Yesterday’s winner: Angie. Yay!! Email me so I can get your book (or whatever) out to you.
Today’s pondering has two parts:
1. Those book references you see on blogs – the ones where it reads as if the blogger is in a group and the “job” is to post about a particular book at a particular time. You know the ones. The entries usually consist of the cover, a description and maybe an excerpt. Usually the blogger hasn’t read the book. I think of these as book ads. Like ‘em? Do they do anything for you? Do they make you want to buy the book?
My view: It’s your blog so you can put whatever you want on there. If I wanted to write REDRUM REDRUM REDRUM* all day, I could. Sure, I would get a very different group of people reading my blog and writing to me, if anyone even did, but I could make that blogging decision. I haven’t, so don’t panic. But, really, bloggers can post whatever they want so long as the blogger is prepared to take the consequences.
In keeping with that philosophy, I understand the purpose behind the book ads (my phrase). I love when authors talk about other books. But, these book ads don’t work for me. I generally go to a site, see the book ad, look at the cover, see what the book is and then do not read on. I leave the site and come back the next day. It’s not that the book ad upsets me. It’s just that, for me, it’s not effective. If someone posts about a book, I’ll connect if: the blogger found the book and is excited about it; the author wants to know something about a book and is posting with a question; the blogger read it and/or is reviewing it; or the blogger is chatting about a friend or contemporary’s book on a personal level. That’s me. You?
2. Bookmarks? Cover flats? Little gadgets? Do you care? Do you like them? I have bookmarks and cover flats and a few other items. As a reader I don’t collect them. What do you guys think? And, by the way, if you want a cover flat or bookmark, always know I have them. Just write me and let me know.
*A reference from Stephen King’s The Shining, in case you didn’t know…
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Don’t put me in the contest, HelenKay–you know I’ve already got one and it’s a really good read.
You’re talking about Out Of The Blogosphere and the Famed and Fabulous Girlfriends Cyber Circuit? I’ve yet to buy a book because I read a blog whose author is a member and posts the ad.
I do sort of collect bookmarks and stuff. It’s all in a shoebox–mostly because I feel bad about throwing them away. So I keep having periodic urges to announce a contest on my blog and offer to send the whole lot to somebody.
by May July 19th, 2006 at 7:33 amI always like bookmarks and magnets. But I strongly dislike coverflats and just don’t get their appeal.
by Nicole July 19th, 2006 at 8:49 amI’ve got so much promo stuff, I don’t know what to do with it all. But I love it! *g* I collect postcards, bookmarks and coverflats. I even have a very rare coverflat that was sent to me from Susan Anderson years ago. Authors have some great stuff now as promo. Cool fold up pens, letter openers in unusual shapes. I also like buttons, keychains, etc.
by Melissa July 19th, 2006 at 9:46 amIt’s all good. HK, I’d love some promo from you.
I belonged to the Girlfriend’s Cyber Circuit last year for several months, but left for that very reason – I didn’t have time to read the books. I read many of those I blogged about, and I gave away copies, and I bought them all TO read, but *for me* (note again: FOR ME) it felt disingenuous to pimp a book I didn’t have firsthand experience with. Not to say the books weren’t fab; I found the amazing Joshlyn Jackson through the GCC, but in the end, I couldn’t do it. I can only pimp books I’ve actually read.
by Alison Kent July 19th, 2006 at 10:46 amI like magnets, bookmarks, pens, and notepads too. And, as Nicole said, I don’t understand the thrill of collecting the coverflats…I see a cover flat and expect there to be pages in the middle…and when there aren’t any it is like opening an empty box!!! LOL
by Kathleen July 19th, 2006 at 11:13 amI’m iffy on the blog group promotions. I mean, as an author, it gets your name and your book out there, and it could possibly drive traffic to your website and blog, but as a blogger, I don’t know that I’d want to be promoting a book I haven’t read and may not find to my taste.
As for the promo items, I love free cool stuff, but I have so much clutter in my house, I really shouldn’t be bringing in more, and I suspect I’m not the only one who feels that way. And just because you have a cool pen or a magnet, is that going to remind you of the author’s name when you’re standing in the bookstore?
But, you know, my opinion may completely change when I’m a published author and I’m looking to get my name out there. *grin*
by Lara Rose July 19th, 2006 at 12:39 pmYay!! I have been wanting this book! The email is on the way, thanks HelenKay!
