You may remember once upon a time when I was too paralyzed by my ridiculous fear to request a book. We aren’t even talking physical books, I was too damn chicken to click “request” on Netgalley or Edelweiss either! But, I promised I’d try. And that I’d even try to request a physical ARC.
And look at me, I accomplished something!! I started out slowly, just requesting a book here or there. And then, around the new year, I kind of went… ARC crazy if you will. Because in my twisted and pessimistic mind, I was 99.99% sure that no one was ever going to approve me, so really, what is the harm in asking for several? I even had rules, like a good requester:
- I only requested books I really wanted to read. They had to be on my TBR, or have insanely amazing synopses for me to request them.
- I never requested more than 2 or so at a time.
- I always, always read them and reviewed them in a timely fashion.
But then…. some things happened. First, I didn’t quite check all the release dates before I requested. So even though I only requested a few at a time… every single one ended up coming out in March, April, or May. Or early June, don’t forget early June. I didn’t want to start them too soon, so I figured I’d start around January. And things were going swimmingly… until now. The reason seems to be twofold: A lot of books are coming out now, before it slows down a bit in the summer. Also, I am going to be basically missing a full week of reading/blogging time while at BEA, right in the middle of it all. 
Now, let’s be realistic and logical: I don’t have to review every single book the second it comes out. No, these are my own ridiculous neuroses, making me physically unable to not read the book before it comes out. (Though I assume this is quite good news for publishers- I am a pretty safe bet to give a book to, because I will obsess until I get it done and give it a proper review.)
Nori @ ReadWriteLove28 gave me this lovely spreadsheet (hit her up on Twitter @ReadWriteLove28 if you are curious) and basically has become my personal life ARC coach. But, I am going to show you what we’re dealing with in pictures, because frankly, pretty covers are pretty.
April
May
June (now, that isn’t so bad!)
There is good news in my large pile of books. Lots of good news, really. I want to read all these books, so it is exciting! But even better- I HAVE read some of these books! That’s right, I have actually made some pretty decent progress on my April books! So, I am starting ahead of things. Actually I have already read 6/12 of the April books, so you know, it could be worse!
Anyway, all this brings me to my big questions:
- Do you insist that you finish every ARC before it is released (or within a certain time period)?
- Do you insist that you review each one before release/within a certain time?
- Would you completely lose your mind (i.e., as I would) if you didn’t adhere to your schedule?
Oh, you definitely have to be in time with ARCs. I’m really picky with that one as well. I get very nervous if I have more than four books to review and I really put pressure on myself to get them read as quickly as possible. The danger with ARCs is that reading easily becomes a job and stops being a hobby. Take it slowly, else a reading slump’s around the corner and we all know how terrible those are.
Yes, that is kind of the issue I am having- I haven’t been able to read any “me” books in a while, and won’t be for quite some time either. I think after the novelty wore off (back in like, December) I was quite cautious about requesting, but by then.. well, the damage was done 😉
I’ll admit that I’ve gone a bit ARC crazy recently as well, and I’ve already been reading my May ARCs and neglecting my April ones. D: But I do TRY my best to read everything a month before release, and once the release month’s there and I still haven’t read it yet… All my energy and enthusiasm over the book evaporates, and then I go nuts and try to read everything all at once!
That is what has happened to me. I am REALLY excited for MOST of these books but… I will admit, there are a few I am having requester’s regret over. (Mostly, the ARCs from EW that I requested back when I was so afraid!)
This is a really great post – I love that spreadsheet, I requested 8 of those books before, and I’ve read 4 from them. I kind of go ARC crazy on Edelweiss, lol I’m good with Netgalley though! I usually try reading the books a month before the release date, if I can’t I don’t let it pressure me unless it was specifically from a publisher you know? Because then there is a person I wouldn’t wanna disappoint..
YES, the physical ARCS absolutely have priority over all else. Because I sent an email and ASKED someone for them, so… yeah. Plus, they are the ones I REALLY want to read anyway, so it is easy in that respect 😉 I go crazy on Ew too, and definitely less so on NG! I have been trying to avoid both until AFTER BEA though!
