The 3rd and final question for today comes from Nicki. Congrats Nicki you win a $10 store credit for Loose Id
Nicki: My question is this: as busy as you are reading (possibly?) assigned books for posting a review here on a certain date, if you find that you really like a particular author’s work, do you research them on a personal level? Meaning, do you subscribe to their newsletters, read their blog posts, follow them on Twitter or other social media in your free time?
Vicki/ Tori:
Absolutely! I have found several new to me authors from reviewing their books for the blog, and I have found them on social media sites, then bought books to read, or requested more of their books to review. That’s one of the things I love about reviewing! I don’t sign up for many newsletters, but I love interacting with authors on Twitter and Facebook.
Sarina:
Oh, totally! If I like someone I’m going to follow them so I can keep up with what they’re working on. I don’t do much with the social media sites but I’m all over blogs and newsletters.
Jen B:
If I like an author, I will follow on Goodreads and friend on Facebook. Sometimes I will join their private groups, but I find I don’t have enough time to really interact much in those groups. It is nice to keep up with new releases on those authors I do follow though, so I find it handy and will still comment here and there.
Pizzygirl:
Yep, I will research the hell out of my favorite authors or new authors who intrigue me. I don’t tweet but I will find them on Facebook and their websites and will often but their entire backlog all at once. I rarely do newsletter because it just clutters my email but I will join their Facebook groups and contribute to several patreons.
Donna:
Absolutely, yes! But if I get too friendly with and author on social media I TRY not to review their books for the blog. I don’t want to have to tell a friend that their book sucks
Marte:
yes, I try to follow authors that I get hooked on!
Dani:
I follow authors on fb and on twitter but that last one is on the love bytes account. I consider some authors my friends so I will follow them regardless of their writing. I like to interact with them and to follow up on what they are writing or publishing.
Louisa:
If I have enjoyed an author, particularly if they are new to me, I will look them up. See what else they have published, and look at their website/blog to find out if they have any works coming out soon. I will also friend them on Facebook. I am not a huge fan of newsletters, I just find I don’t have time for them. I am a big reader, so when I find an author I like/ love, I want to read all I can!
Dan:
I tend to be Facebook ‘friends’ with a lot of authors so that I can tag them in our weekly Book of the Week Polls, and other polls, so I follow them there. I don’t know, or want to know, how to ‘tweet’ or whatever the word for it is. Likewise, I don’t often follow newsletters, blog posts, etc., because there are just so many of them. I like the ‘friends’ option though, because often an author will post a cover reveal or something on their Facebook page, and I can quickly swoop in on our Book Request list and add it under my name before anyone else sees it. 🙂
Kat:
Thank you for your answers. They are pretty much the same way I follow authors.
I am really enjoying reading the questions and especially getting insight about you all from your answers.
I guess it could be a dilemma, once you befriend an author and still need to see work objectively for a post…
Being objective can be a bit hard, I admit, though I think we all do the best we can. We try to stress to everyone who joins the blog that we review books not authors, but if you have a friendly relationship with someone you can’t really stop hoping when you go into a book that it will be great for everyone’s sake. Mostly when it comes down to it, you just have to write honestly. I’ve never let my feelings for an author stop me from writing a review, but I will admit that there are a couple that took me days to write because of it. No one is capable of being 100% objective 100% of the time–and we hardly expect our reviewers to do so–but we do try to be as professional as possible when it comes to how we handle reviews.
Thank you for answering my question guys! Apparently I’m the only person on earth who refuses to participate on Facebook. I attempt to figure out Twitter, to follow authors and blogs, and basically fail, but I can follow links to a Facebook page from there to read, but I’m not allowed to “like” or comment on anything because Facebook insists that you have your own page in order to do so. I’m way too private of a person for that. and have had my debit card hacked back before people broadcasted their lives to the globe. So Facebook is totally not for me. I’m lucky I can manage email because technology doesn’t seem to like me, lol.
Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is Loose Id?
[email protected]
Loose Id is a publisher that publishes LGBTQ books (as well as other genres). Lyn Gala (on of my all-time favorite scifi authors) publishes a lot of her stuff thru them.
You can find their website here: http://www.loose-id.com/
Thank you all for taking the time to answer these questions. I look forward to all the other posts in the upcoming days/month.
Interesting answers. Thanks for taking the time to answer the question. It’s interesting how you differ and how the answers don’t
Thanks for sharing 🙂 Good to see that you try to keep it as objective as possible, when it comes to reviewing books, even when you are friends with an author.
Thanks for sharing! I’m enjoying reading all your answers.
I agree, I don’t use FB, both because I have no time and because I am very private. It frustrates me because many authors fail to remember there is a subset of readers who are not on FB or Twitter or Pinterest or any of the other social media, but I am glad that I can usually sign up for newsletters or blogs to keep up with those authors I enjoy.
Thanks for sharing – I couldn’t review a favorite author’s book, either lol
I think it would be hard as a reviewer to not like a certain author and I know myself when I find a new author you have to read all their back catalogue!
A great wave of positive there!
I do like to get updates from favourite authors, especially those with really good series so I can be quick to get a new book
Thanks all!! 🙂
I don’t follow too many authors on FB & I try not to on Twitter. But I do get tons of newsletters. When or if they get to be too many I unsubscribe. I wish I could afford to do Patreon for more but funds are too limited.
Thanks for the replies! I do follow a lot of authors. I realized they tend to contact more through their FB pages or groups while newsletter are not a daily thing.
Thanks for the good question and answers. Pretty consistent across the board in following authors you like, but a little variety on preferred method. And of course there’s always that issue of objectivity.
Congrats Trix !