Book blogger confessions

 

Book Blogger Confessions is a meme that posts the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month, where book bloggers "confess" and vent about topics that are unique to us. Feel free to share, vent and offer solutions.

Just keep it respectful - no bashing authors or other bloggers! If you want to participate just grab our button and include it in your post with a link to either Midnyte Reader or For What It's Worth. We will be providing a linky at the end of our posts so people can "hop" to see all the participants answers.

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Question: Special edition! We have an extra Monday this month and thought we’d address some hot topics in the book blogosphere. Pick one – or answer them all! It’s up to you. If a new crisis hits by then (& it probably will lol) feel free to address that as well.
PLEASE remember that this meme is to vent NOT bash. Keep it civil please & thank you.

~Amazon buys Goodreads (Find the announcement here) DO you think this is a good thing for readers – or is Amazon the devil? Will this move effect you? Will you be leaving Goodreads?

I don’t like the idea of one company having ALL THE INFORMATION ya know? I’ve read pros and cons but I don’t use GR for more than cataloguing the books I’ve read so I’m not sure I would notice anything. I honestly need to read more to understand the full implications.The second I start getting recommended books on Amazon because of something I looked at on GR I’m outta there. Or if it becomes a pushy sales type thing... “Get this book on Amazon!”  I don’t want to feel like Big Brother is watching over me and my purchases (even though I know they already are)


~ The death of Google Reader As Google continues to phase out it’s less popular products, bloggers were scrambling to find a new reader platform to follow their favorite blogs. What have you switched to for a reader?

The big fear though is the loss of Google Friends Connect. How are you preparing if indeed GFC is discontinued? How many subscriber options are too many to offer your followers? What ones are the most popular on your blog?My brain explodes from this topic. I can’t stand how many follow options there are out there and I’m never sure which ones to offer to my followers before it gets annoying. I love GFC but I do think at some point they are going to try to push us all to Google+ and I hate it so….I added Bloglovin because that seems to be what the majority are going to but I switched to Feedly. It seems simple to me and with Bloglovin I don’t’ really understand why you have to “follow” through them instead of it being a simple reader. AHHHH! too many options!

~ What do we owe authors? I read this interesting
post the other day. An author had tweeted that if you get all your books from the library it deprives an author of income, another suggested using this fun little graphic to help readers spread the word about a book they love.

What are your thoughts on this? Do they have a point? Do they go too far in expecting readers to only buy their books at indie bookstores, avoid Amazon or expecting readers to go forth and publicize their book after a purchase?

Did we have these kinds of arguments before book blogging became so big? It seems that since regular readers started reviewing and promoting books there is an expectation of how we *should* be doing this from authors and particularly publishers.
I don’t feel like I owe anybody anything except to not steal their book. That is WRONG. Anything I do after that point is my own business. For me it’s a hobby. I promote the books I love in different ways. Sometimes just through a quick review, sometimes a giveaway. I get my books in various ways. I buy/borrow/trade. I do know I spend a LOT of money on books every year but what the heck is wrong with going to the library?? That one really blows my mind.

Something else to keep in mind for authors who don’t like their books at library's or for friends to borrow them….I probably still wouldn’t buy the book. I only have so much money so if I didn’t read it from the library/borrow then I might not have ever found out about you at all. And while that first book may have been borrowed – you may have gotten a lifetime fan who would then go out and buy future books or at least spread the word to others who would buy your books.

P.S. After a comment from from Felicia (Geeky Blogger) I wanted to add that I don't' think authors owe us anything either. Sure I rant about different plot points or how a series ends or whatever but it's their vision and their story to tell. After that it belongs to readers. They don't owe us ARC's/free books or the endings we want. It goes both ways.

2013 Book Blogger Confessions topics here