I have yet to request books of any sort — first because I don’t review books that often, and secondly because I signed up for Bookbub and am now receiving more free books than I know what to do with. ARCs are great, I suppose, when it’s from an author you love and/or you’re dying over the premise, but I’m still in that stage of paralysing fear, I guess? XD I suppose someday I’ll get around to it …
Ah, that makes sense! Definitely no need to bother if you don’t want to review too often. But it IS a nice perk to be able to read a book you are absolutely dying for (especially a sequel- that’s the BEST!), but I get the fear (ohhhh do I get the fear)! I think the best place to start is a non-hyped book, that you WANT, but won’t be like, devastated if you don’t get. Then it’s great if you get it, but “oh well” if you don’t 😉
Ohhhh. That’s a great suggestion on how to start, Shannon — thanks so much!
I also feel the need to read and review the ARC BEFORE the release date. I have so many right now!! I have a handy Excel spreadsheet that helps me keep track of the ARCs, publication date and whether I have blogged about it or sent feedback yet. At one point, I had ten for March, nine for April, five for May and five for June. It feels like so many!! I have read some of them, but I do have travel coming up that I need to work around. I actually had to stop requesting ARCs so I could actually read the ones I have. 🙂
Nori gave me an amazing excel sheet, but I am so damn busy I haven’t even been able to fill it in! I have serious, serious problems. Good problems, but still 😉 That is my problem too- the stuff I have to work around! The good news is, the summer is pretty slow, book-wise. So maybe we’ll be able to catch up then? (Wishful thinking?)
I guess I’m in the paralyzing fear stage. I’ve never requested an ARC because my TBR pile is already so huge. I don’t want to put more stress on myself. I do get several emails a day from people who want me to review certain books, but I’ve declined all of their offers so far. I’m scared of getting overwhelmed.
Aj @ Read All The Things!
I understand where you’re coming from, and I think you are making REALLY smart decisions by knowing your limits! When I started out, and was getting emails non-stop, I would say yes even if I didn’t really *want* to read the book, just because I felt too bad to say no. Ugh, what a mistake! I have learned my lesson in that respect, thank goodness. But… apparently not so much with requesting 😉
I remember reading about your doubts 🙂
It’s funny that you should post this now : after resolving my wi-fi issues, I re-subscribed to Netgalley, believed no one would pay attention to my requests – they did ! I got 5 books that I would love to read in the days to come – on top of those I already have and those which release I’m waiting for… Some will be released at the very beginning of april, so I’m in a hurry !
Now I’ve learned my lesson, I’ll do just like you planned and get applauded by Star Trek’s crew too 😀
It’s funny how things have basically done a complete 180, huh? I guess progress is good, but I should probably find a nice middle ground 😉
And YES- that is exactly what happens! You figure “eh, I never get approved by X anyway, so what have I got to lose?” and then BAM- X approves you for ALL the books. I hope you enjoy them at least! And yes, you shall get applause from the crew as well 😀
I never check the release date when I request (I mostly do with physical ones, but uhm, I apparently stopped doing that since January and March/April/May books = uhoh.) but I rarely do with earcs until I update my schedule, which is where I get in trouble, ha.
Q1) I’m usually a few weeks in advance with earcs, and maybe a week or two before with a physical copy, so I do try to finish them before they come out.
Q2) Aha! I used to, and one time I had like 4 reviews in one week because of it. Now I’ mainly focus on reviewing the physical copies before or on release date, and earcs the same months it’s out, though some have slipped through the net because I totally forgot about them.
3) YES. No doubt about it. None at all.
THINGS WE KNOW BY HEART, YOU LOVELY BOOK. Aaand, really enjoyed The Secrets We Keep, even if I didn’t always like the characters.
