Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Tuesday Talks | Should Authors Provide Books For Reviewers?

Tuesday Talks is a weekly discussion group where we discuss bookish topics. You can find the goodreads group here if you would like to participate or find out who else is doing Tuesday Talks!

Should Authors Provide Their Book For Review?
Since having my blog and booktube for the past six months or so, I've been given many free copies of novels in exchange for review. I love helping authors by reviewing their novels and they are seeking the feedback. Personally I think giving free copies (whether physical or eBook) is a good policy for authors who are just starting out. Of course they want to sell their books, but they also need to develop a group of readers so that someone will want to buy their books. 

Being an aspiring author, I plan to seek beta readers and reviewers who will read in exchange for a copy of my book. One day I would like to be able to sell more copies than I'm giving away, obviously, but as an author it's important to develop a reputation with your target audience. And what better way to develop that relationship than to offer up your book, free, to bloggers and other reviewers? I think that's the best advertisement you can get. 

This obviously also depends on how the novel is published as well. A self published author may be able to give out eBook copies, but not physical. An author with a publisher likely has to go through that publisher to offer their books. Or the publishers determine how many copies and how they will be given away. So it all depends on the means of publication and what can be afforded by the author/publisher. 

With all that said, I don't think it's wrong to seek reviews where the book must be purchased. I do believe that the author will get more support by offering free copies. I'm an avid reader, but I can't afford to buy every book I'm interested in. I'm more likely to buy books by authors that I already know and like. So giving me a free copy to review helps me determine if you go on my list of authors to buy. I've read several novels that I've gotten for free from authors and then gone and bought the sequel because I liked the first one so much. 

So I think a lot of it has to do with expense and marketing. If you are in a position to offer copies (physical or ebook) then I think it's definitely a great way to get your book read and out there in the public eye. If not, it may just take you longer to get your work noticed. Then again, it may not. It's just something the author has to determine and see where they want to go with it. As a blogger/booktuber, I love receiving free copies and helping spread the word about lesser known writers that I come to appreciate. So I think it's a great thing, but not the only way. 

I hope this post made sense! I'm feeling a little all over the place at the moment. So share your thoughts in the comments. What do you think about authors giving out free copies of their novels in exchange for reviews? Should they? Should the not? Does it matter to you? Let me know down below!  


8 comments:

  1. Courtney I feel like the Author should provide the book if they are the ones who approached the reader. If the reader approached the author(self published) then it is their responsibility to let them know whether or not they can provide the book, or at least direct the reader in the right direction.

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    1. Definitely agree with you there. Communication is key. It's important for authors and reviewers to tell each other what they expect from each other. Thanks for reading!

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  2. Hi Courtney! You make such a great point that offering free copies to reviewers is the best advertisement. I find that when an author offers me a free book, I'm already more likely to approach that reading experience with a positive attitude. I like the author, they're kind and generous in offering a free copy, so I'll probably like their book. I do still give honest reviews and try not to let my opinion of the author change that. I think ebooks are a great option. I've even received PDFs from authors, which doesn't cost them anything so they are getting a review and I'm getting a free copy. Great talk this week!

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    1. Yes, it's definitely important to not let your view of the author as a person cloud your opinions of their book. It doesn't help anyone to just give out false praise. It would be more helpful to say what you actually mean. And I've gotten PDFs too, in some cases. And I'm perfectly fine with that. Even though I prefer physical books, I don't mind electronic ones for reviewing. Thanks for reading!

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  3. I think it's important for authors to provide ARCs and Read to Review books, especially at the beginning. Also, the more authors interact in a better way with their reviewers, the better. I know a few authors that are in constant contact on GR and on blogs and it really improves their exposure, especially with all the insanity around bad reviews lately.

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    1. I definitely agree! It's so important to be involved and getting your book out there. It's hard, as a reader/reviewer, to take a chance on a new authors work, but if they take the time to seek me out I'm more likely to actually look at their stuff. And once I've reviewed one, I'll likely continue reading and reviewing their books if I liked it. I've found some really good books that way. And all of the stuff about bad reviews has been crazy! Thanks for reading!

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  4. I completely agree with what you said! Authors aren't obligated to provide books, but if they can, I think it's in their best interest to. Great discussion this week :)

    ~Saloni
    www.myfantabulousbookshelf.blogspot.com

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    1. Yes, I definitely agree. It just helps them get their work out there more and more quickly. I know that I recommend my favorites to my friends, so if you give me a book and I like it I'll be telling people about it. :) Thanks for commenting!

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