9 Responses

  1. Meg Amor
    Meg Amor at |

    Aloha Dani 🙂 Yes… sadly I have given up on giveaways too for the very reasons you mentioned. And it’s not everyone but enough people that you wonder why you’re bothering. I’d like nothing more than to share one of my books with someone. But a simple thank you goes a long way. I would never be given something or someone help me out in some way without saying thank you.

    Thanks for your post. Always enjoyable. Aloha Meg Amor 🙂

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  2. heath0043
    heath0043 at |

    I feel that give a ways are something extra that I really enjoy. I would never enter one that was giving something away that I am not interested in or a book that I was not interested in reading. I have entered many and won a couple of books that i really enjoyed and gave me a new author to follow. I agree that what ever the give a way is, no matter how small is a nice gesture. I have to admit that I have skipped reviews if I am in a hurry for those that have give a ways, but i try not to.

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  3. Didi
    Didi at |

    I’m not connected to you in Facebook so I didn’t see that post. I’m a reader who read review blogs and participating in the contest from time to time. I make it a personal rule to drop note saying thanks to authors if I won anything from them. It boggles me that people who won an ebook said they didn’t read gay romance… what were they doing visiting blog posting gay romances then?? 😮

    Thank you for sharing your concern, Dani. I do think blog post/tour with the giveaway to be interesting. But even without that, I often found some interesting posts in blogs I visited.

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  4. 16forward
    16forward at |

    I follow several blogs, enter giveaways, receive/read and review ARC’s. I have also won several books through the Goodreads Giveaway Program. I’ve even been fortunate to be a beta reader for a couple different authors.

    I don’t participate in Facebook at all because it’s become a forum for so many to leave hateful messages or spout their own agendas. I choose the blogs I follow, read the books I select and have been introduced to many wonderful authors and great series. I even sign up for several author websites.

    In addition, I read and review books through the Amazon kindle unlimited program. I buy the ones I fall in love with but always review every book I read. I feel this is an unwritten contract I have with the author who put their book out there for free for me to try.

    I guess there will always be people who are unhappy and have to share their misery. Luckily I’m not one!

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  5. Jillian Too
    Jillian Too at |

    I’m really surprised to hear about the winners asking for different prizes. I can’t imagine how disheartening that is for an author.

    I specifically avoid entering giveaways for ARC’s because I don’t write reviews. I appreciate when authors and/or blogs are very clear that the giveaway is for review purposes.

    It seems like more authors are doing quick giveaways on their own social media pages. I don’t know anything about the amount of work that goes into blog tours but I hope authors and blogs continue to create the hops with story snippets or games.

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  6. H.B.
    H.B. at |

    I’m sorry I don’t really go on Facebook that often so I didn’t see the post. I’m glad you shared it here though. I’m quite surprised that winners are somewhat complaining and asking for different prizes. Prizes more often or not are listed so participants know what they are getting themselves into. If you don’t like it than cede the win so someone else (possibly a new reader) can have a chance and the exposure to the authors work. The same goes for whether or not it’s a genre they read or love/hate. It will most definitely make someones day even if it wasn’t so for you.

    As for ARCs I don’t usually see much giveaways for them and that is why I join ARC groups for certain authors. Word of mouth is important in this day and age and like you I stand on the front that if someone is willing to take the chance on giving you something they worked so hard on then the least the person getting the ARC can do is write a review. It can be one sentence or an essay.

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  7. dee
    dee at |

    I don’t have a fb account and lately I am happy that that is the case. Recently a family member attacked another family member openly on fb and when my mother told me I was like wth?!. Why share such stuff with people who probably don’t even know that person? I also saw on twitter and in some authors blog posts that they often have to deal with sh*t from random people. And it makes me sad.

    But let’s address the real issue you were writing about. Giveaways are great and I love to enter them and am thrilled when I win something. I hope I am always polite and grateful enough, because deep down I am (but wording that in a mail instead of face to face might not really transport what I feel). I also try to write a review to thank the author further for their gift.
    Usually I only enter a giveaway when I know/like the author already or the blurb of the book sounds interesting to me (Why strip other people off their chance to win something, when I’m not really interested in reading what I would get?). I prefer e-books over gift cards (unless it’s from a publisher’s site). Since physical copies and goodies are often not send abroad, I don’t enter these contests either.
    Since it is clear in advance what’s offered I don’t get people who suddenly want something different, when they win. I mean it’s free, it was stated what would be provided.
    As for giveaways in general. It’s a nice incentive, but I come to sites like lovebytesreviews to get information. I am not interested in searching amazon or gr for hours to find new books I might like. That’s something I get here and on two or three other sites.

    Concerning ARCs, I’m sometimes a bit slow to start reading a particular book, when I am currently in the mood to read something else. I also don’t always trust my review skills. I got feedback from authors a few times that they liked my review of their book, but it’s not always easy for me to write in a manner that will hopefully be helpful for others to make a buying decision. I’m more of a rambler about certain things that I liked or that ticked me off in a book. That’s why I usually back away from ARC giveaways.

    Lastly, why enter a giveaway on a site that deals with m/m romance, when that person isn’t into ‘gay’? Do people specifically search for giveaways on google to win something no matter what? Wow…

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  8. suze294
    suze294 at |

    I too didn’t see the fb post but am flabbergasted that people who win are so rude!
    I don’t enter as many giveaways as i used to, mainly because most offer amazon us vouchers and these are no good for me but I would never consider asking the author for a different prize! Same with a book prize – if I dont think it is one in a genre I like or may be interested in (I have won some different and enjoyable books over the years!) then I dont enter – I may still comment if I like what the author has written.

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  9. lisa
    lisa at |

    I’ll have to be more mindful of thanking authors for prizes won. Thanks for your thought provoking post as well as everything you do on the blog, Dani.

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