MADE YOU UP IS SO DAMN GOOD AND CUTE AND EVERYTHING. Currently reading Extraordinary Means and liking it so far. So can’t wait for Rook though! 😀
That is basically what happened. I was like “oh, that comes out sometime in 2015, whatever, that’s not even this year!”. Um, yeah but they all apparently come out in ONE RANDOM WEEK in 2015 😉
I have decided I will focus on the physical copies too, along with the earcs that I am desperate to read. And then everything else will happen when it happens 😉 But they WILL happen (unless they are DNFs, which is a sad but real possibility after a few reviews I have read).
OH YAY! I am so glad you liked Things We Know by Heart! And The Secrets We Keep WAS good- I just wish I hadn’t read it like, 7 months ago 🙁 For an ARC tour, which means I don’t even have it for reference, UGH!
I am reading Rook currently, and it is interesting, though starting off a little slow. There is a ton of potential though, it is a pretty strange world, and I like the characters so far!
I am just as bad at this as you, but I am probably much worse. I need to figure out a better system for cateloging all the release dates (other than just my google calendar) so that I dont get overloaded. In an ideal world I would read the ARCs very early. Send the reviews to the pubs with months in advance and then schedule the reviews for my blog within a cuople of weeks of release date.
The reality is that I try to read the books around release date and get my reviews up around then and send them to pubs when they are posted on my blog. I don’t really know how to fix this expect adopt a new system for the books months out (like winter 2015 books) and try a new system and just continue to play catch up with my current books.
Great posT!
Michelle @ Book Briefs
I think you are right- we are just going to have to start fresh, most likely. I have the dates written down all over the place, but I just didn’t start quite early enough. I like your idea of reading AND reviewing early! That is where I have a problem- I read early, but I don’t review early. And then I am just a mess. Hopefully we will both be able to figure something good out for our new books 🙂
I have to admit that in my first year or so blogging, I went request crazy and what usually ended up happening is that I wasn’t able to get them read and reviewed prior to release date. Which I hate. I’m one of those that likes to read and review it at least a month before it comes out. So over the last couple years I’ve slowed down on my request so that I can make sure I don’t pile too many on and not be able to keep up. This way I’m also able to read a few of my TBR pile as well… otherwise I’d just be reading ARCs all the time and never making progress on ones I buy or borrow.
That is kind of what has ended up happening to me, I haven’t been able to really touch the books I’ve bought, which I don’t normally like to do. I usually read one of my own books, and one ARC, but lately, it’s been all ARCs all the time. Which is wonderful, if they are all good but as we all know… 😉 I definitely have learned my lesson!
Oh my gosh Shannon, I also have all of these books to review: Challenger Deep, Things We Know By Heart, None of The Above (Done!), 99 Days, Invincible, Extraordinary Means, The Cost of All things, The Last Leaves Falling, Made You Up, The Night We Said Yes, Proof of Forever, Emmy & Oliver.
AND THAT’S NOT EVEN ALL OF THEM. I HAVE LIKE 30 BOOKS REQUESTED.I also have ARCs I won or was given of Devoted, Sweet, Lying Out Loud, Wrath and Dawn (on it’s way)…which I want to read before they release as well. 🙁
The rest of the ARCs I have are: The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak, Finding Paris, Every Last Promise, City Love, Tiny Pretty Things, Denton Little’s Death Date, Elena Vanishing, Paperweight, Heat of The Moment, Making Pretty, Vanished, Kissing In America, Emancipated, Out of Control, Dancing With Molly, Between The Notes, More Happy Than Not, Don’t Ever Change, Where You End, Get Dirty (Don’t Get Mad #2), After Hours and….Last Years Mistake….So yeah….
What did we dooo? What did we dooo?
1. I want to read all of the ARCs before they’re out or in the month that they come out. So with Positively Beautiful, which came out the 10th, I finished it earlier this week. With We All Looked Up, which came out three days ago, I haven’t finished reading it yet….
2. I want to review them in the month they come out.
3. No. I’ll be honest, there are several books I didn’t read until long after they were released (When Reason Breaks, The Walled City, Every Ugly Word…). So no, I won’t lose my composure if I don’t review a book by a certain time.
