When I posted the following on Facebook, I had assumed I would get some varied responses… but I have to say I was more then surprised, and unpleasantly so, by reading some of the responses that simply blew me away.
This was my FB post:
“This has been on my mind for quite a while as we run quite a lot of blog tour/ blog posts. I am surprised to see that it is becoming more and more that there isn’t even a general giveaway attached to a blog tour/post. As a blog we take the time to put up the post and promote the author, the author takes the time to provide the blog with nice posts or exclusives. Am I so wrong in thinking it would be really nice for the reader to have a chance to win something when reading the posts? Facts are that it does make a lot of a difference when a giveaway is attached (and to be clear the giveaway doesn’t even have to be huge often an ecopy or a small gc makes the difference) #confused”
Some great authors , bloggers and organizers took the time to reply to my post and what they told me made me really see that there are so many different angles to this whole situation.
Where I honestly believe in what I said, and that is wondering why the situation is how it is, my eyes definitely were opened to other viewpoints.
It absolutely blew me away to read that winners sometimes ask for other things because they don’t like the author, don’t read “gay” fiction, or simply want a gift card instead of the free book that is offered as the prize. That is beyond rude and to read that people who won a free book don’t even take the courtesy to say thanks… WOW!
I am first and foremost a reader. When I win something I am over the moon and feel really lucky; first because I won a book by an author I really want to read, as otherwise I wouldn’t have entered the giveaway; and second, I am very appreciative of the author having offered a copy of a work they spent countless hours and money on… and they gave it to me for free in a giveaway.
To hear and see proof that honestly it is a rare thing to give thanks still blows me away while typing this. Even on giveaways I have run myself, I spend hours and hours of time talking to people asking them to donate something, putting the posts together, and then apparently even those prizes don’t get claimed. This really makes you reconsider things.
Another issue was raised on the post that I want to share. That is the issue about ARC copies and reviews. Well… I stand strong in my beliefs on that one. If you receive an ARC you need to deliver a review. In the very rare occasion it might happen that there is an issue, you contact the author and talk with them to see how to get a workable solution. If authors send out ARCs and they don’t get a review, why would they want to keep sending them out??
On the bloggers part, as I mentioned in my FB post, I do believe it makes a difference when there is a giveaway attached to a post and I honestly believe it doesn’t have to be a big one because a real fan and lover will appreciate even the tiniest gesture. Not denying the fact that it indeed draws a bit more people to the posts which also is nice for the blog, for the work they also put into it.
To be clear, my post was not in any way meant to ‘shame’ anyone and try to get more giveaways. A giveaway is not an obligation, nor is it automatically expected. I am merely saying that for a blog there are also things that are considered worthy. (if that makes sense)
On the issue of the same people entering and winning every time, I have seen new people visiting posts, finding new blogs, and getting interested in different authors. For me, that is a win win as a blogger and as a promoter for the author. Of course reading that it doesn’t do anything for sales is sad, but I do hope that it is also about connecting with a blog and its readers.
Thank you all for listening and for the insight 🙂
Dani x
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 🙂
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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…
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.
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.