On Being a Book Reviewer of Your Word [2020 Discussion Challenge - #9]

On Being a Book Reviewer of Your Word

(NOTE: This is my first attempt at an OP/ED.)

I recently read an old post on Book Riot and the concept of ARC overload, quitting the ARC game, and ghosting review commitments sparked an internal discussion.

Why I Gave Up ARCs to Be a Happier Reader | Book Riot

A Note: For those unfamiliar with the term, ARC stands for Advanced Reader Copy. These are early copies of forthcoming books, in physical or electronic form, distributed by publishers for readers to review prior to release. First off, this post is not a critique of, a condemnation of, or a complaint about ARCs (well, okay, maybe there's a little complaining).

My key takeaways from Jessica's post are

1. Keep your word – deliver what you promise when you promise - and if you cannot, be honest in a timely manner
2. Remember your reason for becoming a book influencer
3. Remember the purpose of an ARC

After re-reading Jessica’s post, I began to wonder how many bloggers feel about this concept - Their incessant addiction to read the latest books and the resulting feeling of obligation and the subsequent sapped love of reading, now suddenly feeling like a chore. (Original quote: "If that list of ARCs—of books I requested, and books that were sent to me—was just getting longer because I felt obligated, and if it was sapping my love of reading by turning it into a chore, why keep going?").

Jessica's advice:

1. Save the ARCs you really want to read when you are ready to read them
2. Tackle the books you really want to read NOW
3. Embrace the backlist

While I respect her position, my advice is different. Sure, some decide (at some point) to give up the ARC game, but, there are others of us who choose not to. That being said, if you are in a state of overwhelm, I have some advice.

1. Go back to the original reason you started your book blog - was it because you wanted to blog or was it because you were required to have a blog in order to receive ARCs? Be honest.
2. Only request an ARC if you are going to read it in the next few days (not that you will, but you should really want to read it) - Ask yourself the following questions
• Why do I want to read this? 
• Do I really want to read this, or does it just sound nice? 
• Do I have any hesitancy about the whether the story will live up to its marketing blurb? 
• Have I read this author before? Did I like, or love, their previous work?
3. Respect the publishing curve - ARCs are meant to drum up interest, which will eventually lead to sales. While any review at anytime will help, if the ARC doesn't specify when to run the review, reach out to the publisher contact and ask when they want the review posted.
4. Ask your self if you are an 'ARCworm' - one who only read advanced copies or are you a 'bookworm' 
• If you are an ARCworm, then fine. Just make sure you are requesting ARCs to help the publisher and not load your shelves.
• If you are a bookworm, this means you read both ARCs and published titles. You will need balance and discipline. (NOTE: This is especially true if you are library patron. Book holds tend to come all at one time. With 21-days to read six books, you are likely to put the library books ahead of ARCs. With that being said, Overdive/Libby has a feature allowing you to move/delay your hold.)
5. Sure, you will fall behind. Life happens, unless you don't work a full-time job, have a family, and have a life outside of books. Consider creating a tentative reading plan/schedule.
6. Stop requesting so many darn ARCs! Some publishers have a limit and once they hit it, all other requests are denied. What if there is someone who really wants to read and review a title you requested. Now, you have it and don't really want to read it. Why the other poor soul has to wait until release day or wait months on a library hold list. (This is dramatic, yes. But, if you are going to be a mood reader, consider requesting ARCs that you will read immediately OR just pre-order the book.)

YOUR TURN - Have you ever ghosted a publisher/author after accepting a review opportunity? Have you considered deleting your NetGalley or other e-galley account?