I’LL JUST FEEL AWFUL.
Hahahaha….. I’ll feel a little bad. I’ve had a huge reading slump though all month and that’s going to be my defense for not reviewing them by the time they came out because I told myself “Hey, you can read eight books each month and finish them all on time.”. Yeah, guess what? I have only read ONE book this month.
I’m the worst, I know. Haha…. I have that spreadsheet too! I already have one I used, but I think I’m going to change mine up to match Nori’s more. 🙂
DUDE. DUUUDE. That is insane! Okay. First- the books you won or were gifted do NOT have to be read this minute (even though you probably REALLY want to read them!), so those you can take out of the overwhelming mix. I haven’t even HEARD of half the books you’ve got! Goodness, girl! Also, read Denton Little’s Deathdate for sure! That was a good one. Also, Challenger Deep. My recommendations, of course 😉
THAT WAS MY THOUGHT EXACTLY! “Oh, it’s ONLY 10 books a month”. THE HELL!? That is a LOT of books! And of course, little Miss Pessimist over here is SURE she’s never going to get approved for anything, so that doesn’t help.
I think I may just quit and fall asleep somewhere 😉
I think we all fall into ARC-madness every now and then, haha. I know I’ve had my fair share of too many ARC’s and too little time, but one thing is important: BREATHE. I always try to read my ARC’s on time, but sometimes it just isn’t possible and that is not terrible. I always try to post my review 1 week before publication & if that doesn’t work, not later than 2 weeks after the publication date, which gives me enough space.
Yes, you are really right. I kind of have to put it in perspective, it isn’t the end of the world if a book (especially an e-arc) falls through the cracks here or there. It happens, I am sure, far more often than I would ever do! Now my problem is going to be scheduling all the reviews 😉
I am right there with you for April and May! I got in way over my head, and I’m gonna try to be more careful from here on out. But, like you, I am going to do whatever it takes to read/review these before their release date, otherwise I feel like I haven’t done my “job” properly. The only instance I may not review is if I DNF it or hate it.
Yep! I agree with you completely- I need to do it! Even if I DNF, I will write a little something. Even though I feel guilty about DNFing, which is a whole other problem 😉 Good luck with your obscene stack of ARCs!
HI SHANNON YOU HAVE A PROBLEM. Hey the first step is admitting you have a problem. AND ALSO, can you teach me your ways because I don’t remember seeing all these books on Netgalley. Do you only request online? ANYWAYS
Do you insist that you finish every ARC before it is released (or within a certain time period)? No. As long as it’s in the time frame…hahah…or months later.
Do you insist that you review each one before release/within a certain time? Yes, within….
Would you completely lose your mind (i.e., as I would) if you didn’t adhere to your schedule? Nope. I would only lose my mind if I requested way too many. I mean I put them in my calendar, but it’s only for reference 🙂
GOOD POST SHANNON I WONDER WHO TOLD YOU IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO DISCUSS THIS
I do have a problem. For real. And no, some of these are physical ARCs. (The Cage, Immaculate, Until the Beginning, Rook, Becoming Jinn, The Secrets We Keep)
Bwhahah I love that “a certain time frame… or months later”! You are too much.
And yes, I suppose I should have credited The Innocent Centaur for encouraging a discussion post 😉
#saveshannon2015
I gotta say Shannon, it’s a little difficult to be sympathetic for your plight. I mean look at all of the pretties you have there [; Especially In A World Just Right, I want that one like yesterday.
Hahaha. In all seriousness though, I definitely do see where you’re coming from. I feel like with ARCs there’s a lot more pressure when it comes to reading/reviewing them in a timely manner. There’s an obligation that comes with them, as you’re getting the book before others, and in return are are to a review. I can definitely see how having all of these ARCs could lead to stress just because of that underlying pressure.
