I actually really love blog tours. I know there are lots of people who don’t like them, but I do. I LOVE finding great self-published or Indie books and showing them some love – spreading the word. Since I’m a freelance editor as well as a blogger, I know how much work these authors put into getting their books out there, and I love being a part of that. I have found some AMAZING books via blog tours.
Problem is, lately I’ve gotten to that point where reading is feeling a bit more like a chore. I look at my calendar and think, “Oh, I need to read such and such next because that tour is coming up,” and I”m not all that excited about reading it. Then I look at the pile of books that I got from BEA that I still haven’t gotten to, and I think “Ugh! I’m so far behind!” Then I look at my To-Review list on Goodreads and remember that that author gave me her book to review three months ago and I still haven’t gotten to it …
You get the idea. And I’m usually pretty prompt about reviewing. I hate being that blogger that accepts books and then doesn’t get to them. Anyway, in the past two months or so, I’ve slowed WAY down on blog tours and I think it’s going to stay that way for a little while. I plan to try to get through as many BEA and review books as possible and pepper in some random books that I really want to read just for the heck of it (yes, I should be able to do that). I plan to read the books that catch my fancy, instead of trying too hard to schedule (because if you read my post about how disorganized I am about blogging, you know I can’t stick to scheduling random books anyway).
So, I’m taking a break from tours for a little while (well, mostly – I’m sure there will be a few that catch my eye that I won’t be able to resist). Hopefully I’ll snap out of this reading lull and feel bright and chipper again and be able to go back to scheduling some reading – we shall see!!
I did this this year. I looked on Goodreads for 2013 and participated in 79 blog tour! That is nuts! This year I think I only did around 40, still high but much better than that first number. I plan to continue to be more picky in 2015 and to keep that number down.
Interesting – I don’t track blog tours on Goodreads, but now I’m curious how many I’ve done. Might have to check into that … (I know it’s a high number!)
Totally hear ya on this. All the book bloggers I know are taking breaks. There are just SO MANY books out there, and all the authors/publicists/publishers have figured out that bloggers will read and review so you all became swamped. Reading should be a pleasure. I hope the lingering books in your queue bring you joy 🙂
I think it goes in cycles a bit. Sometimes you just need to take a little bit of a break to refuel!
Good idea to take a break. You don’t want reading to become a chore! That takes all the fun out of it. 🙂
Yes, definitely! I don’t want to lose my love of reading!
I’m guilty of not giving indie books a fair chance. I really feel bad about it, but I hope to change that in the coming year. I agree with you on reading becoming a chore. As soon as reading becomes a part of a task, it loses some of its fun value.
There are some really good Indie books out there. I know it’s hard sometimes, though, because there are some that just aren’t well-written or well-edited. Definitely check out reviews, though, and pick up a few good Indies!
Good for you! You need a break, so you can start enjoying reading again. And now is the perfect time to slow down with the holidays coming up. It’s much better when you can be excited about which book to read next and not feel pressured.
Yes, this time of year is the best time to relax and enjoy my reads!
I can totally relate, there was a definite period of time where I was completely overwhelmed and had to back off with the tours and blitzes
Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings
Enter my blog birthday giveaway!
Yes, I’m thinking it will be a temporary thing – I just need a little “time off.” 🙂
Good for you! I came to this realization a while ago. I just wasn’t reading any of the books I owned and there was no chance of just picking up a book I thought looked good at the book store. I’ve hugely reduced my blog tours and review copies since then. I only read maximum one review copy per month, no exceptions! It’s my rule and I’m a happier reader/blogger because of it (even though I still haven’t gotten through all the books I own – I got really behind)! Good luck. I hope you enjoy reading and blogging more with this change. 🙂
I read fast, so I think, well, I’ll be able to read ALL the books I want. Um, yeah, it doesn’t work that way. I’ve read 198 books so far this year, but there are still SO MANY that I’ve been wanting to read for a while and haven’t gotten to. Sigh.
