Launched by Sonja of A Bookshelf Full Of Sunshine, continued by FiktiveWelten with a new logo. The blog action is for lively communication between bloggers, a good network, and should be fun. Duration of the question: Friday to Thursday. Rules. No registration required. This week the FF is all about ARC´s or Reviewer Copy and how I feel about them.
If you want to know my thoughts about that question: keep reading *smile* At first, I want to tell you the difference between an ARC and a Reviewer Copy. An ARC is, what we bloggers call the format we can get from an author or the publisher (mostly) LONG BEFORE the actual book is available on the market. It often is an uncorrected paperback version with a sentence or a logo that classifies it clearly as an ARC and which shows the cover of the final book in a slightly different way.
A Reviewer Copy IS the same book you can buy in a bookstore. Only that it comes mostly directly from the publisher or a forum. It depends if I am taking part in a reading challenge or not. I am reviewing for almost ten years now and during all those years I haven´t spent one single dime for a book. All the books I read and reviewed I got for free from the publishers, and those I didn´t were gifts from friends and family. For years I saved a fortune and could still indulge my passion for books. Because let´s face it: Books aren´t cheap anymore. They cost money and even with the fact in mind, that every cent they cost is because of the printing, the paper, the editing, etc. etc., I am not always happy when I see how much a publisher wants to a hardcover edition. That doesn´t mean that I don´t buy books nowadays. I do, mostly US editions, but still, money is money, right? Besides that, since I am running my own blog and started to speak with the publishers and authors directly, I developed a different sight for the whole industry. Because that´s what it is. An industry. A business. I like being in contact with the authors, get to know what they thought or had planned when they came up with another plot for a new book. The joy I feel when I get a book and it comes with a lot of unexpected things like chocolate, reading signs, or a coffee mug. Just a few days ago I got an ARC with a lot of swag in the box.
A Reviewer Copy IS the same book you can buy in a bookstore. Only that it comes mostly directly from the publisher or a forum. It depends if I am taking part in a reading challenge or not. I am reviewing for almost ten years now and during all those years I haven´t spent one single dime for a book. All the books I read and reviewed I got for free from the publishers, and those I didn´t were gifts from friends and family. For years I saved a fortune and could still indulge my passion for books. Because let´s face it: Books aren´t cheap anymore. They cost money and even with the fact in mind, that every cent they cost is because of the printing, the paper, the editing, etc. etc., I am not always happy when I see how much a publisher wants to a hardcover edition. That doesn´t mean that I don´t buy books nowadays. I do, mostly US editions, but still, money is money, right? Besides that, since I am running my own blog and started to speak with the publishers and authors directly, I developed a different sight for the whole industry. Because that´s what it is. An industry. A business. I like being in contact with the authors, get to know what they thought or had planned when they came up with another plot for a new book. The joy I feel when I get a book and it comes with a lot of unexpected things like chocolate, reading signs, or a coffee mug. Just a few days ago I got an ARC with a lot of swag in the box.
And the feeling when you get quoted on the back of a book is simply heavenly! The picture below shows one of my quotes I wrote for a literature portal. I found it by accident in my local bookstore during a sunny Saturday morning a few years ago ...
So, yes, I am a huge fan of the reviewer copy. I am not that much of a fan when it comes to ARC´s. I don´t wanna go into details, but let´s say that I´ll always prefer the actual version of a printed book. I am honest about that. All in all, whether you are receiving an ARC or a reviewer´s copy, it is a great way for an author and the publisher to get the word about their product (because that´s what a book is, a product they´re selling) out into the open. So, no, I don´t wanna miss them at all. In fact, I appreciate them very much!
How is it about you?
Happy blogging & happy reading
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Recht hast du und ich sehe es genauso. Allerdings habe ich in den vergangenen Jahren dennoch jede Menge Bücher selbst finanziert. Ich lese einfach viel zu langsam, um gewisse "Fristen" konsequent einhalten zu können. Hin und wieder kommen auch noch andere Hindernisse diesbezüglich hinzu - du kennst das ja. Aber bezüglich der Rezensionen, die online gehen, bin ich wirklich froh, dass es Rezensionsexemplare oder auch Leseexemplare gibt! :o)
ReplyDeleteLiebe Grüße
Patricia
Wenn ich an das letzte Jahr denke, dann kann ich auch sagen, das ich Geld (und nicht wenig) für Bücher ausgegeben habe. Für originalsprachige Titel halt. Tja, Mensch muss Prioritäten setzen, geht mir nicht anders *lach*.
DeleteBeste Grüße
Vi