For me personally, I’m the worst with ARCs. I know I’m supposed to read/review them by or for certain dates. But I don’t??? I pick and choose by which interests me most and I suppose that’s why I haven’t read some that are set for release in April but have read some of the ones for July. Ooops. I feel like eventually you should review your ARCs though, even after the release date. If you don’t have much to say than mini reviews are going to be your new bff.
Lovely discussion post girl! <33
I KNOW! I feel kind of bad being like “waahhh I have too many awesome books”. It seems quite…. mean? BUT I figured other people are probably struggling with it too 😉
And you’re so right- there IS more pressure, even though it’s self-inflicted mainly, but I DO feel an obligation. Because I asked for them!
OH. MY. GOODNESS. You are a GENIUS! MINI-REVIEWS! Why did I not think of this!? I do them ALL the time, but for non-review books but…. why CAN’T I do it for review books too!? You have basically just saved my LIFE. 😀 <3
ARCs are a tricky thing. What I SHOULD do is read and finish a book before downloading/requesting another but I have no self control. For me, I don’t even keep track of the ARCs I have to read. It’s such a BAD THING. I’m so upset with myself.
Plus, being auto-approved is a temptation that is ALWAYS there.
I think self control is my problem too! But I DO keep track of them… I just overestimate my reading speed perhaps 😉 Oh, Auto Approval would be a scary, scary thing for me!
I absolutely suck at remembering release dates for ARCS that I’ve received! I’m actually going through this now, next month I’m so booked that I had to drop out of some blog tours because the reading load would have been just too much. I started using Google Keep to list all my ARCS along with their release dates that I have to read. Whenever I finish, I just click the box, and Google Keep removes the title. In the future, I’m definitely going to keep better note of my ARC TBR so this problem doesn’t happen again, but sheesh are these advanced readers copies so damn tempting lol.
Oh wow! That IS booked! I have a few blog tours too, added in to all this. Goodness, it is never ending. I do not know this Google Keep, but I am going to look it up right now! That sounds like a good idea. They are REALLY tempting, right? Though, I feel like I AM getting a bit more selective, so that is a good thing! Good luck with yours, too 🙂
Oohh, GOOD QUESTIONS. I’ve gotten to a point where I’m like not requesting any bokos. >_< I like Netgalley and I'm starting to acutally get some approvals! (My ration si like 90% but everyone hates Australia, boo.) But seeing I read off my Ipod, meh, it's really frustrating having like a teeny tiny screen. SO. That leaves me with physical books and I've just gotten a lot of nos lately, so I've gotten a bit…distracted? The library is awesome. HA. I love the library. And I'm also catching up on some older series so that's awesome too. But seriously publishers go ALL AT ONCE or have months where nothing much comes out. They should spread it out more evenly. *nods*
I try to read books before their release date, but I don't always blog about them. They're on Goodreads though, so that's halfway there, right?! And often publishers send me books like ONE DAY before they're released. -_- So, yeah, no to those. HAHA. I mean, I read them, but I don't break my neck getting them reviewed the next day. I do what I can!
Aw, that does not seem fair! I mean, you should really be getting books, because ALL the people visit your blog. AND comment. And likely take your advice when it comes to books. (I know I do!)
And YES, they SHOULD spread things out. Don’t they understand that I have over requested and need them to calm down with all the amazing books? And then there will be this HUGE lull in the summer, and we won’t know what to do with ourselves!
And you read so fast, you probably could read them and review the next day 😉
Girl I totally understand the need to review and read every single ARC I am given. I think we share the same neurosis. 😉 I use as many Excel spreadsheets that I can to keep track of not only the books, but when I need to have them reviewed on the blog. I have about three or four different excel spreadsheets just for my blog haha!
Hahah WOW, that is a lot of spreadsheets! I have to confess something: I am NOT good with spreadsheets. I have the worst time trying to format them, and then I just give up. It is a problem. I need to get myself together, because I think they’d really help!