Good for you for knowing when you just can’t keep up! I am so bad at this, and even worse at saying no. I like blog tours, but only when a blogger does them in moderation. I only sign up if it is a book I am genuinely looking forward to, or an author I have really enjoyed in the past or something like that. I am like you, and I get SO overwhelmed (and am unorganized too!) but when I commit to something, I want to make sure I do it. So I have always been picky about doing them in general.
As for review books in general, I used to be a mess about them. I was afraid to request books I actually wanted, and then accepted books from basically anyone who sent me a request because I felt so bad, and I was so new, etc. Now, I only request books that were already on my TBR, and I have been VERY picky about accepting indie books (not that I won’t, because there are some real gems out there, but I am much pickier in general). And there have been a few review books from authors that I simply never read, usually because I started and really wasn’t feeling them. I didn’t even read enough to consider it a DNF, and it usually wasn’t the book, it was just ME. GREAT topic though, I think we could all use a reminder to read for US once in a while 🙂
Yes, saying no is a skill I’ve acquired over time. I get so many requests every day that if I said yes to them all, I’d be overwhelmed in no time. Now I’m very picky about which books I say yes to. There are just SO MANY books that look fantastic, you know? I want a super-brain that can absorb them all instantaneously so I can read them ALL!! 🙂
For me, it’s not so much blog tours as it is requesting ARCs. I read about a hundred books each year but I try not to request more than 10-15 ARCs each year because otherwise it feels like a chore and there are so many other books I want to get to! I haven’t been to any book conferences, so I haven’t accumulated large piles of ARCs to get to, but I do understand “required” books getting in the way of books you really want to get to.
Yes, and all of the books that I’ve requested look really good – but when you have a required pile of them, it just starts to feel a little overwhelming!
I am a mood reader and reading a book in time for a tour can be stressful sometimes. I don’t read as many books anymore as I used to and that meant if I signed-up for many blog tours I had less time for other books. So I signed-up for less tours and now only do max one per month with a deadline and it really made things easier for me.
I had an instance last month were I really wanted to read and review a book, but I knew I couldn’t make the deadline of the tour. Then later that month the author e-mailed me because I mentioned earlier I wanted to review those book and I still got them for review, but without the deadline. That made me consider to try and contact authors directly to ask for a review copy if I can’t make the deadline for a tour and do want to review the book.
Yes, most authors are open to sending review copies and even will often allow you to do a giveaway when you post your review if you want – you just have to ask!
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I’ve also taken a break from blog tours too. It was beginning to feel like a chore for me as well and had taken all the fun out of reading for me. Plus as I’m a mood reader I don’t feel like I can do a book any justice in my review if I’m not in the mood to read that type of book and I like to be fair to all the books I read. 🙂
Yes, you’re right – you can’t really enjoy a book as much if you feel like you have to read it, and then your review is affected.
I totally understand. I feel like that a lot lately. I HAVE to read as apposed to I WANT to read. Sometimes it makes me sad. I am going to slow down on them next year as well. I think I will sign up for blitz and things like that but no more reviews until I get caught up on the ones I have waiting on my shelf at home!
Yes, I’ll still participate in promos or blitzes occasionally for books that look really good, but I’m trying not to allow myself to sign up to review too many!
I have definitely found that agreeing to review on a set date is a terrible idea, it definitely as you said makes the book into a job or chore instead of something enjoyable. We always have to be careful to let ourselves keep book review blogging fun and light in whatever way we can. I definitely. Steer clear of the blog tours that want a review on a specific date.
Yes – I don’t want reading to feel like a job, and sometimes it does. I enjoy some aspects of blog tours, but I’m definitely going to slow way down in 2015.
I also cut back on tours for the same reason and it really made a difference this year. I try to do some promo spots just to help out the organizers but I do like not having the stress of meeting a deadline.
Yes, I really do enjoy helping authors spread the word about their books, but I don’t want to feel stressed out all the time about reading and reviewing on such a strict schedule. Something scheduled occasionally is okay, but not all the time.
I think it’s good that you are having this break. After the two book tours I have signed up for in January I also think I need to take this much needed break as well. I need to narrow down my to read list and also the review requests I have received and yet have to get to.
Yes, I definitely need to take care of the review requests that I already have before I take on more (it’s so hard to do sometimes, though!)