this mean?
I think it means the future of blogging is Twitter and Facebook! The internet is changing our brains and the way we process information. People simply don't have the patience to read long blog posts anymore (Go on, admit it, you've skimmed more than one of my longer posts -- and yes, I've probably skimmed one or more of some other blogger's posts. Not yours! No!). And it's possible that LinkedIn, Google+, Tumblr and especially Pinterest also vie for a portion of your allotted social media time. When does anyone have time to write or read books?
Wait until Facebook buys out Twitter and they'll be the same thing. Then it will be one looming tower of babble.
What do you think?
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