I have such a thing for spreadsheets lmao! But mostly I like to use Excel templates because the regular old thing just doesn’t do it for everything
You’re a lot more organized when it comes to this stuff than me! I INTEND to read and review every book before it comes out, with reviews posted at least a week before the book releases, but I’m TERRIBLE at follow through. The thing is, I’m 100% a mood reader, I’m a moody reader. I have to read what I’m in the mood to read or I’ll never get through a book which really gets in the way of actually reading my review books.
Also, like you, most mine come out in April and May so I just kept thinking I had plenty of time….not so much anymore! I think I’d be more likely to lose my mind if I actually stuck to a schedule because that’s so unlike me. =)
The weird thing is, I am usually a mood reader too! But when it comes to ARCs, I have been lucky enough to be able to put that aside. Maybe because I have like, 76 of them to choose from hahha. But yes- what is with the April and May stuff!? EVERY book ever seems to be coming out then! And then there is a lull, and then September and October will be insane. We should prepare ourselves now 😉
I am so unorganized. I literally just put the ARCs on a shelf in order of release. Then I read what I want when I want :-/ I tried being organized and reading in order and I got in a reading slump. I find it impossible to read something if I’m not in the mood. I do try to pick books releasing soon but it doesn’t always happen like that. I do try to post my reviews near pub date but if I miss it I try not to stress. You seem to be very organized and I love seeing all the pretty covers lined up. *pets books*
I think the illusion of organization is likely a sham 😉 I do write down all the release dates, but… yeah. It doesn’t always work for me either. I also don’t like that my Kindle only shows like, 10 books at once on the stupid carousel thing, so I can’t always SEE the books I need to read. This is why physical is always better hahah.
What I find frustrating is that you put in a request on NetGalley and then suddenly, what seems like out of the blue you get approved for something you thought you didn’t have a snowball’s chance in heck of getting or after all your blogging friends received their copies.
I got approved on March 4 for Shadow Scale which felt like weeks AFTER the initial email was sent from NetGalley. The book released on March 15. No way I can read and review a book that quickly so I’ll get to it when I can.
It’s really hard to build/maintain a reputation percentage on NetGalley. The minute I submit feedback, I get approval and sink back down again. It’s a never ending battle.
Terri M., the Director
Second Run Reviews
YESSSS! THANK YOU! I got approved for a book on NG the day it was released. Seriously!? What am I supposed to do with that!? I’d chalked it up as a “no”! GRRR. Obviously, that was NOT read and reviewed before the release 😉 You are so right with the ratio. Because I have books that aren’t being published til August- obviously I haven’t submitted reviews yet. I don’t like the ratios. At all. I feel your pain.
I’m not the only one?! THANK GOODNESS!
I actually used to worry over these things back when I started out. I wanted to make a good impression of myself and meticulously read and reviewed books before or on release dates and became pretty much a wreck after it because it felt like I was handling a job. Now, I just request what I like and read it whenever I like, still usually before a release date, but most of the time WAY WAY WAY WAY before the release dates. I don’t even wait 2 weeks before the release date, I just post and be done with it hahaha. Someone told me publishers are often fine with us as long as you put a pre-order link! 🙂
That is how I feel exactly- I want to make a good impression! And that pre-order link thing is good to know, because I ALWAYS add them, so maybe I should just start posting whenever! Thanks for the tip 😀
1. I don’t always finish ARC’s before their release date, a lot of the time, I’ll work for it, but if not, I’ll still review it, sometimes people quite like reveiws a little after release date, so I don’t beat myself up over it.
2. I do like to review each review point within a set period after finishing if that’ what you mean, or set a time I’d like to have it published by on BBB, but not always, I’ll wing it if I have to really..
3. I used to have a schedule, and I have spreadsheets, I just don’t always stick to them *sigh* I do most times, I just need to do it this month for sure, I have A LOT of books I need to read that I actually want to read as well, so, here’s hoping.
Great post Shannon! 🙂
I agree with you on that point- it IS good to have reviews AFTER the release too! I hate when books just vanish after the release- I want to know what everyone thinks!