I have to agree with Alison on this…how can you promote something of which you have no firsthand knowledge? To me, thats like telling someone that eggplant is delicious when you have never tasted it! I personally don’t pay any attention to those recommendations. But, hey..that’s just me! And like you say, it is their blog and they can post anything they want…unlike me who only posts about once every full moon! What can I say? I’m a reader, not a writer.
I enjoy most promo items, except coverflats. Cherry Adair has some really cool buttons she uses as promos. I have “Pobody’s Nerfect”, “Another Deadline, Another Miracle” and (my personal fave) “Stop Global Whining” buttons from her.
by Angie July 19th, 2006 at 12:43 pmI’m not a fan of the blog book ads. I see them as that–ads. I like how Diana Peterfreund does them, though. She personalizes them, which IMO is much more effective.
I feel completely different if a blogger has read a book and loved it and so she blogs about it. THAT I love.
I like the odd bookmark, because I use them. I also like the letter openers, because I use them!
Cindy
by Cindy Procter-King July 19th, 2006 at 3:54 pmI do not like blog book ads.
by Estella Kissell July 19th, 2006 at 4:56 pmI love the bookmarks and such. I have received personal letters from authors.
by Marcy Arbitman July 19th, 2006 at 7:33 pmI used to order things to hand out, but not anymore. I realized how many items I throw away after a conference.
by Jordan July 19th, 2006 at 7:40 pmBook marks should die. They’re great for an actual signing event or some such thing, but the random packets of book marks I receive from authors make me want to scream. I get a package with the suckers at least once a week and I have no place to put them.
by Bookseller Chick July 19th, 2006 at 7:57 pmI dont care one way or another for book blog ads. I buy a book if it is an author I like, or the back blurb looks interesting or if it has been recommended.
I dont get all agog over bookmarks, or doodads. The pens that authors give out I find write really nicely.
by Pat July 19th, 2006 at 8:16 pmI like useful items like pens, bookmarks, notepads. I have not seen the book ads as you call them…I do not blog very often….I don’t have an opinion on them
by Jeanette Jackson July 19th, 2006 at 8:55 pmCongrats Angie!!
by Kathleen July 19th, 2006 at 9:13 pmCongratulations, Angie!
I’m not a big fan of the book ads especially if the author hasn’t read the book. It’s something that I’ll ususally just quickly look at and move on to something else. I like promo items but I have a lot. Many of these I use daily, like nail files, purse mirror, papaerback cover, bookmarks etc. I use to collect coverflats but I have so many in binders now that I stopped because I was running out of space..
by KimW July 20th, 2006 at 5:19 amNope, the book ads don’t do it for me. I want to hear from someone who’s actually read the book and get their opinion on it so I can make an informed decision on whether I want it. My favorite promo items are magnets, pens, letter openers — things that make me think of the author every time I use them.
by Cheryl S. July 20th, 2006 at 6:14 amCongrats, Angie!
by Melissa July 20th, 2006 at 10:39 amoh I love to post book covers cuz they are pretty or ugly… And because they identify the book quickly.
Most of the books I lust after are because a reader posted they wanted it. And recently I posted a shit load because I wanted to see what (sniff if any) historicals were coming our way. I think I went to summer of 2007 in my search. And posted gobs of them if they caught my eye in any way.
Does this help sell the book in any way? Prolly not but it might interest a few readers and is interest to my fellow historical romance fans. But really at the heart of it, I don’t worry about it. I generally post any book that catches my eye and try to post them in single posts, to make it easy for me to find later if I get the book, bitch about the book, review the book or find more info on the book.
So I love it when other readers do it. Author blogs and group blogs I can’t say much about because I often forget to visit them. Unless I am hunting for info, excerpts, book cover or whatnot on new books from them or am linked from other reader blogs.
There are about 10 to 20 reader blogs I stalk daily.
by sybil July 20th, 2006 at 2:38 pmHi, I do not really care whether booksmarks, etc are given out. They do not make me buy a book. #1 reason I buy is because of the author.
by Helen Mac July 20th, 2006 at 10:09 pmNot a big bookmark fan, though I think I’m at the cusp of a book THONG fetish. They’re so pretty! I tend to keep little things if they’ll fit into a box. Not a big fan of cover flats. They take up too much space and I can already see the cover on the bookmark that usually accompanies it.
Book ads? I find it awkward when I see the ad everywhere and know the blogger hasn’t read it. I’m all for helping out a friend, but I just feel ooky telling folks what a great book “whatever” is if I don’t know firsthand.
by Sela Carsen July 23rd, 2006 at 8:21 am