I wing it too. More often than I’d like to admit 😉 I have started taking better notes though, so that helps!
And thanks so much- I hope you can get to yours too 🙂
I over-ARCed a while back, and I’m finally getting through all of them! Though now my issue is that I forget I have a few stragglers left over (because they’re on my Kindle where I can’t see them) and I need to make sure I review them in time 😛
But hey – at least you have some amazing books to read! Things We Know by Heart is just… *swoons*
Oh the Kindle IS part of my problem- I can’t see them on the damn carousel! GRR. I am glad you are getting yours under control- AND that you loved Things We Know by Heart!
Hmm, personally, I request 3 books at a time, because the publishers always end up sending me one among those 3. They always say the other ones are not available but, like you, they are books I REALLY want to read. I won’t just request a book to have more books in my library or because it’s cool. Uusally, I read them 2 weeks after they arrive, whatever the date of their release 😛 They don’t actually ”mind it” if I review them too soon. I think. I hope.
That’s pretty smart! I don’t think they mind either- they’re probably just glad you are reviewing them 🙂
I have gotten better about how many requests I both make and accept. I still take on my than my schedule allows for a reasonable turnaround though. Right now I am behind on my reviews but I insist that I still give each book a shot. Like you the spring has too many good titles!
That is really good. I have gotten better about accepting requests (in truth, I almost never do, unless it was a book I definitely planned on reading anyway). It seems like spring and fall are always extra busy, so now I will know for the future 🙂
Yes to all three of your questions lol. Since I requested those books, I want to be able to share my thoughts on them within the publishing time. It’s kind of my way of giving back to the publishers for letting me read an early copy 😀 I want to help them promote~ Honestly I don’t even have that many review books (around three each month) but I feel like panicking every time it gets close to the publishing date and I haven’t read the book yet. I don’t know how you all do it!
Yes! That is exactly how I feel about it too! Um, I am not sure either 😉 This month is definitely going to test me! I think panicking is just part of the whole process, for me hahha.
You’re going to have 50,000 books to read after BEA, so you might as well give up right now. Just surrender. 🙂
BWAHAH. So true. I have basically told myself that I WILL NOT stress over BEA books. When they happen, they happen. Because I will go insane.
“At least it’s not herpes” hahahaha, that’s a positive note to end on! I do try to read my ARCs in a timely fashion, usually as close to the publication date as I can get. I want to review every single one of them, though I won’t post them all on the blog – usually on GR will do. I used to get really worked up about my ARCs, but now I make sure I don’t request too many, and that they’re books I really want to read. You’ve got some really great-looking books in there!
Thanks! And it sounds like you have your act together in a way I simply never will 😉 I WANT to post to Goodreads in advance but then I figure I shouldn’t, because then no one will care about the review on my blog? I have no idea!
I am queen of the Over-ARCing. I don’t mean to do it but somehow it happens. I do not NOT stress about getting a review out before or at the pub date. Puh-leese. I’d be so screwed! I even have in my review policy that I will get to it when I get to it. But I have cut myself off from requests for the next month (possibly more) and I’ve even turned down a few I was dying to read, but I am behind even for me right now.
Hahha I love that! I have cut myself off too- even for one I REAAAALLLY wanted. I will buy it instead and it will be okay. Maybe. The struggle is real!
Hi! I looooveeee reading your blog posts and especially your book reviews. i know this sounds stupid especially after reading all the other comments. But I love to read books soooo much I can do it for an entire day without interruptions. I also love saying my opinions about books I have read and I am hoping that I can do more of that in my blog. Can you give me some advice on where I could actually request ARCs and how do I do it? I get excited every time I see you posting reviews of ARCs and my jealous self weeps (haha)… thank you! Oh, and I’m with you with the bookshelf problem!
AWW Thank you SO MUCH. You have seriously made my day! No, my week! And I would love to help!
So, I was really hesitant to start asking for ARCs because I was scared- but it wasn’t bad! You will want to start with either Netgalley or Edelweiss (or both!), and your best chance is to find a few “read now” books, that way you don’t even have to request! Then, read those, and submit your reviews, and you’ll have a better ground to request books, since they’ll see that you follow through!
When you want to request, it’s pretty straightforward. On Netgalley and Edelweiss, you fill out a profile with your info- your blog name and url, your stats/followers, social media links, and just a brief description of your blog (like what genre you read/review, basic stuff). Now, on Netgalley, all you do is click “request” and the publisher will either approve or deny- there’s basically zero interaction. On Edelweiss, there is a section for you to say why you want to read and review the particular title. I kind of like that, because it gives you a chance to show that you are really interested!
Netgalley has this ratio of downloads to feedback sent, so you want to send feedback as much as possible. Edelweiss has no such thing. Another good thing about those sites are that since they’re e-ARCs, they’re often available internationally.
If you have ANY questions, please let me know, I’d be glad to help! Feel free to email me (itstartsatmidnightbooks@gmail.com) or reply on here! And good luck, it is definitely fun, and thank you again for your kind words 🙂
thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question! I have been binge-reading (if there is such a thing) your latest posts because I have been away and wasn’t able to catch up on my favorite blogs… I have another question if you don’t mind. What about physical books? To be quite honest, one of the reasons I love reading is I love the feeling of actually holding a book and flipping through the pages. Plus I love smelling them! Do you do that too? I know, I’m weird… Thanks again
I think binge-reading blogs is definitely a thing! I try to do it on the weekends, when I can 🙂
And absolutely! So with physical books, publishers generally like to see that you have at least 6 months of pretty steady reviewing under your belt. Then, you can send an email (pretty much every publisher has contact info on their site telling you who to email for review copies) and basically give the same info you give in NG or EW, but you know, personalize it a bit more. And of course, you’ll want to let them know why you’d like that specific title! Now, I have only received about 7 physical books, so it IS pretty new to me, but that is what I have done each time. Most likely, you won’t even hear back from them, either a book will appear one day, or it won’t. The waiting is the hard part, honestly!
Here’s the one problem with physical books: if you are outside the U.S., I know they can be a lot harder to come by. BUT I think you can still request them, you just have to find who publishes the book in your country, since it’ll be different than in the U.S.
I agree with you, I MUCH prefer physical books (and I LOVE the smell, it isn’t weird at all!), which is why I have started requesting them. But I know that publishers are far more likely to give an ebook, so it’s tough- I am never sure which route to go! Hope that helps 🙂
oh i see… thanks again… I enjoyed talking with you! I feel like we are sort of friends (and I’m not psycho, I promise!). It’s just that now I am more confident to say in public what I think about books without feeling like a weirdo because I see everybody else doing it too… I also enjoy reading your blog as well as Cait’s blog Paper Fury. Your blogs are just fun and relaxing reads… great job! I hope at some point mine will have the same impact to readers too…
Aw thank you so much, you are really too kind! I agree, it is so fun to make new blogging friends 🙂 It really is wonderful to have this community where it is just FUN to talk books with each other. I am definitely confident that you will have an impact! And I am with you- Cait’s blog is absolutely delightful, she does such a wonderful job!
Another great way to acquire ARCs is through the ads on the Shelf Awareness Pro newsletter. Often they are physical copies. And, once I overcame my shyness I started just writing to publishers to ask for books I was interested in. More often than not, they were happy to oblige!
Ohh, good call! I have gotten a few from there too. And that is pretty fantastic, that you were able to get books so quickly! OH- and Goodreads, Penguin First to Read, those are a few others that I have used too!
I went crazy when first on NetGalley, thinking no one would accept me and they all did. Unfortunately I didn’t get to all of the books, so I’m sure that my rating is now bad. However, I’ve established a routine similar to what you tried to do, no more than 2 at a time. I do read them before they are published and post my review in the first 2 weeks the book is out. I also don’t care when it’s being published if I really want to read it. I just read a July book and wrote my review now so I wouldn’t forget!